Sabah natural beauty, wildlife fascinates UK travel YouTuber

 

British travel YouTuber Karl Watson (standing, 6th left) with his followers and STB officers who hosted the dinner. - Pic courtesy of STB.

KOTA KINABALU: Karl Watson, a British travel YouTuber has embarked on an 11-day tour to explore the nature and wildlife of Sabah.

He was joined by 15 followers, among them from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia and Malta.

Watson has been creating travel documentaries for 10 years with over 227,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

He partnered with a travel company to organise comprehensive bespoke group excursions worldwide.

The partnership initiative allows Watson to pick his favourite destination, customise the itinerary to be more sustainable, and sell it on his website and YouTube.

"We organised the first customised group tour to Morocco since it is closer to Europe, less expensive, and exotic.

"When it came to choosing a second destination for a bespoke group tour, I knew I wanted some place very different from the cities, marketplaces, and culture of Morocco.

"I've been considering a trip to Borneo because I like nature.

"So, I did my research, and said to myself and decided to go on a full nature wildlife adventure," he explained.

"I came for the wildlife but was won over by the people.

"This trip is a perfect introduction to Borneo, and I would like to come back to explore Sabah deeper, especially the national parks and the off-the-beaten paths," he said.

He also admired the rich cultural heritage and the friendly multi-ethnic population of Sabah.

During the journey from April 3 to 14, the group scaled Mount Kinabalu, went on a river cruise down the Kinabatangan River, and explored Sandakan to learn about conservation efforts at the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre as well as Selingan Turtle Island, among others.

Captivated by Sabah's beauty and wildlife, Watson expresses his desire to return to explore the national parks and off-the-beaten paths in the future.

The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) hosted a Ramadan dinner for the group where they were able to try local delicacies and were delighted by the traditional dance performance.

-nst online.