Kota Kinabalu: A local walking team, TehTarikGo, has achieved a remarkable milestone by completing the longest continuous night walk along the coastal route around Sabah.
The marathon night walkers, each carrying a traditional weaved baskets from Tambunan and Kota Belud to promote local hand-made handicrafts, started at Menara Tun Mustapha on February 1 and culminated on March 25, 2025 at the 0km mark of the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) building at Gaya Street here.
The walkers comprised spouses Ismardy Mosial, 47, and his wife, Faulah Paul Paimol, 45, along with his siblings, Sofian, 42, and Dominic, 39, chalked up a total of 1,080km in 52 nights and one day to be entered into the Malaysia Book of Records.
They were welcomed by STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit and staff, alongside retired Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Permanent Secretary Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah.
“The inspiration came about roughly six months ago. As we grew older, we thought that we should do something meaningful in life,” said Ismardy, a former banker.
“We contacted the Malaysia Book of Records, and they agreed to our proposal for a 1,000km night walk.
“At the same time, we also mentioned that we wanted to promote various attractions across Sabah, especially lesser-known places that do not receive much attention,” he shared.
Before embarking on the journey, Ismardy said they were unaware that Sabah has so many hidden gems, which, if highlighted, could inspire Malaysians.
They started the long journey from Kota Kinabalu, then proceeded to Tuaran, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud, Pitas, and Beluran.
They then continued to Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, and Tawau before reaching Merotai, Kalabakan, Sapulut, Nabawan, Keningau, and Tambunan. Finally, they headed towards Penampang before returning to Kota Kinabalu.
Ismardy said they set out to walk 12 hours per day from sunset to sunrise, around 7pm to 4.30am, covering between 25km and 35km per day.
They had earmarked 52 checkpoints for rest and slept in tents, which they set up sometimes by the roadside, under palm oil trees, at bus stops, and under bridges, he said, adding that they carried nearly 100kg of supplies in trolleys.
They also named six of the most unique attractions they explored for STB to consider developing as new products to attract more tourists to Sabah.
The attractions comprise Kraftangan Kampung Timbang Mengaris Kota Belud, Kem Cinta Alam Pitas, Pusat Rekreasi Membalua Tawau, Batu Bersusun Balung Cocos Tawau, Arnab Family Farm Bauto Telupid, and Gunung Alab Tambunan.
Julinus, in congratulating the quartet on their successful expedition, said they had, in fact, passed through all the areas that Sabah Tourism promotes, which feature nearly 500 products across all 28 districts in the state.
He also took note of all the hidden attractions discovered by the walkers and will send a team to visit and provide further assistance to develop the destinations.
He said the newly discovered attractions align with the tourism board’s efforts to promote rural community-based tourism in every district as part of the Explore Sabah campaign, launched recently in London and at ITB Berlin.
“And maybe we can create a promotional video because, in every district, there are numerous attractions.
“Maybe with the initiative you already have, we can expand it further—your team could partner or collaborate with Sabah Tourism to do Explore Sabah while visiting each district,” he suggested.
“Perhaps we could create a tour package for Explore Sabah via walking—a new product for visitors to experience,” he added.
