Tamparuli is where the coastal plain of Sabah ends and the road to Kinabalu begins to climb. It is a small Kadazan-Dusun town on the Tuaran river, best known across Malaysia for its suspension bridge, which inspired a popular song about a lover crossing it in the rain, and the town is sung about more than it is visited. It is a practical stop: shops, fuel, eating houses, and a weekly market, or tamu, where farmers from the hills bring vegetables, fruit, rice wine and live chickens to sell.
From Tamparuli the road heads east into the Crocker Range, the long spine of mountains that runs down the west of Sabah, and the scenery changes quickly. Rice paddies and coconut palms give way to forested slopes, and the road starts to twist and climb, with views back over the plain towards Kota Kinabalu and the South China Sea. On clear mornings, Mount Kinabalu appears ahead, a huge granite massif rising above the ridges, its summit a jagged crown of rock. At 4,095 metres, it is the highest mountain in Malaysia, and it dominates the landscape for miles around.
The Kadazan-Dusun are the largest indigenous group in Sabah, and the hills around Tamparuli are their heartland. Traditionally rice farmers, they have a rich culture of festivals, music and crafts, and the harvest festival, Kaamatan, held in May, is the biggest celebration of the year, with traditional dances, beauty pageants and plenty of rice wine. Many Kadazan-Dusun are Christian, and churches dot the villages along the road.
The road from here to Kundasang is a fine ride: well paved, with long climbs, endless curves and constant views. It is also busy, with trucks carrying vegetables down from the highlands and tour buses carrying visitors up to the mountain, so overtaking needs care. Rain is frequent, especially in the afternoon, and fog can roll in on the higher sections. Tamparuli has fuel and food, and Kota Kinabalu, about thirty kilometres back, has everything. Fill up here, because the next major services are in Kundasang and Ranau, high in the hills.