Stargazing at Tegudon

By the river of Togudon

Stargazing is an interesting pastime or hobby and for those who wish to indulge in this  activity, there is a place to go to in Kota Belud that will not disappoint. It’s a village  where a river passes busily by and along its banks the paddy fields flourish.  It is called Kg Tegudon, and the site in particular is the Tegudon Tourism Village (TTV).

TTV hospitality bureau committee member Jakunis Gindua enthused that Kampung Tegudon is the third most popular stargazing sites in Malaysia. They officially welcomed visitors to gaze at the sky in May 2017 and since then there has been an endless stream of stargazers flocking to this area.

“Last year we carried out three events here, and the stargazers who came were not disappointed as they could always see the clear night sky full of stars and meteor showers in the dark,” she shared adding that the stargazers would lie down on their back looking at the clear night sky while others would be glued to their telescope.

Jakunis Gindua

Guests coming from Sabah, Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia visited this area and according to her there were no complaints from among them, they all went away happy with their experiences.

2017 was a memorable time for them and of course the stargazers were awed as they recorded a total of 1,284 meteor showers and 18 fireballs blazing across the night sky, she said adding that they were visible to the naked eye.

Presently, they are working closely with Sabah Stargazing Association who will inform and guide them about the best time to look up the sky and be amazed at the sights.

“The stargazers usually gather at the open space and lie on the ground the whole night until the wee hours looking up at the night sky,” Jakunis said, adding that all the lights at the site would be switched off to optimise their vision.

She shared that those who wish to stargaze at their site should let them know two weeks advance so they don’t miss out on space. The space is quite limited and allow only 500 people at any one time. They also rent out tents with costs according to the tent sizes.

If there are walk in guests, they are still welcomed but they would have to sleep in their vehicles when there’s no space for them, she shared.

The huts at TTV

TTV boasts picturesque views of clear water river and paddy fields with Mount Kinabalu in the distance. The village is located 15 kilometres away from Kota Belud Township.

Information can be acquired from Jakunis Gindua at 012 8287814.-MSN