bundu tuhan retreat centre
At the foothill of Mt. Kinabalu lies a small village called Bundu Tuhan. This special and beautiful name “Bundu Tuhan” came from the local Dusun language means “Valley of God”. Situated at 1,200 meters above sea level, Buhan Tuhan is a valley surrounded by temperate farm lands on the lower part, while the upper part consists of lush green forest running on rolling hills. Cool air and peaceful atmosphere are the main characteristics of Budun Tuhan, which also has a very good view of Mt. Kinabalu, especially in the morning, unless the valley is covered by thick fog which is not unusual at this place. The villagers at Bundu Tuhan are mostly from the Dusun tribe, and most of them work as farmers. History recorded that the British had an outpost with a clinic in Bundu Tuhan as early as 1929. Today this small village consists of a few wooden shop houses, a primary school, a clinic, and of course the very popular Bundu Tuhan Retreat Centre.
the new concrete building
Budun Tuhan Retreat Centre (BTRC) is one of the largest retreat centres in Sabah, and its surrounding areas which are covered by greens and forests, top up with cool air, and peaceful environment make it an almost perfect place for retreats and seminars. And also the distance fromKota Kinabaluto Budun Tuhan is only 85km. The day time temperature is around 25 degrees Celsius and the night time temperature can drop to 18 degrees Celsius. The BTRC is made up of two main buildings in the shape of the letter L. The wooden building which was built in 1970s consists of 3 storeys, while the concrete building consists of 4 storeys was built in the 1990s. The rooms are basic. Facilities include a conference hall with a mini P.A. system, meeting rooms and Kitchenettes. The Retreat Centre can accommodate a maximum capacity of 230 persons and there are as many as 6 types of rooms available. Please note: Priority for reservation will be given for Catholic Retreat purposes and Diocesan events.
conference hall
From left to right:
- covered open air sitting area
- meeting room
- dinning hall
The BTRC has a few nice spots to relax and unwind too, these include the small garden, a hut that looks out to Mt. Kinabalu, and a covered open air sitting area.
From left to right:
- the hut
- bundu tuhan church
- kitchen for rent
Types of Accommodation and Rates:
| Room | Features | Units | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type A | 1 Double Bed & 1 Double Decker with bathroom attached | 6 | RM 50 |
| Type B | 2 Double Decker with Shared bathroom | 8 | RM 40 |
| Type C1 | 2 Double Decker with common bathroom | 8 | RM 30 |
| Type C2 | 3 Double Decker with common bathroom | 8 | RM 40 |
| Type D1 | 2 Double Decker with common bathroom | 10 | RM 50 |
| Type D2 | 2 Double Decker with common bathroom | 13 | RM 50 |
type A
from left to right:
- room type A bathroom
- room type A furniture
- room type B shared bathroom
type B
type C2
from left to right:
- room type C1
- common shower
- common toilet
type D1
Kitchen and Catering Facilities:
Options Rate
Kitchen facilities available for you to do your own cooking RM 1 per head
Catering service provided (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & 2 tea-breaks RM 15 per head
Reservation note:
- Reservation can be made 3 months in advance and confirmation must be made one month before the actual date of stay.
- A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the total cost of the required accommodation shall be paid upon confirmation.
- Please indicate in your reservation whether you require the following: a) Kitchenette b) Catering Service c) Access to Conference Hall/Meeting Rooms d) Microphones and mini P.A. systems.
For reservation and more details, please contact:
Catholic Diocesan Centre, Lorong Hiburan 3, Taman Hiburan Phase 1,
km 7, Jalan Penampang Lama, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Tel: +6088 712 297 / +6088 715 017
Fax: +6088 711 222
The Catholic Budun Tuhan Mission started in 1955. Besides the Budun Tuhan Retreat Centre there is a church, a chapel, a priest’s house, and a convent. Across the road is the Orphanage House which accommodates about 80 children, ages between 5 and 18. The running operation of the Orphanage is managed by the church with donations from the general public. If you want to make any donation to the orphanage you can contact Brother Ben (088-889948).
How to get there? Distance from KK to Budun Tuhan is about 85km and it will take about one and a half hours drive. The road to Budun Tuhan is the same road that leads to Kinabalu Park Headquarters, a good tar road. The junction to Budun Tuhan is about 3 km before the park. From the junction to Budun Tuhan Retreat Centre is another 2 km of good road, all down hill.
The BTRC’s Ten Commandments
- No private cooking is allowed in the rooms at any time.
- Keep voice/noise down for the consideration of other residents especially from 11pm to 6am.
- Ensure water taps, water heaters and lights are off before you leave your room.
- Inform/report to the Reception Office of any breakages.
- Keep the Retreat Centre clean and tidy at all times.
- Please do not stick or paste “Programmes”, “Notices”, etc. on the walls.
- Please do not pick or pluck flowers or plants.
- Upon checking out, please return room keys to the Reception Counter.
- In case of emergency or inquiries, contact the resident caretaker of the Retreat Centre.
- Seek the Lord and live. (Amos 5:6)
I’ll be heading to Mt. Kindabalu on 1 July. Can I have a room for 2 perple on 30 June night? For more information, since we are back from Sandagun, then Mt. Kindabalu, then KK, is there any transportation that reaches your Lodge from Sandagun?
And could you suggest how far is it from your Lodge to the gate Mt. Kindabalu?
and lastly, the price of the room for that night.
Would like to know whether there’s any Catholic retreat availiable and when?
I would like to book a 6 bed bunk room for the evening of Saturday 23rd January 2010. Can you advise if you have a room available, and how I can confirm the booking? I can be contacted via the email supplied. Many thanks
Claire
Just checking, is there reception for cellphones in the area?
Yes, there is cellphones reception here. Strong outside the buildings, much lower bar inside the rooms.
Hi there, do you need volunteer in the orphanage? I can help out with the academics of the children there.
Terminal 2 has hourly City Bus to Kota Kinabalu for RM 1.50 per person. If from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, you will have to walk about 800 meters to the main road, buses from here to KK is about RM 1.50.