Haleluyah Retreat Centre

Things have been rough for me these couple of weeks; So when I found out that my friend Breinda was going to host a couple from HelpX at her retreat centre in Kundasang, I thicken my face and asked her whether I could tag along. I just needed to get away, go to somewhere that I would be able to relax. Fortunately for me, Breinda graciously agreed. "Boleh bah kalau kau" she said. Thus began my adventure.

Breinda and her boyfriend, Ben, picked me up in Kota Kinabalu on 2 July 2014. Along with them were Santiago and Stacy. They were the HelpXers. Santiago is from Uruguay (think Suarez) and Stacy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The journey from Kota Kinabalu to Breinda's retreat centre (it's more like a resort actually) in Kundasang took about one and a half hour. We reached there around five in the evening and were greeted by thick mist and cool air! It is truly a beautiful place. Ok, I shall let the pictures tell the story.

The access road to the resort just along the main road going to Kundasang. The resort is less than five minutes drive in but it is far enough from the main road that you would not be distracted by the traffics at the main road during your stay.

We reached the  place around five in the evening and were greeted by cool mist and fresh air. 

The main building houses the office and eating hall on the ground floor, while the upper floor are rooms for guests. 

Santiago and Stacy upon arrival at the resort. After this picture was taken, they quickly went to their hostel and changed into warmer attires. 

Ample and spacious parking space for vehicles.

This is the dormitory that Santiago and Stacy stayed in. Clean and comfortable. Bathrooms and toilets are on the ground floor. While the rooms are located on the upperfloor. The ground floor also houses an event hall. 

View from the dormitory's verandah. Fish pond and the resort's gardener's home. 

Picture of the dormitory taken from the chalet that I stayed in.

Picture of the pond taken when the mist was setting in. This was around two in the afternoon.

Sunset. Taken from the verandah of the dormitory.

Inside the dormitory.

The chalet that I stayed in. 

There are two rooms in the chalet. Each room has two beds. 

Small 'living room' in the chalet. That's the backdoor.

Gas water heater. You will need it.

Pantry inside the chalet.

Stove. You can do your cooking here. They provide most of the utensils but you will have to bring your own cooking oil if you want to do some frying. 

The backdoor leads to this. I sat here and enjoyed the cool breeze.

If you plan to come here, make sure you bring warm clothing. Long pants, sweater or water proof wind breaker and few pair of socks because it could get really cold up there. On the first night, I woke up at three in the morning and was shivering 'violently' from the cold. I had to use two blankets before I could go back to sleep and even then, I curled up in a fetal position under the cover of the two blankets! Yes, it was that cold! 

Two in the afternoon and the mist had set in.

View of Mount Kinabalu in the evening from the dormitory.

Garden where you can sit and relax if it's not too cold.

View of the valley below from my chalet.

Another resort at the bottom adjacent to the resort that I was at.

Surrounded by trees and plants. No doubt this is why the place is still very cold unlike places like Kundasang town which is not as cold as it used to be because the felling of trees.  

Orchids

Edible berries found all over the property.

Helping to prepare Holly plant seedlings.

Ben preparing the fire for our barbecue in the evening. Ben is a great cook. Besides being the cook, he also does the landscaping and fixes stuff at the resort. You will find him to be a good conversationalist. 

Me helping out with the gardening.

Dinner time. The lady wearing red shirt is Breinda.

Watching live World Cup match via internet. Sorry, no TV here. That's why they named it a retreat centre but Breinda made an exception for the World Cup.

Another view of the sunset taken on a different day.

Lena and Tamara, two Swiss German who walked in and stayed at the resort on the day they descended from Mount Kinabalu.

Enjoying few bottles of beer with Breinda's cousin, Charlie. 

Santiago trying the local brew called 'Lihing'.

Stacy, friendly American lass.

Tamara and Lena listening attentively.

Overall, I had a wonderful time at the resort. It was peaceful, I spent the days walking around the property taking pictures of insects and plants. Oh yes, there are plenty of wild vegetables found at the property. Ben knows how to identify them. There are also variety of frog species, some are rare and some are record setting in size. If you pay attention and have the patience, you might even see beautiful birds and insects.

Santiago went frog hunting.

Strange looking lizard came and visit me at my chalet.

Found this dead bird one morning on the floor in my chalet. Pity, it's beautiful. Still a mystery to us on how it got inside the chalet since all doors and windows were closed.

The accommodation rate ranges from RM12/- to RM150/-. I highly recommend this place if you like a peaceful getaway. WiFi is available but only near the office. I think Breinda did that on purpose so that the guests would really 'retreat' from the worries of the world.