Damai View Campsite — Wake Up to Kinabalu Right in Front of Your Tent
The Vibe
Some campsites sell a view. Damai View literally delivers one — unobstructed Gunung Kinabalu, straight from your tent door. No trees blocking it. No buildings in the way. Just you, a cup of kopi, and the most iconic mountain in Malaysia sitting right there in front of you. That's the whole pitch. And honestly? It earns it.
This is a small, personal campsite run by the owner — campers call her Mamy — out in Kampung Kiau Taburi near Nabalu, not far from Kundasang. It's not a big commercial setup. Think more like someone opened their land to campers because the view was too good not to share. The vibe is quiet, unpretentious, and very kampung. Early mornings here, when the mist is still hanging around Kinabalu's ridgelines and the air is cold and clean — that's something you don't forget easily.
The crowd here is mostly Sabahans on weekend getaways, families, and the occasional traveller passing through Kundasang who wants to sleep with a mountain view instead of a budget hotel ceiling. It's not a party campsite. It's a slow-down-and-breathe kind of place.
Getting There
The campsite is in Kampung Kiau Taburi, Nabalu — the address is along Jalan Kundasang near Ranau. From Kota Kinabalu, you're looking at roughly 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic. Take the Jalan Tuaran route heading toward Ranau, pass through Nabalu market (the one with the mountain veggie stalls), and navigate from there toward Kampung Kiau. Google Maps CID is available — save it before you go because mobile signal in the kampung areas around here can be iffy. The road to the campsite itself isn't a highway, so expect a kampung road — manageable in a regular car but take it slow if it's been raining. No 4WD required based on what reviewers say, but don't come in a lowered Myvi and expect zero drama.
What to Expect
Flat, grassy campground with a full-frontal view of Gunung Kinabalu. The foreground is lush green forest that drops away from the site, which actually makes the mountain look even more dramatic — you get this sense of depth and scale that photos can't fully capture. Cloudy days add mood to it. Clear days are unreal. Sunrise here is reportedly worth setting an alarm for.
This is a beginner to intermediate-friendly campsite. Nothing hardcore about the terrain — you're not trekking in, it's drive-up access. Families will do fine here. Solo campers who just want to decompress in a beautiful setting will love it. Bird watchers, photographers, and anyone who's been wanting to see Kinabalu without climbing it — this is your spot.
One thing to note: it's highland. Nabalu sits at elevation and the air gets cold, especially at night and early morning. Bring something warm to sleep in. Nights can drop quite a bit compared to KK. For comfortable sleep in these conditions, the TAHAN HexLink Sleeping Bag is rated down to 18°C — right in the range for highland Sabah nights. Don't be the guy shivering in a bedsheet at 2am while Kinabalu watches.
Facilities
Toilets
Reviewers specifically called out the toilets as "incredible" — which at a small campsite like this, is actually a big deal. Expect clean and functional. Mamy is clearly putting in effort here.
Tent Rental
Available on-site. The owner rents out tents — one reviewer mentioned a black Payung brand tent that was clean, comfortable, and affordable. Good if you're flying in and don't want to haul your own.
Owner / Management
Mamy runs the place personally. Multiple reviewers mentioned she's warm, attentive, and actively working to improve the campsite. The kind of owner who actually cares about your experience. Call 011-1269 2645 to check availability and rates before heading over.
What Campers Are Saying
Pretty much every review circles back to the same thing: the view of Gunung Kinabalu is genuinely unobstructed and stunning. One camper put it simply — "awesome view of Gunung Kinabalu with totally no obstacle." That's it. That's the review. Sometimes one line says enough.
A group that camped here with friends was pleasantly surprised by the toilets. In their words, the toilets were "incredible" — and for campers who've suffered through some truly rough facilities at Malaysian campsites, that kind of comment lands differently. Clean toilets at a small private campsite are genuinely rare and worth noting.
One family who stayed mentioned that Mamy made them feel completely at home — welcomed them, looked after them throughout, and the whole experience felt personal rather than transactional. They're already planning to come back. That says a lot about a campsite.
Others mentioned the price point. Budget-friendly, multiple times over. For a campsite with this kind of mountain view, the rates are reportedly very reasonable. Good value is an understatement based on what people are saying.
TAHAN Tip
Set up your tent facing Kinabalu — sounds obvious, but if the site has multiple spots, choose the one with the most open sightline rather than the one closest to facilities. The whole point of coming here is waking up to that view, so don't waste the front-row seat. Also, arrive in the afternoon on your first day so you can catch sunset over the mountain, then be up before 6am for sunrise. That morning light on Kinabalu's ridgeline, when the mist starts to clear — that's the moment you came here for. And since you'll want to sit outside and take it all in without hauling a chair from the car, the TAHAN FlexLite Chair packs down small and gives you proper back support while you watch the mountain do its thing.
Mike has been camping across Malaysia for over 10 years — from jungle treks in Taman Negara to beach camps in Perhentian. He writes about it so you don't have to find out the hard way. Follow along on TAHAN Outdoor's blog for honest campsite reviews, every week.
You Might Also Like
- Kinabalu Park Campsite — if Damai View got you obsessed with Kinabalu, this is the official base for the climb itself.
- Mesilau Nature Resort Campsite — another highland Sabah camp with mountain air and serious elevation — different approach, same incredible backdrop.
