Munor Aulai Farm
A Murut Guesthouse and Working Farm at Romol Eco Village
MunorAulai sits at Romol Eco Village in Sapulot, deep in interior Sabah, and it is run by the Murut community that lives around it. A 30-acre integrated farm and the guesthouse beside it make up the property, with the farm just steps from the door. It is part of Orou Sapulot, the wider community tourism project in Murut country.
The idea behind it is simple: one farm growing food, fruit and timber together as a single working system, with guests staying long enough to take part rather than only look.
One Farm, Many Crops
MunorAulai Integrated Farm grows cocoa, agarwood (gaharu), coffee and coconut alongside durian, pomelo, mangosteen, guava and more than fifteen kinds of fruit, with freshwater fish in the ponds. Everything grows together as one system, so a single walk takes you past timber trees, fruit orchards, vegetable beds and fish ponds.
A guided farm tour runs from the nursery, where seedlings are raised, through the orchards to where the day's harvest is cleaned and processed. Cocoa is a good example: you can follow it from the pod on the tree all the way to the drying racks.
Things to do at Munor Aulai
Days on the farm mix hands-on work with Murut craft and food. Guests pick what they want and the hosts build it into the stay:
- Join daily farm life: raise seedlings, tend the crops and help process the fresh harvest
- Learn traditional Murut beading and weaving with village artisans
- Make your own tapai, the rice or tapioca wine, following the community's customs
- Try a farm-to-table ice cream workshop using cocoa, banana, coconut, lime, jackfruit and pineapple picked on site
- Cook dinner alongside your hosts, then share it together
- Fish the ponds and the river in the late afternoon
- Spend the evening with Murut dance and music, with a heritage-inspired tattoo available at extra cost
Nearby, the same guides run trips to Batu Punggul and Pungiton Cave, and longboat journeys toward the Kalimantan border.
Farming That Rebuilds the Land
MunorAulai grew out of a vision from Dr. Richard Gunting, one of the founders: to keep farming alive in this part of Sabah rather than lose the land to logging. The farm runs on regenerative and agroforestry lines, planting fruit trees and timber species like gaharu that hold the soil, feed the community and earn income over the long term. Guests join the harvest too, picking rambutan and other fruit straight from the trees, and can plant seedlings themselves, the same restoration work that drives Kabulongou Earth a short drive away in interior Borneo.
Staying at MunorAulai Guesthouse
Guests stay at the MunorAulai Guesthouse beside the ponds, farm on one side and forest on the other, with the sounds of the rainforest the last thing you hear at night. The guesthouse anchors our four-day agro-tourism package and works as the base for the climb up Batu Punggul and the river trips, so many guests spend their first and last nights here.
MunorAulai is reached through Keningau: from the Tung Ma bus terminal it is about a two-hour private transfer by van and 4WD into Sapulot. The Sapulot travel guide covers the route in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Munor Aulai Farm?
MunorAulai is a 30-acre integrated farm and guesthouse run by the Murut community at Romol Eco Village in Sapulot, interior Sabah. It is the base for agro-tourism stays with Borneo Outback Tours and part of the wider Orou Sapulot project.
What can you do at Munor Aulai?
Join daily farm work, learn traditional Murut beading and weaving, make tapai rice wine, take part in a farm-to-table ice cream and cooking workshop, fish the ponds and river, and spend the evening with Murut dance and music. A heritage-inspired traditional tattoo is available at extra cost.
What is grown on the farm?
Cocoa, agarwood (gaharu), coffee and coconut alongside durian, pomelo, mangosteen, guava and more than fifteen kinds of fruit, with freshwater fish raised in the ponds.
Where do you stay at Munor Aulai?
At the MunorAulai Guesthouse beside the fish ponds, with the farm on one side and forest on the other. Rooms are simple and comfortable.
How do you get to Munor Aulai?
Through Keningau. From the Tung Ma bus terminal it is about a two-hour private transfer by van and 4WD into Sapulot, arranged as part of your package.
How long is a stay?
The agro-tourism package runs four days and three nights. Shorter farm stays and combinations with Batu Punggul, Pungiton Cave and the waterfalls can also be arranged.
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