Beachcombing Tunku Abdul Rahman

checking out a school of fish while waiting for boat #26 to take us to the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

When in Kota Kinabalu, be sure not to miss out on visiting the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. Made up of 5 islands, the park is spread out a little under 5,000 hectares, where 2/3 of the area is water. The islands are around 3-8 km from Kota Kinabalu and may be reached through the boats/ferry that are anchored at the terminal in downtown KK's Jesselton Point. 

the Mamutik and Sapi tour  lasted 6 hours and cost MYR 54 for 2 adults and a child

Visiting the place is so uncomplicated. Drop by the ticketing area at Jesselton's Ferry Terminal. There are several windows of various tour groups that offer almost the same tour rates. If you intend to visit all 5 islands, show up before 8 am to get the maximum amount of time. The boats don't necessarily have to be filled up to leave, so waiting shouldn't be an issue. 

no nonsense disclaimers and reminders, it takes about 20 minutes to reach your destination. expect to be wet and expect the boat ride to not always be smooth sailing

Rates vary on the amount of islands that you would want to visit. And upon arrival at anyone of the islands, expect to pay environmental fees/person. As a guide, here's a list of the islands and a brief description of each:

fast boat + rough waters=wearing a life vest at all times we even brought one for MAX just in case they didn't have one his size..which we were right to assume

Gaya Island - the largest island in the park at 15 sq. km, it's the closest island to KK. It's been a forest reserve since 1923. It also houses a 5 star resort known as the Gayana Eco Resort as well as the Bunga Raya Island Resort. The coral reefs in the area are said to be in excellent condition.

our first look at the islands

thinking of staying overnight? they've got really pretty chalets for rent at Manukan

Conservation and other park fees

Manukan Island - Second largest island in the park (and 1 of the 2 islands we visited), it's got a great coastline, perfect for beachcombers and also makes a great diving site a bit off shore. 

the various species found at the island

The island is the most developed among the 5. It houses chalets (for those who would want to check in at the island instead of downtown KK), a clubhouse, decent public bathrooms, restaurants, convenience/souvenir shops and a diving center. 

welcome to the fab island of Manukan

The island also houses recreational facilities (swimming pool, football field, volleyball court, and hiking trails). 

food and beverage choices and prices at one of the food joints at Manukan

a lot of these food items were in accordance to Halal and most were spicy. Luckily, fried chicken is readily available wherever we go

the dining area was just a minute away from the water :)

Food selections were quite plentiful in the island, and basic toiletries and even towels, in case you left yours, are readily available. You could rent goggles, a snorkeling set and straw mats too. Expect to pay a refundable deposit on top of the rental rates in nearly everything. FYI: Keep the receipt to get your money back. 

the dive center

As for souvenirs, I did make a mistake of buying some of them here though. They are thrice the price compared to the ones at the night market. 

they were the size of saucers! the water  at this area was up to my waist.

Manukan's shore. Expect rocks, corals and shells after the white sand. crocs sandals were appreciated.

The island house a diverse amount of fishes, that are easily seen near the shore. A lot of them swam with us, which was just sooo cool!

water was super calm near the shore. Here's MAX enjoying the water without worries while I snorkel

waiting for our boat to pick us up and bring us to Sapi

Mamutik Island - smallest island of the group, it nonetheless, offers great beaches and coral reefs. It's got a 3 bedroom rest house for rent and has the basic facilities and a jetty.

so happy at Sapi!

Sapi Island - "Cow Island" has one of the nicest beaches among the 5. 

you could the conservation fees ahead of time for all your island tours through any one of the tourism booths you'd see upon arriving at any one of the islands

On top of that, it's got a lush forest inhabited by a species of monkeys known as macaques (soooo do not advise petting them). While at Sapi, I also saw a huge monitor lizard (near the changing rooms and toilet area) that was about 4-5 feet long (tail and all). 

double check if it's jellyfish season. saw these signs at Sapi

Lizards and monkeys aside, the water was pretty calm, clear and perfect for snorkeling. A variety of fish can be seen underwater, as near as 4 feet from the shore. 

flying high at Sapi

The water was so clear that one had only to look down without a mask, to see the fishes.

our new Sapi friends

Sulug Island - the farthest and most underdeveloped, it's the perfect place for those seeking solitude.

tired but totally stoked on the beauty of Tunku Abdul Rahman

There were a lot of people, both local and foreign, in the islands that we visited. Despite that, we never felt that we were in each other's faces as there was room enough for everyone. Oh, and do bring cash. There are no ATMs in Manukan. Bathrooms were combined male/female facilities, though stalls do have doors.

the bathroom

a last look at Sapi

We seriously enjoyed our Tunku Abdul Rahman Park visit. Would love to see the other islands in the future. The Malaysian Government has done a good job preserving the area, despite the occasional litter from the park's visitor's.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!

Caught Up With Kota Kinabalu

KK, Sabah, Malaysia..a  few minutes after sunset

Situated in the tropical island of Borneo is the the state capital of the Malaysian State of Sabah. For us Pinoys who know their history, you may remember that Sabah used to be a part of the Philippine territory, and, sans wishy washy diplomatic and economic decisions, would still have been a part of this country. In a way, TMW was somehow still visiting and appreciating  the beauty of the Philippines when we set foot at Kota Kinabalu (KK).

last travel destination via plane, for the year

A two hour flight from Manila is all it takes to reach KK. As it is quite close to the Philippines, the flight path allowed us to fly over Puerto Princesa before we veered right towards our destination.

MAX raring to go to our next destination

Language won't be a problem as most of the locals we met were quite fluent with their English. If you're Asian, standing out from the crowd would be difficult as Malaysia in general is a melting pot of cultures. Chinese, Indians, Malay and a lot of Filipinos (probably those who decided to stay behind when Sabah became Malaysian territory) may be found. A handful of Caucasians may be seen enjoying the coastal town's lazy charm as well.

MAX at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Waterpark

KK is a nature lover's paradise. With its lush rain forests, beautiful beaches in KK's islands as well as housing the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, Mt. Kinabalu, there are so many sights to see and things to do in the area. The flora and fauna is also something to rave about. Here's a list of the places to go for some nature-tripping (see below, from Wikipedia):

• Kinabalu Park – the highest mountain in Southeast Asia with an altitude of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft). It is lower than Puncak Jaya in Irian Jaya on the island of New Guinea, Indonesia at 4,884 metres which is located outside of the South East Asia Region.
• Tabin Wildlife Reserve - Stronghold for rare large mammals like Bornean elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, Bornean banteng and Bornean clouded leopard
• Danum Valley Conservation Area - another important reserve for large mammals of Borneo, including Bornean orang-utan
• Turtle Islands Park – conservation efforts for endangered sea turtles
• Tunku Abdul Rahman Park – A national park consisting of five islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu
• Sipadan Park – Located near Semporna, the oceanic island of Sipadan has a very rich underwater ecosystem.
• Pulau Tiga Park
• Crocker Range Park
• Tawau Hills Park

stress free, unlike that one time at the HK airport
and that mean immigration dude

Booking our flight through a budget airline, our plane disembarked at the smaller, older Terminal 2 of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Immigration officials were warm, efficient and friendly and going through customs wasn't stressful too. The airport is fully equipped. In fact, upon arrival, we went to the nearest ATM to get some local currency. A foreign currency exchange counter is near the ATMs just in case this is more to your liking. After getting some dough, we headed on to the information desk near the exit to purchase some prepaid fare for our taxi. (**haggling and non standard rates may be a problem with cabbies in the area. It cost us MYR 30 to get to our hotel, and MYR 60 going back to the airport when it was time for us to leave, despite a shorter distance).

a cab ride (which was nearer to the airport than our hotel)
cost us MYR 60. What's up with that?!

Nearly all the key places in the city are 10-15 minutes away from each other. The are lots of maps available for free at the arrivals lobby at the airport.  The roads and signages are quite excellent especially if you have plans of renting a car (cab rides are quite pricey). Being a former Brit Colony, the locals still adhere to the English way of driving at the left side of the road, so you may want to take note of that whether you're a driver or a pedestrian. I'm not sure about the speed limit,  and I've always felt that fast rides should be the norm, but riding a cab and crossing the street at KK may unnerve you a bit. Buckle up and seriously look both ways before crossing the street! 

the hotel's structure was really that of a palace's

After getting into a cab, we went straight to The Palace Hotel, our home for the next 3 days and 2 nights. The place had great service, a friendly, competent staff and a location that was within walking distance to an IT mall (quite big, lots of shops and restaurants).

the mall across The Palace Hotel.
There's even a shortcut to get to the mall from the hotel

Our superior room was quite inexpensive (less than  MYR 200). There were about 9 tv stations (half were in English), and the room was quite new (though the lobby and the hallways looked a bit worn though modern), air conditioned with a small yet tidy bathroom that did have hot water.

everything about our hotel room was new

The hotel also has a pool and it's own restaurant, as well as a souvenir shop. A breakfast buffet came with the room too. 

chicken curry for breakfast?
don't knock it till you've tried it :)

laksa in the morning is actually great on those with rhinitis

Meehon was just too Meh-hon for me

steamed chicken and red bean buns

good ol' reliable cereal

Gravlax...could've used a bit more fennel 

The breakfast buffet tried to cater to the various nationalities of it's guests. There was Taiwan styled congee (porridge with  boiled egg and dried fish as condiments), cereal, laksa ( noodles in a coconut and chili broth), meehon (think stir fired noodles without meat, similar to the Philippines' bihon and a supply of various breads and spreads plus fried rice, orange and mango juice, tea and brewed coffee, as it's constants. A chicken dish is always available as the only meat (in deference to our Muslim friends) e.g. chicken sausages, chicken curry (with an assortment of condiments) and chicken nuggets. Like I said, a little of everything for everyone. 

a mall resto...closed a little before 8 PM

The great thing about Kota Kinabalu is that despite being a city, it still gives off that provincial vibe (even with  those maniacal drivers). Shops will tend to close early, especially the restaurants in malls as people are normally in their houses by 8 PM. For a city of 600 thousand plus people, that was quite surprising. I guess being a predominantly Islamic town, happy hours aren't that popular.

Suria Sabah Shopping Complex,
just beside Jesselton Point at 6:30 PM..
excluding us, Where's everybody?!

There are a lot of big malls in the area, with all the international brands we may know and love, but not a lot of people shopping.

check this store out at the Centrepoint Mall as well as Suria Sabah Shopping Complex.
Grab stuff from H&M,  Mossimo, Mango, GAP, Old Navy and so much more
at bargain prices.  (think 2  H&M dresses at around PHP 750)

For souvenirs, head on out to the night market at Kampung Air. We ended up there on a weekday, so that was probably why there weren't a lot of stalls to buy from even if it was only 7 in the evening. I did get to pick up some souvenir items at 1/3 of the price they give you at the malls and tourist destinations. As always, haggling is your best ally.

night market at Kampung Air

got an "I love KK" shirt for MAX at  MYR 20 at the mall
got 3 for MYR 20 of similar shirts at the night market

Given the many options of things to do in KK versus the short duration of our stay, we only managed to see, aside from the shopping complexes we visited, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and the harbor where to catch a boat going to it, Jesselton Point. 

Jesselton Point
great place to see a sample of the old KK
when it was occupied by the Brits and called Jesselton

As it was the highlight of our trip, I shall be posting another blog detailing our Tunku Abdul Rahman Park visit.

checking out lots of pretty fishes
as we wait for our boat to leave for the
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

Since Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures, one can find almost every type of food from the various cuisines offered by the various ethnicity in the area. When all else fails, you could always find a trusty Mickey D nearly everywhere. (they may have a slightly different menu though but the burgers are available).

beef!!!!

...or chicken...again!
enjoyed the black currant juice but never got
to try their chicken porridge

Should you forget to buy souvenirs and pasalubongs for the people back home, fear not! The airport's got inexpensive local treats that you could purchase as well as the usual souvenir items. There's also a shop (no pictures were allowed to be taken inside) that had both dried and frozen seafood that can be packed and ready to go even if your flight is 6-8 hours long. The frozen seafood is packed in ice and packed in a Styrofoam box. These items may be a bit expensive though compared to similar shops in and around KK.

got all my Malaysian delicacies for home, right here

As we left "the land below the wind" I really felt that I had missed out on a lot of things. Perhaps an extra day or two would have been ideal (we arrived in the evening on our first night  at KK, so there really wasn't time to do anything but head out to the mall). Maybe not climbing Kota Kinabalu (even without our toddler, it would've still been a definite no for me), but I would've loved to visit the park around it. See an orangutan sanctuary or visit more of the flora and fauna and perhaps eat in that huge fresh seafood restaurant near the Promenade Hotel (2 floors of live seafood waiting to be caught and cooked to your liking).

so many things to do...so little time (sigh)

Would I want to visit Kota Kinabalu again? You betcha! I still get restless whenever I see a "Malaysia:Truly Asia" ad, seeing how much I've missed :-) MAX, Phil and I loved every moment we spent in KK, without any regrets, except going to the places that we missed! 

heading back home...see you again KK!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!