20th May - 23rd May
*This blog entry is best viewed on a wide monitor.
As-salamu'alaikum.
Our trip to Kota Kinabalu (KK) was planned quite some time before I went for Umrah. We flew to KK five days after I had just returned from Saudi Arabia. Since this trip was a short one: 4D3N, planning our itinerary thoroughly was essential as to make full use of our time and trying to get to as many places of attraction as possible. Here are the highlights of our trip.
City of Kota Kinabalu (KK).
Day 1: We arrived at KK international airport in the afternoon and picked up our rental car that we had arranged prior to the trip. We highly recommend AIHA Teraju for their excellent car rental services. It drizzled not long after we landed in KK. It turns out that the rest of our time in KK would be spent mostly indoors due to rainy weather. The constant rain has dealt a blow to our plans because most of the places that we wanted to visit in KK were in the outdoors.
Enjoying our durian ice cream after lunch at Fong Ip Cafe. Durians are everywhere in KK and are fused into so many types of delicacies.
While strolling around after lunch, we found this Caprila ice cream truck but unfortunately it wasn't open for business.
After checking-in at the hotel, we grabbed a bite for lunch at a nearby Kopitiam. The hotel we stayed at is located in the heart of the city, so one could easily find a lot of eateries nearby within walking distance. That's a plus point as we didn't have to drive around in the downpour to look for a place to eat. Just after 5:00PM we set out to catch the sunset. We drove to Tanjung Aru beach hoping that the rain would stop soon and the sun would come out. But it was to no avail. Not wanting to waste our time we then headed to Jesselton Point ferry terminal to check out on the island hopping tour that we were planning for the next day. The ticketing hall was already closed when we arrived at the ferry terminal. Fortunately there was a couple of tour agents still waiting outside the hall just in case someone might come over to buy the tickets.
The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine park consists of a few islands. There are up to 4 islands that you can visit with the tour. The islands are Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi and Sulug. While Gaya island is considered as one of the island in the marine park, it was not included in the island hopping tour. After getting all the details, we opted for a two-island trip; Manukan & Mamutik islands. It's a half day trip (morning until afternoon). We didn't take the full day tour knowing that it has been raining in the afternoon for the past few weeks in KK. In total we paid RM108 for all three of us (2 adults and 1 child). The amount was not inclusive of the marine park conservation fee imposed on visitors of the islands. By the time we bought our tickets it was dinner time. It was still drizzling outside. So we decided to have dinner at the ferry terminal hawker stalls just next to the ticketing hall. There are few stalls open for dinner. You can check out the ferry terminal if you want to experience dinner on a pier by the seaside.
Getting details on the island hopping tour.
Dinner at the Jesselton pier.
Gaya Street Market.
Day 2: Sunday. Initially we had planned to drive around KK to look for a random breakfast spot. As we were heading towards our car, we saw a lot of people carrying bags of fresh vegetables, fruits, foods and other goods outside the hotel. We then checked to find out where these people were coming from. Unbeknownst to us, our hotel was literally behind the Gaya Street Sunday market which is held every Sunday morning of course. We knew about the Gaya Street market but we were not aware that Gaya Street was located behind our hotel. So we scrapped our initial plan and explored the market for breakfast instead. The market area was spread out along Gaya street. We didn't even come close to covering half the market as the area was vast. You could find so many things sold here, not just vegetables, fruits and foods. There were live animals, clothing, electronic gadgets and handicrafts sold here as well. I bought myself a pareo as I am an avid collector of pareos.
Live fishes at the market
Local handicrafts
Mamutik Island.
After breakfast, we headed straight to Jesselton ferry terminal for the island hopping trip. We arrived at the terminal around 8:30AM and waited at the jetty until the speedboat left for the islands at 9:15AM. Our first stop was Mamutik island. We were informed by the tour operator that Mamutik is the place to go for snorkeling as there are coral reefs just off the beach.
Jesselton Point pier
The boat trip took just under 20 minutes from the ferry terminal to Mamutik island.
Mamutik island jetty
At the jetty, we were required to pay for the marine park fees (one-time only for the whole day). We settled down in a secluded spot on the north end of the island (in front of Mamutik Island resort). The water of Mamutik was clean but because of the heavy rain the night before, the water became murky. It was not as clear as we had hoped for but it was still fine to snorkel. At the north end of Mamutik there's not much corals but you can find a lot of fishes. We then moved to find a better location for snorkeling.
It was sunny the whole morning in Mamutik.
The best snorkeling site in Mamutik is located a short distance south of the jetty where there are coral reefs few metres away from the beach. Since it was on a weekend, the island was swarmed with day-trippers. And Mamutik being the smallest among the 4 islands became overcrowded with tourists especially those that came in large groups. The snorkeling site became crammed because everyone snorkeled at the same spot. The beach was beautiful with its soft white sands but we spotted some areas on the beach that are littered with rubbish and debris. Overall though, Mamutik was quite enjoyable for snorkeling and relaxation, provided that you could find a nice shady spot far from the crowd. It is advisable to bring your own food from the city as the food on the islands are usually expensive. If you're planning on a longer holiday in KK, it's best to do the island hopping trip on weekdays instead.
Off-beach snorkeling in Mamutik.
[VIDEO] Snorkeling in Mamutik
[VIDEO] Clownfish of Mamutik
Manukan Island.
After spending over an hour in Mamutik, the boatman picked us up and headed towards our second stop; Manukan Island. The boat journey took under 10 minutes from Mamutik. Because of the constant rain that has been hitting KK the boat operator told us that the water visibility in Manukan was poor, thus snorkeling was not feasible. True enough I could hardly see much while snorkeling in Manukan, nevertheless we had a great time on the beach, playing and swimming in the water. For what Manukan lacks in the poor water visibility, it makes up for in its scenic landscape and beautiful beach. However we didn't get to explore Manukan's stretch of beach due to the scorching sun.
Manukan island beach.
Faree'ah's favourite activity when on the beach.
Manukan Island Resort's chalets.
The wooden jetties on the islands are quaint.
[VIDEO] Manukan beach 360° view.
After over an hour in Manukan, we were back on the speedboat heading back to KK. While on the journey back, dark clouds started to gather above us. Shortly after we got into our car, the rain started pouring down. We didn't get to explore KK city much afterwards because it rained until the next morning. We had to cancel our plan to have dinner at the Filipino market area and instead dined at the nearest restaurant to our hotel. Hopefully we could explore more of KK in the future insha Allah.
Kundasang.
Day 3: We checked out early from the hotel to continue our journey to Kundasang in Ranau. Since we will only be spending a night in Kundasang, we really had a tight schedule. The drive from KK took roughly around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the traffic. During the journey, we could see Mt Kinabalu from afar. The panoramic views of the mountain range were magnificent. Since I was the one driving, I had to concentrate on the road and couldn't really enjoy the view. I wanted to stop at the roadside but because of the moving traffic and narrow roads it was rather impossible. This is the downside when you're the driver.
The view of Mt Kinabalu as we're reaching Kundasang.
Beautiful Kundasang
Desa Cattle Dairy Farm, Mesilau.
As soon as we arrived in Kundasang we headed straight to Desa Cattle dairy farm and spent a couple of hours there. There is an admission fee to the farm. Located on the highlands of Ranau, the cool weather of Kundasang was fabulous. The farm provides a picturesque view of the cattle farm with Mt Kinabalu in the background.
Awesome sight despite the clouds blocking off the summit of Mt Kinabalu.
Faree'ah had a field day at the cattle farm, running and jumping here and there.
Our time at the farm were spent on taking photos and enjoying the panoramic view under the cool weather.
On the way to the calf pen. There are a few activities you could do at the farm.
Milk-feeding the calf.
Feeding the goats.
We could really sit here all day.
Ice cream time.
Crystal Hill.
By noon we left the dairy farm and headed towards Crystal Hill resort which was less than 15 minutes drive from the farm. Having only seen photos from the internet, Crystal Hill was a top priority on my must-go list. The Crystal Hill lookout point is located within Crystal Hill resort. The resort was closed for renovation when we were there but the lookout point was still accessible. We parked our car in front of the resort and headed to the lookout point. Unfortunately, the clouds and fogs had covered most of Mt Kinabalu's summit. So the next day we went back again early in the morning to catch a better view of Mt Kinabalu.
The 100 metres road heading towards Crystal Hill is an unpaved gravel road. Drivers are advised to drive slowly and exercise caution to avoid bumps and unwanted scratches/dents to the car.
Such majestic landscape.
This is the lookout point at Crystal Hill resort. Couldn't catch the full view of Mt Kinabalu as the peak was covered by the clouds
This was the view the next day. Breathtaking.
Sabah Tea Garden, Ranau.
The journey to Sabah Tea Garden took about an hour's drive from Crystal Hill. Located in the lowlands of Ranau, the weather at the tea garden was quite warm compared to Kundasang. We had to cut short our time at the tea garden due to our tight schedule, After taking some photos we were soon making our way to Poring. If you have time you might want to check out the tea factory tour (in the morning) or have a cuppa at the tea house. During the drive to Poring, along the road we could see advertisement on paragliding in Ranau. If you have money to spend and are adventurous enough, do give this a try. Ranau paragliding park is located in Lohan, somewhere between Poring Hot Spring and Ranau town. Or if you're from Sabah Tea it's about half an hour's drive.
The typical pose.
The giant teapot.
The tea garden.
The tea house.
Poring Hot Springs.
Next on our itinerary was the hot springs in Poring. It was a 45 minutes drive from Sabah Tea. Like most places of attraction, there is an admission fee at the main entrance. Within the enclosure there are other parks and attractions as well and some of these attractions requires separate entrance fee. So don't forget to bring money. We arrived at the hot springs almost 4:00PM. Since we had arrived late, we couldn't engage in as much activities that we wanted there. But at least we managed to climb the canopy walkway and bathed in the hot springs. The admission fee to the canopy walk is RM3 for adult. There's also a fee for bringing in a camera. I kid you not. The walkway stretches over 4 suspension bridges with 360 degrees lookout points in between each bridge. It's always nice to enjoy the view of the jungle from high up. Other nature attractions there you can check out are: Orchid conservation centre, butterfly farm, couple of waterfalls (requires trekking), bat cave and Rafflesia flower site.
At the treetop canopy walkway. The climb before reaching the treetop canopy was steep but Faree'ah is always up for an adventure.
[VIDEO] Canopy walk
[VIDEO] Poring hot spring
Taking a dip in the hot spring tub before leaving.
It was already half past 5:00PM. The sky was getting dark and we knew we had to leave soon. The journey back to Kundasang will take about an hour's drive. We haven't had anything to eat since morning so on the way back we made a stop at Ranau town to grab a bite. By the time we arrived at our lodging in Kundasang it was already nighttime. There wasn't much to do in Kundasang at night. Most eateries are closed by 9:00PM. The next day we woke up early to catch a clear view of Mt Kinabalu from our lodge.
[VIDEO] Taken from our lodge.
Kinabalu Park.
Day 4: Our lodge is just 3 minutes drive from Kinabalu park, so after breakfast we went to check out the park. At the Kinabalu Park entrance visitors are required to pay the admission fee. There are nature trails and a botanical garden at the base of the mountain but we didn't have time to explore the park as we have to get back to KK to catch our flight in the afternoon. So we just drove around and stopped by at certain locations within the park for a photo or two.
We had buffet breakfast at our lodge, the Mile 36 Café. Lovely café.
There's a roadway where you can drive inside Kinabalu Park leading to Timpohon Gate which is the starting point of Mt Kinabalu climb.
Lookout point just before reaching Timpohon Gate. A popular stopover in Kinabalu park.
[VIDEO] Kinabalu Park lookout point
After the drive-around at Kinabalu park, we came back to Crystal Hill for the view of Mt Kinabalu one last time. Next, we went to Puteri Nabalu restaurant for our second breakfast before heading back to our lodge and pack our stuff. We checked out of the lodge at 11:00AM and drove straight back to KK.
In front of the reception hut. Mile 36 Lodge is a peaceful and charming wooden style lodge. We'll surely stay here again if we come back to Kundasang in the future insha Allah.
One last stop in Kundasang for a photo before heading back to KK.
Tanjung Aru beach. Last photo in Sabah before boarding our flight back to Kuala Lumpur.
We reached KK just before 1:00PM. Before heading to the airport we stopped by at Tanjung Aru beach for lunch at the food court. Our flight departed KK airport for KLIA at 3:30PM. And that's the end of our KK adventure.