Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
At the end of last year, after accumulating quite a number of days of annual leave, I decided to take a long break. It was three blissful weeks. I decided to take a flight to Sabah. It was my first visit there and i didnt really make any thorough plans, just a relaxed trip for a few days. The plan was only to visit its capital, Kota Kinabalu and its surrounding areas.
Kota Kinabalu or fondly known as KK is a nice laid back city. The roads are well maintained and the network is not too complex. You can get the hang of it after driving around for two days. Traffic can be bad during rush hour but thats just normal about everywhere. I guess its OK. The airport is about 15mins away from the city and you could find almost everything in the city. Bargain hunters should checkout filipino market for sourvenirs.
Of course a visit to KK wouldnt be complete without checking out Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia. So I took a one and a half hours drive to Kundasang, located at the foot of Kinabalu. The sight of the mountain was a sight to behold, standing majestically you could see numerous waterfalls flowing down as wisp of clouds pass through. It feels like you're in Rivendell or something like that.
The Kinabalu Park was well maintained. There are lots of trails for you to explore depending on your preference; up hill trails or trekking through the numerous streams and rivers. Deep in the park was the Timpohon Base camp; the first base camp for mountain climbers to kickoff their journey to the highest peak in South East Asia.
Continuing the drive would take you to Poring hot springs. Again, the place was well maintained and you could continue trekking deep in the forest passing thick canopy and ending it by taking a splash at the waterfalls. For travellers, I would suggest spending a night or two in the area. Then you could fully appreciate the place.
The next day, the experience was totally different. This time i visited the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park consist of a cluster of island near Kota Kinabalu. Due to time constrain, I only manage to visit Gaya Island. I was told that the other islands offer great venue for snorkelling and diving, although not as good as Sipadan and Mataking. Speed boats are available for hire at the jetty.
I have earmark the islands for my next visit... probably with better planning, a few days in the mountains and a few days in the islands... and of course a PADI license ;)
For more info, visit Sabah Tourism Board.
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