Around the World in 80 Blogposts: Jungle Fever In Malaysian Borneo

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be surrounded by funny-looking monkeys? To watch parentless orang utan toddlers play hide-and-seek? To be amazed by naturally-lit Christmas trees in a mangrove forest? If your answer is ‘yes’, then you should definitely keep on reading.

Even if monkeys and fireflies are not your cup of tea, you won’t regret finishing this post. Let me share a literary piece of the superb island of Borneo with you!

Kota Kinabalu: markets, monkeys and fireflies

A severly-delayed flight later, I set foot in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Sabah-state in the Malaysian section of Borneo. You already know my exploring routine: it all starts with a walk. The sun was present and smiling locals in the streets were greeting me all the time (friendly Malaysians do exist! I was shocked as much as you are!).

KK’s highlights include the Filipino and Central Market, the instant stress-reducing waterfront and a stunning assortment of fish statues spread all over the city. And last, but not least, a Christmas tree consisting of beer bottles. As long as you have beer, every day feels like X-mas!

My relaxation-focussed half-day trip to Manukan Island started at the Jesselton Point ferry port. Mandatory life vest on, hair in the wind and time for a rare selfie. A too short beach break was followed by a snorkel attempt.

The extremely turbid ocean water, courtesy of the previous night’s heavy rainfall, made it a hell of a challenge to admire the Manukan underwater fauna. My eyes didn’t perceive a single fish in the first 20 minutes.

Actually, they didn’t perceive anything at all. Only after elegantly moving my body to deeper sea territory, supposedly off-limits to snorkelers, did I cross paths with a couple of dozen fish and sea urchins. Unfortunately, my eyesight was still too blurry to contemplate their true beauty. The clown fish I met seemed more like tiny swimming zebras!

The ominous clouds overhanging KK on the way back should have been a sign to stay away from the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque. I still went and didn’t regret going against nature. I faced even more puddles that evening as I checked out the night market.

A disappointing bunch of vendors with very similar assortments. Especially clothes, watches and jewellery seem to be bestselling items in the night market business.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Around the World in 80 Blogposts: Jungle Fever In Malaysian Borneo

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Bitten By The Travel Bug: An Island Day Trip Close to Kota Kinabalu - Sepanggar Island

Fishermen walked past me, tourists with large bags and brightly coloured bathers wandered past me and boats at Jesselton Point began to fill; all heading to different islands in search of sun, snorkelling or sleep (yes, there are hotels on some of the islands just off Kota Kinabalu!). I was people watching, picking up freshly baked Malaysian delights and a fresh coconut on the way.

Sabahan’s are known for being relaxed and easy-going. After a few weeks travelling through Indonesia, it was nice to be told that the only thing I had to do was “relax and enjoy life“. I was off in search of some quality island time at Mari Mari Sepanggar Island.

Welcome to Mari Mari Sepanggar Island

Set a 15-minute boat ride from Jesselton Point, you’ll be docking at Sepanggar Island. This private island has recently been opened to the public who come through local business, Mari Mari who also run lodging on Sepanggar Island and nearby Mantanani Island.

Each day, just a few dozen people are allowed to visit the island. When I visited, there was eight of us, including one family and a couple who had stayed overnight on the island, plus the staff, on this island paradise.

For a half day trip, it’s great! Escape from the bustle of downtown Kota Kinabalu to the white sandy beaches, fishing, snorkelling and diving opportunities, and a jungle walk. Hammocks strung between trees  call to you to come nap, beach volleyball and a few other games to play, but trust me – you’ll be distracted by the bright aquamarine coloured waters.

Should you want to stay overnight, the island offers basic rooms at a very reasonable price. There are a sprinkling of hill chalets and one spacious beach chalet. All of them have views of the beach and cityscape beyond.

One of the main appeals of Sepanggar Island is the opportunity to go snorkelling to see some of Sabah’s brightly coloured fish!

The coral at Sepanggar Island is little worse for wear near the island due to the proximity of the city, local villages and boat use in the area. If snorkelling if important to you, I’ve been told that the waters at Mantanani Island is a little further away (around 45 minutes by boat) but offers much better diving opportunities with visibility of around 30 – 40 metres!

Meeting the locals

Sepanggar Island is home to a mix of animals and (temporary!) humans. Many of the staff who run day-to-day operations are locals from the nearby village and the guides often spend nights there. Then there are the animals.

As I sat on the deck to dry myself off before lunch, I couldn’t help myself and patiently waited for the cats to approach. One was so busy cleaning herself that she looked up in surprise mid-lick.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Bitten By The Travel Bug: An Island Day Trip Close to Kota Kinabalu - Sepanggar Island

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Sabah Bah – Island Hopping at Tunku Abd Rahman Park

Another must do activities when you are in Kota Kinabalu is the island hopping at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

This time around, as time doesn’t permit us, we only managed to cover 2 islands which is Manukan and Mamutik Island for just half a day.

The marine park is basically a cluster of 5 islands which is Pulau Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug and it is accessible via speedboat rides from Kota Kinabalu Town which will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

One thing that you should now is that the departure and the arrival are located at Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal which is next to the Malaysia Royal Custom Department.

There are numbers of tour agents around the terminal and just haggle like a pro to get the best deal of the day.

As for us, we managed to get a deal for a price of RM30 which includes 2 island hopping and a snorkelling gear.

On top of that, we even haggled on the price of the parasailing package for RM120 (for 2 pax).

Another tips, if you wanted to cover and visit at least 3 islands in the Marine Park, start your day as early as you can and be at the jetty by 9am as visitors are required to leave the island by 4pm on the same day.

Besides, you might want to avoid the long lines of tourists looking for boats and packages especially over the weekend.

Pulau Mamutik (Mamutik Island)

After 20 minutes, the boat then stopped at the first island which is Pulau Mamutik.

We were so excited to see school of small fishes at the jetty and it gave us a wide smile on our face upon our arrival.

With the white sandy beach and crystal clear waters beneath clear blue sky, we couldn’t asked for more.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Sabah Bah – Island Hopping at Tunku Abd Rahman Park

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Kiki Roams - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Weird Things Found at the Sunday Market and Island Hopping

Kota Kinabalu (KK) has an early morning market every Sunday. It starts setting up around 6:30 a.m. and by 7:00 a.m. everything is in full swing. As far as markets go, this one is quite small and sells soaps, lots of trinkets and souvenirs (t-shirts, key chains, postcards, etc.), gardening equipment, and fresh food (mostly fruits).

There’s a small section of the market (lines up with the bird statue down the street) that sells ready made foods like banana leaf steamed rice with chicken, curry puffs, sweets, and other noodle dishes. We loaded up on spring rolls, curry puffs, bananas, and steamed rice/chicken for our lunches for our island hopping later in the afternoon.

As for the market, unless you had the intention to buy some specific (in our case, our lunch), it is definitely one you can skip. I didn’t buy anything other  than a a few items for lunch. There isn’t much of interest other than one stall that was selling breast milk soap. Yeah, like human breast milk soap – I asked in case this was an unusual translation for “goat milk soap” or something of the like.

Island Hopping

One of the big draws of KK are three small islands that are about a 20-30 minute boat ride from shore that boast sandy beaches and good snorkelling.

From Jesselton Point, you can buy boat tickets to get to the islands. We paid 33 MYR/person (about $11 CDN) for boat travel to visit two islands. From the main terminal, there are 50 of so companies to choose from – all tickets were the same price so we just chose the company that had the shortest line up.

Sapi Island

First up: Sapi Island. This is a very tiny island that gets overcrowded quite quickly by tourists and snorkelling/scuba diving tours. We took the 8:00 a.m. jetty, knowing about the overcrowding, and we only had to share the island with a few people. This is great, because the main sandy beach is only about 50 feet. Unfortunately, when we got there the beach was closed to the public due to the two red flags that were flying.

The islands have a coloured-coded flag system regarding the quality of the beaches. For example, purple flags mean “caution – marine pests present” (i.e.: jellyfish) and two red flags means “high danger – beach closed to public”. Of course, they did not tell us this when we booked our boat tickets.

Not to be deterred, we walked a few minutes over a very rocky area (good shoes are needed – flip flops not recommended) and eventually found ourselves on a quite stretch of sandy beach which was open for swimming. You will need to sign a waiver form as there are no lifeguards on duty here.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Kiki Roams - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Weird Things Found at the Sunday Market and Island Hopping

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World of Wanderlust - Visiting Gaya Island in Malaysia

Throughout my travels in Malaysia I stopped at different points of interest for different reasons.

First there was Kuala Lumpur, I city I have heard so fondly spoken of thanks to its’ friendly locals and incredible food scene.

Oh, and the shopping is great! Then I visited Cameron Highlands to experience tea plantations and strawberry fields (and cater to my undying love for both of these).

Now for my third stop in Malaysia I find myself on an exotic island that could quite literally be anywhere in the world thanks to its feeling of remoteness.

Here’s how I spent my few days visiting Gaya Island in Malaysia (and a good little honeymoon idea for anyone searching for a spot off the grid!)

Gaya Island Resort

The flight to Palau Gaya is around 2.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur, however the local airport does cater to some international flights nearby.

Once here, I took a car for around ten minutes to Jesselton Point Jetty to catch a speedboat transfer to Gaya Island Resort, another property from the luxe collection of hotels throughout Malaysia owned by YTL Hotels.

My arrival felt like a dream with the sun slowly setting in the background and I was beyond excited to spend a few days here unwinding, taking in all the activities on offer and exploring beyond the hotel.

Although the hotel is well-appointed with a lap size swimming pool, 24 hour gym and a handful of restaurants, I mostly spent my time enjoying the outdoors and trying all the activities around the island and on the water.

The beach is nice but the pollution in the waters is quite off putting, though it sadly seems to be the case elsewhere in Malaysia, too.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: World of Wanderlust - Visiting Gaya Island in Malaysia

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Clive Einstein Blog: Experience Sabah For Only $125

When I got the opportunity to experience Sabah, I grabbed it and planned my trip so I could at least cover most of the places I have seen before in the travel magazines and TV show. Some of the more common words to describe the place: beautiful, exotic, unique and adventure.

My traveling companions echoed these sentiments (there were six of us). A friend of mine, who’s from there, told me to try the food, go to the island and experience the foothill of Mount Kinabalu.

Creativity has no bounds when it comes to exploring Sabah. Based on your own level of comfort and curiosity you can walk, hike, cycle, kayak, climb, dance, rent a car, hire a guide, take a bus or swim and enjoy the beautiful corals at the beautiful islands.

Kota Kinabalu (KK) is a great place to begin. As the capital of Sabah, the city offers a whole range of unique food that you can only find them here, affordable places to stay (especially if you are on a budget) and a half-an-hour boat ride to the islands off the shore of the mainland such as the Manukan Island.

While KK remains a gateway for tourists to fly into Sabah, it is not really a walkable city. But that shouldn’t stop you. You can find cheap taxis and cars for rent quite easily around the city. I would recommend you to stay around the Jesselton Point harbor area as I believe, that is  one of the most strategic locations in the city.

BUT, WHY IS IT STRATEGIC?

You can take the boat to the islands, there are plenty of shopping malls near Jesselton and a lot of restaurants and bars if you want to enjoy cold beers and crispy fried prawns by the seaside at night and the hotels around the area are not too expensive either.

Oh, don’t forget that just a five minute taxi ride from the Jesselton point, you can go to the famous Filipino Market to buy fruits, fresh fish from the sea and lots of restaurants to try seafood at relatively affordable prices.

We spent a full-day on the island. It was not the best time of the year, unfortunately. While we were there to enjoy the beauty of the place, the haze caused by the forest fire from Indonesia obscured the view though, which is otherwise undoubtedly majestic.

However, let it not dampen our spirits. For our return trip from the mainland to the island and back, lunch and snorkeling, we spent less than $50 each.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Clive Einstein Blog: Experience Sabah For Only $125

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Nick Ups Sticks: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo

Kota Kinabalu is a small town sandwiched between the sea and mountainous jungle. It feels a lot like southern Thailand: low, terraced buildings, tangy sea air and corner shops. It’s small enough to traverse by foot and is the gateway to exploring Borneo’s wilderness.

We flew in from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur. The transit was rather hairy as our flight was delayed, which meant legging it through the ridiculous maze that is KL international airport.

We caught the airport bus into town (5 RM for a total travel time of 1 hour, including a 30 minute wait at terminal 2).

There isn’t a huge amount to do in KK and you’ll probably end up seeing most of it just by walking to and from bus stops.

The night market (mostly food) is interesting and fruit vendors will happily let you try before you buy. 

Food-wise, Suang Tain‘s seafood is fresh and well-priced. We should know, we ate there three nights in a row.

Instead, we spent our time trying to get away from KK and the hoards of Chinese tour groups.

Excursion 1: island hopping

The islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park are just 15 short minutes away from KK by speedboat. Get your tickets at Jesselton Point ticketing hall. Do not be alarmed by competing tour operators yelling prices at you.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Nick Ups Sticks: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo

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The Beauty of Borneo: Part I, Kota Kinabalu

Borneo is a large and complex island, not least because it’s comprised of three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. It’s the third largest island in the world and, as such, you could spend months exploring the beaches, mountains and rainforests that cover this magical place. But to really appreciate the beauty of Borneo, explore it region by region, starting with Sabah.

Sabah is one of two Malaysian states on Borneo, and visitors often choose to base themselves in one of two cities within the state: Kota Kinbalu in the west or Sandakan in the east.

Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is quickly becoming a sprawling tourist hub, but if you look hard enough, you can still find some of the beauty that makes Sabah special. This compact town is best explored on foot, and you’ll soon find that Jesselton Point Harbour forms the centre of all that is good about Kota Kinabalu, or ‘KK’, as it’s known.

Located at one end of the tourist strip, Jesselton Point is the best place in KK to go for fresh seafood cooked in an authentic fashion. Restaurants on the jetty have their catches of the day on display and the fishing boats responsible for the delectable displays bob in the harbour only a few feet away.

The selection all depends on what’s been caught, but expect gigantic prawns and crustaceans as well as grouper and other local fish. There’s also a range of preparation options, with sweet coconut battered prawns and chili-seared fish being local favourites.

If you’re spending a couple of days in KK, a tour of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park is an absolute must. TARN is a collection of five islands located just off the coast of KK, offering some of the world-class diving and snorkeling that has made Borneo famous. And at only 20 minutes off the coast of KK and incredibly cheap and easy to access, there’s no excuse to miss these islands.

Tourist boats heading to TARN depart from Jesselton Point Harbour and most operators will offer the option to visit three islands over the course of a day: Sapi, Manukan and Mamutik. If you want to visit all three islands, which I highly recommend, get to Jesselton Pier before 9am, as the ferry tickets sell fast and there are limited number of multi-island tickets. If you want to visit only two islands, arrive well before 10am.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The Beauty of Borneo: Part I, Kota Kinabalu

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Tips on island hopping in Kota Kinabalu

While Kota Kinabalu (KK) in Sabah state, Malaysia has a vibrant nightlife and charming nature reserves, its most popular tourist spots are its islands. Tourists from neighboring Brunei, Indonesia, and other Malaysian states travel to KK to go island hopping.

So when my friends and I made a side trip to KK from Brunei, that’s exactly what we did – island hopping in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Aside from the fact that it was the peak of summer heat, my friends and I really love beaches so we thought it would be nice to hit one on our first group trip abroad.

When I was researching about our itinerary prior to the trip, I had a difficult time looking for information about island hopping. I got the details of where to go and what to do but I didn’t know the most important thing to consider – the cost!

The government websites gave different information and some blogs are outdated. So I decided to compile this list of tips to save on cost, effort, and time when planning to bask in Kota Kinabalu’s famous islands.

1) Be early.

Jesselton Point (JP) is where you’ll find all the boats going to the islands. If you travelled by ferry from Labuan or Brunei, this is the same terminal you arrived in.

It’s best to be in JP early – around 8am to 9am – to skip the long lines of tourists booking boats, especially if you’re going on a weekend. If you weren’t able to eat in your hotel, don’t worry. There are many food stalls that serve delicious Malaysian food at cheap prices in JP.

Many tourists tend to arrive an hour or two before lunch time so you might have to wait long for boats or pay more for “private boats.”

The weather in Sabah is quite consistent so this is applicable almost all year round. This won’t be as big a problem if you go on a weekday but it’s still best to be first in your chosen island, right?

Tip: KK is a pretty small city. Taxis don’t even turn their meters on when you ride them. You should not pay more than MYR 15 to MYR 20 (if it’s really far) from your hotel to JP.

2) Book your trips in the ticketing center.

There are many barkers outside of JP who will try to sell you a ticket or book you your own boat for the day. The prices here are very high compared to the actual prices of tickets – I also saw tour agencies online that ask MYR 400 for 4 people for 2 islands.

While this can be tempting, especially if there are many tourists lined up, you can save a lot by just being patient. Thankfully, we went island hopping on a Monday so there weren’t that many people. We just went straight to the ticketing counter.

The actual price is MYR 25 for a return trip to one island. You will need to tell the agent what time you want to go home – or if you’re planning to visit more islands, what time you’ll transfer. Two islands will probably cost around MYR 35. The last trip going home is at 5pm.

There’s an MYR 7.20 terminal tax for JP and an MYR10 (price for foreigners) conservation fee for each island. You’ll pay the terminal fee when you pay for your fare and the conservation fee every time you dock on an island.

You’ll join other tourists in the boats when you book through the counter. Unless you’re a big group and you plan to see as many of the islands as you can, I don’t think it’s necessary to book your own boat for the day. Remember to keep your ticket from getting wet. You’ll need it to board your boats.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Tips on island hopping in Kota Kinabalu

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Borneo: Sapi Island

When we planned our trip to Malaysia, we hoped to spend our time there taking advantage of the awesome wildlife viewing opportunities…we could do an evening river cruise and catch glimpses of proboscis monkeys and fireflies…or we could make our way out to the national park for a small hike and bird spotting…

But on our second full day in Borneo, we were both feeling guilty about spending money since we had just unexpectedly lost $125 during our travel mishap in Kuala Lumpur.

So instead of paying for a guided tour or for transportation to somewhere else in Sabah, we decided on an activity close to Kota Kinabalu: an inexpensive day-trip out to Sapi Island.

Getting to Sapi Island from Kota Kinabalu

To get to Sapi, we walked down to the Kota Kinabalu Ferry Terminal (aka Jesselton Point – located here) where there are a bunch of vendors waiting to sell you island-hopping tickets. All the vendors leaned out their windows, yelling and waving at us to buy tickets from them, but we just ended up choosing the very first stall and it seemed to have a fair price.

A roundtrip ticket to Sapi cost 7.20 MYR (about $2 USD) per person. The company we bought tickets from had a boat leaving KK every hour, but you had to return at a specific time — for us that was 3 PM.

There is also a conservation fee once you arrive on Sapi, which is 10 MYR per person ($3 USD). There was one price for Malaysians, and another for non-Malaysians, which isn’t awesome, but this was advertised from the time we bought our tickets so at least we were prepared and not ambushed with unexpected fees upon arrival.

Exploring Sapi Island

After a quick 15 minute boat ride, we arrived to the Sapi Island dock, paid our conservation fee, and headed straight down to the main beach. It wasn’t too crowded, but we had heard that there were more secluded stretches of sand around the other side of the island.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Borneo: Sapi Island

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Pulau Manukan: The Summer Hot Spot of Sabah

Pulau Manukan (also known as Manukan Island) is the second largest island in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and is also the first marine park located in Sabah.

It is rich with fish and corals and is certainly a must-go if you ever travel to Sabah.

Manukan Island is one of the most popular islands among residents in Sabah as well as tourists.

Just beyond the shore of Manukan are beautiful coral reefs which is ideal for snorkeling and diving.

Getting to Manukan Island is real easy. If you are in the city, take a bus or a cab to the Jesselton Point ferry terminal.

There will be different agents selling boat and entrance tickets to different islands.

The speedboat ride to Manukan Island is only 30 minutes from Jesselton Point.

My friends and I jumped into the opportunity to visit Manukan Island during our trip to Sabah.

The weather was sunny and good. I brought along my Lomography La Sardina and Fisheye No. 2.

Once reached, we immediately changed and ran towards the sea.

It was a good day to be out running along the beach.

It was also the off-peak season so we literally had the beach all to ourselves.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Pulau Manukan: The Summer Hot Spot of Sabah

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Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival Returns in 2013

Every year since 2007, the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah jointly organise the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival.

2013 sees the 7th instalment of the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival set in the picturesque capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

The jazz festival was initiated to promote Kota Kinabalu’s to the international music scene.

Judging by how the jazz festival brings together a musical melting pot of talents from around the world, it’s safe to say they are reaching their goal.

From the smallish venue at the Jesselton Point pier in 2007 where the festival was a 1 night affair, the KK Jazz Festival quickly grew to a 2-night festival by it’s 3rd edition in 2009.

Last year over 4,000 people attended the jazz festival.

Aside from added exposure for Kota Kinabalu as an international tourism destination, the festival has been very successful in raising public awareness about jazz as a music genre.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival Returns in 2013

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Sabah targets three million tourists for 2013

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit is confident Sabah will emerge as a champion of marine tourism.

He said last year alone the number of tourists was 2.88 million, an increase of 1.1 per cent as compared to year 2010 which saw an arrival of 2.84 million tourists.

James is confident that Sabah will hit the three-million-tourist arrival mark this year based on the previous increase in number of tourist arrivals.

Sabah has 131 international flights with 19,294 seats and 660 domestic flights with 85,976 seats per week, he said.

“Kota Kinabalu has an excellent geographical location which is suitable as a destination for sea cruises in Asia. Last year 18 sea cruises with a total of 12,707 passengers visited Sabah through the Kota Kinabalu Port,” James said while giving a speech in conjunction with the “KK City Day Sunset Sea Parade 2013” to celebrate the city’s 13th anniversary at Jesselton Point here yesterday.

Also present were Assistant Minister of Sabah Tourism, Culture & Environment Datuk Bolkiah Ismail, Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, City Hall director-general Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, representatives from Korea and Indonesia (Yogjakarta), and Putatan MP Datuk Marcus Mojigoh.

James said that Sabahans should be proud as the State is blessed with beautiful beaches, scenic mountains and world-class islands.

“Besides that, its various ethnic groups, food and culture make Sabah a very unique state within the federation of Malaysia,” he said.

The Deputy Tourism Minister also commended the media for positively contributing to the State’s tourism industry.

James said the tourists around the world are attracted to coastal cities with their enchanting sunsets such as the one found in Kota Kinabalu.

“Of all the places I have been to, Kota Kinabalu is one of the best to enjoy a scenic sunset,” he said.

“We are here at Jesselton Point (one of the most popular places among the locals) to witness an interesting event in conjunction of the city’s anniversary,” James said.

Continue reading at: Sabah targets three million tourists for 2013
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Kota Kinabalu city to celebrate 13th anniversary with various activities

KOTA KINABALU: Various activities are being lined up to commemorate and celebrate the city’s 13th anniversary throughout the year by Kota Kinabalu City Hall.

The activities will also serve as a platform to promote the city as a tourism destination.

The celebration will start on the morning of February 2 with the raising of the flag, followed by the bigger KK City Day Sunset Sea Parade, which will start at 3pm, as 21 ships and boats sail along the Jesselton Point.

Guests and audiences will be entertained by an orchestra performance, strip lights, foghorn and rocket flare shows.

Free movies will be shown at the GSC Suria Sabah on February 3 at 10am and those interested can contact Elizabeth Borubui at 088-521800.

The highly-anticipated KK City Tourism Treasure Hunt on March 24 at the Marina and Country Club, Sutera Harbour Resort, is expected to attract as many as 170 teams from all over the country.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu city to celebrate 13th anniversary with various activities

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Try Scuba Diving in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – Because life on land is just SO last season

Are you, like many people, somewhat bored with life on land? Have the trees, birds, buildings, and streets got you down? Are you starting to feel that if one more person makes a comment about the weather, you might just snap, and do something that reporters will later refer to as “misguided” and “regrettable”? Would you like to try scuba diving?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience might be just the thing to cure what ails your tired, beaten down, gravity bogged spirit. This one-day adventure is designed to introduce even the pastiest land-lubber to the joys of scuba diving and the wonders of the aquatic world.

Your experience begins with a boat ride from the lively Jesselton Point Jetty to the serene beauty of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. After filling out some interesting and thought-provoking paperwork, your fully licensed and experienced PADI instructor will familiarize you with your equipment, assist you in putting it on, and guide you to the beach, where you’ll practice a few simple skills while experiencing what it’s like to breathe underwater.

After you’ve demonstrated your mastery of these skills, which will only take a few minutes because you’re such a quick learner and overall just a quality human being, your instructor will guide you on a tour of the beautiful Sapi House Reef, with its plethora of marine life ranging from fish to coral to stingrays (which, technically, is also a fish) to cuttlefish (which, despite its name, is not in fact a fish) to a whole multitude of other aquatic life forms. Like fish!

After your eye-opening (you’ll be wearing a mask, don’t worry) underwater tour, you’ll go for a nice rest and a spot of lunch on one of the marine park’s five tropical islands. Perhaps you’ll spot some long-tailed macaques (monkeys) as you enjoy one of the tasty Malaysian delicacies, or maybe you’d prefer a Malaysian facsimile of western food. They offer a range of dishes, including sea food for some reason, which I feel is in somewhat poor taste. Just be sure to keep an eye on your bags, because those monkeys can be thieving jerks. On a related note, if you spot one wearing a red baseball cap, please get it back for me. It was a gift from my mother.

Lunch will be taken during what divers refer to as a “surface interval” – a very technical term which means “time between dives”. Some divers view their entire lives on land as a series of grudgingly enforced surface intervals. These divers can be easily recognized by their disdain for life on land, their tendency to stare wistfully into any body of water they happen upon, and their habit of answering every question non-verbally – usually with an “OK” signal.

After your surface interval and intake of vital nutrients (and hopefully your recovery of my red cap), you will return to the boat invigorated and refreshed for the afternoon dive at one of the local dive sites. Maybe you’ll pop in and see what’s happening on Agill’s Reef, where you’ll surely be dumbstruck (it’s okay – you can’t speak underwater anyway) at the wonders awaiting you: the bounty of hard and soft coral, the mind-boggling variety of fish, and of course the awesome spectacle of your instructor’s backside as he or she guides you along.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Try Scuba Diving in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – Because life on land is just SO last season

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Let’s go island hopping at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

WAKING up at 6.30am on a Sunday is definitely the last thing on most people’s mind, especially after a ‘late night out’ the previous day.

But if you’re in Kota Kinabalu with friends, the chance to go on an island-hopping adventure is too good to pass up.

After a fun-filled Saturday of golf and a reunion dinner with former classmates, we decided on enjoying the rest of our stay by going on an adventure.

We decided – in our excitement – to go snorkelling at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, about three kilometres from the coast of the Sabah capital.

We went to Sutera Harbour Resort to catch a boat. There are actually two jetties to the marine park – one at the posher Sutera Harbour, some five minutes drive from the city centre, the other at the Jesselton Point ferry terminal at the edge of the city.

Although many would suggest taking a boat from Jesselton Point, given the much cheaper fares and tour packages, Sutera Harbour marina pier, we were told, offered even better deals, not to mention tour operators there being more professional, transporting island-hoppers much faster with their superior boats.

It wasn’t all that surprising, therefore, to see Sutera Harbour pier already full of both domestic and foreign tourists when we arrived at 7.30am.

According to the tour guide we managed to hire later, the marina averages some 3,000-5,000 tourists per day during weekends.

Despite the heavy volume of visitors, Sutera Harbour (for registered member tour guides only) managed to handle the high traffic quite well. We got our boat in 10 minutes despite no prior bookings.

There were a few tour operators offering various packages but we opted for the two-island tour of our choice package.

For only RM80 per person, the package included unlimited drinks throughout, lunch buffet on one of the islands, snorkelling gears and lifejackets. Not bad at all, given the excellent hospitality the crew showed us for the whole trip. Visitors can also bring their own food for barbecue on the island.

The earliest boat leaves the pier at 8.30am while the last one at 3.30pm. The return trip starts from 10am to 5pm, the latest. Visitors can pretty much choose their island packages and stay on each island for as long as they want. Be careful, though, you don’t want to miss the last boat home, especially if you’re a day-tripper.

Other packages offered by operators at Sutera Harbour – apart from the island-hopping trip – include sunset cruises, sunset fishing, traditional fishing excursions and many more. If you’re into water sports, you can try out parasailing, banana boat ride, jetski ride, kayaking, diving and many more on the islands.

One particular package that caught my eye – but one I missed out on – was the Pulau Tiga trip departing on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Doesn’t ring a bell? Well, the first ever season of Survivor (US version) was shot on Pulau Tiga.

Marine Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park comprises a group of five gazetted islands – Gaya, Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi and Sulug between three to eight km off Kota Kinabalu. The park is spread out over 4,929 hectares where two thirds cover the sea. Gaya island is the largest and closest to the mainland.

The park was established in 1974 after the gazetting of a major part of Pulau Gaya and Pulau Sapi covering 8,990 acres (36.4 square km). The park was increased to 12,185 acres (49.31 square km) following the inclusion of the three nearby islands of Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug.

Gaya island has 20km of hiking trails and two five-star resorts – Gayana Eco Resort, home to the Marine Ecology Research Centre, and Bunga Raya Island Resort on the northeast part of the island. Another resort is now being constructed on a spot used to be known as Hornbill Bay near Gayana Eco Resort.

Sabah Parks, in charge of protecting the park, is situated at the southeastern part of the island in a bay shared with the Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures dive station. The island offers a quiet beach for public recreational use and crystal-clear water for swimming. The coral reefs along the entire coast of Gaya island are in excellent condition, making it a good diving destination.

Manukan is the second largest island with good stretches of beaches and beautiful coral reefs offshore, making it ideal for snorkelling. Out of the five islands, Manukan features the most developed tourist facilities that include 20 chalets, a clubhouse, restaurants and a diving centre. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, football field and various sporting courts.

Mamutik is the smallest of the islands at the park – only 15 acres. The island offers some good beaches and coral reefs. It also has a three-bedroom resthouse for rent.

Urban legend has it that Pulau Sapi got its name from the colonial era when sick cows were sent there to be isolated. Today, it is one of the nicest beaches at the park and the most popular tourist destination for snorkelling and scuba diving. Macaques abound in the forest.

Sulug is the farthest of the lot, considered relatively untouched, remote and undeveloped. The 20-acre island is popular with tourists preferring a tranquil atmosphere.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Let’s go island hopping at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

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Art drawing tourists to Sabah

UNIQUE CULTURES: Nature-loving tourists also actively seeking out art items

KOTA KINABALU: SABAH has the potential to become a destination for art lovers as tourists here showed great appreciation for its   art.

Tourism Malaysia director Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahmod said many tourists visited the state because of its unique cultures, indirectly exposing them to local contemporary art.

"They come here to dive and to experience our nature.

"Generally, those who love nature will love art because it goes hand in hand.

"That's the symbiotic relationship between art, nature and culture," he said at the launch of 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (1MCAT) Festival Sabah 2012 at Jesselton Point Waterfront here, yesterday.

Held for the third consecutive year, 1MCAT is in line with the Tourism Ministry and Tourism Malaysia's efforts to diversify the country's tourism attractions while targeting more high-yield tourists.

Sabah made its debut in 1MCAT last year with Art Hunt as its premier theme, where 11 satellite art venues in and around the city featured contemporary art works of local artists.

Art Hunt acts as a platform for art enthusiasts, gallery owners, artists and the new generation of collectors to forge business alliances, acquire new contemporary art works, share ideas and exchange information about Sabah's contemporary art.

Tengku Zainal Adlin, who is also Sabah Tourism Board chairman, said the one-week exhibition was an effective way to bring attention to local artists' work and further encourage their growth as well as maturity of their talents.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Art drawing tourists to Sabah
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Stress-free vacation on Manukan Island

The entrance to Manukan Island

Scores of passenger boats can be seen

Relaxing by the beach is a great reason to visit Manukan Island

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to AK and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.

By AK

Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton, is the city capital of Sabah. A popular tourist getaway and a major gateway into Sabah and Asia, it boasts an admirable collection of beautiful islands.

Charming and alluring, Manukan Island or Pulau Manukan is one of the more famous islands.

A 20-minute boat ride from Jesselton Point, it is the more popular island in Sabah due to the attraction of its white sandy beaches and rich hued waters teeming with marine life.

The abundance of corals and availability of water sports makes it a premier destination for island-hopping in Sabah.

Manukan Island is part of the chain of islands that makes up Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Sabah, Malaysia. The boat ride would cost around RM20-RM35 and can accommodate 10 people, so if you're in a group that's less than the quorum, be prepared to wait a while until 10 people sign up.

The boat that takes you to the island is a modern speed-boat and it easily navigates through the clear waters towards the island of your choice.

Snorkels can be rented from the boat operator at around RM15.

The boats that are allowed to dock at Manukan Island have to be registered with Sabah Parks and are required to meet safety requirements, eg life jackets must be worn during the journey.

The waterfront of Kota Kinabalu zips by as the boat departs and there is a constant wind from the speed of the boat blowing at you. The boat occasionally runs into waves so splashes of water into the boat are pretty common.

The lush green island soon comes into view as the boat slows down to dock at the Manukan Island.

The natural beauty of the island is apparent - calm, green waters with a diverse amount of fishes swimming around and white, sandy beaches at the fringe with deep green lush trees lining the island.

The rich marine life on Manukan Island is apparent as soon as you disembark from the boat - the high tide submerges the lower part of the jetty and people can be seen feeding the fishes with pieces of bread.

The island is a protected zone so no fishing or harming of the marine life is permitted. This makes the fish breed with abundance and they're quite friendly and unafraid of human contact.

Manukan Island has chalets for overnight stays but most people came here just to relax and enjoy the natural offerings of the island on a day trip.

The red buoys bobbing around the perimeter extending 100 metres out from the beach are designated swimming areas. There is a lot of boat traffic outside that demarcation and the speed-boats carrying island visitors frequently pass very close to the line so it's a good idea to keep inside the perimeter.

The Manukan Island pier is a wooden catwalk hovering over the vibrant clear waters and the natural tranquility of the island is palpable as you walk towards the beach.

There is a "Welcome to Pulau Manukan" sign at the end of the pier and a RM3 conservation fee is to be paid at the booth before entry to the beach is permitted.

The chalets nested in lush greenery greet you as you first step on the beach. The polished wood chalets look perfectly in place on the island, due to the matching theme and decor of the architecture.

There are lifeguard posts located at the beach should the need arise and in case of emergency. If you try snorkeling, one can see many different multicoloured fishes, taking bites out of pieces of bread, occasionally nipping at your fingers.

Sea cucumbers of all sizes lining the seabed and starfishes and corals of mind-boggling variety and complexity intensify the whole experience.

If you want an activity that is more adrenaline-pumping, para-sailing and banana boat-rides are sure to get your heart and excitement going.

For the more adventurous and curious individuals, scuba diving is also popular among visitors to the island and what better way to start off the day by going deep into the sea and explore the unexplored?

The scenic islands surrounding Manukan Island are easily visible from the shore and saying that the island is beautiful is simply a big understatement.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend

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Ronan Keating to promote coral reef restoration at Gaya Island

PULAU GAYA: The Bunga Raya Island Resort spa will fly into the State the world-renowned Irish artiste, Ronan Keating, as part of their effort to promote the Marine Ecology Research Centre’s (MERC) work in coral reef restoration and giant clam propagation.

“Keating has agreed to perform and is excited to become part of it and has expressed eagerness to promote the cause,” said Bunga Raya Island Resort Spa’s owner, Gillian Tan, who pins the hope that the message to save the sea through coral reef restoration and giant clam propagation will spread throughout the world following Keating’s involvement in the effort.

Keating will give a dine-and-song performance at the resort on April 21, which is exclusive for in-house guests between 7.30pm and 11pm.

Tickets for the event is priced at RM1,000 per person.

He will appear the next day as a guest performer at the resort’s Marine Day Beach party which will take place between 9am and 5pm.

Tickets for this event are sold at RM200 each and are available at the Gayana Eco Resort’s office at Jesselton Point.

Patrons of the beach party will be provided with lunch, lucky draw prizes, a beach kit, music performances by local artistes and Keating, and Zumba with local fitness coach, Michelle Koh.

Continue reading at: Ronan Keating to promote coral reef restoration at Gaya Island

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Jesselton Mall to house Kota Kinabalu's exclusive outlets

Kota Kinabalu: Jesselton Mall is set to be the State Capital's premier exclusive retail outlets once completed in four years' time from now.

Integrated with the on-going Jesselton Residences development, the Jesselton Mall offers 123 retail lots for businesses.

"This development augurs well with the State Government's aspiration of making Sabah as the main shopping tourism destination in the region," said developer, Jesselton Waterfront Holding Sdn Bhd, General Manager, Kevin Thong.

The Jesselton Mall is designed to add greater value to Jesselton Residences, which is a high-end luxury condominium development, making it the city's premier address much like Orchard Road in Singapore.

Speaking to reporters here, Thong said the area where Jesselton Mall and its neighbour, Suria Sabah would be the new KK town.

Besides from walk-in customers and tourists, the business outlets in Jesselton Mall are also assured of customers from the occupants of the 333 condominium lots in Jesselton Residences, he said.

He said the Jesselton Residences project was selected as the only one from Sabah to participate in last year's investment forum in Shanghai, China in view of its high value as well as for the promotion of tourism.

Continue reading at: Jesselton Mall to house Kota Kinabalu's exclusive outlets

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