Islands Hopping @ Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

It's been long I have not been to the islands at Kota Kinabalu since my secondary school time. I missed the beaches of my hometown and this time I just got a little time to spend at Mamutik Island, Manukan Island and Sapi Island. However, I'm somehow dissappointed when the place is different compared to last time.

The recommended departing time is at the morning around 8am from Jesselton point jetty. The boat rate is cheaper than you departing from Sutera Harbour. Each snorkeling equipment can be rent @ RM 10 each. The recommended time back to town is around 3pm subject to weather change.

There are many water sports available at the islands. If you want to bargain cheaper rate, talk to the local people directly instead of asking from the counter at the island itself. I personally would love to stay at Manukan Island better than the other two.

If you like snorkeling and see the underwater, Manukan island is a better choice as you can see the fishes at the very swallow beach. The landscape at Sapi Island is deeper compared to the other two. There's trailwalk to the backside of the island and Manukan Island, however, it's more rocky instead of sandy beach.

You may want to experience the sea walking without getting yourself wet to the underwater world. It's quite expensive and allowa to to have about half hour time with est RM 250 per pax as per the guide.

I'm begging those who visits these islands, million please don't throw your rubbish to the sea or beach or even the rocky one. I feel so sad to see the rubbish at the rockies. Please stop polluting the mother nature.
RM 3 Entrance fees for all 3 islands.

Mee Sup Pipin

At first this name of Mee Sup Pipin has arised my curiosity about what is this special soup noodle about. This place...tourist will not know about it and only some locals may know how to find this place. Then, I went to this place with my family.

The owner was first opening during weekend and just for fun only. When there are more demand fromt he visitors, they have decided to open daily so more people get the chance to taste their good food. That's why you will find this place is like a small village away from town.

Ah!!! Now I get it.... Here there are two Mee Sup Pipin shops just next to each other. They have the choices of mixture parts of meats. You can have fish, pork, beef meat for your soup noodles. This is part of the local food in KK for the Chinese.

Try the beancurd... this is a taste that you will never get at the city. This is the original taste of beancurd that comes with some little bit of the bean's taste. This place is not so hard to find but you have pay attention to the little signage on your right.

Tip of Borneo

The Tip Of Borneo - one of the 'ears' at the Sabah's map. A scenic place that is 3 hours further from the Kota Kinabalu city. The rocky seaside with the nature beauty that I couldn't resist to enjoy the sea breeze.

I can't contempt the power of the wind erosion that makes it such a beautiful rocks patterns. It takes how many billions year to become the amazing scenic like this. I felt angry and sad when I saw some people drew their name on the rocks. This is so annoying where these belongs to the public and not your own property.

I hope those who visit this place learn how to appreciate this place and not to destroy it or polute the place with rubbish. This is a very pethetic action.

This is the early morning scene with the lighthouse.

I think this side of the rock is a very nice nature painting.

Celine Resort Kinabalu

Mt.Kinabalu National Park is not a new place to the tourist and normally they have taken a day trip and back to KK at the same day. However, you may miss out the beauty of the morning sight of the Mt Kinabalu.

Here is a very pleasant place to stay at Celine Resort Kinabalu. The chalet is suitable from couple to groups of friends or family. We had our big family gathering there and we really enjoyed the stay. We have about 12 pax of us and we took up whole chalet with 4 rooms.

Weather is definitely cooling and what makes the most fun will be a BBQ dinner. Great! We prepared our own food and we rent a BBQ stand from the resort. Hence they provide us the charcoal with tables and chairs at the rest area. No worry of rain because the area is covered. Yummy! Yummy!

After dinner, we have our own entertainment session which we played music and dance. The whole compound is occupied by us, so dancing is fun. Of course you have prepared your own music equipment. Don’t forget to bring poker cards or some board games if you are going in a group. I think this is a very good time to gather and build up relationship with each other. It is especially those cousins that we only meet once a year during Chinese New Year.

Last but not least, don’t hang up too late and you will miss the beauty of the nature the next day. Please do wake up earlier and have walk around the place. It is such an enjoyment by watching the dark sky turning to bright and slowly see the top of Mt Kinabalu become clearer. This is so amazing like standing in the fancy world of a pic.

The resort is a little bit further in but it is such a nice place to stay if you need a quiet and cooling place to yourself off from the routine days. Basic hotel facilities are available and it is quite new. Don’t forget to bring extra cloth for the cooling nights. The room rate is reasonable for budget travelers with nice, clean and comfortable room.

Sometimes, it doesn’t really matter of the accommodation, but the matter of comfortable and relaxing environment that attracting us to be there. Lastly, thanks to my cousin for the nice and beautiful pictures.

Kundasang, Sabah (Mt.Kinabalu)

Mt Kinabalu is world well-known place for mountain climbing. However, most of the people thought this place is for mountain climbing only. Kundasang is a place at the bottom of Mt Kinabalu which you can stay and relax with cosy wheather and nice mountain view. I'm very familiar with this place as I was raised around this area. If you want to get our from the hot place... here is a good place to cool yourself down and relax your mind.

Mt Kinabalu has several name in Chinese which is "神山" or "中国寡妇山". A famous attraction always has it's legend. Mt Kinabalu has the legend as well. If you watch carefully the shape of the Mt Kinabalu peak, you will see a shape of lying down women. The legend is about a widow standing at the peak of the mountain and looking the South China Sea waiting for her husband to come back from war. From my sight of my window last time at Ranau, I can see the shape of women in other way which only can be seen in this angle. I so miss the time I was a child staying in such a cooling place everyday. I felt scared at night when the strong wind blowing at the window with weird sounds.

There is a war memorial park you can pay a visit to. The park now is beautify with lots of flowers and trees. It's very nice and you can view the whole area of Kundasang and Mt.Kinabalu. It's just like a bug and nice garden.

If you are driving yourself up to Kundasang, pay a visit to a cow farm. Fresh milks are from them and you can buy it there, drink it there. Nowadays, I guess they've changed some policy. Have you experience while having the fresh milk in hand and watching those cows just right in front of you? Funny....

Things you must not miss it! First, wake up early at the morning and wait for the sunrise. You will feel the beauty of life and a brand new day. The world is so beautiful created by Almighty God.

Second, Mt Kinabalu is a dead volcano. Wherever there's volcano, the next thing you will think about is hot spring. Drive for another hour to Poring Hot Spring. Get yourself dip at the pool and feel the relaxation. Much more better than you go for any spa. This is a nature spa that you'll enjoy it.