After almost 2 years of non-travel due to the Covid, we decided to make a short trip to our neighbouring country Malaysia since the borders were reopened and the Covid situation seems to be under control in South East Asia. Kota Kinabalu is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia, located in the northern part of the island of Borneo. It is a coastal city partly surrounded by rainforest and is most well known as gateway to the 4,095m-high Mount Kinabalu which attracts climbers from all over the world.
My trip to Kota Kinabalu, fondly known to the locals as KK, is not to challenge the mountain. It is for relaxation, do some sightseeing in the cool weather and scenic highlands around the Kinabalu National Park and enjoy the local food. As a coastal city facing West, KK is also the place to see the famous golden sunsets from the beaches and waterfront.
The following is the itinerary of our week in Kota Kinabalu.
Day 1 and 2 (4 and 5 July 2022)
We chose to stay at the Shangri-La Resort located at Tanjung Aru. The Sunset Bar located within this hotel is reputed to be the best place to watch the amazing Sabah sunsets.
Nothing beats relaxing by the beach, with cool sea breezes, cold drinks, good company and waiting for the evening light show to occur.
For those wanting to dip or play in the sea, a marina within the hotel bring guests for a 15 minute boat ride to one of the islands on Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park for sea activities and beaches.
We chose to forgo the trip to the islands and just relax by the hotel’s spacious swimming pool by the sea.
Trip report: Sunset at Tanjung Aru and a delicious seafood dinner at Welcome Seafood
Trip report: A day at Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort and seafood dinner at Suang Tain Seafood Restaurant
Day 3 (6 July 2022)
After 2 days at Tanjung Aru, we moved to a hotel located within the city. Le Meridien is a very nice hotel ideally located by the KK Waterfront.
This is the day where we sampled a few of Kota Kinabalu’s famous local food and also check out a local cafe called October Cafe Gaya.
Seng Hin Coffee Shop offers a variety of local food but is well known for its Seafood Tom Yum noodles and Tuaran Mee.
My stay at the Le Meridien Hotel Kota Kinabalu includes access to the Club Lounge. Situated on the fourteenth floor of the waterfront hotel, the floor to ceiling glass-walls in the lounge yields uninterrupted views of the South China Sea. The Le Meridien Club Lounge would have been an excellent place to enjoy the Kota Kinabalu sunset, except for the rainy weather during our stay! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the facilities, good service, buffet dinner and free flow of drinks at this lounge.
Trip report: Sampling Kota Kinabalu’s Tomyum Seafood, Tuaran Mee and Sang Nyuk Mee and October Cafe Gaya
Trip report: Watching Kota Kinabalu sunset from the Le Meridien Club Lounge
Day 4 and 5 (7 and 8 July)
After spending 3 days in the city, we took a 2D/1N trip to Kundasang with a tour agency Amazing Borneo. It is about 2 hours drive from KK city. Many tour agencies offer day trips to explore the sights around Kundasang but we decided that the best way to experience Kundasang is to do an overnight stay.
Kundasang is a small town located on the foot of Mount Kinabalu offering panoramic view of the mountain. At an elevation of about 1900 meters above sea level, it has a much cooler weather. Kundasang is also famously known as the “New Zealand of Borneo” for its unique mountainous geographical terrain.
Canopy Walk at Poring Hot Spring, a breathtaking treetop walk on a 43-meter tall canopy walkway.
We did a very exciting Canopy Walk and enjoyed a dip in the hot natural spring waters at Poring Hot Spring on Day 1. On the way to Poring Hot Spring, we stopped by the Tamparuli Suspension Bridge, Nabalu town and also got to view the rare Rafflesia Flower.
Normally, a trek deep into the rainforest is needed to even get a chance to see the Rafflesia flower.
Trip report: 2D/1N Trip to Kundasang – Tamparuli Suspension Bridge, Nabalu town and viewing the Rafflesia Flower
Trip report: 2D/1N Trip to Kundasang - Canopy Walk and Poring Hot spring
Our trip included dinner and overnight stay at Kinabalu Pine Resort, one of the best places to stay in Kundasang.
Trip report: 2D/1N Trip to Kundasang – Our stay at Kinabalu Pine Resort
After waking up the views of Mount Kinabalu from the Kinabalu Pine Resort where we spend the evening, we went to Desa Dairy Farm to see some cows with the mountain range in the background.
Trip report: 2D/1N Trip to Kundasang – Desa Dairy Farm
We did a quick stopover for a drink at Hooga Cafe before visiting the Kundasang War Memorial. This memorial is dedicated to the British and Australian soldiers who died in the Sandakan Prisoner of War (POW) camp and during their death marches to Ranau. I learned a little bit more of South East Asian and WW2 history through this short visit.
Trip report: 2D/1N Trip to Kundasang – Kundasang War Memorial
Our last destination in the 2D/1N trip to Kundasang is the Mount Kinabalu Park HQ. This is the place where climbers will begin their ascent of Mount Kinabalu. Our guide shows us the route to the summit and then bought us through a nice walk in the Botanical Garden located within the park.
Here we get to see some exotic tropical plants, including the most expensive orchid in the world (Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid).
The extremely rare Rothschild’s orchid only grows on the slope of Mount Kinabalu between 500 and 1,200 meters in altitude.
Trip report: 2D/1N trip to Kundasang – Kinabalu National Park’s Botanical Garden
After lunch at the Kinabalu Park Restaurant. we made the uneventful 2 hours drive back to KK City.
Pubs and restaurants along the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront.
We ended our trip with early dinner at Welcome Seafood Restaurant and a drink at the KK Waterfront before picking up our luggage from Le Meridien hotel for our journey home.
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