Sunday, November 23, 2008

My Sabah Journey: conclusion

I would say that the journey was an enjoyable and interesting one, despite the sudden change of weather during the last days of it. And so I've covered the "back of the dog head" of Sabah ^_^ (If you look at the map of Sabah, it resembles the shape of a dog head. It's a sort of a joke among some Sabahan). I've reached Beaufort during my water - rafting trip by the antique wooden train; Kuala Penyu and Papar during postings; Labuan; Tambunan, Kundasang, Ranau, Poring, Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Kudat during this journey. Next trip to be executed is to Sandakan and Tawau, and if possible to Tenom and Long Pasia.

I encouraged road trips to plane as many surprising and wonderful places can be discovered along the road. The roads are very easy and many signboards are found along the way. If you happen to be lost, just stop for a cuppa and chat up with the friendly people here who are more than glad to direct you to your destination. Petrol stations are located in main town and it is advised that you fill up the tank and relieve yourself whenever you pass one, as there seldom is one along the country road.

Most hotels and resort mentioned in my posts can be booked via the Internet on their respective websites. The website of Sabah Tourism also listed down the hotels/resorts/backpackers and contact information in accordance to each district.

Driving a Kancil is not suitable for such strenous trips as some part of the roads may consist of gravels and steep hills. Myvi is pretty OK. 4X4 is better.

Go for such trips if you like greeneries, villages, experiencing local food and cultures.

Take home Sabah tea, Tenom coffee, cheap pearls and crystals, seafood products, handicrafts and good memories.

Have fun ^_^

My Sabah Journey: Day (04) Home Sweet Home. Pantai Dalit.

Day 4.

The storm rested at dawn to a light drizzle that continued to the end of the day, making our visit to the Tip of Borneo a tipsy one against the wind. We peeped at the cool, rustic chalets of the homestay resort and browsed through the corals and shells at some makeshift stalls nearby before making the trip back to KK. The drizzle continued as we drived on and it was decided to be unsuitable for the Matunggong attractions so we took a detour to Kota Marudu instead for the heck of it.

Kota Marudu main town is another small town. Along the way, churches cropped up again but luckily there were still some Malay shops in town. Either we missed it or there's none, we passed no mosque along the road of Kota Marudu.

So now back to KK. If you know the roads well enough, you can bypass Kota Belud town and take a right turn at the 3 - way junction just after the Kg. Taun Gusi school. And if you are interested to view a breathtaking sight of a beautiful fisherman village river along the way, take the route of Pantai Dalit instead of following the direct route to KK as the signboards dictate. Following this route too will bring you to a road lined with stalls selling coconut puding made inside the coconut itself and also roasted lokan, a mollusc served with tantalizing chili dip.

Since the meal of lokan and pudding did not satisfy us, a buddy insisted on stopping at Anjung Selera despite my warning. After a disappointing meal (except for the sayur manis with egg and pucuk timun in belacan, which were so good), we stopped for the prayer at Likas floating mosque.

Another night at Marina Court.

My Sabah Journey: Day (03) To the Tip of Borneo. Kudat.

Day 3 was for Kudat.

Before leaving Kundasang, we took to driving into a village uphill where the vegetable plantatations were. It happened that during our visit that Sabah is having a Cabbage Festival so loads of cabbage were being brought down from Kundasang. So anyway we made it to some remote area somewhere up there and discovered the signboard to the cow farm. Not that we're eager for milk and dairy, just the curiosity so we drove on through wonderful sights of green meadow, rocky peak of Kinabalu and black-and-white cows grazing. To reach a guardhouse where we're informed that the place was currently closed to visitors for renovation.


The Desa milk cows, Kundasang '08


View of the Kinabalu peaks along the cow farm road, Kundasang '08


And so we made our way down to town and onwards, passing Nabalu town again and took a junction to Kota Belud that we saw the day before when we drived up. It turned out to be a shorter route compared to driving down towards Tuaran and rather straightforward. Furthermore, this route directed us straight into the main town of Kota Belud

Again, eating and praying in Kota Belud town is no problem as majority of people here are Muslim. There is a mosque and many Malay shops, and even a KFC here. On Sunday, a tamu will be held and among the specialties are the various kinds of local rice sold.

It started raining as we continued the journey to Kudat. As we passed through Matunggong on the way, we made mental notes to visit the Rungus long house, bee farm, gong factory and Rungus bead centre the next day on our way back. It was still raining when we passed by the junction to Simpang Mengayau @ the Tip of Borneo and Pantai Bak Bak (Bak Bak beach) so we headed straight to our next accomodation, Marina Golf and Country Resort.

Hmm... My expectations were probably too high for this 4 star resort as I did not find it living up to the stories and reviews by friends and Internet. The room was OK, but the bedspread shabby and even was frayed, there were no bathroom mat and shampoo, no room slippers, the sugar clumped, the room a tad stuffy and musty when we first entered. Thank goodness it was facing the sea.


The bay view from my room, Kudat '08


After a brief drive around town, a dinner at KFC and a snack at Sidek Esplanade, we returned to rest. Only to be woken up at 3 am by the storm. The wind was making a harsh sound outside as the storm raged and splattered against our window. But it was pretty mesmerizing to watch the waves curled and splashed, until one by one we drifted back to sleep.

My Sabah Journey: Day (02) Valleys of Heaven. Kundasang.

Day 2, we check out early and went looking for breakfast at Api Api Centre. Nothing special to report on food.

To start with, we took the road to Tuaran before reaching a round - a - bout there and took a turn to the direction of Ranau (there's a signboard, and the road is pretty straightforward). On the way we pass through on a rustic bridge, still sturdy from the olden days of steel bridges. Then we began another uphill drive along the same Crocker range, but less steep than the road to Tambunan. It was still quite early in the morning, around 9 am so the mist were still nestled and snaking among the green mountains and valleys.

Pit stop; Nabalu town of Kota Belud outskirt. Here there were tons of handicraft stalls but selling almost identical stuffs, apparently at 3 different prices (local Sabahan; local tourist; foreigner) since upon approaching, they slashed the prices down to 1/3 - 1/2 before we even start bargaining. But since we're likely to pass this place again on the way back, we only bought some fruits and climbed atop the viewing tower for a picture of the Kinabalu peak and the surrounding valleys. It was around 11.30 am but the mist was still thick around the peak that we'd to wait at the interludes of 5 - 10 minutes to view the peak.

Majestic peaks, Pekan Nabalu, Kota Belud '08


Of course, when we reached the small town of Kundasang, we just had to stop and look around. Flowers of brilliant colours, fresh and shiny fruits and vegetables... who could resist those? There were certain fruits not or difficult to be found in the city here such as tarap, buah lemak manis and tampoi that you can find here. There's also pickled strawberry. Salak was abundant too. Ah... I love tarap... It has the appearance of a small jackfruit at first glance, and smells like one with a tinge of durian. Not recommended to bring onboard a ripe one as its sweet smell is quite overwhelming, almost rivalling the king of fruit itself. The texture is also a bit like jackfruit but softer, and peeling a ripe one is as easy as indenting its skin and voila, it is open.

Anyway, there is a mosque here in Kundasang. Eating is not a problem as majority are Muslim and there are many Muslim shops here. There are also mini markets for you to get your Maggi for the cold night. Anyone interested with the garden within the War Memorial Park can find the park here behind some shophouses, and there's an entrance fee. By the way, we ate at Nabalu cafe-lounge-bakery where it served one of the best tom yum that I'd ever had. The home - made bread, beef burger and ginger chicken were good too.

Village and plantation, Kundasang '08


Next was Poring hot spring! It was already 3 pm but what the heck for our group. So off we drived another 40+ km towards Poring where most of us abandoned the RM3-per-entrance hot spring, after taking in its smell of egg (it's a sulphur - based hot spring...). For those interested in soaking, there are open and close areas where you draw up individual baths. We decided to have a go at the canopy walk on the hanging bridge instead. After slapping down the local rate of RM3, we clamoured up the first 500 metres UPWARDS of the trail. Reaching up ain't pretty, messed hair, sweaty... Height - phobia people, GO HOME. Looking down, one can feel dizzy as you scanned for the ground amidst the thick foliage. After 200 metres of swaying in the air, we made it down through a milder ~300 metres. Last entry hour is at 5.30 pm since the whole place closes down around 6.30 pm. Others; there is a bat cave, butterfly park and chalets. Arrange a proper transport as the local cabbies may charge you exorbitantly.


A waterfall near the entrance, Poring '08

Don't look down... Canopy walkway, Poring '08


We passed Ranau again on our way back and decided not to stop by as it was getting late. Additional info; those looking for transport to return to KK can look for the minivans and Unser here. For some fee, the cabbies or minivans from Kundasang will drive you to Ranau in the morning.

We were staying at Celyn hotel, a fairly new hotel in the area, about 1 km from the town, and literally isolated at some uphill area within a village. We almost thought we're lost as we climbed the 3 km uphill small road of gravels amidst the village and even passed by 2 ponies grazing peacefully by. The hotel itself was atop another steep hill.

Well, we took 2 Valley view rooms, which were cheaper than the Mountain view rooms. Turned out the two were just a mere distance away from each other and you can just climb up to the Mountain view area to view the Kinabalu, which, was hidden behind the thick fog and fluffy clouds most of the time. Even the valleys were only visible at around 9 am.

Valley view, Celyn. Kundasang '08


For a 3 star hotel, Celyn is comfortable. Though the appearance and food were only decent, I'd say that the facilities are pretty good enough. Towels, hot water, drinks facilities, TV with additional Astro channels (Cinemax, ESPN, Disney), batik bathrobes and extra pillows. So if you like to be uphill in some remote village where all is dark by 7, Celyn is an option. Booking is available via the Internet.

Well, we couldn't resist having a look at Pine Resort since the landscape of pine trees and flowers were so eye - catching. This place is one of the popular choices in Kundasang where you've to book early during peak seasons.

And so, the night passed on peacefully, albeit some snoring.

Friday, November 21, 2008

My Sabah Journey: Day (01) Butterflies in the sky. Tambunan.

All 4 of us hopped into the car with a map of Sabah, luggage and cash, camera (unfortunately, not mine) and food, and kick started our 4 days of driving trip across Sabah. Our first route, totally unplanned and spontaneous, to head UP and DOWN to Tambunan, Beaufort crossed out since the rail track is under renovation and not running.

So anyway... Like I said, it's a totally UP and DOWN trip all right along the Crocker Range. And Tambunan, the main town itself seems to be on the OTHER side of the range. We were travelling pass 2 mountains to get to it, namely Gunung Emas (Mount Emas) and Gunung Alab (Mount Alab). But the road surprisingly was not as winding as climbing up Fraser's Hill, smooth and amazingly steep. I wonder how the timber lorries managed to travel through this road daily. But the view was amazing! Green valleys, thick white mist, rainbows...


Roadside rainbow, Tambunan '08


On the way we discovered a recently opened butterfly park, Kipandi Butterfly Park. Since the engine was smoking threateningly from the strenous drive, we decided to stop and take a look. Though new, its museum of insects and other creepy - crawlies was cool enough and throw in a friendly guide, you'd be bowled over as he toured you through the museum and the park. The only butterfly name I can recall now is Raja Brooke, but rest assure that the park has many species to offer at close up ranges for an entrance fee of RM10. Another attraction was the wild orchid garden where you can see orchids as such you've never seen before. Different from their city counterparts, these wild orchids were sometimes so tiny that we brushed pass without noticing anything but their strong fragrance. If interested, you can buy some orchids to be taken home and figure out the immigration problem later.


Kipandi Butterfly Park, Tambunan '08


Next, a stop at Puncak Azam Cafe along the way. The food was ok, my 3 buddies were shocked with the noodle soup loaded with cucumber while my kampung - style fried rice turned out pretty good. The other reason we pit - stopped here was because there was a musolla there. The view from the verandah was... Let's just say that all I saw was white. The mist was too thick and it was pretty cold too. It's like being totaly wrapped up in a different world alright. A cold one.


The view from Puncak Azam cafe, Tambunan '08


Of course, we just have to stop at the Rafflesia Information Centre when we saw the signboard. Though disappointed that no flower was in bloom, we left with some souvenirs and continue. (By the way, the local newspapers will announce the start of blooming season.)

And finally... Finally we reached Tambunan main town. It's a small, quiet town. Majority were Christians so finding a place to eat was quite difficult. We stopped just for me to pray at the Nurul Iman mosque before beginning our journey back to KK. A stop at the petrol station prior, then we're off. The journey back was more relaxing as driving down was easier. But it started raining halfway and the mist became thicker till all you can see were your headlights.


Nurul Iman mosque, Tambunan '08


Back in Marina Court apartment, no one stayed up late.


Note: by the way, more complete information and amazing pictures of Kipandi Butterfly Park can be found here at http://beautifulkk.com/2009/03/20/kipandi-butterfly-park/ (Beautifulkk.com)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Western food: Fish & co


Status: Serve no pork

Venue/landmark: Warisan Square in KK city (behind Times book store); ground floor entrance, 1Borneo Hypermall

Time open – close: 11.00 am – 10.00 pm (roughly)

Contact no.: 088 – 485878 (1Borneo); 088 – 484989 (Warisan Square)

Basic RM per meal: RM 25.00 (w/o tax, +/- drinks)

If you like fish, this is another alternative to Manhattan Fish Market in Kota Kinabalu. Fast food and western style, that is.


What I like 2nd best here next to their food is their chic serving style. Unless you find it odd to eat in a frying pan, you’ll find it rather charming to eat freshly cooked fish out of its pan served on its wooden fish platter.


I particularly enjoy the items listed below:
1. D Best Fish n Chip In Town: agree! One of the best indeed.
2. New York Fish n Chip: oh… the cheese…
3. Coriander Catch: Catch of the day with coriander sauce. Love the dori!
4. Peri peri Catch: again, catch of the day with Peri peri sauce. It turns out a bit like sambal fish.
5. Seafood Platter for 2: small eater beware! It may need more than 2 of you.
6. Mussel Penne with Garlic & Butter Sauce: never has my kupang tasted so nice…
7. Chockie Junkie: sinful… chocolate shake with luxurious topping of whipped cream!

Service and hygiene so far are excellent. Nice ambient, family – friendly.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Malay food: Rohayu’s café


Status: Halal

Venue/landmark: near the round – a – bout of the State mosque. In fact, it’s junction is easily missed. So in accordance to the original KK map, i scetched a rough map. Right after you enter the junction, straight away give your signal to the left and enter a small junction. The signboard can be missed sometimes, especially when you are not familiar with the road.


Time open – close: 8.00 am – 10.00 pm (roughly)


Basic RM per meal: RM 8.00



I’m not sure what they serve for breakfast, but at lunch time rice and dishes will be served. You can also place your order on other items such as fried rice / noodles etc. Dinner time is mostly ordered stuffs.

I particularly like their Nasi Paprik. It’s very difficult to find a nice Nasi Paprik that suited me well since some places grated my nerve raw when they served a watery, colourless Nasi Paprik. Every single time I came here, I’ll be ordering the same thing.

Service and hygiene, I’ll give 3 out of 5.

A word of caution: lunch time can be hectic, and food runs out quite fast. Parking is not so easy unless you parked somewhere behind the youth centre (by entering the 2nd junction after the 1st one, on your left, near an old rail track)