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| Mount Kinabalu Highest mountain in Southeast Asia on a cloudy day |
KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia - I met up with my 2 college friends in the Philippines last January 2011 and we decided to go out-of-the-country trips in May. First, they will come to Singapore on May 1 & 2 (where I am based) and then we will go to Kota Kinabalu on May 3-6.
Only one of my two friends continued with the plan. He arrived in Singapore and stayed in my apartment. We then moved to Kota Kinabalu on the third day via Airasia (www.airasia.com).
After we arrived at the hostel - Lavender Lodge, we asked suggestions from the receptionist on available tour packages that we can take during our 2-day stay. She recommended us to take a day-tour to Mount Kinabalu National Park and then visit beautiful beaches at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. We booked the day-tour to Mount Kinabalu and we were the first passengers picked-up by the bus. The bus continued picking up passengers in other hostels and hotels until everyone came on board. The tour guide explained important subjects that we see along the way to Mount Kinabalu National Park - a UNESCO world heritage site.
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| Kawasan Mata Air Panas Hot Spring |
We reached Mount Kinabalu National Park but did not see the tip of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. It was very cloudy on that day. According to Wikipedia.org, the mountain height is about 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with 5,000 to 6,000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. After our informational tour to Mount Kinabalu National Park, we stop at a restaurant and had our lunch. The lunch was included in the tour package and it was sumptous. Rain pours heavily after we had our lunch so we needed to buy raincoat to continue with the tour. The next destination was hanging bridge, visit to Rafflesia and then to the hot spring. The bus took us back to the hostel and we were the last passengers to drop.
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| Manukan Island, Sabah, Malaysia |
There were 5 beaches to visit on Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park but we only selected Manukan, Mamutik and Sapi on the second day. These are 3 of the famous beaches in the area. We took the speedboat from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. According to wikipedia, Manukan is the most popular island with Kota Kinabalu residents. Manukan has some good stretches of beaches on the southern coastline. The best beach is on the eastern tip of the island. Offshore of Manukan are coral reefs, which is ideal for snorkeling, diving and swimming.
Out of the 5 islands making up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Manukan features the most developed tourist facilities that includes 20 units of chalets, a clubhouse, and few restaurants and a diving centre. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, football field, Volleyball and Sepak Takraw courts. Infrastructural facilities include support-water, electricity, desalination plant, sewerage system, and even a solar public telephone. It is covered in dense vegetation and has hiking trails.
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I enjoyed coming to these beaches. The waters are clear that you can see a lot of fishes, the sands are white and its very relaxing to just lie down on the sand and sleep. We went beach hoping on these islands the whole day. I also met up with my former colleague who moved back to Kota Kinabalu.
Though initially, I didn't have knowledge about what Kota Kinabalu can offer, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable trip. I even recommended it to friends and family. I was able to book cheap direct flights for my mom, 2 brothers and sister-in-law in 2012 from Clark, Pampanga and based on their feedbacks, they told me that they want to come back. Kota Kinabalu is a nice place for nature and beach lovers.
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