Kota Kinabalu

Got tickets there for CNY… no cheap, but not too bad…

Anyone been there? Good things? Bad things? Things we must DO? Things to avoid like the plauge?

Kristy

How long have you got? Try to get out of town and spend some time in the jungle down the lower Kinabatangan. Head to Sandakan, or out to Sepilog where there’s a nature reserve for orangutans. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Definitely spend some time in the jungle, though.

Enjoy your trip. I’m envious.

DK

We have 10 days so plenty of time.

Can these be done as Day Trips?

I would love to go to the nature reserves… safe for toddlers?

Greetings Sharky.

I went to Sabah at CNY 1990, so some of what I say could be out of date.

There are some great little islands directly off the coast from Kota Kinabalu. These are good for day trips, and about 20-30 mins by boat, the last of which comes back pretty early, around 4 p.m., ecause of the regular late afternoon downpour I suppose. When I went, there were no restaurants and accomodation on the islands, it being a nature reserve, so you had to take your own food. Nice little beaches and corals, but watch out for the monkeys that steal your food when you are snorkelling.

Another good day trip from Kota Kinabalu was a minibus ride up to a place in the hills that I can’t remember the name of. (Maybe Beaufort) However, since it’s at the top end of the only stretch of railway on Borneo you should be able to find it. Not much in the town but the train ride back to the coast is fun. It follows a winding river valley (river that has good rafting I heard, but probably not possible with the toddler). After the train it’s another short minibus ride back to the capital. Good day out.

I take it you won’t be climbing Mt. Kinabalu with the child. Pity, it’s spectacular. Nevertheless, you could still visit the park on the lower slopes. Good jungle walks, some of them conducted by excellent guides I remember. The same goes for nearby Poring, where there are hot springs, nice gardens, and a canopy walk (wasn’t ready when I was there), but I doubt if you could take the toddler on that.

The orang-utan rehabilitation center on the east coast is worth a visit, and, I would say, safe to take kids to.

You should easily find travel agents in Kota Kinabalu to arrange this stuff for you. And 10 days is probably enough to do everything I’ve mentioned.

Been there a few times. We stayed at the Tanjung-Aru resort which was just great. If you’re into sailing, hire a Hobie and go island hopping. There are many little islands not too far out with amazing beaches. A day trip into the jungle is also a must.

Going in Feb. Anyone have anything more up to date to offer? Thanks in advance!

I took a bunch of kids to Sabah for a summer camp back in June.
Pics here.
Spent most of our time on day trips to the islands, up into the hills, up river to see the apes and monkeys. Stayed downtown in swanky hotels for four nights, but didn’t spend so much time out and about in the city. A friend knows the place inside out and backwards.

Any specific information you’re after?

Well, I guess what I’d like to know is if getting out to the rehabilitation center on Sandakan or going to see the turtles on Selingan is possible to do on your own. Right now, the only info I have found online is a two day tour that includes an overnight in some very nice jungle chalets, but it’s looks a little expensive for what you get. Also, they advise flying, where we have plenty of time and could easily just hop a boat.

Any ideas about day trips that anyone liked or thinks worthwhile are appreciated. Islands with nice beaches, easy trips into the jungle, all are appreciated. Even ideas for hotels. So far I have booked the flight and am just starting in on the rest.

Thanks in advance!

For hotels, if you want to go all out, there’s the Rasa Ria Hotel. VERY nice. [strike]Cheaper[/strike] Less outrageously expensive, but still very nice are the Novotel and Mercure hotels at 1 Borneo. 1 Borneo looks to be much like the Eaton’s Centre in Montreal, but for the most part it’s closer to something you’d find out in NDG.

My friend suggests checking the airasia website for the cheapest fares to Selingan; no word yet on taking a boat. The islands just off Kota Kinabalu are very relaxing. Some nice snorkling and reefs. If the fish are shy, take a loaf of bread and they’ll feed out of your hand. That’s amusing until a too large parrot fish gets a wedge of skin.

I’ll learn what more I can from my friend and let you know at the rink.

You could also visit nearby Brunei, a kind of an oddity of a country.

A visit to the Sandakan side and the jungle proper of the lower kinatabangan river was the highlight for me. Sandakan is a right dump although it does have an awesome old English style teahouse overlooking the town (back from the Sandakan hotel). The best bet is to fly into Sandakan from KK (bus takes 8 hours or so over mountain roads) and take a 2day/1 night or 3 day/2 night trip along the river. We saw a lot of stunning wildlife including wild elephants, tonnes of monkeys including macaques and proboscis monkeys, toucans, crocodile and a herd of wild Asian elephants bathing in the river. Also saw one wild orangutan which is unfortunately a rare sight now. You can book these trips from travel agents both in KK (most of them are in a big building just down from the ferry that takes you the islands off KK).

A lot of the forest has been cut down for palm plantations, you can see these everywhere, it’s a real problem. To be honest the boat trip are not very well regulated, I think they disturb the animals too much so I would be wary to repeat it the same way even though it was a very memorable trip (they head out at dawn and dusk on speedboats to catch the animals congregating on the riversides…not the quietest or best way to run eco tourism). The day trips and jungle trips are not cheap but you get what you pay for…unique experiences in what’s left of a tropical rainforest.

Thanks, HH; very useful information of just the type I was looking for. I was looking at booking some tours online, but they seem a little steep for what is offered. Knowing that I can go there and just shop around is very useful information. A river cruise with that many animals sounds great. Thanks!

There is lots of active stuff to do, just not when you have one or more very young kids with you. I have been there 10 years ago, starting of in Kuching. I did a 4 day jungle trekking which was great fun, seen huge caves with bats flying out at dawn, climbed the Pinacles (easy), slept in Longhouses of the former head hunters, traveled with those long log trees over the rivers. Staying in Kota Kinabalu was boring as hell but the hike up Mount Kinabalu and climbing all 4000 meters up was one of my best travel experiences. Unless you are a heavy chain smoker and in fairly fit condition, you should be able to finish that hike up. To me that experience in beauty has only been toppled by traveling over the Himalaya’s from Kathmandu to Tibet by 4x4. Make that climb your main goal and try to find a babysit for the young one. You won’t regret. :bow:

Frans
former tourleader
been to 53 countries sofar

Yes Mt. Kinabalu is spectacular, I saw the peak out of the plane on the way to Sandakan, hard to do a hike with a kid though.

Find another couple to join for the trip and leave the kid in safe hands with them for 1,5 day?
The mountain was filled with screaming Chinese local tourists back than. Girls of 14 or so and up wearing unsuitable clothing and low All Stars lol. I won’t say they had it easy getting up but I was surprised they made it at all, knowing how fragile some look. I had been swim training 6 months ahead for that hike and considered it a piece of cake. The friend I had with me almost crawled that last part up, though he wasn’t even a smoker or in bad condition.
What I am trying to say is that even without training the average person can do it, hard work but can.

If you would ask me about those famous “must do before you die” things?
I consider this to be one of them. :bow:

[color=#8000BF]from kota looking toward mountain[/color]

[color=#8000BF]back way outside of tuaran[/color]

[color=#8000BF]kundasang[/color]

I didn’t want to pay the over US$100 to climb up to the summit, but instead opted to stay in the village of Kundasang on the road to Ranau and found a place called David Bed & Breakfast where David charges RM20 [less than NT200] per day including breakfast and has a spacious sprawl with view shown above.

There’s also a more affordable guest house just outside the national park entrance, along the main highway just 200 meters back towards Kota.

Sure is one heck of a fantastic bicycle ride going back down to Kota Kinabalu from up by the park entrance. Something like the ultimate roller coaster.

The connections are coming in.

[color=#800080]direct to penang and clark - yet to complete the circuit by adding clark-taipei[/color]

I lived there for 2 years.

PS you cant just go and visit,

Yep great place… I used to stay there back in the 86 / 87 on numurous occassions and had a good time there.

[quote=“FransInTaiwan”]Find another couple to join for the trip and leave the kid in safe hands with them for 1,5 day?
The mountain was filled with screaming Chinese local tourists back than. Girls of 14 or so and up wearing unsuitable clothing and low All Stars lol. I won’t say they had it easy getting up but I was surprised they made it at all, knowing how fragile some look. I had been swim training 6 months ahead for that hike and considered it a piece of cake. The friend I had with me almost crawled that last part up, though he wasn’t even a smoker or in bad condition.
What I am trying to say is that even without training the average person can do it, hard work but can. [/quote]
As “highest mountains” go, Mt. Kinabalu is not that difficult (though the upward incline is unremitting). It pays, of course, to be of reasonable fitness and to be equipped appropriately.

Yushan is easier: many level areas. The toughest part is the last 200m scramble to the peak.

Thanks everyone, I’m pretty much set to go.

One last thing: Any recomendations for a hotel in KK proper for the night we arrive? Been leaning towards the Imperial, as it looks centrally located to anything worth seeing in the city, but just want to get the advice of all of you who have been there.