KINABALU TOWN_ REPLAYED WITH PHOTO

The first day here in Kota Kinabalu, spent a time of 8 hours waiting in K.K. Airport waiting for the 13 friends from Johor Bahru, are to be landing at 11.45pm in the late night. Later in time, met Winnie the tour guide at 11.40pm, in a batik shirt and an identity card in front of her. It is really late, as soon as we are in the hotel, we are soon asleep.

The next day in the morning, 6.00am, waking up with the earlier rising sun, brushed tooth, charged camera, checked backpack, we started the day tour in Kinabalu Park. The wheels spun for  about 2 hours, taking us to a "tamu market" where souvenir and fruits are sold. From here, you will be able to witness the majestic view of Mount Kinabalu. Forget not, the oxygen at this height is a must breath for visitors as if you are in an outdoor air-conditioned room! Later, about a 20 minutes drive, here we are in the Kinabalu Park. Air is still as fresh,temperature are still as low but tree are not as thick now.We are about to walk above tree, the valley canopy walkway from tree to tree,looking far into the chain-like mountain, the views are simply...omg.

Sweating out from the Canopy walkway, we have the poring hot spring in front of us, the sulphur water bath. 20 MYR for a personal deluxe bathtub, we submerged ourself in the water surface for another hour.

The tour is simply relaxing with surprise after another. With a sumptuous lunch, again we are recharged, from a roaming zombie to a dragon shuttle back and forth in the air. After a hour of spiral drive from the top of the mountain, here we are now in the Kinabalu Park Exhibition centre, the starting point for an annual international climbathon in Mount Kinabalu. Then, we end the day tour and lies dead on the hostel bed.

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Just like the newborn Leatherback from the sandy beach, we are on our own the next morning. The plan today is to spend the afternoon in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and then having dinner in a local chinese restaurant-"???????". It was a two-islands hops, first in Mamutik Island followed by the Manukan Island. We snorkel on both islands, and banana boating on Mamutik. Snorkelling is made easier with the snorkeling vest, i am so much out of delight when i find myself floating on the surface and being able to move on the surface!( slow though) Witnessing the colourful marine creatures roaming among the strang-looking coral reefs, it really worth the money.

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The next day, we planned to visit the Sabah State Museum, The heritage village and the sabah art gallery. Luckily we have maps with us, it tooks an hours for us to be there. With students ID card, some of us are lucky to have a free entry to the museum. The museum does't stand alone in the landmark, where you can find the heritage village and the art gallery in the same area. It took some time if you are taking photos and emjoying every details of the entique and its stories. Close to dawn now, we are sweating crazily on top of Kota Kinabalu Observatory platform. It tooks about 5 minutes of quick climbing to reach the top. The breathtaking view of Kota Kinabalu from here is free of admission, so, why not? You can see the Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here on top, the Jesselton ferry terminal, the atkinson clock tower and the Gaya island. Later, we have dinner in the "Peppermint viernamise restaurant".

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The next day, Sunday, early before 6 am, the gaya street sunday market starts its bargains and sales, awaken the whole street. The sunday market is good place to meet the locals and the best plaee to buy cheap souvenirs. Later, a 30 minutes walk to the Likas Wetland, not a big different from other wetlands, just as quite and serene. But it is quite a nice place for bird watching, but you will have to be extraordinarily patient with your binocular lens. A sumptuous lunch in the likas square, within the Hi Seoul Korean style restaurant, is a big surprise for me, the meal seems small but after dinner, I find I can hardly walk with full stomach... The dinner, a rainy night, after 7pm, we are in the waterfront esplanade having our dinner. A steamboat feast. It is not a place to be recommend if you are looking for local food as the price are overwhelmed yet you can have mostly western foods. ( Yet, if you are not looking for an ordinary meal, here is your place) Moreover, lines of bars and nightclubs are found along the esplanade.There's even a spot where you can enjoy the massage while looking at the setting sun...

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The next morning is just an ordinary day as we prepared ourselves to fly back to where we are from... Cheer !!!