KK - Other Places of Interest

Tanjung Aru Beach

Located only 6km away from KK town and a stone throw away for most people here, Tanjung Aru is famous
for its long stretch of coast coupled with a serene and relaxing atmosphere. Families throng here for the weekends and are welcomed by a beach-facing food court which served an assorted of local delicacies. Among the most noticeable are, fresh and pickled fruits, steamed nuts, grilled seafood, and your must have fresh coconut. On a nice day, one can bask in the beautiful skyline and the soft sandy beach teaming with hundreds if not thousands of those tiny sand bubbler crabs.

Yayasan Sabah Tower

Built in 1977 and the 2nd tallest building in Borneo, the Yayasan Sabah Tower is a 30 floor glass sculpture. Its also home to a restaurant on the 18th floor which rotates one complete cycle every hour, giving a complete view of Likas Harbour.

Gaya Street

Gaya Street is the most famous street in the town of Kota Kinabalu mainly due to its closure to traffic every Sunday from 6.30am to 1.00pm to make way for a mega Sunday Market. This Sunday Market sells everything from fruits to vegetables, coffee to snacks, puppies to rabbits, handicraft to sea shells, and everything else imaginable. Its the must place to be on a Sunday morning in KK. You can even feast yourself with delightful Chinese breakfast fare at the shops located along Gaya Street.

Waterfront

The KK Waterfront encompass the stretch  which include hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, and a large handicraft center. At night, the clubs, bars, and restaurants attract a large number of young locals and foreigners. I've been warned about being here at night as pickpocketing is a high possibility. So do take care of your belongings. The handicraft center is extremely extensive and obtains much of its materials from the sea in the form of sea shells. A wide variety of dried fish and seafood are also sold nearby.

Tip of Borneo

Located in the district of Kudat and being the northern-most tip of the Borneo Island, the Tip of Borneo is a whooping 3 and half hour drive from KK town. A large comfortable vehicle, usually in the form of a four-wheel drive is recommended. From the Tip of Borneo, the sea is as far as the eye can see. The mainland and certain island of the Philippines can also be seen on a clear day. This is a worthwhile place to visit if you have a day to spare. A musical event is also held yearly to promote the Tip of Borneo as a tourist destination.

Mount Kinabalu

Last but definitely not least is the majestic mountain itself; Mount Kinabalu. Climbing Mount Kinabalu is the pinnacle experience of any trip to Sabah. I did not climb the mountain this time, but just the sight of it will drive me to come back here and scale its peak. Those who are unable or unwilling to scale this beast, a visit to the Kinabalu National Park would be the best deal as it offers a great closeup view of Mount KK and the surrounding wilderness. A must go and see destination!

KK - Noodles of Sabah

If Kuching was the capital of Malaysia for pork, then Kota Kinabalu has to be the capital of Malaysia for noodles! I have not seen such a variety of noodles anywhere in the country. And they just don't differ in shape in size, but in taste and texture as well. Noodles in KK are a very local and personal affair, so our host Brenda was key to understanding the different types of noodles available here.

First up is Beaufort Noodles. This homemade noodles gets its name from the district it was created in; Beaufort. At Kim Fah Restaurant located in Plaza Grand Millennium, Penampang, Beaufort Fried Noodles is stir fried with your usual ingredients of vegetables and healthy portions of pork chunks and slices.


I'm no expert when it comes to defining how noodles taste like, but I would say this dish brought out a nice smoky flavor to the noodles.



Be aware that portions in KK tend to be very large. A bowl of noodles of RM 5 or 6 can easily feed two small to medium eaters, especially those with small breakfast appetites.

At Jia Siang Coffeehouse at Lintas Plaza, Penampang, you can get the local favorite of Sang Nyuk Mien. Here, your choice of noodles is served with a bowl full of pork chunks, pork balls, and a broth that smells full of pork goodness! They also serve other dishes such as a delightful dish of homemade taufoo and dry and wet noodles. 

Mui Hiong Coffeehouse in Lintas is home to another famous variant and crowd favorite; Roasted Duck Noodles. I personally like duck. Maybe because I'm bored of eating chicken all the time. Haha, but there's something about the toughness and aroma of duck meat that always draws me to it. Anyways, duck meat and noodles? Definitely can't go wrong. But wait, whats this white thing? Pork roll; available only in Sabah is literally ground pork wrapped with egg. You got to try it if you are here as you wont find it anywhere else.

If there has to be a piece de resistance for the noodles of Sabah, it has to be this! Ye Fung Coffeehouse along Gaya Street serves Laksa that is to die for! The laksa here differs from other laksa in Malaysia such as in Penang and Sarawak as they add a lot more coconut milk, giving it a richer and more curry-like flavor. But kid me not, this has to be the best laksa i have tasted in my life! Don't you dare leave KK without trying it! Gaya Street is located in the heart of KK town and hosts a big bazaar along its entire street every Sunday morning. More on that later.

Tom Yam is another popular dish here in Sabah. Like the laksa, tom yam here is infused with more coconut milk. Together with large fresh prawns and fried fish, Dat Seng Coffeehouse in Inanam Bussiness Centre servers an excellent combination of sour and spicy tom yam noodles.





Like Beaufort, the district of Tuaran is home to noodles of their own. We had the privilege of having our host's mum cook us Tuaran Noodles and again what you get is another type of noodles which taste different from all the others tried before.Thank you aunty! :)

On our final morning in KK, Brenda brought us to our final meal. Sob Sob :(

This is another must try. Homemade noodles served with your choice of pork meats, innards or sausages, and dressed with a light sauce. This dish is really something. It may look simple but the tenderness of the noodles was amazing and it went superbly with the light dressing. This was one noodles in KK I could have had a second round of. Unfortunately, we were rushing for our flight back. But for the rest of you, remember to stop by Wah Juan Coffeehouse in Tanjung Aru along the road heading to KK airport. But be warned, they are packed in the mornings, so do remember to allocate more time ;)

KK and Sabah is home to a wide variety of noodles as we have seen here. Its safe to say that noodles are the staple food of modern day Sabahans with each district famous for their own local specialty. The coffeehouses we visited were among the countless scattered all across the land. For those not familiar with KK, I shall try to get the coordinates for these locations. Till then, happy drooling :)

KK - Bubble Tea

Its the equilavent to mamak shops..

Its the equilavent to milo ais..

Its where young Sabahans go to chill out after school or tuition classes..

Bubble tea is weaven into the childhoods and lifestlye of Sabahan's young as good as how it taste, which is quite good ;) Easyway, Frenz Cafe, and household name Yoyo Cafe are bubble tea outlets that stay alive till the wee hours of the morning serving those drinking delights with other snacks and desserts. Its the "in" place to hang out and meet your friends. Peak hours at Yoyo Cafe for example includes a non-stop bubble tea-making production chain for lines of customers up till the point they run out of pearls!

Its quite surprising how a simple milky drink with chewy pearls and fruits could create a subculture around it as how bubble tea has done with Kota Kinabalu..

KK - Monsopiad & Tamu

On the third day, we visit two places in KK of cultural significance. First up is the Monsopiad Cultural Village in Penampang. Similar to Sarawak's Cultural Village in Damai albeit smaller, the village aims to introduce tourists and modern locals alike to the way of life and traditions of Sabah's various tribes.

There are many activities to be done here. Besides watching a collection of tribal dances put together by their dances and percussionists, and walking through replicas of bamboo and wooden structures of their everyday society, one can also take part in darting using those long bamboo sticks, walking on bamboo stilts, and sampling a very special local delicacy. More on that later ;)

There is also this "a bit spooky" HOUSE OF SKULLS!

Anyways, back to the delicacy; its served with either tomato salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.. Yea right, dream on!.. You hold it!.. You bite it!.. You chew it!.. All while you can feel it wiggling and squirming on your tongue!

These sago worms or locally known as "butod" is a delicacy among the indigenous and its best eaten while its alive. I know I know, its Fear Factor all over again for those faint at heart. But I told myself before I boarded the flight to KK, if I ever crossed paths with one of these, its going to end up in my stomach! That dare was just what I needed to get over the initial hesitation.

Be mindful these things pack quite a bit of muscle. They can bite your fingers. But its more like a very sharp pinch :) All you need to do is hold it firmly by its neck and bite if from behind, and the rest is history. Surprisingly, there wasn't anything disgusting to mention about its taste. It was fairly neutral with the juicy interior mirroring a mixture of oil and coconut water :)

Now your turn!

Whats a snack if you don't down it with some alcohol. Rice wine is as popular in Sabah as it is in Sarawak and many other Southeast Asian countries. Made from glutinous rice, its variations depends on yeast and added ingredients used. The first distillation produces Lihing; the sweeter and generally accepted version of Sabah's rice wine. Its alcohol content varies between 15 and 20 percent. The second distillation produces Talak; a clearly stronger and neutral tasting liquor with up to 40 percent in alcohol. A type of tree bark is then added to make Sikat; a more flavorful version of Talak.

Without getting ourselves too drunk, we head to the nearest "pasar tamu" in town. Tamu is a bit different from your typical market as the products sold here are directly from the fishermen, farmers, and forest gatherers of places possibly far away inland. They showcase their products here on the Thursday and Friday of every week. Items here tends to be fresher and cheaper, and certain items like "butod" can't be found anywhere else but here :)

KK - Manukan Island

The next day, we're off for some clear water, sunshine, and white sand. Manukan Island is one of 5 islands that make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The others are Mamutik, Gaya, Sapi, and Sulug. Mamutik, Manukan, and Sapi are the prime snorkeling islands for most tourists. All islands are around 20 minutes from Jesselton Point in KK town. Do bring your student card as rates can be considerably cheaper.

The small high-powered ferries are ideal to soak up the scenery and the sea water smell :p We drop off tourists at Mamutik Island (top) on our way to Manukan. Tourists may opt to go to a specific island or be part of an island-hopping package. Even from here, you can see how clear the beach and water are.

Once on Manukan, we rent our gear and head off in search of a quite and shady spot to settle down. Goggles and life jackets are recommended, but you can skip on the flippers as they really aren't much help in the shallow waters. For those who like sun-bathing, the fine sand here is a real joy to doze off on.

Fishes literally swim up to shore here. You can walk a meter into the water and start snapping away. Just don't fall into the water while holding your camera :p The water is so clear that you don't need to worry about waves of sand filling your swimwear like in Port Dickson or Batu Ferringhi.

On a hind side, the shoreline is full of washed up coral. And even if you swim further away, you'll notice much of the corals have disappeared, leaving behind only small schools of fish and sea cucumbers. I guess the influx of tourists stepping on the coral has slowly destroyed it. I would not know the coral condition on Mamutik and Sapi though. So, perhaps island-hopping is a good option to compare the health and diversity of the corals here.


Overall it was still a good and wet trip ;) Beats Langkawi beaches by a long shot! Jesselton Point also provides ferry rides to the world-famous diving site at Sipadan Island and Survivor's Tiga Island. Still remember that reality show?

Anyways, time for a shower and food now! :)

KK - Arrival, Tea & Beautiful Sunset

What better way to blog my recent KK adventure with a new layout for my beloved blog. I think it was long due for a revamp anyway :) Hope you all like it!

KK is my furthest travel destination to date, the previous being Kuching. Talk about the East Coast ;) 6 days may seem long, but sadly its not enough if you truly want to experience everything Sabahan.

Imagine what life would have been without AirAsia.. Since its officially my vacation, I couldn't keep my itchy fingers away from the cabin food of theirs. Hence I and SS decided to share Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak (RM9). Yes! I'm traveling with SS! :) The meal was satisfactory, but nothing like how it was advertised; typical. Anyway, the 2 1/2 hours was spent eating, sleeping, and UNO-ing.

Upon arrival, we were picked up by our host; Brenda who we will be staying and traveling with the next 6 days. We were a bit hungry, so decided to stop at one of the local tea scenes in Penampang. The sight of "cakui kahwin" immediately grabbed my attention! Freshly fried cakui sliced in the middle and doused with butter and kaya, sinful goodness! Their Char Siew Pau was another treat, meatier and more red in colour as compared to most West Malaysian versions. A good start for my tummy I must say :)

As it was approaching late evening, we headed to Sutera Harbour Resort in KK town to catch perhaps the best sunset I've caught in the whole of Malaysia. The clear and unobstructed view from here is both amazing and breathtaking. One should not miss it if you're in the vicinity of the area. More sunset pictures here.

Keep watching for upcoming posts on the sights and tastes of Sabah.

Road to Kota Kinabalu

Just over a week ago I returned from a really good holiday with SS. We spent 6 days exploring this place blessed with perhaps the best sunset in the whole of Malaysia.. Kota Kinabalu..

More stories, tastes, and sights from this side of Sabah in the coming weeks.. First I have to sort the 1000 over pictures from this trip! :p

Why haven't I seen this in any Tourism Malaysia advert or brochure before? This is national treasure material!

My thanks to SS for her delightful sunset pictures.. Truly mesmerizing..

Stay tuned =)