My flight was at 2pm on Saturday afternoon and the journey took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach to Sabah. I wasn’t sure what time I should be there for check-in and so, I was there at about 12pm.
With the ease of Self-Check In counter, I did everything (including checking in my luggage) within 10 minutes without having to queue. It was that easy. If you aren’t going to check-in any luggage, you’ll probably be done within 5 minutes or less.
There weren’t much things to do while waiting to board the plane. That’s when I started to get bored and pointed my compact camera to whatever I feel like shooting.
It was also at that very same period when the ongoing influenza A (H1N1) outbreak and hence, I’ve got to fill in some form and to be handed over to the authorities over in Sabah.
Onboard, my boredom reached to the whole new level. Uncomfortable and there’s no entertainment at all, the only thing I did was took a nap while waiting for the food to be served.
With the option of beef or chicken satay (I think), I opted for the former that came with spicy fried rice. It wasn’t shabby at all.
The lean meat was tender and juicy while the satay sauce was great. They even gave Ferrero Rocher chocolates as part of desserts!!
The plane touched down at about 4.35pm and by 5pm, I was already at the taxi counter to purchase my ticket. For the first time, I felt that KL taxi charges are cheaper because for a 15 minutes drive, I had to fork out RM20. A total rip-off! As of writing this, the taxis do not use any meter. They charge according to the distances and they are pretty consistent with the charges.
There were many accommodations; let it be hotels, hostels and lodges, in the city centre of Kota Kinabalu. Due its location, I chose to stay in Lavender Lodge which was located along Jalan Laiman Diki. The location was pretty strategic, I would say as it’s really close to main attraction areas.
Besides, one of the main reasons I chose this place was the service they provided. From the stuffs I read, they were really friendly and willing to help, if possible, which I really couldn’t agree more.
The room that I stayed in was pretty simple. Twin-size bed, table, chair and cupboard, that’s I all need. Oh yes, it’s fully air-conditioned too. There were 2 bathroom and 2 toilets on each floor to be shared and they were spotless clean.
Television set (with Astro) was available at the communal area (same place as the pantry and the reception area). They provided a very simple breakfast; toast and coffee / tea. Pretty much a backpacker-style, if you ask me.
Dumped my luggage in the room and off I went to the Waterfront, which was about 5 minutes walk from my accommodation. It’s one of the best places to view sunset within the city centre. With me, I brought along my Gorillapod SLR-Zoom tripod and compact camera; Canon Ixus 110 IS.
There weren’t many things to see around Waterfront. Apart from enjoying the sunset moments, one could eat / drink as there are restaurants and pubs throughout Waterfront.
Beside it, there’s Filipino Wet Market whereby fresh produces are being sold at cheap price. I didn’t go there till the later part of my trip.
I had my dinner in Warisan Square (a shopping complex) which was opposite of Waterfront before heading back to my ‘crib’. But before I hit the sack, the lady owner (of the said accommodation) was kind enough to give some suggestions and pointers about my trip’s itinerary.
This map, which was given to me by the accommodation, showed me the main attractions / locations in Kota Kinabalu city centre. It was very useful as I practically referred to it throughout my trip.
Chronicles of Sabah Trip 2009 :-
- In Sabah – Day 6
- In Sabah – Day 5
- In Sabah – Day 4 (Part 2)
- In Sabah – Day 4 (Part 1)
- In Sabah – Day 3 (Part 2)
- In Sabah – Day 3 (Part 1)
- In Sabah – Day 2 (Part 3)
- In Sabah – Day 2 (Part 2)
- In Sabah – Day 2 (Part 1)
- In Sabah – Day 1
- In Sabah – Prelude
