bookmark_borderIn Sabah – Day 6 (The Final Day)

It was my last day in Kota Kinabalu. As I had a few hours to spare (before heading to the airport), I walked my way towards this particular shop located a couple streets away from where I stayed in. It was recommended by the lady owner (of my accommodation).

Iced Coffee

What I noticed about coffee shops in Kota Kinabalu is the fact that there were only hand full (one or two) stalls in it. And these stalls were selling more than one type of delicacy, I would say. Run by a Chinese lady (or at least what I saw on that day), the workers were pretty efficient. Within minutes I sat down, one waitress came to take my order.

Kedai Kopi Seng Hing

I was told that they were famous for Tom Yum Mee or maybe it was the lady owner (of the accommodation) who said the it was delicious. I’m not sure which one it is, but I took her words and ordered my share.

Tom Yum Noodles

When it first arrived, my first impression was that they brought the wrong stuff to me. As you may see, due to its broth, it looked like Curry Mee instead of the Tom Yum Mee. But as I smell it, my impression was wrong as I sensed the aromatic smell of Tom Yum; the piercing spicy sourish smell.

The first sip of the broth was sufficient to convince me that the lady owner was right. I loved the fact that they used coconut milk in that it made the broth richer. With correct amount of herbs and spices, the broth was spicy, sourish and managed to deliver the taste. It was spicy enough to provides the kick every Tom Yum lover is asking for. Heck, I drank till the very last drop of the broth. It was that good.

Tom Yum Noodles

There were ample amount of toppings and not forgetting noodles (kuey teow in my case) too. The prawns were fresh and succulent and there were few bits of minced meat (chicken, I think) in it which you might not able to notice it till the very end of your meal. I was tempted to order another one but since my taxi was about to reach soon, I regretfully walked away without the second empty bowl on the table.

Outside Of Airport

On fine day, you might able to see the Mt. Kinabalu from the entrance of the airport. However, as I reached the airport at about 9am, the weather didn’t look good at all as it was gloomy and about to pour heavily.

Air Ticket

The check-in process over the counter was a breeze as there weren’t many people. Still early, I lurked in McDonald’s for free WiFi. The whole process of getting bored reached to peak (again) as I was in the plane. I looked to the left and I saw this…

Above The Sky

And when I looked up, I spotted the aircraft is kinda dirty as I saw this…

Dirty Buttons

Meals were served approximately 45 minutes after we were up in the sky. As usual, there were two choices and I picked Fried Kuey Teow instead of Omelette (I think).

Brunch

Fried Kuey Teow

Let’s just say the food was edible but I didn’t finish them all. And that’s the last photo I took during my solo trip to Kota Kinabalu…

All in all, it was pretty tiring yet relaxing trip. The places I saw, the strangers I met and the experience I’ve gained were priceless. I was blessed with fine weather. Although I wished I could stay longer, but then again, with that, I wouldn’t have reasons to go back to Sabah another time.

Chronicles of Sabah Trip 2009 :-

bookmark_borderIn Sabah – Day 1

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.

MAS Air Ticket

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.

MAS Aeroplane

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.

A(H1N1) Declaration Form

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.

Set Meal

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.

Beef Satay With Fried Rice

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.

Lavender Lodge

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.

Lavender Lodge

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.

Bedroom

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.

Communal Area

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.

Sunset At Waterfront

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.

Filipino Wet Market

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.

Waterfront At Night

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.

Free Traveller's Map

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 :-




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