In my personal opinion, Sabah is the most beautiful state in the country. It has plenty in store to attract thousands of tourists and I'm absolutely certain that many who have visited once would make a return. And this is no exception to me. I was in Tawau and Kota Kinabalu again last week. Honestly, I have lost count on the number of visits I made to Sabah but this time I thought I would give readers some in-depth information about the State, in particular Tawau and Kota Kinabalu. I will be going again, insyaAllah next month to different places and be rest assured to get the updates from me.
TAWAU
Getting There.
Today, the country's two major airlines fly non-stop daily from KL to Tawau. You can check their websites for accurate departure time. Another option is to take a flight from KL to KK and get a connecting flight to Tawau. Domestically, (this means only around Sabah, arriving from the Peninsula is considered as "International Arrivals") one can choose to fly on MAS Wings, Air Asia or MAS from KK to Tawau. A non-stop flight from KL to Tawau will take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
It is quite a distance to get to the town centre from the airport. For the journey of around 20 to 30 minutes, the airport taxi will cost you RM45.00. This amount may not be favourable to the backpackers but it seems no other safer options.
Accommodations.
Five to seven years ago, the choice of hotels was very limited. The only good hotel at that time was the Belmont Marco Polo hotel which still exists until today. It is a three-star hotel with room rates between RM150 to RM 210 inclusive of breakfast for one person. Due to its strategic location right in the heart of the town, it's always full and therefore, advanced bookings are very much advisable.
Behind the Belmont Marco Polo hotel is a new hotel called MB Hotel. It is also a three-star hotel with room rates starting from RM130 inclusive of one breakfast.
If your main concern is to get a good view of the town and the sea then the Promenade hotel would be the right choice. Located slightly away from the centre of the town, it offers some spectacular views of the sea and the town. The room rate starts from RM160.00 with one breakfast.
Pictures of Tawau town from the Promenade Hotel.
Having been to Tawau on numerous occasions, I would recommend the Belmont Marco Polo. With its strategic location, you can simply walk to every corner of the town without having to worry about getting on any public transport.
Things To Do.
As I have said in my previous post, Tawau is actually a transit town for tourists going to Semporna before ending their journey at Mabul and Sipadan islands. So, if you are looking for something spectacular, Tawau is not the place. You can't find any good spot along its beaches to swim and in fact the cleanliness through-out the town is terrible. But the town is unique in a way that it resembles the country back in the 50's and 60's.
Fresh and dried seafood are its main attraction. You have not been to Tawau if you have not been to its "Pasar Tanjung Tawau". As simple as that! Here you can find plenty of variety of dried seafood. Just name them. you''ll get them here. These include "ikan bilis" and "udang kering', the most sought after by those from the Peninsular. Even sharks fins are also on sale. And most importantly, the prices are very cheap.
The many varieties of ikan bilis, udang kering and salted fish.
Look how fresh these are.
And this one is called "Ikan Bilis Mata Biru". Click on the photo to enlarge and you can see the eyes are actually blue. You can't find this type of bilis in KK, let alone in Semenanjung. This type of bilis came up on Majalah 3 a few months ago. They are seasonal and with good bargaining skill you can purchase this at RM22 per kilo. Other types of bilis are sold at around RM15 per kilo.Another attraction is the Filipino Market, which is located just next to the Belmont Marco Polo hotel. Some local handicrafts are on sale and the most popular ones are crystals and pearls. You can even specify your design and they will do it for you. I don't quite fancy buying crystals and pearls here as the other Filipino Market in KK is better with so many variety of choices.
The long stretch of beach in Tawau is not a place for swimmers. Very dirty and smelly. I believe the influx of foreigners from the neighbouring country could be one of the causes of this coupled with the lack of enforcement from the local authorities.
See all these junks; but perfect for photography.
For the standard of a town like Tawau and being the third largest town in Sabah, its night life is quite happening but it is simply not advisable to walk alone on the streets. If you are there alone, the safe bet is just to stay in the comfort of your hotel room.Food
Halal food is easy to get as the majority of the locals are Muslims. There are two KFC outlets but I am not sure if I have seen any McDonald's restaurants. For seafood lovers, some good seafood restaurants are available just a few kilometers away from the town.
KOTA KINABALU
Getting There
MAS and Air Asia provides several non-stop daily flights from KL to KK. Although the flight will take around two and a half hours, the speedy immigration clearance on arrival will ease off some of your tiredness. Mind you to bring your mykad and berth certificates for your kids. The airport is still under major renovation. It's just 15 minutes away to the city centre but the taxi fare costs around RM40.00.
Accommodations
Lots of hotels in KK from the budget type to the luxurious ones. For the backpackers, hotels like the Dynasty and Imperial would be good choices. If you are on a holiday with your family, hotels like Le Meridien (photo), Shangrila, Hyatt and Promenade would be great, although the rates are quite high (ranging from RM180 to RM290 per night). For those on a higher budget, Sutera Harbour is highly recommended. I personally would prefer (in fact have always been) to stay at Le Meridien. Filipino Market, dried seafood market and night market are just across the road. To the right of the hotel is another section of the night market and to the left is the shopping complex. What more can one ask for.Things To Do
The Filipino market is really a heaven for pearls and crystals. Just take your pick or have your own design made but be careful with pick-pockets.
Filipino Market
To the left of the market is the dried seafood market. Of course it is not like the one in Tawau and even prices are more expensive. A piece of advise, if you are approached by someone begging you to purchase a handphone, just politely turn down. Don't be fooled by them. They are not genuine as claimed. They are from China. I was offered an iPhone for RM900 and then reduced to RM400. Doesn't make sense!
Behind the Filipino Market is the sea front and there is a spot where people hang around to have food and drinks and the area is also perfect for sunset photography. You can view more sunset photos in KK on my main page by clicking the label "vacation".
Sunset in Kota Kinabalu
Another good attraction of KK is a snorkeling trip to Manukan Island. A boat can be rented at the Jesselton jetty and would cost around RM300 per boat. The ride would take around 20 minutes and it covers several islands including Mamutik and Sapi.
Jesselton Jetty
Another attraction especially to the people from the Peninsula is of course the wet market. I did not miss the opportunity to go and buy some seafood. Here are some of the photos I took during my recent trip.
I cannot recall the name of this fish but I bought one of those and it only cost me RM4.00. My wife steamed it and it tastes good. May buy again next time.
Ikan buntal. Muslims are forbidden to eat this fish.
Geram tengok telur ketam ni.
They say this is called "Ketam Lobster"
Another species of "Kerang".
Lobsters are another type of seafood that one must purchase when in KK. They are very difficult to get in the wet market but easily available at any frozen shop. Soft crabs are also popular. As the name suggests, they are really soft and not like the normal crabs we know. They are normally deep-fried and usually served as starters. Also available at a frozen shop.
Food
There shouldn't be any problem for food. Plenty of them but mainly seafood.
Food
There shouldn't be any problem for food. Plenty of them but mainly seafood.
