The Land Below The Wind - Day 1

This recent visit to Sabah proved to me how this state alone is all-encompassing of everything Malaysia is proud of. Mountaineers set Mount Kinabalu as their challenge – what with the annual climbathon every Sept/Oct (for those interested: http://climbathon.sabahtourism.com/2011/), sunbathers have the islands just off Kota Kinabalu (the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park – Pulau Gaya, Pulau Manukan and Pulau Mamutik), sunset lovers can be entranced by the wide and open coastline of Simpang Mengayau (the tip of Borneo), divers quench their thirst for seawater with Pulau Sipadan and those aiming for something less nature-based have the cultural aspect of Sabah, with the ‘one village one trade’ campaign at villages located close to Kudat such as the honey-manufacturers Kg Gombizau and the longhouse builders Kg Bavanggazzo.

Upon arriving in Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), the tour guide which settled the logistics of climbing Mount Kinabalu gave us a lift, directly to Kinabalu Daya Hotel, along Jalan Haji Saman. The hotel was, to my surprise, pleasant  - in many ways: room quality and service levels. The reception staff were very helpful and the rooms were equipped with all the necessities. More importantly, the hotel was at a fine location, for its price. It was located right next to Kedai Kopi Fatt Kee, a lonely planet recommendation restaurant serving local stir-fry dishes and lovely noodles, especially their Hokkien Mee and Singaporean Fried Vermicelli. However, unless you show up early or late for mealtimes, you will definitely be made to wait for a table (what I had to do for three consecutive nights), but it’s worth it. If you are a fan of bah kut teh, a dish of pork ribs and in some cases, other internal organs simmered in a complex broth of herbs, just amble by to the shop lot adjacent to Kedai Kopi Fatt Kee for some homemade Teocheow fishballs in lovely bah kut teh soup, and of course, for their bah kut teh as well.

We decided for the first day to be fairly relaxed as we arrived only at noon. After leaving our backpacks at the hotel, I insisted on having my favourite Mongolian chicken rice at Kompleks Sinsuran just 10 minutes away from the hotel. They just serve the most tender steamed chicken in lovely, thick gravy, and their rice is what a friend of mine would describe as orgasmic. Quite different from what we have in Peninsula Malaysia where the chicken is usually coated in more dilute, oily and salty sauce. My friend and I went on to set a target for every city – that is to find an optimum viewpoint. And so we set off from the restaurant and made our way to the Signal Hill Observation Pavillion. We made a slight detour from the directions to find four elderly Chinese men enjoying a relaxed meet-up on a swing, overlooking banana and palm trees with the mountain ranges dotted in the background. We then walked for another 5 minutes before arriving at our destination. To reward ourselves for the effort and for braving the mosquito bites, we decided to do some photography:

That’s the view of Kota Kinabalu ‘skyscrapers’ for you

Being stubborn and hopeful for better views, especially of the coastline and the three islands (of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park),  we walked further uphill only to find a condominium overlooking the ideal view we were wishing for – so, we trespassed the area and headed to the strategically-located verandah.

We descended for some drinks before watching sunset along the waterfront. Disappointed by a lacklustre sunset, we decided to watch Transformers in 3D at the newly-opened shopping mall just down the street and headed back to the hotel when the movie ended.