Live and Let Live!: Kota Kinabalu (25- 30 May 2024)

We went to Kota Kinabalu 25-30 May 2024 by Air Asia.

Breakfast at Changi Airport Terminal 4 before boarding.

No screen on this flight, they relied on tablet.

We checked in to Mariott Hotel Kota Kinabalu once landed. The hotel and city centre was just 10min from the airport.

We had a stroll along the Todak Waterfront.

We had dinner at Welcome Seafood Restaurant 大茄來海鮮餐廳 which was supposed to be famous, but turned out so-so.

Sunset at Todak Waterfront

Day 2

The breakfast at Mariott Hotel was quite good. We had a sumptuous breakfast before heading out.

No matter how good the breakfast buffet, my girl just eat cereal and toast.

We hired a driver for 3 days. Today, we went to the Gaya street market which is only open on Sunday.

2nd stop is the floating mosque.

3rd stop is the Puh Toh Si, a Buddhist temple.

There were many statues of monks.

4th stop is lunch. We had their 生肉面, equivalent to bak chor mee in Singapore.

After lunch, we headed to the Kawa-Kawa river cruise which will start at 3pm. On the way we stopped at a roadside stall selling roasted coconut.

The river cruise was leisurely. We were just asked to look out for the Proboscis monkeys which we spotted quite a number.

Then we were told to take a break and go back at 6pm for dinner and another river cruise to see fireflies.

Our driver took us to a beach to see the sunset.

We went back to the jetty again before 7pm.

No photos taken for the fireflies because too dark.

Day 3

We went to the Mari-mari cultural village.

Hidden within the rainforest just outside Kota Kinabalu, Mari Mari Cultural Village provided experience on the authentic traditions of North Borneo's indigenous communities. There were knowledgeable local hosts and I found it a meaningful journey to learn about Sabah's diverse heritage, seeing how ancient traditions continue to thrive in the modern world.

Traditional tattoos

Lansaran jumping at the Murut longhouse, the communal trampoline floor.

Blowpipe demonstration.

Traditional cooking.

Photo opp with the performers on stage.

Lunch was provided in Mari-mari cultural village.

Then up we go towards Kundasang, a scenic highland town in Sabah, Malaysia. Sitting at 1,900 meters near the base of Mount Kinabalu.

Desa Dairy Farm

How can miss the opportunity to eat ice cream

Stopped at a fresh market then dinner at Hooga Cafe.

We checked in to the Mountain Valley Resort.

The kids were still hungry late night so we had supper in the hotel restaurant.

It was a small room with an extra mattress.

Day 4

Woke up to very good mountain views in the morning.

Breakfast was very good.

After that we checked out and loaded our luggage into the driver's car.

The driver took us to the Mount Kinabalu Park.

Then the Hot Spring Poring. It started getting super hot as Hot Spring Poring was no longer elevated. I had to buy shorts for the girls and also a t-shirt for Roselle to change.

We slowly made our way back to city centre where we will stay in the same hotel, Mariott Hotel.

On the way we stopped for the iconic Sabahan smoked wild boar or local pork. The driver stopped on roadside barbecue pits along the winding Kota Kinabalu-Kundasang highway.

After that, we stopped at Suria Sabah, the largest mall in Kota Kinabalu. There was not much and the kids got bored.
Roselle was saying she doesn't feel well so we went back to the hotel.