The ONE thing about Sabah was that IT IS FREAKING HOT. There is no such things as long hour flight from west peninsular to the east, but there is always the long wait which you are required to waste 120 minutes there before the flight. Yes, no to mention bad airport food and uncomfortable chairs.
It's the first time i took airaisa, looking at the engine somehow reminds me of how fragile it is when a bird accidentally flew in to the engine and blow the engine to bits. Clearing all my negatives thoughts, i board the plane, the first flight attendant was helpful, same goes with the captain, which trying his level best to greet every single passenger. Before flight, the flight stewardess, makes her most important announcement of the how-to's if we ended in the pool halfway flying. I look at her with the lol's in my eyes, and she stare me back with a stfu-it's-my-f'cking-job eyes. The how-to's (safety demo) session is pretty boring, can't she make something more humanistic or fun like the Southwest airlines? Well, maybe she ain't pay for that.
emergency exit and instruction on how to open it
Sabah is unique in its own ways, with great weather, great people and great food. Coffee here is different, a cup of kahwin (marriage, kahwin is a coffee mix with condense milk and skimmed milk) to start off with the day.
Places to visit
UMS aquatic center
UMS, university malaysia sabah aquatic center is one of the eye opening experience without getting yourself wet (yes, its fully air condition). The aquatic center is fairly small, with quarter of it dedicated to bones and dead corals, with the rest for fish, prawns and lobster.
Coming through! from one of the mid-size tank
Still coming through, the fish head is actually larger than my palm (size of my palm?, check the cameron visit post
Our visit just meet with some school field trip. Which the trip is actually an eye opener for the kids, while appetite opening for me.
Another from the second mid-size tank, this fish (head) is almost the my palm size, yummy.
The central big tank.
The same tank, but with a sea turtle in it. My only shot that manage to capture the sea turtle after loiter around it for a long time.
The smaller tank, for sea horse, which this little baby actually drift around with the prawn.
The smaller tank, for a lobster, not really huge, but was pretty cool (heh, i don't think you notice that it is upside down)
The smaller tank, for another lobster, a starfish saying high-five.
Api-api night market.
The night market goes a long stretch from the pub to the morning market. Basically, anyone everyone opens their stall here. Serving anything you can find in KK, prawns (cooked, raw), fish (cooked, raw), sea weed (cooked, raw), shells and all sorts of food, other than kuih muih.
I see a lot of moving forward here.
Seaweed or seagrass, which ever it is, they don't edible.
Seahorse, now coming closer to you.
Semi-fresh fish, the third on the left (shiny, uncut one) is the half the length of my arm.
Ikan bakar, yes and they do serve parrot fish here.
Udang bakar, size varies from 3inch to 4inch.
The battery tower
One of the administrative building in KK, which i forgot what its for. The battery tower has two entrance, one for the public the other for the staffs.
The battery tower, really it does looks like a battery
1 Borneo hypermall
The largest up till now and only in KK, its the place where most UMS student hang out if you looking forward for indoor recreational activities.
1B, largest lifestyle hypermall, the one and only largest hypermall in KK up till now.
VP washroom in 1B
Bukit sultan (not really sure of the name)
One of the hill that can be access with cars, in the day you can see the straits from here; once used as a look out point for intruders, now use as a place to snuggle in the dark.
Night view from the hill,
Mesilau entrance to Mt. Kinabalu summit
Mt. Kinabalu, the highest in whole Malaysia has couple of entrance; one of the few is Mesilau; journey here is smooth but kind of tired, so if going to the peak is a 2 days trip is not really worth it after all the travelling, guide or potters are required in order to reduce people getting lost (hey! lost is fun in another perspective).
View of Mount. Kinabalu from the car
Ranau lodge fee for those who are going to climb
Mesilau entrance to Kinabalu peak
Distance of Mesilau to summit
Kinabalu hidden in clouds, highest in Malaysia, 4k ft above sea level
Island hopping
I din't manage to hop the islands due to many constrains, but there is services for you to jump from one to the other. BUT do beware of the ferry companies you purchase your ticket, as the competitors won't fetch you if you does not buy their service. Ship come and go every hour and longest i waited was near to 2 hours. Tales has been where girls has been taken for granted on their visits to the island.
This should be Manikan or Mamutik island
looking back at KK
Forgot the name of this island, did not stop here.
The Jollies that I went along for the first 4 days. If it wasn't them, then I won't be enjoying my days there like a king.
KK Jesselton Jetty to the island at night, got a nasi padang stall here, food not bad.
Ayam Pop of the nasi padang shop
Gaya Street
Gaya Street, really a street by itself is more of a morning market that is made for the tourist there. Most stuff here are cheap, you can buy mostly everything here from livestock to handbags, from vegetables to decorates. Gaya Street is just few streets away from the night market/morning market.
Entrance of Gaya Street
Tiki in Gaya Street
Trapped chicks in Gaya Streets
The fountain in Gaya Street, the other one was a swordfish.
Ceramics and collectables
The sword fish near to Gaya Street
War memorial
Noting much said unless you like history and stones.
War memorial stone near the bus station in between Gaya Street and the morning/night market
War memorial stone
To the glorious dead
In the memory of those man who fought during the confrontation
Billboard
Not really special, but its uncommon to see one.
Beer billboard, not a common sign in the peninsular
Billboard!
Bus station
KK has couple of different bus station, each serve a different region, the center bus stations (2 different stations) each serves places within and around KK itself, the east side bus station to north and east of Sabah; while the west side bus station to south of Sabah. All bas station are connected and you can take either the van or the mini bus. For long journey to the east of Sabah, you may required to take a bus to east-bus station for a transit.
The bus station to places that is away from KK city center but to places around KK, like tambunan.
Semporna
Semporna begins as a fishing village, currently the only exit to Sipadan island. Semporna is a small town, with easy lifestyle, people travel to the town on random cars. You may flagged a car down and pay the driver like RM 1 or 2 to go places around Semporna.
Blue sky of Semporna
Water of Semprona
Water of Semporna, twice better than KK
Long mouth fish, at my arm length
Seafood sold in Semporna fish market.
The road to Semprona
Do not forget the sun always shine in Sabah.
Yes, the whole sun is up there, i got sick twice, once in KK, the other in Tawau.
Palm oil estate
Was so lucky enough to be brought by my distance relatives to visit the palm oil estate, a small farm; where it is 30mins away from Tawau and 40mins away from Semporna. The estate, among the few small ones that is surrounded by Sime Group. Palm oil plant has about 30 years of life span, while it only produces oil in its last 25 years. Male trees, which does not produce oil are usually dug up or saw in to pieces and lay by their love ones as fertilizer. Tawau was once known as the city of coco, when coco price was good.
Palm oil yields profit every month but money are dumped in taking care of these trees especially in getting labor to take care of the weeds, and fertilize the plant. According to goats and cows are loan, in reducing the weeds, but still labor are required as there the animals are picky on the height of the grass that they feed on.
Cash cow, not really for sale, but they do eat alot of weeds in the palm oil estate.
Goat, fulfill the same purpose as the cow, but eat less.
Look at the beauty, she makes me hungry
Cow Dung!
Plank processing plant
Tawau temperature will never loose to KK, with over 28C, the heat is like sauna, without the steam but swapped with the heat lamps. The plank processing plant, located at another palm oil estate. The plant, processed the planks in to smaller planks and lace them with pattern will be use as wall panel, floor board, and small furnitures. The machine runs 24/7, operate by 3 workers only stops in the evening and during lunch break. The saw dust are left in the estate are used mixed with the ash, charcoal and chemical fertilizer for the plants.
30.4 celcius!
A small plank processing plant
Burning of unwanted wood in the plant, later be used as fertilizer
Tawau
A 40 mins flight or 6 hours drive from KK, known once as the city of coco, lost its fame as the price falls and now regains a new name as city of palm oil, well not really. Tawau itself has couple of home grown products. Known as one of the main port to export fishes, seaweeds as well as mermaids (handycrafts). It is also one of the few places where people come for 2 reasons, either to work or to Sipadan. Tawau has everything they need, live a simple life, noting much to desire about when you own few pieces of land. The visit to the market in Tawau is more fruitful than of KK, in terms of choices, price and quality, KK won't stand a chance; but the fact is that sitting 6 hours is a pain in the ass.
Don't know what fish it is, but it definitely edible
Sting ray, yummmy
Tuna or it is?
Fish market in Tawau, that chunk of fish is about the size of my head
KK morning market view, before the market opens
The torment of another 6 hours finally ended when i set foot back on KK, so a flight is advisable if you were to go to Tawau or back to KK. Unlike the morning maket in KL, the market over in KK in much more easy, people don't rush to open their store or shout their prices out loud. What catches my attention there was seeing a Filipino guy catches his morning prey for his stall.
View from the morning market
Seeing a Filipino fishing on the raft made of two plastic box cover and a plank
And he is using a net
The mosque near UMS
After i came back from Tawau, I joined my friend, and his lecturer for some shooting, which the first place was the mosque. Although not the state mosque, this mosque is pretty beautiful at night, especially when the water is calm.
Mosque near UMS during noon
Passing the Mosque, there is a chicken wing stall near by that opens in the evening.
The same mosque at night, with reflection from the water
The mosque
The IT Shopping Center
The most hyped place in KK, which you can get easily most of the electronics here, from computer to your kettle.
The Sungai Wang of KK, your one-stop IT mall
Mamutik island
Mamutik is one of the 4 islands that is very near from KK, each are just minutes away. The wave here are not rough, but there are lines which swimmers are not encourage to cross as there are many boats passes by.
Syok sendiri on Mamutik
Mamutik water
View from Mamutik jetty
The Mamutik beach
where babes comes alive
The Mamutik island where the food is bad
Kudat
The tip of Borneo, Kudat, is infact the beach with I would like to return to. It's 3 hours drive from KK, which you need to cross the hill. On the way to Kudat there are many small places that has interesting sights to be seen.
Grabbing a quick meal in Kudat town before heading to the tip of Borneo
Ever wonder what does people use for bamboo?
Use of the bamboo
Ta-Da.. a full rainbow, on the way back from Kudat
Chicken wing stall
Sadly, that i was not free after taking the 2 panorama shots. The chicken wing taste so good that i had choose to ignore the photographs and put my utmost attention in finishing, although its expensive, yet the wings taste well with the sauce.
panorama view of the chicken wing stall
panorama view of the chicken wing stall
UMS
University Malaysia Sabah, one of the place where i spend about 5 nights there, include 2 nights of fever and diarrhea leaving me totally paralyze after running back and forth from the bed to the washroom. Like all hostel, you have students, like all students who does not really give much care with many reasons (its just too freaking HOT). I still remember having bathing 5 to 7 times a day in order to cool myself down, and sometimes it may goes to 9 if i stay put in the room.
a quick hack to improve your wireless signal
interior of the hostel
interior of the hostel
interior of the hostel
the main hall in UMS
Sight of Mt. Kinabalu from UMS
Inside of UMS hostel
Food to eat
If you have not pick any of the fish from the below pictures, are you sure you came to Sabah?
My p'wned list:
Rat Grouper (not in list)
Normal Grouper
Seven star Grouper
Giant Grouper
Sea Chicken
Seven horns shell (not in list)
Names of the few most expensive fish that you have to eat!
Name of the few most expensive fish that you have to eat!
Giant grouper noodles
The giant grouper (lu-dun) noodles, prepared like the fish-head-noodles has a soup based that is cook with tomatoes, ginger, tofu, bean paste and cabbage; serve with noodles and the fish itself, slice to a 1 inch thick meat with at least a 5mm thick skin. The first bite in to the fish makes you wonder if you are biting a piece of thick rubber, once you chew the skin off; the oil gets down in to your mouth when mixed with the soup, the fish tasted so well that it compromise sour taste of the soup.
Coming through! to your lunch plate.
Shu-tou-vegetable (a type of vegetable that is locally grown in sabah)
The shu-tou vegetable has a thickness around 2-3mm, it is a type of fern which the shape looks like a young tree. Usually available in restaurant and will be cooked with sambal paste.
Pork noodles
Noodles are served seperatly with the soup itself. The soup, a herb based soup serve in the different bowl consist mostly thigh meat, liver, intestine mixed with a little bit of fried fat and mince meat.
Classic way of making pork noodles
Pork noodles, one of the must have!
the same pork noodles with no additional stuff
yes, its smaller than the one previous one
Ngau Zap noodles
Like the pork noodles, Ngau Zap is beef noodles, with the beef bone soup; it is serve in one bowl, where you have the cow neck meat, stomach, intestine, tendon and liver.
Ngau Zap (Mixed-beef-cow insides) noddles stall in mid of Gaya Street; not the best Ngau Zap, but the soup is nice. Yee Fung kopitiam is located in Gaya Street, those people are actually making a line to eat there. :)
