Kota Kinabalu - Day 1

Neko and family went on a trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, so I'd thought to write a travelogue based on my experiences there.

10 Jan 2012

Apart from Mount Kinabalu, Kadazans, and the forests, there's not much I know about Sabah. I've signed my parents and me up for tour packages, which at least means we can just sit back and enjoy the trip.

Looking forward to the trip to The Land Below the Wind.

11 Jan 2012

3.00 pm

If there's one thing we dislike about AirAsia, it's the endless payments. But without AirAsia, we'd probably not get the chance to have holidays like this. After 2.5 hours of flying, we've touched down at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Meeting with us is our tour guide of the day, Ah Fatt. We have a hectic schedule, as Ah Fatt explain to us when we got into his van. And what a van it is! It can easily carry 15 people, and still be spacious. Made in China, apparently.

We're headed for Klias wetlands, where the red mangroves grow, and it is there that the famed proboscis monkeys can be found. The car ride takes about 2 hours.

Photo Credit : Google

These funny-looking monkeys have the biggest nose of all, and an incredibly round pot-belly, thus gaining themselves the humorous Malay name of monyet belanda (Dutch monkey), as they remind the locals of the weird people who came from the sea to their shores.

4.30 pm

 

The tour operators have everything arranged! We are invited for a bit of morsel as they prepare for our trip.

Taking us along the boat trip is a lady tour guide who is very knowledgeable about the animals living in the mangroves. From the proboscis monkeys to water monitors, her keen eyes spot out every critter moving among the foliage for our viewing pleasure.

 According to her, proboscis monkeys can be found on these trees : those with copper-colored leaves on the left, and the balding ones on the right. The bald ones will always be bald because the monkeys eat the newly-sprouted leaves. The poor leaves never had a chance! Can you see the monkey in the tree?

Really, we have to hand it to her. The monkeys generally stay far away from humans, and it takes a pair of really sharp eyes to see them frolicking among the trees. With my (not really fantastic) camera optical zoom fully utilized, this is the best I can get. Can you see a monkey in the picture? (It's at the dead-centre).

It's times like these that I really envy people with really cool cameras. This dude sitting in front of me can actually take a picture of the monkeys as if they are sitting right in front of him. Ugh, DSLRs.

Well, at least this water monitor makes me happy. Its decision to have a last-hour sun-bathing session near the water edge has blessed me with this, dare I say it, quite nice photo.

And the sunset! I mean, isn't it beautiful?

6.00 pm

Wow, who turned out the lights? Barely 7 pm and the sun's already set! Oh, I forgot. Geographically, Sabah is an hour faster than Kuala Lumpur. Dinner and rest comes early in Kota Kinabalu.

Dinner is at the same place where we had afternoon tea earlier. During dinner, Ah Fatt (our tour guide) puts this strange-looking fruit on our table and pronounces proudly that this is a tarap fruit. He's quite proud of the fact that the trees only grow on the soil of Sabah, and efforts to plant them in Semenanjung haven't bore fruit (pun fully intended).

On the outside, a tarap fruit reminds people of a blunt durian. I half-imagine it looks like those shoes that purportedly massages your foot while you walk. The inside, however, looks and feels like wantan, and a little like mangosteen. Taste-wise, I can't really make up my mind. Some say it smells like cempedak.

7.00 pm

After dinner, we are ushered onto the boats again, this time to view the fireflies on the same riverbank.

From what I see (and hear from the guide's explanation), the fireflies in Klias consist of 2mm and 4mm strains, and they flash their lights in sync. I went to see fireflies in Kuala Selangor many years ago, and they were gorgeous. I don't remember most of the details, as it was a long time ago. However, not long ago I went to see them in Kuantan, and I remember most details. The ones in Kuantan are the 4mm variety, and they don't blink in sync.

If I have to compare, I'd say the tour in Kuantan was far more informative and entertaining, as the guide explained a lot before the boat ride, and he actually has a trick in attracting the bugs over to our boats. This one in Klias is a little disappointing because there are far less fireflies as I had expected, and it is a very short ride, only half an hour.

7.30 pm

We've ended the Klias experience, and is headed back to our hotel. I can't help but to notice that KK people drive quite sloooow. Luckily our guide keeps an admirable 80 km/hr on the long stretch of road leading back to the city. But still, it's enough to almost drive me crazy, as I'm used to flying over 100 km/hr back in KL.

And weirdly, I have not heard a car honk the whole day. I marvel at their self-control. KL people honk like crazy people.

9.00 pm

We have arrived at a quaint shop lot hotel in Tanjung Aru. Everything is nice, except that there is no running water in our room. A quick call to the lobby reveals that KK is experiencing water disruption for the day. Apparently it's such a common occurrence in KK that the locals just accept it as it is.

For us though, it was tough having to go to bed feeling sticky and smelly.

So ends day 1. Day 2 will be updated soon.