I will inform you all about Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, loved by people worldwide with its well-established tropical rainforest nature and infrastructure.
1. Introduce Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, Malaysia, the 7th largest city in Malaysia, and the largest city in East Malaysia, with a population of less than 600,000. Kota Kinabalu is a Malay word, Kota means a city, and Kinabalu means Malaysia's highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu.
During the British colonial era, Kota Kinabalu was called Jess Elton, but now it is the name of a port and is famous as a place to book activities such as hopping tours and firefly tours.
2. Kota Kinabalu Accommodation Recommendations
Accommodation in Kota Kinabalu is available in various price ranges, so you don't have to worry too much about other travel destinations. There are youth hostels in the price range of 10,000 to 20,000 won, and the expensive ones are evenly distributed up to 400,000 won so that you can decide according to your travel purpose. In many cases, a travel agent purchases accommodations in advance and offers a special price for unsold accommodations, so purchasing online after arriving in the country is much cheaper.
DREAMTEL
It is the best place to stay for one night after arriving on the first day in terms of cost-effectiveness. It is geographically centrally located based in downtown Kota Kinabalu, so there is no inconvenience in moving to major tourist attractions or shopping malls on foot; breakfast is provided, and the staff is. Overall, the facilities are kind and clean, the sea view is available, the night view is good, and it is possible to stay for about 20$ to 30$ won per night, so I think it is the best cost-effective.
Horizon Hotel
Unlike Dreamtel, located in the city center, it has a more hotel-like atmosphere. It is located next to Kota Kinabalu City Hall and has a swimming pool. Also, if you reserve at a special price, you can reserve it by purchasing around 50$.
Shangri-La Tanjung Aru
If you visit Kota Kinabalu, I recommend staying at a resort. Although the price is a bit expensive, it is a popular resort, and the price range is 250$ won per night when purchased at a special price.
The Pacific Sutera Hotel
You can stay for 70$ to 80$ won per night and use the outdoor swimming pool and the small beach connected to the sea, and the breakfast is great. Also, it has a golf ground so it is great to walk around too.
The Magellan Sutera Resort
If you want to use a resort that is better than The Pacific Sutera Hotel, you only need to walk 500m. This place is usually priced at 300,000 won, but it is often offered at a special price of 100,000 won. The outdoor swimming pool is huge, the breakfast is delicious, all facilities and walking trails are well-equipped, and it is also connected to The Pacific Sutera Hotel.
3. Things to do and see in Kota Kinabalu
Playing in the water is probably the most popular thing on a trip to Kota Kinabalu, which has warm weather throughout the year. You can enjoy various activities such as skin scuba diving, snorkeling, sea walking, and parasailing. As for reserving an activity, you can use the site operated by the Tourism Agency and at the local port, Jesselton Point. However, the Tourism Agency site is not recommended because it is not possible to bargain and is exorbitantly expensive. We recommend that you negotiate the price. If you bargain for about half of the price offered, it will not be a losing negotiation, but these days, Enjoying many activities at reasonable prices is recommended.
Three great water parks
All water activities in Kota Kinabalu are conducted on three islands, Sapi Island, Manukan Island, Manutik Island, and the nearby sea. You will be healed just by looking at the beautiful sea. All three islands are located within 20 minutes by boat from the main island of Kota Kinabalu, and there are resorts on the islands, so those who dream of spending a night on the islands are recommended to use them. Visiting the island without any activities is also possible, so paying only the entrance fees and enjoying healing.
Experience major sea activities
Most activities are composed as a package, but you may be too exhausted if you are too greedy. Of course, there will be low prices as fewer experiences, so you must calculate the price well. Major experiential activities include sea walking, snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, and banana boats. If you stay only for one day, I recommend parasailing and sea walking. Banana boats can be scary for children. If you do too many marine activities, you may not be able to enjoy the beauty and relaxation of Sapi Island. You will only have tuff memories of you struggling on the sea and exhaustion. The course is also recommended to prepare a nice lunch box and drinks and enjoy a full healing time on Sapi Island.
Firefly tour
Kota Kinabalu's firefly tour is a 2-3 hour drive from the city at around 9:00 am, and upon arrival, fried bananas, nasi goreng, and coke are provided as welcome food. You can meet the monkey family, return to where you first arrived before it gets dark, have a simple dinner, get on the boat again to see the sunset, and move to the sunset spot, and they give you time to take pictures of the beautiful sunset. I think it is where the most beautiful sunset photos come out among the places I have traveled to so far, and if you ask the tour guide to take a picture of you, you will get a high-quality photo. Tanjung Aru Sunset is called to be one of the top 3 sunsets in the world, but In my opinion, it was much more beautiful than Tanjung Aru Sunset. When it gets dark, we get on the boat again and return to where we came from. It was wonderful seeing fireflies flocking in front of the tourists. The biggest cons of the firefly tour are that there are many mosquitoes because it is a river, so bringing mosquito repellent is recommended.
All activity tickets are purchased at Jesselton Point (I will leave a site below), so please log in and check the type of activity and general information. And again, I don’t recommend you buy a ticket online.
4. Food in Kota Kinabalu
For breakfast, as most hotels provide breakfast, I recommend having breakfast there. There are many places to eat for lunch or dinner outside, so finding a restaurant that suits your taste is recommended.
Yuit Cheong
It is a recommended place if you are going to eat breakfast outside once during your trip. It is in the shopping district next to Kota Kinabalu City Hall. In particular, Kaya Toast seemed to be the normal taste we know anywhere, but once you taste it, you will be surprised it is excellent. For those who enjoy brunch, having a simple brunch at the hotel before lunchtime would be okay. It's open from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, so check the hours before visiting.
Suang Tain Seafood Restaurant
It is like a mill for tourists visiting Kota Kinabalu, where you can taste the ultimate Chinese-style seafood dish, and the size of the restaurant is super huge. Grilled cheese lobster, fried squid, creamy shrimp, garlic fried rice, etc., are recommended, and Morning Glory was not good. Opening hours are from 2:30 pm to 11 pm, so check the time carefully and plan your visit. Alcohol such as beer or soju can be brought in from outside, so it is recommended to prepare in advance. Also, if you ask them to give ice boxes at a restaurant, they give them, so feel free to request them. It's good value for money and has a lot of customers, so if you don't expect good service or a quiet atmosphere, I recommend it as the best restaurant.
Welcome Seafood Restaurant
This store boasts a scale incomparable to Sangcheon Tain Seafood Restaurant and is divided into A, B, and C zones, so you don't have to panic as it's the same restaurant no matter where you go. Opening hours here are from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and the menu should be similar to Sangcheon Tain Seafood Restaurant. I recommend Sangcheon Tain Seafood Restaurant for fried squid, and I felt that the food in this place was a bit bad and less quantity than Sangcheon Tain Seafood Restaurant. Also, there were tables on the street, so it was a bit uncomfortable to eat outside in hot weather. If you are considering the taste, quantity, and dining location at similar prices, I recommend Sangcheon Train Seafood Restaurant.
Mother India Restaurant
This Indian restaurant is located in Waterfront Mall, so it is easy to find. I had Garlic Naan and Chicken Tikka masala, rice, meat curry, and tandoori chicken, but the tandoori chicken was a bit tough. Still, overall it was okay, and the snacks and sauce given before meals were so delicious so I remember asking for refills several times. I felt that the price was a bit expensive compared to other restaurants in Kota Kinabalu, but the high price seemed to be forgiven just by eating food while watching the sunset in the evening.
Madam Kwan's and SOULed Out
This restaurant is located in Imago Mall, a large shopping mall that is a must-visit when traveling to Kota Kinabalu. It's always crowded, but if you visit Imago Mall, I recommend you have a meal here. The menu is also translated into Korean and I recommend trying noodles, and most dishes are above average in taste. SOULed Out is recommended for those who want to try European food, as most dishes, such as sirloin steak, Portuguese seafood rice (paella), and seafood Aglio e Olio spaghetti, taste good for people who like Korean-styled food, and they are affordable.
5. Shopping Mall in Kota Kinabalu
One of the joys of traveling is shopping. There are large shopping malls in Kota Kinabalu that target many tourists, and I think the Imago shopping mall is by far the best among them. Throughout the year, the commercial district of Kota Kinabalu is filled with numerous shoppers to the point where it is considered to have transformed into a modern and high-end area with advanced facilities. There are local and famous brands, including Coach and Michael Kors, and traditional performances are held every day at the entrance, so this is also a must-see course. The second is Suria Sabah. It is called the most modern and largest shopping mall before the Imago shopping mall was built, and it is still a place that many people visit. Located at the northern end of the Waterfront, it has a multiplex cinema, a large bookstore, and quality Sabah products and souvenirs in the basement.
6. Travel tips
Booking hotels and activities in Korea in advance is not recommended. Although the official price is set, there are many ways to buy it at half the official price on the site, so you will regret setting out with a perfect travel plan without knowing the local situation. Therefore, it is recommended that you only make a simple plan and make a travel plan while bumping into locals on the spot.
For those who want to easily access the city's major shopping malls, markets, and restaurants on foot, we recommend staying at a hotel located downtown at the beginning of your trip for those who want to feel the atmosphere of downtown Kota Kinabalu while having a beer until late at night, the price is low, and the quality of the hotel is not bad.
If you need a vehicle, you can use Uber, which is cheap and very convenient transportation. Since most of the natives living in Kota Kinabalu are honest and kind and do not solicit customers wherever they go, I don't think they will feel the discomfort they felt in India or other countries. Its start could be using Uber. Through them, you can get recommendations for unpopular but nice places.
I don’t recommend you exchange money at the airport. The Imago Mall has the best exchange rate, so even if it is somewhat inconvenient, we recommend you visit and exchange money there.
For mango lovers, we recommend a visit to the Filipino Market. For about 20,000 won, a family could fill their stomachs with amount of delicious and fresh mangoes. Please remember that if you choose a mango, trim it, and ask for it in a plastic bag, they will trim it to make it easier to eat. I bet those who have tasted mango once will visit here every day.
※ If the flight departing from Kota Kinabalu is in the evening or at night, there are a lot of restrictions on what you can do after checking out of the hotel on the day of your return. I think it's a good way to relax during it. When I was staying at the resort, it was just a place to sleep for me. Still, on the last day, I thought it’s fully relaxing at the resort if you also use all the resort's main facilities, such as a swimming pool, sauna, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop. Also, after dinner, it is good to get a massage in the city, and most hotels apart within 30 minutes of the airport, so it is recommended to calculate the time well and do something that can relieve the fatigue of your trip on the last day.
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