Kota Kinabalu 1
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2007
1
166
220
Trip End
Jun 17, 2009
Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah,
Malaysia
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A modern, efficient check in and polite security section and we waited the two hours for our 12 0'clock flight.
Away on time and a bit bumpy over the two and a half hours before we touched down at 'Kota Kinabalu'. At immigration, although still part of Malaysia, we had a slight problem in that the Malaysian staff at the border train station had not stamped our passports, only our immigration cards. This caused some questioning as to how we had entered Malaysia and forewarned about this, I had kept the train tickets from Singapore to KL as proof
Kota Kinabalu sunset
. Immigration clerk, supervisor and manager suitably satisfied, we collected two bags at the carousel (YES!) and found our transfer driver to the hotel. It seemed there was a new supermarket opening in town and the roads were blocked, so he took an old country road and we set off, just as the heavens opened and it poured down for twenty minutes. As we neared our resort the area was dry and we alighted into hot sunshine. The accommodation was a detached chalet overlooking a grassed pool area and a short walk onto the beach. The chalet was basic but clean and had a fan and aircon, both reassuring in this tropical part of Malaysia.
We sat on our verandah for a few minutes with our (very welcoming) cold, 'Welcome drink' and surveyed the scene. Children were splashing in the pool and a sheep came to drink from it, walking onto the pool steps so he could reach the water. It's 'Shaun the Sheep' on holiday!
Drink finished we walked across the garden and onto the beach, studded with palm trees. The tide was out and there were quite a few plastic bags buried in the sand and the faint smell of sewage - not quite paradise. Dozens of thumb nail size sand crabs scurried round us in a kind of crustacean rush hour, whilst less than little finger size, cone shaped crabs battled through the shallow water's edge
Resort beach front
.The sun was going down and we enjoyed a (slightly cloudy) colourfull sunset.
For supper we went early to the resort restaurant on the first floor with views over the illuminated beach. Bats were swooping round the trees and four inch geckos climbed the walls and ceiling around us. This was definitely getting tropical. We enjoyed a delicious fish and prawn (the biggest prawns I have seen - even bigger than those in Yamba!) meal followed by creamy desserts. An early night made more comfortable (and safer) by the fan and aircon.
Monday 1st September
An easy start, as we were not being transferred to the airport until 1030 and could enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Today was the start of the muslim festival of Ramadhan and we ate a simple breakfast, not too difficult after last night's big supper!
