Sapi Island

Malaysia has a lot to offer but is a little too quiet for me. Yesterday was a bit of a downer for me... I was starting to feel the negative effects of travelling alone until, alas, I met a fantastic couple from Hobart at the Irish bar along the town's beautiful water front. Josh and Summer, who are here for a two week holiday, agree with me in saying that KK is a little too quiet for tourists (compared to Thailand anyway). The food, however, is absolutely sensational... had a great night of copious amounts of Tiger beer and a consortium of seafood dishes at one of the very cheap restaurants along the waterfront.

Interesting boat at KK

Not only is it quiet at Josh and Summer's 5 star luxury resort, but the backpacker hostels are really quiet as well. Josh and Summer assure me that things will change significantly when I get to places like Penang, Langkowi and other destinations in Thailand.

KK's Waterfront

Kota Kinabulu is frustratingly disappointing for tourists (and especially backpackers). Several other tourists I've met have complained of how difficult it is to get information about what to do. KK is not really geared for tourists. As an example, to climb Mt Kinabulu is a ridiculous RM480 ($200) including accommodation in a non-heated dorm. To hell with it... I must admit that I didn't really enjoy Mt Sinai (sleeping on the top) so I've decided to rough it and get a local bus to the base of the mountain and explore this area on Saturday. I couldn't do the climb anyway because all the accommodation is fully booked on Saturday night. Any readers planning to come here are advised to book their climb to the top as early as possible so as not to miss out.

Sapi Island

Last night I stayed at a horrible hostel (Planet Kinabulu Hostel). The room was hot, noisy and filled with mosquitoes. The bathroom had no taps at the basin (had to use the ladies' bathroom). The breakfast was a very greasy egg. My luck must be changing because as I was walking back to the hostel today, I came across this amazing place called 'Borneo Bed and Breakfast' on Gaya street. I can't believe this place isn't in Lonely Planet. The place has wooden floor boards, is absolutely spotless, has hot showers, and only 2 rooms of 6 people each. Breakfast is included as are transfers to the airport. I quickly made a reservation for the next 4 nights. This place is only $2 more expensive than the other hellish place that I put up with last night. This new hostel is like home... a lounge, kitchen, big TV, nice comfortable cane chairs, friendly people, and great service. A real score, clearly the best hostel I've stayed in Malaysia so far!

Snorkelling at Sapi Island

Today, I got a local boat to Sapi Island. This island, about 20 minutes off the coast, provides two stunning white sand beaches with excellent snorkelling. I'm feeling the effects of a little too much sunbathing as I write. First real bit of sun I've managed to get during my first 3 weeks away. The snorkelling was excellent with a wide range of fish and coral. Given that I had 5 hours on the island, I spent 2 hours walking to the other side of the island which was equally stunning. For all those Survivor buffs, Survivor Borneo was filmed close to here at Tiga Island. I thoroughly enjoyed getting away from the traffic of KK and relax on this island.

Waterfront at KK

Tomorrow, I fly to Sandakan to visit the Orung Utans at Sepilok. I would like to spend a couple of weeks exploring Borneo but I'm keen to get to Thailand now.

It is terribly hot here.