Kota Kinabalu Budget stay

Budget hotel Category
No/Company name/Contact
1.Ang's Hotel/6-088-234999
2.City Inn/6-088-218933
3.Eden 54/6-088-266054
4.Gaya Centre Hotel/6-088-245567
5.High Street Inn Sdn Bhd/6-088-218111
6.Hotel Holiday/6-088-213116
7.Hotel New Sabah/6-088-225810
8.Hotel Yaho/6-088-221669
9.Kingston Hotel/6-088-486556
10.Tourist Hotel/6-088-230516
11.Mandarin Hotel/6-088-225222
12.Pantai Inn/6-088-219221
13.Switz Paradise Hotel/6-088-448177


B&B Category
No/Company name/Contact  
1.Akinabalu Youth Hostel/6-088-272900
2.Borneo Gaya Lodge/6-088-242477
3.Lucy Backpackers Lodge/6-088-261495
4.Borneo Backpackers/6-088-234009
5.Borneo Beach House/6-088-218331
6.Borneo Global Backpacker/6-088-270975/6
7.Buddys Backpackers/6-088-232122
8.Green View Motel/6-088-255872
9.Hotel Garden/6-088-257400
10.Kinabalu Backpackers Lodge/6-088-253385
11.North Borneo Cabin/6-088-272800
12.Rainforest Lodge/6-088-258228
13.Red Palm Hostel/6-088-211130
14.St. John Lodge/6-088-3160666
15.Step-in Lodge Sdn Bhd/6-088-233519
16.Summer Lodge/6-088-244499
17.Tropicana Lodge/6-088-270284
18.The Beach Lodge/6-088-213888
19.Traveller's Light/6-088-238877
20.Lavender Lodge/6-088-217119
21.X-Plorer backpackers/6-088-538780

Categories: Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu places to visit

Below are a list of places worth visiting whenever you’re around Kota Kinabalu (KK) city. 


1) Filipino MARKET/ Handicraft MARKET
This MARKET is open everyday from early morning until late afternoon. 
It is a popular tourist destination in KK and a great place to buy cultured pearls, handicrafts and souvenirs. Haggling is required if you want to get a fair deal. Check out the Filipino Night Market starting from 6pm just behind the handicrafts stores and get a taste of the local delicacies.

2) Central Market
A place popular among locals and a great place for tourists to observe local produce including poultry products. Fish MARKET is situated behind Central MARKET.

3) Gaya Street Sunday Market
As the name suggests, this market is only available every Sunday morning along Gaya Street. The road will be closed to traffic and vendors start lining up their goods under over-sized umbrellas as early as 5.30am.  
You’ll be able to find fruits, flowers, handicrafts, souvenirs, pets, fresh herbs and food spreading across the street up until 1pm.

4) Visit the Islands

The beauty of KK is that you can reach Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park within 10-20 minutes from Jesselton Point (3 minutes walk from Suria Sabah Shopping Mall). This marine park consist of Pulau Gaya, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sapi and Pulau Sulug. You may choose to get your PADI diving licence here or just spend a day snorkeling, trekking or just chill out in the island. You may opt to go for Gayana Island Resort located at Pulau Gaya which is a private run luxurious island resort.

5) Kota Kinabalu Waterfront
This place is best to experience during sunset and you may stay on for dinner and a couple of drinks as the night grows darker. You’ll find yourself overlooking the sea while bars and restaurants becoming much alive at night. A great place for locals and tourists to mingle around for a casual fun night out.

6) Kota Kinabalu City Waterfront Boardwalk
The KKCW Boardwalk is a world class development on par with the best boardwalks and lifestyle centres. Catch a glimpse of sunset over here and don’t forget to drop by the Hard Rock Shop next to the Oceanus Mall.

7) Marlin Statue
In the heart of the town there is a giant Marlin Statue inaugurated February, 2 year 2000 when Kota Kinabalu got city status. With Pulau (island) Gaya in the background, this spot is popular among photographers for sunset view.

8 ) Atkinson Clock Tower
Built in 1903, this structure survived the destruction of Jesselton town during WWII. It was built with wood with no nails.

9) Signal Hill Observatory Platform
This platform surrounded by greens and sitting on top of the hill provides visitors with amazing views of the city and also the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. A great place for photography from different perspective.

10) Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre
If you like nature,  this place provides you with tranquil boardwalk that brings you around the mangrove area for sighting birds and other mangrove wildlife. This place also acts as a  wetland educational centre for general public. 

11) Green Connection Aquarium
Walk through the rainforest and reefs in this discovery centre just a short drive from the city. This green building showcases a collection of Sabah eco-treasures and get to know their conservation efforts in Sabah. If you do not have time to explore the marine life in the east coast of Sabah, this is a great place to grasp an idea of what is it like out there. 

12 ) Tanjung Aru Beach

Enjoy a leisure stroll on the beach and don’t forget to have your thirst quenching coconut juice by the seaside. There are lots of food stalls around and it tends to get crowded on weekends. You may stay on to experience the beautiful sunset of KK and enjoy your dinner at one of the few restaurants.

13) City Mosque

Built along Likas Bay, this floating mosque is a symbol of contemporary Islamic architecture surrounded by man-made lagoon. This mosque provides a picture-perfect water reflection from the surrounding lagoon during sunset or even at night. It is open for public visits daily except for Friday.

14) Monsopiad Cultural Village
If you’re looking for something cultural, make your way to this living museum that depicts the great Kadazan headhunter warriors’ history. This interactive guided tour is worth visiting to understand the past head hunting activities and spirit worship practices by Sabah largest ethnic group, the Kadazandusun people. 


15) Menara Tun Mustapha

Menara Tun Mustapha can be located 5 kilometres or about 15 minutes away from the Kota Kinabalu City Centre. Formerly known as the Sabah Foundation Building, this circular tower of steel and glass stands 30 storeys high in the Likas Bay area and is instantly recognizable as a Sabah icon. It has a central core with steel brackets supporting each floor. When completed in 1977, it was one of three such buildings in the world based on this design concept. An architectural rarity being one of the only five buildings in the world constructed entirely without pillars.
Inside are housed an auditorium, two mini-theatres, exhibition foyer, a gymnasium, kindergarten, offices and Research library. On the 18th floor is the revolving restaurant Atmosphere where you can enjoy a different dining experience.

Categories: Kota Kinabalu

Kuching places of interest

Below are a list of places worth visiting whenever you’re around Kuching (KCH) city. 


1) Kuching City Tour
Kuching is the capital city of the State of Sarawak, consisting of two administrative city councils (Kuching City South and Kuching City North). Let us start your tour by experiencing the cultural beauty of Kuching City through observing its places of interest and heritage buildings. Kuching Waterfront offers excellent view of the Astana, Fort Margherita, the Sarawak New States Lagislative Building (DUN) and the Malay villages which line the north bank of the river. The Chinese Temple – Tua Pek Kong, heritage colonial buildings like the Post Office, the Round Tower and Sarawak Museum will let you discover the cultures and history of the city. The cat Monument and Civic Centre are also famous city landmarks for photo taking.

2) Sarawak Cultural Village

This unique village is a replica of the multi-ethnic life of the people found in Sarawak with the exception of the Chinese farm house. It is 38km away from Kuching city and is a 45 minutes drive along Kuching-Santubong Road. SCV is a living museum offering an excellent introduction to 7 authentic ethnic houses representing our local inhabitants of Sarawak. To welcome you as you enter will be the Bidayuh longhouse (Land Dayak), Iban Longhouse (Sea Dayak), Penan huts, Orang Ulu, Melanau, Malay and finally the Chinese farm house. Watch and observe at each stop the daily activities performed by the indigenous people, the weaving of the “Puak Kumbu”, the making of blow pipes, and musical instruments by the Orang Ulu, as well as baking of traditional biscuits, are some of the activities you will observe. At the end of the tour you will be entertained by a dance at the village theatre.

3) Sarawak River Sunset Cruise

Enjoy a relaxing evening cruise along the famous Sarawak river to discover more than 20 historical landmarks and a panoramic view of the city and beautiful sunset behind the Serapi Mountain.

4) Semenggoh Orang Utan Nature Reserve
To get the best “posing” view of the Man of The Forest’, the Orang Utan, drive 30 minutes to the Semenggoh nature Reserve established in 1975. It is situated along the Penrissen Road as a forest reserved centre and a centre for research. The centre is meant to rehabilitate animals including the Orang Utan. Some of the Orang Utan here are semi wild that have been surrendered and some were born at SNR. The best time to be there is at feeding time, when you can see them as well as observe their eating habits. Remember Orang Utans are found only in Borneo and Sumatra.

5) Jong’s Crocodile Farm
Jong’s Crocodile Farm is one of the largest in the country, located 29km away from Kuching City. In this farm, you’ll get to see over a thousand crocodiles that range in size from tiny babies to behemoth saltwater monsters. Besides local and exotic species of these leathery beasts, other wildlife such as birds, monkeys, bearded cats, sun bears, deer, lizards and snakes are also here. Let’s experience an unforgettable, exciting watch during their feeding time.

6) Bako National Park

Tours normally take 45 minutes by road and 30 minutes by boat ride to the Bako National park. The park Gazetted on 1st May1957 covers an area of 2,727 hectares and is located at the northern tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula. Bako provides an outstanding diversity of natural landscapes in a relatively small area and home to many species of flora and fauna. Well marked trails offers interesting walks to spot the famous proboscis monkey and silver leaf monkeys. The other wildlife’s to spot of course the naughty long-tailed macaque moving near us to get free food. The monitor lizards and squirrels are common and so is the wild boar moving around the HQ and canteen. If you are fortunate you might even see snakes sneaking nearby. If you intend to stay overnight there are chalets available and it is just suitable for you to go along the longer trails. This National Park is worth going if you are nature lover and environmentalist, a solute and scenic spot overlooking the open sea and sand beaches.

7) Gunung Gading National Park
Gunung Gading national Park is located in the Lundu District, southwest of Sarawak. It takes about 2 hour’s drive from Kuching. Gunung Gading is the home to the world’s largest flower, the “Rafflesia”. It’s ever grown up nearly 87cm in width. However, if you miss the Rafflesia blooming period, you can enjoy your trip for jungle trek and swimming in the jungle streams.

8) Fairy Cave and Wind Cave
The Fairy Cave & Wind Cave is located in the Bukit Kapor in Bau area, (once a famous gold prospecting town) which is about 45 minutes drive away from Kuching. Once you in the Fairy cave, you’ll marvel at the limestone formation in these mystical caverns that are thousands of years old. Some of the rock formations resemble figures and animals, becoming a point of religious interest for some of the locals. The Wind Cave, about 5 minutes drives from Fairy Caves. Wind Cave have staircase and plank walks lead you to the main cave and two underground tunnels. Here, you can feel total darkness and the wind blows around you. Torchlight is a “must” equip for you to see the bat and you also can hear sound of high-pitched squeaking from thousand of bat as well.

9) Santubong Wildlife Cruise
The Santubong peninsula beckons with a delightful attraction – dolphin watching. The shallow coastal area and estuaries make good habitats for the rare Irrawaddy dolphins. The Irrawaddy is a relatively shy dolphin. It’s usually hard to see, depend on weather and a good guide cum spotter, the serene view, frontier of the land – mangrove forest and its in habitant will keep visitors fascinated. The Santubong area is one of the places where you can watch fireflies, which inhabit the coastal mangroves and Nipah growth along the shallow coastal area. It is very beautiful to watch as the sun sets in and the night begins to emerge, where these insects begin to hover amongst the trees. Best time to watch is in the evening when the tide is ebbing.

10) Kuching Rainforest Kayaking
Treat yourself to fun filled kayaking adventure suitable for beginners and children in some of the most beautiful natural settings in Kuching. Paddle leisurely from the upper river and savor the sights of unique limestone formations and towering riverine trees while enjoying the peace and tranquility of the rainforest. Discover the fascinating carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes in their natural habitat. Truly not to be missed adventure for the nature lover.

11) Satang Island (Pulau Satang Besar)
Sarawak’s First Marine protected area, Talang-Satang National Park covers an area of 19,414 hectares and was gazette in 1999 to enhance marine turtle conservation in Sarawak. The park encompasses the coastline and waters surrounding four islands. Pulau Talangtalang Besar, Pulau Talang-talang Kecil, Pulau Satang Besar and Pulau Satang Kecil. These small island are surrounding by patches of shallow coral reef which provide shelter and resting grounds for sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs. Pulau Satang Besar, the largest of the park’s island. The beach on satang is one of the best in Sarawak and it is possible to snorkel on the nearby reef if there is good visibility. Overnight trips to Satang during the nesting season and day trips to Satang can be combined with Santubong wildlife cruise (Dolphin watching) Peak turtle nesting season : May ~ September.

12) Annah Rais Longhouse

Live in a Bidayuh longhouse with the locals, savor the local delights and experience the traditional lifestyle. A trip to the Annah Rais Longhouse offers great nature-based activities and cultural shows. Annah Rais Longhouse is situated about 60km or 1hours drive from Kuching. Trips must be pre-arranged.






13) Iban Longhouse(Batang Ai and Lemanak River)
The Iban Longhouse tour at Batang Ai and Lemanak River is a unique experience to be cherished. Visitors will get an opportunity to journey upstream along the river on a wooden longboat, before arriving at the longhouse where many interesting activities await. Be awed by a blowpipe demonstration, see how rice is cooked in bamboo tubes and watch a traditional native dance.

14) Kampung Semban Ring Ladies
Situated up the Padawan Mountain Range, take a 5HRS trek through the forest walking pass fruit orchards, pepper farm, rubber and cocoa plantations and rice fields towards Kampung Semban, the “Village Above the Clouds”. the community here are famed for their group of elderly ladies who wears Brass coils on their arms and leg. this moderate to difficult walk will take you pass the Bengoh Dam while heading into the mix-dipterocarp forest while commanding the highland’s steep slopes. apart from the Ring Ladies, the other highlights of this trip is the trek to the waterfalls, where you can participate in preparing and enjoy traditional Bidayuh lunch cooked entirely in bamboo!

15) Talang Satang National Park (Sea Turtle Adoption Programme)
Talang Satang National Park was established with the primary aim of conserving Sarawak’s sea turtle population. The park comprises the coastline and sea surrounding four islands of the Southwest of Sarawak; Pulau Talang and Pulau Talang Kecil off Sematan and Pulau Satang Besar and Pulau Satang Kecil off Santubong, near Kuching. Talang-Satang National Park covers a total area of water bodies approximately 19,414 ha. Beautiful shallow reef area surround all the four islands. the reefs generally consist of several species of hard corals and colonies of soft corals. they provide shelter and resting grounds for sea turtles, and are also important fish breeding areas.The island is open from May to September each year allowing 15 groups of volunteers, comprising of 6 volunteers per group to participate in this unique conservation programme. Normally the island is strictly off limits. The Sea Turtle Adoption that is being run on the island comprises of conservation activities such as beach patrols to locate turtle landings, monitoring sea turtle nesting activities, tagging and measuring turtles, transferring eggs to hatchery, releasing hatchlings, data recording and other in-situ conservation activities. Sea Turtle Adoption Program offers you the chance to learn more about sea turtle conservation through your active participation in various activities such as beach patrols, monitoring turtle nesting activity, tagging and measuring turtles, transferring eggs to hatchery, releasing hatclings and data recording. 

Categories: Kuching

George Town Travel

Georgetown Penang
Location: Penang

Location Info
Address: Georgetown,11900 Penang, Malaysia
District: Georgetown

Location
Georgetown is the capital of Penang, the UNESCO World Heritage of Penang. It is located in the north east side of Penang and at the west side of the whole Peninsular Malaysia.

Overview
Georgetown is famous for its historical buildings that are influenced by eastern and western properties. It has been listed as the UNESCO World Heritage to preserve the old, historical buildings. One of the many attractions there is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This mansion was built in the end of 19th century according to the intentions of Feng Shui. It is now acts as a Bed and Breakfast cum museum. The next attraction is Kuan Yin Teng Temple Penang. It is located at the heart of Chinatown. A visit there gives you an experience of Taoism temple.

There are many nearby attractions. It is a must to visit the Gurney Beach Penang, strolling on a long pedestraian pavement. After the sun set, walk to the nearby hawker stalls in Gurney Drive and have a taste of Penang food. There is another place that offers uncountable choices of food with affordable price, New World Park Penang. Do pay a visit to Batu Feringghi which situated around 18km from Georgetown. Tourists often visit the beach there to be mesmerized by the cool breeze and beautiful scenery. The prices for Georgetown hotels are similar to Batu Feringghi Hotels, a little bit pricey compared to Tanjung Bungah hotels

Some famous hotels in Penang are located in Bayan Lepas too, including B-Suite Hotel and Vistana Hotel. Spending a night or more in Penang is indeed a bright choice as there is insufficient time to discover and explore the whole of Penang in just 24 hours. Just like in Georgetown, famous hawker food is available everywhere in Bayan Lepas. It is certain that everyone is aware of the Penang Bridge. Still, there are many expressways in Penang where reduce the heavy flow of traffic including the Bayan Lepas expressway and Jelutong Expressway. Thus, it is easy to travel from Bayan Lepas to the other parts of Penang including the mainland, Butterworth.

Transport
In order to reach Georgetown, you can take a taxi which costs around RM38 from Penang Airport. Take a ride on trishaws or walks are the best ways to perform sightseeing in Georgetown.


Article from attractionsinmalaysia.com

Categories: George Town

Kota Kinabalu Travel

Kota Kinabalu (Capital City)
Location: Sabah


Location Info
Address: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
District : City Centre


Location
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the state of Sabah. It is more commonly known among the locals as KK. It is situated by the sea with the majestic Mount Kinabalu as the backdrop.


Overview
Kota Kinabalu is filled with plentiful of interesting places. One of the highlights of Kota Kinabalu is the Kinabalu Park. It is the home of the world renowned Mount Kinabalu. It is also Malaysia's first Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is a great place to enjoy the beauty of nature as the Kinabalu Park is the home of more than 5000 species of plants and hundreds of other animals. This certainly is a place not to be missed. Another great place to see the wonders of God's creations is at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. The park is located along the Penampang-Papar old road and is fully developed by the Sabah Wildlife Department. The park is made up of two components which are the zoological and botanical. The inhabitants of the park consist of the Sumatran rhinoceros, orang utans, Proboscis monkey, Malayan tigers and many more.

There is also the Layang-Layang Island which is situated in the South China Sea, about 300 kilometres north-west of Kota Kinabalu. This is a manmade island which was constructed for the Malaysian Navy but was later made into a diving resort. Although the island is not a natural one, it is ranked the top ten diving destinations in the world. Another great place to see myriads of marine creatures is at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. You can snorkel or go island hopping depending on the package which you choose. You need not stay over as there are one day trip packages as well.

The Tanjung Aru Beach is the place you should go if you want to see the best view of the sun setting. This is a place many locals some over the weekends. It is usually crowded on weekends as many families come here to relax with their children. Kota Kinabalu has many other places of interest. You can choose to visit the City Mosque, World Water Theme Park, the Waterfront, Menara Tun Mustapha (Sabah Foundation Building), Kota Kinabalu Wetlands, KK Esplanade, JesseltonPoint Waterfront, the Green Connection and Gaya Street (Sunday Market). With so many places to visit, do consider extending your stay here at Kota Kinabalu. Hotels in Kota Kinabalu are abundant but do book in advance during peak season as there may not be ROOMS LEFT of you book late.


Transport
To get into Kota Kinabalu, you will need to get on a flight. You will arrive at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. From there you can either take a cab or rent a car to move around. There are also public transport such as buses and even boats which you can opt for as well.

Article from attractionsinmalaysia.com

Categories: Kota Kinabalu

Kuching Travel

Kuching
Location: Sarawak

Location Info
Address: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
District: Kuching

Location
Kuching is situated at the banks of the Sarawak River on the North-Western part of the island of Borneo. It is the largest city in the entire Borneo and placed in the fourth place for the biggest city in Malaysia. It is also known as the City of Kuching.

Overview
Kuching is very attractive. Most tourists go to Sarawak just to explore Kuching. It has many tourist attractions offered to locals as well as visitors. If you want to get up close and understand more about the multi cultures in Kuching, the best thing to do is to go visit the temples and mosques around the city. One of the famous temples in Kuching is the Tua Pek Kong Temple. This temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Kuching and is easily access almost anywhere in Kuching. After a visit to the Chinese temple, you can go to visit the Muslims mosque. There are two main mosques in Kuching, namely the Kuching City mosque and Masjid Jamek. Both mosques are packed with devotees performing prayers expecially on Fridays.

For all of you adventurous people out there, Kuching offer a lot of activities that bring you a step closer to the nature. There are national parks around including Gunung Gading National Park and Kubah National Park. There are more activities that have to be done or else your visit to Kuching is incomplete. They are Longhouse Adventure, Kuching Kayaking, visit to Borneo Highlands, fish feeding and more.

A tour or a travel is never complete if you have not tasted their local delicacies. Thus, remember to have a taste of all the popular Kuching's food. They are Sarawak Laksa, Kolok Mee, Mee Sapi, Manok Pansoh, Nasik Aruk, just to name a few. After filling your stomach, souvenirs are the next thing to get. The best places to have these shopping experiences are Sunday MARKET and Main Bazaar. If you are looking for accommodation, Kuching is not letting you down. They are various kinds of hotels from budget ones to high end LUXURIOUS HOTELS. Of course, there are camping sites available if you are to visit and overnight in the national parks.

Transport
The best way to go to Kuching is by flight. To go around in Kuching, you can rent a car, take a bus or hail a taxi. Do take note that the main bus terminal in Kuching is located opposite to the old mosque. However, the best way to sightseeing in Kuching is by bicycles and by foot.


Article from attractionsinmalaysia.com

Categories: Kuching