First Time Abroad: Visit Truly Asia Malaysia 2020 - Kota Kinabalu - Sabah

Hello, Super Folks! Welcome back to my blog! How are you today? Well, whether you tell it or not, I know, most of us are not okay. Many are anxious, lonely and depressed. I'd like to say, if you don't feel fine, that's normal and valid. It's also understandable. Because of this COVID-19 pandemic, many are now getting emotional and struggling to stay sane. Without a doubt, the world has mental health crisis too and it's extremely concerning. We must address it and we also need to flatten this "other" curve.

Praying like sharing to God your worries, reading new book, learning new language, avoiding toxic news on social media, learning how to plant, painting and doing yoga. These are only few examples that we can do daily or frequently to feel better. In addition, to somehow escape from the prison of negative or overthinking.

Remember this, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, think about such things."(Philippians 4:8)

Welcome to HOMY SEAFRONT HOSTEL! 

Moving on, today is another day, thank you God always, another blog post and another travel story. Are you ready? Well, before I start, let me ask you first. Have you tried getting a visa? Whether it's South Korea, US, Japan or Schengen, tell me, how's your application experience?

Good for you, congratulations! Me? Unsurprisingly, I got denied. My story wasn't extraordinary, for sure, other people also had the same experience. It was memorable though, and painful at first, in denial after reading the result. It was almost one year ago when it happened, when I decided to join with my two well-traveled friends in applying for a South Korea visa.

An accredited travel agency in Makati City handled our applications, we just paid PHP700 each(roughly USD14) and submitted the requirements. At that time, I knew I didn't have the edge, I knew I would get rejected. My documents were weak and before that, I didn't travel abroad.

I don't know, but most of the time my gut feelings are correct. After three weeks of waiting, I got the bad news from the embassy. There were two reasons, based on the form. First, I failed to prove the purpose of entry to Korea and second, I failed to prove strong economic and family ties to the home country.

Atkinson Clock Tower

It was a wrong move and the result was heartbreaking. Perhaps, I was just trying my luck. Like many Filipinos, I also love Korean culture, almost everything, from cuisine, K-Pop songs, to K-dramas. I thought traveling to South Korea would establish it, I thought it could be a perfect testimony, but it just didn't work. Flying there wasn't for me, it wasn't my destiny. Hopefully, next year! 

No biggie! After a month, I realized that moving on, if there would be a plan to travel international again, I should only choose country without visa requirement for Filipinos like our neighbors, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, or Malaysia.

I LOVE KK 

Indeed, there's a reason for everything. If not with that rejected visa application, I would not have the idea of going to Sabah, Malaysia. I would not have the reason to visit the beautiful islands in Kota Kinabalu.

Marlin Statue

Like this funny yet clever quote, "When a door closes, another door should open, but if it doesn't then go in through the window."

Teksi! Teksi!

Few months after the application, I was still determined to travel abroad. I kept on checking cheap flights to Southeast Asia online, seat sale and promos of AirAsia and Cebu Pacific.

Traveling is my life, after visiting quite a lot of breathtaking beaches and tourist spots in my beloved country, the Philippines for years, I thought I was ready to spread my wings and fly farther. Just kidding!

Kota Kinabalu City Mosque

(Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu)

But seriously, I thought it was the right time to discover new culture in a foreign land, meet new people, explore new tourist attractions, islands and create new stories.

Good thing, I found an affordable flight from Manila to Kota Kinabalu, on Cebu Pacific app. It was less than PHP3500 each(roughly USD70), for a round trip ticket. So, I invited my travel buddy slash close friend and then, later on she invited her colleague to come with our trip.

UMS ODEC Beach

(Universiti Malaysia Sabah-Outdoor Development Center Beach)

Voila! Booking confirmed. Aside from airline reservation, I was also the one who booked our hotel, felt like I was a travel agent, a bit challenging. My friend told me to check this Homy Seafront Hostel on Agoda app because of its great reviews.

After reading the reviews and checking their photos on Instagram, no doubt, it was a yes for me. I was sure, we were looking for that kind of accommodation.

UMS Pink Mosque

Whether you're a solo backpacker, traveling with your friends or family, Homy Seafront Hostel is a real deal, two thumbs up. Not only because it's affordable, its location is also an easy access to tourist spots, from man-made attractions to natural. Their services and amenities are superb too. Tell you what, when we stayed there, we only paid less than PHP3600(roughly USD72), for two nights, one room good for four adults. In addition, our breakfast for two days were included.

Tun Mustapha Tower

It was just a short vacation abroad, the usual 3 days 2 nights, to relax and de-stress. We were on a red-eye flight, duration from Manila to Kota Kinabalu was roughly two hours and thirty five minutes.

While we were inside the aircraft, I had few questions on my mind. I thought that was normal for someone who didn't have international travel experience, a newbie. Questions like how's the weather there? What's the smell of the air? How's the food, the people, and the tourist spots?

Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal

We arrived at almost 2am and since we knew that we could not go to the hostel right away, we decided to just stay inside the airport for more than two hours. My travel buddies truly enjoyed the fast Wi-Fi too.

There's a KFC inside the airport, so, we also decided to just take our breakfast there. I couldn't help but compare their signature meals to those they have in their Philippines' stores. Actually, chicken was still tasty and a bit spicy, and the coffee was better.

KK Street Food

It was roughly 5am when we left. Thanks to airport Wi-Fi, we were able to use Grab, a famous ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia. We decided to go to the hostel earlier than our check-in time which was after 2pm, only to leave our bags and luggage, to be more comfortable during our walking tour. It was my first time to ride in a right-hand drive car. Our driver was nice as well as the smell of his car, we paid him cash. Good thing, I already bought 100 Malaysian Ringgit inside Manila airport, that was roughly PHP1200(USD24). Tip number one! Be prepared always.

Welcome to Sabah, Malaysia! Welcome to Kota Kinabalu! So, we were welcomed by one of the caretakers slash employees of the hostel and surprisingly, he's also a Filipino. The travel time from the airport was roughly 15 minutes. Still, an early morning when we got there, sun wasn't out yet. We felt a bit tired and weren't ready to explore KK that time. We felt that we would need to rest for an hour or two.

Palau Mamutik

Coffee Break? Yes! We need that. Okay, before I continue my story, let's talk about Kota Kinabalu's brief history first. According to kotakinabalu.info, Kota Kinabalu is named after Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia(Kota means 'Fort'). Formerly Jesselton, the city was originally established by North Borneo Company in 1800. Jesselton was an important trade post and port in their Southern campaign, but sometimes faced uprisings from the local population.

It is the capital city of Sabah in East Malaysia, a cultural melting pot and major tourist gateway to explore the northern region of Borneo Island or more popularly, "Land Below The Wind". Abbreviated locally as "KK", the city is the seventh largest in Malaysia.

Our official first day in KK was fine. Sunny and clear blue sky with puffy clouds, so sweet to the eyes. Weather was like in Manila, slightly humid and slightly hot.

Our check-in time was perfect because we were able to take a relaxing walk around the city, like a leisurely stroll. I don't know, I guess, I'm a type of tourist who don't create itineraries, as much as possible.

It was already seven in the morning when we went out. Internet was fast and reliable, imagine, we could still use the Wi-Fi connection of the hostel, even we're already like two buildings away. We could still use the Google Maps and google.

Sulug Island

First stop was the Atkinson Clock Tower. Well, it was an okay attraction. Tourists should visit this place because it gives us the city's history, an idea. While we were walking, luckily, there's a location map that shows an information about it.

Manukan Island

It's a quaint wooden structure that was built in 1905 and stands near KK city's Padang Merdeka(Independence Field). It is located in an area that was the first developed part of the city, then named Jesselton and one of only two structures(other, Old Post office, now Sabah Tourism Board office) in Kota Kinabalu that survived the World War II bombings.

Also known as, Menara Jam Atkinson, it was built as a memorial to the first District Officer of Kota Kinabalu, then Jesselton, Mr. Francis George Atkinson who had died in 1902 of "Borneo Fever"(malaria) at age 28.

From the tower, strolling continued. We found an area where there were locals. There were stores too, where we bought local sim card and tried spicy noodles. Then, picture taking at the waterfront, with the "I Love KK" monument and Marlin Statue.

We had ample time and we were ready to see other tourist spots but because we didn't have enough Ringgit, we went back to Warisan Square, to buy more. The exchange rate that day was for every 1 MYR, the value in PHP was roughly 12(USD.24).

Round two! So, from the Klagan Hotel, we booked a Grab car to drive us to the famous Kota Kinabalu City Mosque aka "Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu". Sadly, it was closed when we get there. It's a common destination for photographers. Well, no doubt, because it's still stunning and admirable, from afar. They also call it "The Floating Mosque" because it is partially surrounded by a man-made lagoon.

We say, don't talk to strangers. But I guess, that worked when we were in KK, because we were able to explore the city's major attractions effectively and efficiently. We were able to visit places that we didn't expect to see. Someone approached us for a private tour and the price we paid was based on the Grab app. Roughly, less than PHP1000 each(USD20) or MYR83.

Fair enough, we went to this 122 meter, 30-story glass tower in Kota Kinabalu, according to Wikipedia, the Tun Mustapha Tower. For the first time in our lives, we saw a lovely beach and pink mosque situated inside a school, the Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Oh my, I wish I was a student there.

Of course, we didn't forget the food trip! It's like a special ingredient in every travel. Well, it's not a lot, but our first day was unforgettable. We had our lunch in Restoran Anak Mamak, a nearby eatery. The Mee Goreng there, was delicious and tasty. Really a must-eat! It's also known as bakmi goreng, an often spicy fried noodle dish, originating from Indonesia, common in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

That night, we also tried local street food, everything was spicy and I enjoyed it, from dumplings to fried tofu. I totally forgot their names. Second night, we went back to Filipino Market for our dinner. I say, it's advantageous that there are Filipinos in KK because you can communicate in Tagalog, negotiate easily and get ideas on where to go or eat best.

Inside the market, there's an area where you can buy fresh seafood and these grilled orange chicken wings. It's affordable and worth a try. It's attractive color will make you more hungry.

Second day became more fun and exciting for us, beach lovers. We had to wake up early and prepare for the island-hopping. It was just a day tour, we started from 10am to 5pm and paid roughly MYR45 each, or PHP540(USD10.80). The price was good for three islands, the Mamutik, Sulug and Manukan.

First, we went to Mamutik Island. According to borneodivers.info, it's the smallest island of all the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and approximately 3km away from Kota Kinabalu. Second was Sulug Island, it was like a virgin island, undeveloped and remote. We only stayed there for a few minutes, only to take pictures. Third, the Manukan Island. According to mysabah.com, it's the most frequented island by domestic and international tourists. It's the second largest island of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. What were my first impressions? No bad reviews for me, islands were all fine and heaven. Mamutik and Manukan were both developed. Wooden walkways were welcoming and it's so cute to see schooling and shoaling fish under. Islands were perfect for relaxation, we were able to enjoy the warm water and the sand. Worth a comeback? Yes, 101%!

We thought, we could go to Tanjung Aru beach after island-hopping for the sunset, but because we're already tired and hungry, we decided to cancel it. Our last day was nothing serious, nothing but spending our remaining hours in Kota Kinabalu. We just bought souvenirs, mostly Malaysian coffee from the grocery store and fridge magnet. We also went to Imago Mall, watched Hollywood movie and stayed in Starbucks until sundown.

Thank God, my first experience abroad was pleasant. I remember the quote written on the mirror, inside our room.

"Some days, you just have to create your own sunshine."

Until we meet again KK!

Super thanks again for reading my blog, Super Folks!

Please make sure to subscribe also on my

YouTube Channel!

https://youtu.be/n2klEBuWprs

And follow my Instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/supermarkymacky/?hl=en