(sorry, no pics available)
Went there on the very 1st night I was at KK. A surprisingly heavily-commercialized yet decently not polluted beach area with lots of stalls and even a huge garden nearby. It was a wonderful start to my 2 weeks stay here. The night breeze from the sea is juz envigorating, and the calm black sea that disappearing in the horizon contrasting with the busy crowd on this side of the shore is really interesting. The place confirms my belief that this 2 weeks trip gonna be hell lot of fun, like an oasis in the midst of my desert-like holiday! Lol.
2. Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring
Along the way to Kinabalu Park, I almost went crazy with the awesome beauty and majesty of Mount Kinabalu. I actually took more than 30 pictures of the mountain in different angle and time of the day! Lol. Here's some of the better ones (hell the pics really dun do the mountain justice):
Oh and mind u these pics are taken FROM A HILL! So Mount Kinabalu here isn't juz a mountain among flat lands, it's like a king of the mountains there!
After we arrived at Kinabalu Park, we have a short jungle trekking tour. And I actually met one of my friend from Klang there, whom I haven't seen him for a long time since he's studying in Sheffield! Wow, think about the chance of us meeting one another at that spot wei... It really is a small world after all! Lol.
Here's some pics of the interesting flora and fauna there!
Don't the orchid looks cute? >=)
Oh well, this will have to do for the time being!
After the jungle trekking and lunch, we went to Poring Hot Spring, which is situated nearby (actually it's about 45 minutes away, but considering that we're traveling thru the hills, that's considered close! >=P) When we arrived there, we went for the canopy walk 1st above the trees of the forest - 41 meters above the ground!
I can't even see the ground from the top!
It was an amazing view... and a scary one too! Lol. We then proceed to the hot spring area, where man-made "bathtubs" were built and where everyone wait for their chance to secure a "bathtub" for themselves. Seeing how crowded the public baths are, some of us opt for private ones, which cost RM 15 per hour. Well, it's a great deal for the privacy, and I jumped for 1 straight away! Sorry guys, no pics to share with u all for that 1! =P The hot spring bath was juz awesome. I feel so relaxed & energized at the end of the hour! Lol.
3. Labuan
Went to Labuan for 2 days 1 night. We left KK Jetty in the morning and arrived there after a 3 hours ride, where Sarah pick us up at the jetty there. Good 'o Sarah. She brought us all over the island, and many thanks to her family too, for their hospitality and generosity in belanja-ing us all the wonderful meals! Well, the places of interest in Labuan are mostly historical sites, like Surrender Point, War Memorial etc. Here's a pic from Surrender Point:
The sunset view on the beach near Surrender Point is beautiful too, so I took the oppurtunity to ask for a pic!
But of all the cool places in Labuan, it's the mysterious Chimney that caught my attention the most. Built on top of a hill, the seven storey brick structure is 32.5 meters high, and at its base, about 4 x 4 meters. The reason behind the construction of the building is not known. Many assume it to be a ventilation shaft for the coal mining tunnel underground at first, but recent excavation shows no tunnels underneath the structure. Some suggested that it is used as a chimney to burn the coal, but there is absolutely no signs of any burnings in the inner walls. Some said it's a light house, and the locals claimed that it used to be a bell tower signalling the arrival of ships to the port. Till this day, the actual purpose of the tower is still shrouded in mystery...
That means, we have our very own Stonehenge in Malaysia! Hahahaha... I always like mysterious structures and all. And the Chimney do have an enigmatic aura surrounding it... Here's some of the pics I took there!
facing upwards.
Saruman's tower in The Lord of the Rings? >=)
Of cuz, a trip to Labuan will not be complete without buying all the tax-free stuff there... No I'm not talking bout alcohols, I'm talking bout CHOCOLATES!!! XD I spent more than RM 100 on the chocs alone! Lol. Some of them are half the price compared to those sold in other places! Went back with KK with a big load of chocolates! Lol.
4. Manukan Island
The trip to Manukan Island is a relaxing one. We juz go there and lazying around at the beach. There were lots of water sports and activities offered there, from snorkelling to kayaking to banana boat to paragliding... all at a cost, of cuz! But well, both me and Keat are juz not in the mood to do all the stunts that day, so we juz enjoy the beautiful scenery, bathe in the seawater and have fun burying each other with the sands of the beach! Lol.
all around my legs in the water!
gorgeous hunks are not immune to heat stroke! >=)
5. White Water Rafting
Of all the things I do in Sabah, this is the one I enjoyed the most. I've been longing to try out White Water Rafting for years, and now I have the chance!!! We travelled all the way to Sungai Padas, deep within the jungle, by an ancient 100-year-old train, still powered by... I dunno, coal? Lol. Here's some pics of the train itself.
The long long ride to the site of the white water rafting is horrible. We were melting under the intense heat in the interior of the train, and the ride there was incredibly bumpy. Some twenty med students from UM joined us in this outing, but they're juz not sociable enough to care about our presence. =P But I was excited throughout the journey as I saw all the crazy rapids along the river, and I tried to imagine how it's like to raft on top of them... Little did I know not only did I do juz that later, but I actually swam on the rapids themselves!!! >=)
Upon arrival on the starting point, we were divided into groups of 6 or 7, all under a guide, and we have a short briefing there on how to use all the equipments and all the what-to-do's & what-not's. Then, we're off to the crazy river! Man, the experience was just undescribable! It's like riding a rollercoaster ride, but this is much more exciting bcuz the rapids are totally unpredictable! Crashing thru the rapids are juz exhilaring! And swimming on the rapids is juz crazy... but hell I enjoy it all the way!
And there u have it, all the fun highlights I have in Sabah! I'll add one more entry on the food there and some misc. photos tomorrow ler! >=)
Heard that there's a White Water Rafting site near KKB... Anybody interested? >=D
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