Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 2017

Dates of Travel

5 - 8 March 2017

My family decided to go to Sabah, for my sister's and my birthday as our last family getaway was in 2013 I believe.

We stayed at The Pacific Sutera Resort and you can find the review soon.

Pasar Malam - Night Market

My mother wanted to buy dried salted fish and we headed to their local Pasar Malam which means Night Market in Malay. There's a whole stretch of Pasar Malam along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens where you can buy dried goods to Filipino made handicrafts to a wet market!

fresh and dried goods

 In the wet market portion, goods such as fresh vegetables and fruits are being sold. Look at how beautiful and big the onions are!

Pasar Malam

 There's even an area where they sell non-food items.

wet market portion selling huge chunks of tuna

 Of course, the wet market area sells all types of seafood! The cockles and clams are almost as big as your palms.

selling squid

 We walked on and found a stall that cooks the seafood you've selected.

Clams Vs. iPhone 6

 We had huge clams almost the size of your palms or even about half the size of my iPhone 6.

lobster and prawns

 The stall also sold lobster which is bigger than the regular trays you see in the food court.

Parrot fish

I also had Parrot Fish for the first time. I've always seen parrot fishes whenever I go diving as they're so colourful and pretty, it was pretty weird to see them on the table being served to me for dinner.

We ordered a total of RM190 worth of steamed parrot fish, clams, vege and squid. I would say it is quite expensive for a place like this though it is for 4 pax. I felt quite apprehensive as the whole area was dirty and a little bit dodgy. It is still quite an experience to eat at a place like this as you're eating where the local Malays would eat, but you have to watch out for your belongings!

Island Hopping

Because we stayed at Sutera Habour, we just decided to go to the habour attached to the resort instead of going to another habour/port. This way we could save time on travelling and just sleep in. It is definitely more expensive of course, but we felt it was worth it.

Sutera Habour

There's two ways you can go island hopping. First way to is travel to Jesselton Point Habour. Go to any travel agent located in the terminal to purchase your island transport/ferry.

• Two Islands – RM 33 per adult
• Three Islands – RM 43 per adult
• Four Islands – RM 53 per adult

Beside the speedboat fare, there is also a RM 10 per person entry charges to the island. You can also charter a boat by paying RM 204 for a round trip.

The second way is at Sutera Habour itself! It was almost double the price as compared to if you were to travel out to the jetty. But since we were lazy bums and did not want the hassle of looking for a travel agent at the jetty, we just opted to go with Sea Quest which was located at Sutera Habour jetty. It is RM75 per person (min 2 pax to go) for 2 islands with rental of a mask and snorkel (RM13) and life jacket (RM13). We just rented a mask and snorkel as we knew we were swimming from the beach and it will be quite safe.

Sapi Island

First stop - Sapi Island! The waters were crystal clear and it was so beautiful! Once we disembarked from the boat, the Sea Quest staff will ask you what time do you want to take the boat to the next island. I gave myself 2 hours here and were even late by 5 mins. Good thing we paid top dollar, cos they made the boat wait for us! My sister did parasailing here & we both did jet ski!

Sapi Island Beach

Second Stop - Manukan Island! When we were reaching the island, we noticed there were flying foxes from Manukan to the island opposite! Yes! Flying fox over the sea! We wanted to try it for sure!

Manukan Island

We paid at the counter in the jetty, got allocated a time slot to bring us across to the opposite island and it wasn't easy getting up to the platform where we rode the coral flyer!

We had to carry out own harness & climb up steep slopes, steps and rocky path for about 10 mins! The view was worth it though!

Before you know it, the whole ride was over in about 1 min. The path down wasn't that easy either. Considering that we had to navigate through muddy, rocky and steep terrain in slippers, I would say we did well!

The path down!

Kinabalu Park & Pouring Hot Spring

How can you visit Kota Kinabalu without visiting Kinabalu Park or Mt. Kinabalu?! Of course I did not climb Mt. Kinabalu, I'm not ready yet and I did not train for it - obviously. Look at how round I am!

Mt. Kinabalu

 Of course, I have to kick my sister at every chance I have. I mean, what are little sisters for, if not for kicking. ;) I must say yoga paid off well. Look at how straight my legs are! Haha. We drove for about 2 hours to get to Kinabalu Park from the city.

The hike through Kinabalu Park was very refreshing and easy! It was cooling (bloody sister was cold so she took my jacket) and there were lots of flora and fauna to admire! We took about an hour and really just admire the beauty of the forest we were hiking through!

Next, we had lunch and proceeded over to Pouring Hot Springs where we had to hike up (steep rocks and stairs) to get to the canopy walk! If you're from Singapore, it's very similar to the tree top walk at Macritchie Reservoir - just not as short and not as safe...?

hauling my fat ass up

I think the entire hike took us about 20-30 mins and I was panting my head off by the time we got to the top. There are about 4 board walks to cross and once you're on it, there's no turning back!

 The canopy walk was very high (obviously) and it was SUPER SHAKY unlike the Singaporean counterpart. I have a teeny weeny bit fear of heights or things that are unsafe (but I do it anyway) and the way the canopy walk was shaking... I just left everyone behind and just walked on hoping it will be over soon.

canopy walk

 Basically it's just ropes, planks and a net..? The net is not even high. It was just about waist high so imagine a really large Caucasian man on it. The net will probably just reach till his... butt?

Getting down was easier, but not as fun. You have to watch out for the tree roots, rocks and weird insects that leap out at you. At the end of the trail, it'd lead you to Pouring Hot Springs which is basically tons of bathtubs/huge basins for you to soak in hot sulfuric water in the scorching hot sun. Erm, no thanks! I didn't even bother to take a picture of it!

Dad trying to be a hero

 Well, was it worth it? I'd say I'll hike through Kinabalu Park anytime. I mean, who doesn't like hiking through temperatures like that? It was so nice and cooling and made everything so easy to enjoy. But going for the canopy walk? Maybe I'll pass on that.

Rapids

 At least we saw some nice rapids on our way down!

Foggy

Somewhere in the middle of heading down the mountain back to the city, the fog came in and I just had to post this. It looks like something right out of a horror film!

Kama'a Rejuvenation & Wellbeing Spa

Kama'a Spa

 Well, a holiday isn't a holiday without a spa session! First, we were picked up from our hotel, driven for about 15 mins to the space location which was tucked away at a quiet corner of a shopping mall. The access though, was from the multi story carpark. If I were just wondering around aimlessly in that shopping mall, I would have never seen this spa. So, it was a good thing my mother found this spa on TripAdvisor and booked it!

soaking of the feet

The session started off with a questionnaire of how we like our massage to be. I like my massage light to medium for my arms and legs and really strong for my back, shoulders and neck (Office Lady Syndrome). Then, a good soak of my feet with lime-infused warm water. I know, sounds so hipster with the lime-infused water. It smelt great though!

Watermelon juic

 They even provided us with watermelon juice to refresh ourselves while we got our feet soaked! We all had hot-stone massage and it was absolutely amazing!!! It was one of the best massage I've had in my entire life. Sometimes you fill up those questionnaires about how you'd like your massage to be and halfway through the massage the therapist will forget about your preference and just use her brute force anyway. Not this spa though! I sometimes get ticklish when they massage my thighs, but I felt the pressure was just right for my legs and really really hard for my shoulders and neck, just how I like it.

After the massage, they provided hot tea while we waited in the lounge for our parents to finish up. They even dropped us off at a Bah Kut Teh Restaurant after that! Impeccable!

Yu Kee Bah Kut Teh

If the Malaysian, herbal style of Bah Kut Teh is your cup of tea, you should give Yu Kee BKT a visit! Super authentic BKT with a rich herbal taste!

By the time we got there, they had ran out of intestines! Super sad about that! Nonetheless, we had liver, pork belly and so much more!

all those food for 4!

 So if you're intending to try it out, go early! They'll even give you your own personal bowl of soup!

pork belly

 It will be a meal you'll never regret going for!

Pork Liver

Manila: Pearl of the Orient

Salamat Po!

War Memorial

Dates of Travel: 4th - 8th February 2015

I jumped at the opportunity when G had to travel to Manila, Philippines, for work. I've wanted to visit Manila for quite some time as some of my colleagues are Filipinos and the talk of their home just got me really curious. Also took this opportunity to visit some of my ex-colleagues!

I really have to apologize for the bad quality photos. I actually packed my camera chargers, accessories, etc etc, and I forgot to bring the camera itself. I only realized I left my camera on the dining table at home when I was on the plane to Manila. All the photos were taken using my iPhone 5. *insert sad face*

(Note: I'm just gonna start clearing my backlog of posts that I'm supposed to write, but got too lazy..)

Manila American Cemetery & Memorial

Address: Taguig City, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines 

Website: http://www.abmc.gov/

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,201, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

War Memorial

It is sincerely one of the most beautiful cemetery/memorial I've ever visited (not that I've been to a lot, but I've been to my fair share of cemeteries and memorial parks). It was a bright and beautiful day when we arrived. Bus loads of students were lined up at the bus bay and throngs of Filipinos were unloading their cars with snacks and children. 

students roaming the grounds

Despite the sun shining brightly, the wind was cool and we just wandered around aimlessly. Reading all the poems and messages engraved on the marble walls made me quite emotional. It brought back memories of movies like Pearl Harbour, Saving Private Ryan and other war movies. So many sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers lost due to the war.

There were marble pillars and columns after columns of which perished soldiers names were engraved on. It was such a shock to the system as there were SO MANY names, and I knew this was only just a handful, a small picture to what war is like.

Rizal Park

Rizal Monument 

Rizal Park (Filipino: Liwasang Rizal) also known as Luneta Park or colloquially Luneta, is a historical urban park located along Roxas Boulevard, City of Manila, Philippines, adjacent to the old walled city of Intramuros. Since the Spanish Colonial Era, Being one of the largest urban park in Asia, It has been a favourite leisure spot, and is frequented on Sundays and national holidays. It is one of the major tourist attractions of the City of Manila.  

Situated by Manila Bay, Luneta is also an important site in Philippine history. The execution of national hero José Rizal on December 30, 1896, fanned the flames of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain. The area was officially renamed Rizal Park in his honor, and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the park's symbolic focal point. The Declaration of Philippine Independence from the American Occupation was held here on July 4, 1946 as were later political rallies including those of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986 that culminated in the EDSA Revolution.

It is basically just an open air park with benches and a monument. If you visit without the history knowledge of the park, you'd just dismiss it as just another park to have a picnic. As you can see in the blurry picture above, the flags on the right are Philippines and on the left is Indonesia. We asked a guide on why Indonesia's flag was up and they said that foreign ministers who visit Manila are usually brought to Rizal Park to pay their respects and the respective country's flag will be flown for that few days together with the Filipino flag.

Intramuros

Intramuros

Intramuros (Latin, "within the walls") is the oldest district and historic core of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Also called the Walled City, it was the original city of Manila and was the seat of government when the Philippines was a component realm of the Spanish Empire. Districts beyond the walls were referred as the extramuros of Manila, meaning "outside the walls".

Construction of the defensive walls was started by Spanish colonial government in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions. The 0.67-square-kilometre (0.26 sq mi) walled city was originally located along the shores of the Manila Bay, south of the entrance to Pasig River. Guarding the old city is Fort Santiago, its citadel located at the mouth of the river. Land reclamations during the early 20th-century subsequently obscured the walls and fort from the bay.  

Intramuros was heavily damaged during the battle to recapture the city from the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. Reconstruction of the walls was started in 1951 when Intramuros was declared a National Historical Monument, which is continued to this day by the Intramuros Administration (IA).  The Global Heritage Fund identified Intramuros as one of the 12 worldwide sites "on the verge" of irreparable loss and destruction on its 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, citing its insufficient management and development pressures.

What stark difference it was once you stepped past the thick stone walls into Intramuros. I felt like I time traveled into the past! Intramuros is so huge that there are a few schools and universities located inside Intramuros. There used to be seven churches, but five were destroyed during the Japanese Occupation.

snacking on dried mangoes

Despite it being the same day as when we visited the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, the heat was unbearable! It would have been lovely to just wander around the grounds and a really incredible place for photos, but my skin was burning from the sun rays and we were sweating buckets. I think the closed up stone walls played a part in scorching us. We were basically dodging from museum to museum to art galleries. We saw some Filipino families having picnics on the grass and I really have utmost respect for them. Unless the weather is like San Francisco's (office workers come out and play frisbee in office wear during their lunch), there's no way you'd see me sitting in the sun enjoying a picnic.

Manila Cathedral 

inside the cathedral

 The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (Filipino: Metropolitanong Katedral Basílika ng Maynilà; Spanish: Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Manila), informally known as Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The cathedral serves as the see of the Archbishop of Manila, the de facto Primate of the Philippines.  

Located at Plaza de Roma in the Intramuros district of the City of Manila, the cathedral was originally a parish church owned and governed by the Archdiocese of Mexico in 1571, until it became a separate diocese on 6 February 1579 upon the issuance of the papal bull, Illius Fulti Praesido by Pope Gregory XIII. The cathedral was damaged and destroyed several times since the original structure was built in 1581 while the eighth and current incarnation of the cathedral was finally completed in 1958.

beautiful stained glass

We wandered into the cathedral as the shade looked so inviting. Having studied in a Catholic school for 11 years, I could appreciate all the beautiful statues of Mother Mary & Jesus. The stained glass is a work of art. Not only does it provide shade from the glaring heat and rays outside, it adds a nice touch to the whole ambiance. I spent a good twenty minutes just walking around and looking at all the stained glass windows.

stained glass windows

Each window depicts a different story in the Bible. One window would be about Mother Mary spreading the gospel, another is about the Holy Spirit.

Fort Bonifacio High Street

gah, so grainy

 Bonifacio High Street is a shopping mall in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, Philippines located just near Serendra, Market! Market! and SM Aura. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. It opened in the 2007 and it is one of Ayala Corporation's flagship projects. The mall offers a mix of high-end retail shops, restaurants, amenities, leisure and entertainment in the Philippines. Currently, the mall has four sections, the first and second blocks are an open-air shopping, while the third block is a mixture of open-air and indoor commercial buildings dubbed as the Bonifacio High Street Central and the fourth block which was named Bonifacio High Street South or simply High Street South in which is a mixture of open-air and indoor commercial-residential buildings.

Thanks Ritzelle!

Many international brands are located at High Street. However, those brands there are what we could find in Singapore, we didn't shop much. We did visit lots of cupcake and dessert shops though! The whole area of Fort Bonifacio felt very safe (as compared to other parts of Manila) as there are a lot of police officers patrolling the area with police dogs, riffles or just patrolling in their cars. You could actually see people jogging or walking their dogs along the streets at night which is a very uncommon sight in Manila.

Abe Restaurant

Address: Mcarthur Avenue, Bonifacio Global, Taguig, 1630 Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 856 0526
Website: http://ljcrestaurants.com.ph/abe/

Klassik Kare Kare 

Klassik Kare Kare - Traditional tender oxtail stew cooked with tripe and vegetables in a creamy, rich peanut-base sauce

Chicharong bulaklak

Chicharong bulaklak - Deep fried pork intestines with special garlic sauce.

Abe's Knockout Knuckles 

Abe's Knockout Knuckles - Need I say more? Crispy pork knuckles!

Binukadkad na Crispy Pla-Pla

Binukadkad na Crispy Pla-Pla - Large tilapia, butterflied and fried to crispy tenderness.

Banchetto at A Venue Makati

street BBQ Food

 I'm sorry I had to use other people's photos. I was too engrossed in eating and ordering food and gawking at a whole piglet roasting over charcoals before my very eyes that I forgot to take photos. And when I remembered, it was so dark my photos turned out like crap.

Thanks Rose!

 So, Banchetto is like a huge Pasar Malam of sorts selling a lot of local street food. They had stuff like sisig, chicken intestines (still prefer pork though), pork knuckles, adobo, BBQ seafood skewers, you name it. The whole atmosphere was so lively and.. oily. I LOVE IT! There's even a live band playing.

sausages and roasted pork 

chicken intestines