Place to go in Sabah

As we know, Sabah is an beautiful island that at the top of Borneo. It fulls with beautiful small island and seafood. It is under the Malaysia country and face to the East China Sea.

In September, I had the chance to visit Sabah with the less money. And the most important place we need to visit is Mount Kinabalu.We go and back with a car around RM 550.


1. Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu  protected as Kinabalu Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago as well as the highest mountain in Malaysia.Mount Kinabalu is also the 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence.

In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low's Peak) height at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 metres (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft).

On the way to mount, we need to pass through the by pass at half road there. We may buy souvenirs like handmade keychain, t-shirt, hat and handmade bags with the "I Love Sabah" logo besides you may see the mountain at the peak pview point and enjoy the food.

When we getting near the mount, we will passed through a gate with the name Kinabalu Park and entrance fee around RM3 -5. It is high and hard to move on.  You will feel the cold air on the way going up the mount.

After 45 minutes, you will reach the gate of the climbers. You may go inside and climb up the stairs of view top to see the mountain nearer with squirrel if you are lucky.

For the climbers , it is sorry to said. As we suffered the earthquake and due to the renovation,  NO CLIMBERS allowed until further notice. (sept 2017 updated)


2. Kundasang (DESA Farm)

It is at the other side of the Mount Kinabalu. If you are interested with yogurt, milk. Then, it is a good place for you because it is famous with fresh milk with different flavour like coffee, chocolate and original. Kindly reminder dont buy a lot to bring home because you may regret as it just can maintain 2 -3 days after buy( expiry date is not working). Entrance fee around RM5 -7.

At here, you may pay RM1 -2 to feeding the cow and goat and take the picture around for free. Besides, you may see the process of milking at 8 or 9 am and  or 5 pm daily. If you are free, you may spend the time at the souvenir section to buy the cute cow products.

 

Scene at kundasang also make it a good place to take wedding photo for Sabah people. It is cold too. You also may visit the barn with lots of cows mow.

3. Island (Pulau Sapi, Pulan Manukan, Pulau Gaya dan Pulau Mamutik)

At first, you need to go Jesselton Point. Here, you can go Labuan with jetty around 8 or 9 am and 3 pm daily with 3 hours time. Besides, you can go to island with others or rent a small boat. We chose to rent a boat and driver with price around RM 300. The driver will wait for us when go and back within the four islands.

Sea water here is green or blue colour. We can see the bottom of water with naked eyes. Besides, you may buy the food or others equipment like pants at jetty before go out. At the way to island, the driver brought us to see the coral reef which getting less due to the pollution. He said, lots of coral reef already dead.

Then, we went to the island. First, we went to mamutik island. At the first island, we pay RM3 once for visit all island. Remember to keep the ticket for checking when go to other islands.  It has a restaurant on island. The sapi island more concern on water activities like banana boat, swimming, snorkeling, diving and underwater walk etc. All of this need to pay around RM100 and above.

4. Filipino Market

Filipino market is near to the old market of  Kota Kinabalu. All of the products like souvenirs, snacks (keropok) and the seafood are along the roadside. In Sabah, there are lots of seafood that are cheap and lots of choice like sea cucumber, abalone, anchovies, scallops and dry jellyfish. Besides, we bought the famous snack in Sabah named Ampram, a small round shape snack with fish, prawn and jellyfish flavour. Free test eat before buy. Middle size 3 pack for RM20. Small size 3 pack for rm10 and big size for RM30. For the handicraft, you can get key chain, handmade bag, accessories and t shirt from the wooden shops. 

5. Welcome Seafood Restaurant(大茄来海鲜菜馆）

It is a Chinese restaurant that rich with local seafood. It also have a normal price with nice food. At here, we ordered 5 dishes for  person. We paid around RM180 with plain rice and drinks. A fried octopus, cooked egg crabs, two vegetables and fried tauhu.

It is crowded and lots of foreigner came here for dinner. It is really tasty besides 30 minutes to 1 hour waiting. 

6. Gaya street 

It is located just at the back of the CIMB bank which opposite the Suria Sabah. It is actually the Sunday market. At here, we found food, pets, plants, handicraft,vegetables, fruits and clothes. 

7. Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh

It is famous Bak Kut Teh shop in Sabah. Bak Kut Teh is the cooked pork with chinese medicine that is black and help to keep them warm. You may order local food like Sabah spinach or fishball besides the main portion. May order for fried flour (you tiao) as side dishes to add it inside the Bak Kut Teh as a good combination. It costs around RM 80 include drinks and plain rice for 6 person.

For those who are interested may visit to Sabah Tea, hotspring and fish massaging "Tagal" when go to Kundasang or Mount Kinabalu as it is somewhere there. May need to pay entrance fee and enjoy. 

Must go place in Kuching

In Sarawak, the environment is the good place to be visited as it is rich of different flora and fauna that you can't be find in other place. Besides, here also have lots of museum like Penang but it is slightly different.

1. Bako National Park

A National Park since 1957, Bako offers the perfect introduction to Sarawak’s forests and wildlife.  The park covers the northern tip of the Muara Tebas peninsula, an area of 27 sq km.  Despite its seemingly small size, Bako contains a wide range of vegetation – swamp forest, scrub-like padang vegetation, mangrove forest, dipterocarp forest, delicate cliff vegetation and more.   In fact, at Bako it is possible to see almost every type of vegetation found in Borneo. Bako also contains a rich variety of wildlife and a coastline covered with small bays, coves and beaches.  The park has a number of well-marked trails offering interesting walks ranging from short pleasant strolls to serious full-day hikes.  Unlike some national parks, visitors to Bako are almost guaranteed to see wildlife. 

It is 2 hours from Kuching town and we need pass through a long road journey and sea to go there. For those who wants to have the night sight, you may stay at the hotel there with the restaurant.

2.Mount Santubong

It is located about 35 km north of the state capital Kuching. You need to pass through it before reach the Santubong Resort and Damai Resort. You may find it looks like the face of someone who is laying. Every morning, you may see lots of hiker cars down there and they go climb it. They get ready all the stuff that needed before start their activities. It is a interesting and challenging job to keep in touch with the environment.

3. Matang Wildlife Centre

Matang Wildlife Centre, part of Kubah National Park, houses endangered wildlife in large enclosed areas of rainforest or spacious cages. The main attraction is the orang utan adoption programme, where young orang utans, who were either orphaned or rescued from captivity, are taught how to survive in the wild. As well as orang utans, the centre includes spacious enclosures housing sambar deer, crocodiles, sun bears, civets and bear cats, and three large aviaries featuring hornbills, eagles, kites, storks and a host of other birds native to Sarawak.

There are some pleasant riverside picnic spots a short walk from the information centre and four jungle trails. The Pitcher Trail, which follows a circular path through the forest, takes approximately two hours and trekkers should not have too much difficulty in spotting the various specious of pitcher plants that litter the forest.

4. Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

It is a place conducted by Sarawak Forestry to helps the wildlife especially the orang utan species animal. At here, you may see lots of orang utan with different species. You may feeding them by pay the money at the entrance counter when you buy the ticket. It is a good place to gain the experience and knowledge.or at the sides of the trail. The Rayu Trail leads to the Kubah National Park headquarters and takes 3-4 hours. The Sungai Buluh Trail leads to two secluded waterfalls and takes 2-hours (one way).

5. Fort Margherita

Fort Margherita was built in 1879 to guard Kuching’s river approaches from pirates. In the old days, a canon shot was fired from here every evening to mark the end of the government work day. Named after Charles Brooke’s wife, Ranee Margaret, it is a unmistakable landmark along Sarawak River. It is now a history place to be visited and you may see the mistress and her two son had been buried outside.

6. Sarawak State Museum

The Sarawak State Museum (Malay: Muzium Negeri Sarawak) is the oldest museum in Borneo. It was founded in 1888 and opened in 1891 in a purpose-built building in Kuching, Sarawak. Naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace encouraged Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak, to establish the museum. It is just next to the Merdeka Parade Hotel. You may visit the Hero's Monument and others museum beside it.

 7. Kuching Cat Museum

The World’s first Cat Museum, devoted to all things feline, is in Petra Jaya in the Kuching City North City Hall. Cat lovers will find a range of exhibits, photos, feline art and cat souvenirs; over 4,000 of them. The museum is housed on the ground on the City Hall building, spread over four galleries covering a total area of 1,035 sq meter.

A fee of RM3 is charged for camera and RM5 for a video camera. You will passing through it when you go and back from Damai, Matang and Santubong.

8. Jong Crocodile Farm

The Crocodile Farm is located about 29km (18 1/2 Mile) from Kuching City, just off the Kuching-Serian Highway on the way to Skrang River, Batang Air Resort. It is easily accessible by road, which takes only 20 minutes by car and is a popular stop-over for tourists and locals enroute to Skrang River Safari for an adventure of a lifetime.

It is a good place to know about the lifespan of crocodile as it had small museum and the crocodile feeding show in selected time daily. 

Kuching Fair 2017

As we know, Kuching will have Kuching Fair every year around July till August. (the date change every year)
This year it has more food than previous year but the price is quite high (in my opinion).
Here is some food I had that are special.

TALLEST American Cone Ice Cream

This is a 3 topping icecream which you may choose by yourself.  It is big and you may share it. Its price is RM 9.

This is the long potato. Here we may see about three stall had the same things like potato story, potato king. You may choose the topping for it like mayonnaise, tomato sauce, cheese , seaweed powder and so much more. Its price is RM 16.(different stall different price)

It is a mango icecream that full with fresh mango. It is at the back of the fair. Its price is around RM 9.


For those who like matcha or japanese green tea, here is a good place. You may find it in icecream or drinks.

Matcha icecream

Here are actually two types of Matcha flavours. If you like a heavier Matcha taste, go for the 100% Super Concentrated Matcha! Otherwise, you can also get the 50% Concentrated Matcha.

And guess what? You can have two mixed flavours at a time! You can mix and match your Matcha ice cream with Dragon Fruit, Strawberry, Mama Cookies, Dark Chocolate and other varieties~ And the Dragon Fruit ice cream is 0% fat! We recommend the Super Concentrated Matcha + Dragon Fruit combination!

Matcha drink

 It costs RM5 and you may choose different flavour like orange juice, 

dragonfruit and so much more.

 There are three main layers to this Cream Puff. There is a crunchy butter biscuit on the outside and a crispy charcoal inner skin. Then the custard on the inside is thick and super fragrant, and just the right amount of sweet. Overall, the texture is soft, and it’s like biting into a cloud ! You may choose different topping inside like chocolate, green tea and cream.

Food In bekenu @ half way between Bintulu and Miri

Bekenu is a place named Sibuti. It is a small fishing town near Miri, in Sarawak, Malaysia. It lies approximately 477.6 kilometres (297 mi) northeast of the state capital Kuching.

The town has a few rows of shophouses, a fish market, several places to eat, and a pleasant esplanade.The town square faces the Bekenu river.

 It is 45 minutes from Miri town. 
At here, you may find a lots of Malay food besides a few Chinese food.

1. Sing Chiong Restaurant

As it is a big Chinese restaurant here, it had serve the famous Betutu fish and prawn mee. Besides, you may find the local Chinese way to cook with dishes like bitter ground with eggs, water spinach (kangkong), star gooseberry or sweet leaf(cangkuk manis) etc. 

You may get the fried mee, kuehtiaw and bihun besides the dishes with rice.

2. Restaurant Yone and Catering 

It is located opposite to the statue of Bekenu.The Malay food is famous with its ayam penyet with special chilli sauce but sometimes the chicken thigh quite small. (RM12) 

Besides, it also had the cendol and ABC for new menu. For those who like to eat different dishes in a time may get the food with choice and pay.

3. Al Shahmey Cafe

Lalapan ayam

It is located at the back of Sing Chiong Restaurant. It is an Indian Muslim shop with the Malay food. It is famous with the roti canai. You can find lots of roti canai and murtabak here. Besides, you may get lalapan, laksa, mee soup here.









4. Chang Xin Yuan (常兴园）
It is a shop with Chinese food like the mee with the same way to cook Kolok Mee in Kuching and Kampua Mee in Sibu. You may order it with dumpling or black, white.
Besides, it also had the prawn mee and ding bian hu (Chinese foochow food) on weekend.

Must eat food in Miri

Miri is a city of seaside. You may find lots of beach here with different distance along the seaside. It is the city of petroleum.

So, the logo The Grand Old Lazy is on the Canada Hill which opposite the Bintang Megamall Miri. 

Miri is also the main tourist gateway to Gunung Mulu National Park, Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir Hills National Park, Niah National Park and Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park.The Gunung Mulu National Park with its Sarawak Chamber is one of the favourite ecotourism destinations.

Therefore, it also has a lots of food here to interest the tourism.

1.2020 Cafe 

It is located at the Jalan Bulan Pelita which is somewhere behind the Red Crescent Miri Chapter at Jalan Bulan Sabit. 

It is famous with its dimsum or desserts like baked chicken with rice, siew mai, shrimp meatball and etc. It is very cheap and it just RM3.XX for a rack.                                               Besides, you may find the other food like laksa Sarawak, porridge and clay pot at the same shop. The services in the shop is quite effective too as the workers are high proficiency with high speed.

2. The Little Chef

It is a Chinese Restaurant located at Boulevard Commercial Centre just the block opposite the Boulevard Hypermarket at Pujut. Here, you may order the dishes or with rice. The price is acceptable for local people. Here are the dishes you may find.

1. SPECIAL CRISPY SALTED EGG BITTER GOURD
2. HOTPLATE HOMEMADE SALTED FISH BEANCURD
3. VIETNAM GOLDEN CHICKEN
4. YAM PORK
5. MUI CHOI 3 LAYER PORK
6. NAM YU 3 LAYER PORK

3. Tusan Icecream 

Tusan Icecream is the famous icecream in Miri town. It had 3 branch, in Riam, Permyjaya or Tusan Beach. 

It had lots of icecream that majority with the coconut theme. Besides, it also have other flavours products.

4. Ayam Penyet Ria Miri

     There are various ayam penyet here. You may choose the one you like. It is located at the back of Pullman Hotel Miri.

Bawal ayam penyet

Nasi ayam bakar penyet