Okay, I feel so guilty now. Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia was supposedly just our gateway to Bali in Indonesia. Taking it for granted, we didn’t do much research about the city only to find out that our 19-hour halt was way too short.
After settling, we went out on a very humid night to search for a dinner place. Our stroll led us to the Waterfront area and we combed almost all the hawker stalls for some Mee Goreng, Kopi Ice and Satay (thinking that it would be as fun and vibrant like the street food scene in Kuala Lumpur).
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Nasi Lemak |
We found a nice eatery with an open-air dining area. The server assisted us immediately and later on find out that she’s a Filipina from Mindanao who now lives there.
We had Mee Goreng Ayam (RM 6 | US$ 1.67), Mee Goreng Seafood (RM 7 | US$ 1.91), Nasi Lalap (RM 6.50 | US$ 1.81), Teh ‘O’ Ice and Kopi ‘O’ Ice (RM 2 | US$ 0.56 each).
The Mee Goreng was just okay, it was kinda bland. The Kopi Ice was the same, it didn’t have that strong coffee and milk flavor that they serve in Kuala Lumpur. But it was okay.
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Mee Goreng Ayam |
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Nasi Lalap |
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Teh 'O' Ice | Kopi 'O' Ice |
Moving on, we went on and tried another hawker stall that sells Satay (RM 5 | US$ 1.40 / 6 pcs.) and some grilled chicken wings (RM 5 | US$ 1.40 / 3 pcs. Chicken wings). Much to our surprise, the server was, again, a Filipino. We chatted for a while and then sampled his grilled stuff. The chicken satay with its peanut sauce was yummy. The grilled chicken wings was equally tasty. Me thinking that we should’ve hoarded some more for our beer night.
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The highlight of our dinner |
We didn’t have plans the next day (we.are.the.best.travelers), so we just walked around and found ourselves on one of the important landmarks in Kota Kinabalu, the Tourism Office along Jalan Gaya (Gaya Street). Apparently, there were three structures that survived World War II around town and the building that houses the Tourism Office was one of those.
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Splash of colors |
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Street art |
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Chill |
Built in 1916, it was used as the Printing Office, Audit Office, Town Board, District Office, Attorney General’s Office and Post Office. After it was named as a heritage building, it was formally appointed to the Sabah Tourism Office which also serves as the Tourist Information Center. The city’s reference point or the Kilometer Zero is also situated in the area.
We, of course, needed some help going around town so we sought the advice of one of the tourism officers. They then told us that the Atkinson Clock Tower is just around the corner and that we could probably make a quick visit.
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Atkinson Clock Tower |
Situated on top of Brace Hill, the Atkinson Clock Tower is one of the important structures in Kota Kinabalu that survived after World War II. It was named after Francis George Atkinson, the first District Officer of Jesselton. The original structure was made of merbau wood but was replaced through the years. It once served as navigation aid to local ships.
After visiting two important landmarks in the city, we strolled along the famous Jalan Gaya and went to the small alleys that lead to much interesting areas.
Along Jalan Gaya, we found this certain eatery that was packed with diners that afternoon. The Yee Fung Restaurant serves the famous laksa (I tried laksa in Singapore and had good memories about it).
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Fortune Coffee Shop |
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Teh Tarik and Kopi 'O' Ice |
Taking advantage of the time left, the group headed to the Handicraft Market along the Waterfront. We checked out some souvenirs and stuff, haggling is of course encouraged.
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Sepak Takraw |
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Dried fish |
As hastily as it can be, we dashed to our hotel, packed our stuff and hired a cab going to the airport. We paid RM 30 (US$ 8.35) for the quick 20-minute ride to the airport passing by the Sabah State Mosque, the city’s state mosque.
It was a quick layover but I’m sure that we are so coming back to Kota Kinabalu and explore more of what Sabah has to offer. Next stop, Bali!
Ang dami pa rin napuntahan sa layover. Most of the OFWs there yata are from Mindanao, yun din kasi mga nameet namin sa kainan at tourist spots.
ReplyDeleteYun nga din napansin ko Michi :)
DeleteCan't believe you went to Kota Kinabalu without climbing the Kinabalu moutain. Definately write that behind your ear if you ever return and if you are into moutain trekking, ofcourse ;-)
ReplyDeleteWill try it next time Sheena :)
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