Kota Kinabula Borneo

hedgehog2

Hi anyone been to Kota Kinabula in Sabah Borneo?
I have 5 days to fill there in June and would like to do independent trips to keep the costs down.
Any suggestions are welcome,places to stay,things to do,eat etc.
Many thanks

athtrasna

We stayed just outside KK in the Shangri La Tanjung Aru. We booked our own flights to do a day trip to Sandakan to Sepilok Orang sanctuary. We got business class flights and organised our own transfers for half the price of the organised tours in the travel agents.

Another thing we did was the North Borneo express, a pullman train half day tour. It was very interesting but probably not worth the money. Then again, it was our honeymoon.

hedgehog2

Cheers athrasna,
I have seen the shangri la but its out of our budget as we are on a month long trip but it must have been amazing on your honeymoon.
I am flying into sandakan and spending 5 days there that part is sorted,we then fly to KK and need to fill another 5 days without much cost.
Many thanks

eagerv

Stayed there last year for 4 days.

Would have loved to stay longer, booked a cheap quiet hotel very central. Pantai Inn, about €20 per night, with very friendly staff. Rooms small but clean and contained all the essentials.

Plenty to see in the area, Mountains, sea, rivers, wildlife etc.
Islands are fabulous, can get trips with multiple stops including BBQs. Cheaper is to hire a local boat from the public wharf. Paid €20 for speedboat and driver for the day! 80HP engine must have used 15 gallons, but petrol cheap.
Also visited boat owners family on Gaya Island. What an experience, houses are built on the water and are very basic. The authorities are trying to ban these houses, but the locals seem happy, mainly involved in fishing and boat trips.

Outdoor late night eating is everywhere. Fish is particularly good. More expensive than mainland Malaysia or Thailand, but standard much better in my opinion. About €4 for a decent meal. Best place is the car park down at the fishermans wharf. Car park closed for cars 6pm till 6am.

There is an Irish bar fairly close, but looked very quiet. Right beside Pantai Inn there was a group of bars and cafes. Seemed to be where most of the locals and expats met. Drink not particularly cheap, but in one of the bars they used to keep feeding us for free!

Overall, really enjoyed the few days, hope to get back perhaps later this year. Flights are great value with Air Asia. Paid less than €70 return from Kuala Lumpur.

hedgehog2

Thanks for the info,
I looked at that hotel pantai inn,the reviews on tripadvisor suggest it has gone south a bit so might just stick to the one we were originally looking at.
Great you enjoyed yourself and by the sounds of things we won`t get bored with 5 days here.
Looking forward to it and will take your advice on board re the boat hire and food markets,much appreciated.

eagerv

Hedgehog2, hope you have a great time. Not long now!

I hope you enjoy Kota Kinabalu. Day excursions are generally good value, the only one I did was the Klias river cruise. Great to see the Proboscis Monkeys in their natural habitat. About €30 all in including buffet dinner.