Cabana Retreat a.k.a Glamping @ Kota Belud

Finding a place just for a weekend getaway in KK? 

If you have a car, you can opt to go to Kota Belud for glamping. By the way, glamping is just a word for glamorous camping! Just about one and a half hour drive from KK, there is this place called Cabana Retreat. Price is slightly expensive, perhaps about RM 250++ per camp but various facilities provided including toilet, cafe, hall, mini swimming pool etc. You can bring your own food there and cook if you want or you can request for food provided with a minimal cost. 

One nice thing about this place is that it's by the beach! You can enjoy the beautiful view of sunset in the evening and even sunrise if you can wake up early.  

The front of the resort. Very limited parking space but it's just enough for all their guests. 

Green Mug Coffee @ ASquare, Kota Kinabalu

Have you ever heard of Green Mug in KK?!

Yes? No? Anyone? Anyway, this brand has been in the market for quite some time and it was one of the pioneer to bring this cheesy layered drink to KK. It has its static coffee shops and it also has the on-the-go stall which moves around KK all the time. But the static ones are at Jalan Gaya (next to Tempurung) and ASquare @ The Containers! If you so happen to drop by at this stall, remember to try this out! CHEESE KOPI O KAWWWWWW............... Though price is slightly above average, the quality and uniqueness are there.

You can never miss this at the counter and find it hard to resist! 

Himbaan Homestay @ Kg Himbaan, Bundu Tuhan

Taking a trip out of the busy city KK is always a YES for me especially going to places which I can get a closer view of the great Mt Kinabalu! As for this time, my friend who is leaving KK soon picked a very nice place in Bundu Tuhan, which is Himbaan Homestay in Kg Himbaan. You may Google this place but the road to this place is bad and you definitely need a heavy duty car to reach here. 

Just something a bit about Bundu Tuhan before I move on. It's just a small town which is not far from Kundasang. It has many small "kampungs" within and most parts of this place can have a nice view of the great mountain. Weather is still cooling and going through the whole Bundu Tuhan road will eventually lead you to Ranau!

And as for this Himbaan Homestay, it is located just slightly below Hounon Ridge Farmstay but Himbaan is a more nature-like place! You may choose to stay in a nice properly built house or you can opt for the tents. Picking the tents (~ RM 90 for a tent for 2 person) is not a bad option because it is well-equipped with mattress, pillows and blankets. Besides, it has a very well-equipped kitchen as well and both sharing-toilets are fixed with heather! Damn.. This is the most luxurious camp that I have ever been to, seriously! And last but not least, it has a Husky which is super friendly and like to run around without irritating your stay there!

Stopped by at a Sinalau Bakas (smoked wild boar) stall while on the way to Bundu Tuhan!

Polumpung Melangkap View Camp Site @ Kota Belud, Sabah

Looking for a camp site by the river and have a nice view of Mt KK when you wake up in the morning? Here you go, Polumpung Melangkap View Camp Site (PMVCS) at Kota Belud district. PMVCS is located about 80 km from KK center and takes about 2 hours journey to there. If you are coming from KK center, take the road towards Kundasang and turn down to Kota Belud-Kundasang road to reach the camp site. Turning in from Kota Belud will be a much longer journey and waste of time.

To organise a trip there is never difficult, just pick the things (or rent from them) that you need for camping and make reservation through whatsapp @ 012 871 5576 then it's all set to go! They have many things to rent, such as tents, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, kitchen, camp fire site, bbq drum, canopy, floating tube etc. You name it, they got it! Besides, there is also a small mini mart at the registration counter, washroom and bathroom facilities. But one setback about this place is that it can be very crowded as as they allow quite a huge number of people entering the camp site and there are many stray dogs and cats. So, you got to becareful with your belongings as they might go missing at night! And please bring along your own drinking water or clean water if you are cooking. Be there early to get a good spot for camping!

Turning into PMVCS

Bukit Botak @ Sepanggar (back dated 2 July 2016)

Many friends have been calling me to go and hike at Bukit Botak, Sepanggar but I always do not have the chance to do so. And finally the day has arrived! Ta-daa.. =)

To find the starting point for this place is never easy unless you really have someone to guide you all the way. Even if you have arrived at this place, you would never know where is the exact starting point to hike up as it looks like a construction site rather than a hill to hike. Not even a signage to show you how to go up the hill, so make sure that you bring along a friend who knows the place well or else it will be a wasteful trip for you. And another advice is that never go in a small group but to go in a big group (8-10 people) as there is no one there and danger can be everywhere!

The total distance from the starting point to the peak is less than 1.5 km which will take you about 30-45 minutes or even lesser if you have good stamina. The route is not really a good one especially at the starting point as it requires a bit of climbing. The remaining of the route is just up and down. Bring a touch if you are hiking to watch sunrise and a mosquito repellent if you are staying up there for a long time.

Direction to Bukit Botak; You can park at near the end of the blocked road and walk towards the starting point

Nice lighting view at the town below before sunrise 

We are almost there! It seems that the bushes cleared a lot as compared to half a year ago..

Malaysia flag at the peak of the hill.. 

View of Sepanggar Port from the peak of the hill.. 

 A group of 5 girls and me as the only guy.. Quite risky to go up in a small group! =p

 Mt Kinabalu spotted from Bukit Botak.. Not a good day for sun rise as the sky was too cloudy.. =(

Time to go back down for breakfast! =) Mission accomplished. 

On the way down from the peak of the hill.. 

"Road not taken..." 

Some camera effect testing while on the way down..

 Spooky forest if you are to walk alone..

No proper route, so be prepared..

"One for the road!!!!!!"  You will never realise this steep is the hill when the sky is pitched black..

Between the 2 zones.. Between the rockie and the forest.. 

Jumping post for all the "young generation"

 The new road by the hill.. It is better if you can find the way in!

Time to say good bye!

Enjoy and have a nice day =)

Bukit Perahu @ Tamparuli Town

If you are looking for another good spot to hike without much congestion like Bukit Padang, you can drive for about 40 minutes to Tamparuli town to hike this Bukit Perahu! The trail is a bit more longer and challenging as compared to Bukit Padang. If you have good stamina with good hiking skill, 30 minutes is the max for you to reach the peak!

We started off at around 5.20 am and hiked for about 40 minutes and thought that we would be about to catch the sun rise. But too bad that we couldn't get the sun rise as the weather was too hazy. Luckily the air is cooling enough with strong winds. Just one advise, don't wear too thin to hike! =)

At the peak with the Malaysia flag

 View of the nearby towns

 Nothing much to do up there. Just a flat land for you to chit chat and take selfie while waiting for others! =p

Ok, just to show where to start off! The place is never easy to find if it's your first time there! Look for landmarks such as the community hall and St Veronica Hill! They are just 2 minutes drive away from the town and there is no proper parking space, so just park your car along the road will do as long as you do not cause any havoc to the traffic!

Community hall the at opposite side of the road

St Veronica Hill.. It seems that they used to use the hill for Station of the Cross during advent season

Uphill all the way and you will find crosses along the trail!

Huge cross after the 13th station which is not far away from the peak!

Once you see this from far, that means you are very near to the peak!

Enjoy and have a nice day! =)

Kedai Kopi Lotus @ Damai

If you are looking for wonderful old style coffee shop for wide varieties of good food for dinner, Kedai Kopi Lotus is the place! I have been to this place many many times but never tired of the food. If you can drink, it's best for beer to go with these food! This shop is located near Cosway pharmacy in Damai. You can order whatever you like, it all just depends on your wallet whether you can pay for all the good food that you want to order because everything is so DAMN good.... =p

Pork Satay (RM 1.20 per stick) Juicy and tender, and goes really really well with the sauce.. You will definitely ask for more.. Best served when it's hot!

Melvic Chicken Wings (RM 1.80 per set) Super juicy and it's the best chicken wings in KK! 

Grilled Stingray (RM 25, depends on size) Comes with a lot of vegetables. You can order white rice to go with if you want! =)

Fried Salted Egg Bittergourd (RM 10) Crispy and taste good. If you prefer not to have a single taste of the Bittergourd, this is the place! But if you still want to taste something of the bittergourd, you can find it at Marketplace 88...

Many other things such as dumpling and noodles which you can order. Price are quite reasonable but you need to bear the heat because it's quite hot.. =)

Enjoy and have a nice day..

Tenom Fatt Choi Cafe @ Tenom

It came to my surprise when I see this cafe in Tenom! I guess you too couldn't imagine that Tenom Fatt Choi has its own cafe and it's in Tenom somemore! Anyway, it's good to see some local brands expending their business especially to the rural areas and they deserved to be in my blog! =p If you haven't try Fatt Choi coffee in your life before, I think you should taste it at least once because it has the aroma which is so different from other types of coffee but the taste would be quite mild if you like strong coffee! Price is considered quite cheap and they serve quite a lot of varieties.

The menu...

If you want to buy the commercial packing ones, please do so because the price differs a lot (almost double the original price) if you buy it in KK!

So never forget to drop by this place for a cup of coffee before heading to some where else! Enjoy and have a nice day =)