Just Back From Sabah/Brunei

Where is Sabah? Sabah is the new name of North Borneo. Borneo is situated on North Eastern island of Malaysia. The best place to start your journey is the city of Kota Kinabalu. Central Kota Kinabalu has many great assets, one is its walk ability. To walk is in many ways the best way to see and feel a city.

Kota Kinabalu Nickname: KK

Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah, East Malaysia.

I found Sabah to cater for all travellers from the budgeting single backpacker to the comfortably well off retirees.

The locals are welcoming, friendly and laid back. While a large proportion of the population is of Islamic culture they are tolerant of westerners and you will feel very welcomed by the local people.

Walking through the streets from our hotel we enjoy stopping when the children are playing want to pose for photos. We continue on to the bus parked around the corner on our way to the jetty to catch a boat to Manukan Island for a buffet lunch and some swimming in the crystal clear water.

After the return boat back we have the rest of the afternoon at leisure where we enjoy refreshing tropical fruit juices relaxing by the hotel’s lagoon pool, watching the sunset.

A must see is the world renowned Orang Utans rehabilitation centre. Various organisations have set up in or near the Borneo jungle. Most rehabilitation facilities have set up Visitor Centers in order to support the up-keep of this important work. Tourists and visitors can visit these centers either as individually or as part of a group tour.

You will be guaranteed a sighting from the platform which is about 5 meters from the deck where the Orang Utans are fed between 11.00am and 12.00pm.

Shopping: There are 5 major shopping centre's in KK which are Centrepoint, Wisma Merdeka, Wawasan Plaza, Karamunsing Complex and KK Plaza. Sabah is a great destination if you are a keen shopper. You will be offered a wide range of clothing and local knick knacks such as freshwater pearls to handcrafted wooden bracelets.

Shoes and bags, wallets and backpacks are common in the many street stalls. Prices are very cheap by our standards. For example a Guess bag will cost you around AU$20.00. A similar item in Sydney would set you back at least $140.00.

Now we leave Sabah and go to Brunei.

Bandar Seri Begawan is the centre of Brunei’s commerce, finance and government. In many ways, it is also the heart of Brunei’s cultural landscape, housing some of the nation’s most revered landmarks. The city’s breathtaking Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is stunning and a tribute to the nation’s faith.

A visit to the Kampung Ayer (water village) is surprising to our eyes! The river is the highway of commerce and trade for everyday living! It is very different to waterfront living in cities such as Sydney. Every house has electricity. Forty thousand people live around the water, with about 2-3 families in each house. A boat trip to or from the main island is around 50cents.

Brunei’s dollar is close to the Australian dollar. So I recommend that shopping is best done in Sabah.

One of the animals that I found interesting was the Proboscis Monkey, found only a couple of kilometers from the water village and accessible by boat (around $10.00 for half hour). These Monkeys are protected in Brunei as they are an endangered species.

When you visit the monkeys in their habitat, you need to be very quiet and watch carefully to see them. I found that seeing them in their natural environment was very appealing.

The ten days I spent traveling in Brunei and Sabah were a rewarding educational and cultural experience. This was an unforgettable holiday and a memory that I will treasure.

Brunei is an Islamic country, and alcohol cannot be purchased there. If you wish, purchases can be made prior to arrival in Brunei. All of the Hotels will advised you of a designated area by the pool if you want a nightcap whilst watching the sunset.

We stayed in the reasonably priced 6 star hotel “The Empire”. You will be delighted by the welcoming of the staff and will be treated like royalty. There is lots to do in this hotel. It features which has five outdoor pools, kids’ daycare, and cinema with newly released movies. Something special is the world renown 18 hole golf course.

Once you are there you will not want to leave. Brunei was special and we were glad that we saved the best for last! Only 1 hour flight from KK, I would recommend to visit Brunei, even if its 2 days. A trip worth telling people about!