Unexpected journey to the land below the wind: Sabah - Day 5

Day 5 marks the end of our journey to Sabah. We woke up and had special  bread known as roti kahwin at Fook Yuen Restaurant. It is 2 breads with kaya and butter spread in between. There are 2 types of bread, one is the toasted bread while the other is the steam bread.

After the warm up, it is time for our actual breakfast. We ate the famous fish paste noodles at Fatt Kee. There are 2 popular dishes, one is the tomato based noodle soup and the other option is the tom yum based soup. We tried both. Both were tasty in their own way.

After eating, we bought frozen seafood to bring back to KL at Inflamega Sdn Bhd. The price is cheaper than the ones sold in the airport.

With a reluctant feeling, we headed back to the airport. Surprisingly, the flight was delayed by 1 and a half hour. Since we had some time to spare, we headed to pay a visit to Aru resort. The place was beautiful and well maintained. The beach was really beautiful. We took lots of photos there. When it was about time, we headed towards the airport and bid farewell to our friend at Kota Kinabalu.

This was a wonderful yet relaxing journey for me and I shall remember my trip there. Farewell, Sabah.

Unexpected journey to the land below the wind: Sabah - Day 4

The 4th day is the day where we headed to the islands. We kick start our day with the Sang Nyuk Mee. The portion was big and I really like the soup. They have the dried and soup version. On top of that, customers are free to change the noodles according to their preference.  I ordered meehon mee, dry.

Unfortunately, it continue drizzling even though we finished our breakfast. A famous quite says: when life gives you lemon, made lemonade. We headed to Filipino street to purchase souvenirs. That's when my friend's bargaining skills came into play. Really grateful to her.

After awhile the rain stops, we headed to the Jesselton Point to take boat to Islands. We joined a group lead by this local guide name Siful. Our package include,visit to 2 islands, namely Pulau Sapi and Pulau Mamutik. Our first island was pulau sapi, where we tried the zipline, also known as flying fox across islands. We also tried the para-sailing, which is both exciting and memorable.
In the next island-Pulau Mamuntik, me and my friend tried snorkeling. Since we only get to do it near the beach, the corals we get to see were limited. Luckily, we saw different types of cloud fish, I even caught a star fish.

Around 4.30pm, we headed back to Jesselton point and had our Avocado juice together with snacks .
The creamy avocado taste makes me fall in love with the drink.

For dinner, we ate at this western restaurant called partly play. The food was good.

Unexpected journey to the land below the wind: Sabah - Day 3

Day 3 marks the day we bid farewell to Kundasang, the nice cooling place that is close to nature.
We managed to take a nice view of Mount Kinabalu on that day.

After having our breakfast at a small restaurant without name, we drove past Rocky Mountains that we went on day 1 and headed uphill to Mersilau. To my amazement, the place was like different paradise. It is also a starting point for adventurers who wish to hike Mount Kinabalu using a more challenging road.

After the Mersilau stop, we checked out . On the way downhill, we bought roasted wild boar's pork and headed towards Tamparuli's Rumah Terbalik.

Also known as the up side down house, there were cars, toilets and house that was build upside down.

Briefly after arriving at Kota Kinabalu, we drove to Lokawi wildlife Resort. The were interesting animals to witness with our own eyes such as the Hornbill, Proboscis monkey and the sun bear which is my all time favorite. I was fascinated by the sun bear's own performance in their habitat there.

Before heading to the hotel, we tried the famous bubble tea that is only found in Sabah, namely Yoyo. The shop is popular for the croissant and bubble  tea. Both bread and drinks were superb.

We stroll around this area and stop by for dinner after we checked  in the hotel. Next was the most anticipated event: the seafood maniac time. We tried different types of seafood at 100% seafood restaurant and it tastes so good.

To add to our amazement, our stomach has more space for supper. We tried the chicken wing and pork satay at this store (Lotus) for our supper. That's the end of day 3.

Unexpected journey to the land below the wind: Sabah - Day 2

Our day 2 was rather hectic. We headed to the Kota Kinabalu Park around 7 am to catch a glimpse of the mountain view. To our dismay, the mountain was covered by mist. We headed elsewhere for breakfast, with a glimpse of hope that the mist would  disappear.

Right after breakfast, we headed to the memorial park which is a beautiful place with sad memories to honor British and Australian soldiers held as hostages that lost their lives marching to that place.
The were 2 major gardens,  the British and Australia gardens. At the top, we saw the a great view of mount Kinabalu and the surrounding areas. Things would have been perfect if the mist did not cover the mountain top.

The next place we went was the Desa Farm. The scenery and atmosphere really makes me feel  like I have been to New Zealand. We took some awesome photos nearby. After multiples attempts to get the best selfie, we were exhausted. We stopped and tried the locally made milk and yogurt  produced there. We also fed the cattle and kid grass and milk.

As we were behind schedule, we skipped lunch and met our other friend at Sabah. On the way to our next destination, we stopped by to see Raflessia, the famous giant red flower. We had to pay entrance fee and do a little hiking to see the flower. The flower looks interesting but I heard there were bigger flowers of the same kind.

Our last stop for that day before dinner was the Poring hotspring. We specially went there for the canopi walk and hotspring. The canopy walk was tiring. As it was raining, we did our footspa under the rain. Luckily there was shelter so we did not end up that wet.

We had dinner at a cafe called Mama Kopitiam . After dinner, we went back to our hotel at Kundasang and call it a day.

Unexpected journey to the land below the wind: Sabah - Day 1

The arrival at KKIA 2 at Kota Kinabalu marks the beginning of our journey. We were greeted by our dear friend who drove all the way from Kudat (3 hr journey). Without further delay, we headed to Kundasang, Sabah. On the way there, we stopped by Tuaran for the famous Tuaran Noodle at Tai Ming Hwa Restaurant. The noodle was rich in egg flavor  that makes the dish uniquely awesome.

The dry and wet version of Tuaran Mee 

When we were going up the mountain area, we stop by one of the stalls to a special fruit found in Sabah: Talak. For me, Talak's texture reminds me of mangosteen. There are handcrafts sold around the stalls too.

 It took 2 hours for us to reach our hotel: j residence. The green scenery and cooling breeze makes the dizziness I gone through to reach the hotel worthwhile. I really like the view from the hotel. The hotel also offers cheaper rate for those staying there on weekdays.

                                                                   J residence

As the day was still early, we drove up to Rocky mountains. Despite the winding roads and  the small wooden bridge, we brace ourselves to venture there. We were rewarded with a magnificent mountain view. We also came across beautifully built vintage style chalet. We took plenty of photos there.

The skies turn dark not long after and we get the hint that it is dinner time. We had early steamboat dinner at cottage hotel. Indulging in steamboat under the cooling breeze gave me instant satisfaction.

As the night still young, we bough some snacks at nearby convenience store for supper.
End of day 1.

Titi Eco Resort at Negeri Sembilan

2 August 2014

To escape from busy city life, our next trip was to Titi Eco Resort at the nearby State (Negeri Sembilan). The whole journey took us one and a half hours. It was tiring trip with winding roads. Reservations need to be made in advance. The place was free from the hustle and bustle of the city , which makes it difficult for me to adapt at first. Eventually, I like the peace and quiet there. The place offer accommodation as well.

I took the 1 day tour (RM 50 ) inclusive of an organic lunch. We were greeted by the staff which gave us a tour around the area. They introduced us the many useful herbs planted around the area. I found the Aloe Vera the best due to its healing properties. They rear Ostrich and rabbits too. Only then I found out rabbits are quite picky when it comes to food. They ignore my vegetables and only came over when I gave them corn to eat. Surprisingly, the four rabbits that came refuse to let go of the corn once they tasted it until there is nothing left for them to eat.

Next comes the exciting part, the flying fox and the walking bridge. The flying fox was exciting. They gave you a rope and a small round hook to put your leg as support. My straw hat flew off when I was swinging halfway. My heart skip a beat for that moment. Luckily I look calm and did not scare the kids. The bridge is safer to walk.

Finally, our short tour ended with healthy organic lunch.  It feels good to have a healthy meal. After the meal, I went for shopping at their stall. I bought papaya powder made from unripe papaya that is known to have slimming and detoxing effect. I wonder how true is the effect but that's a nice souvenir I got.

Getaway to the Lion City

29 July 2014

Last minute getaway with family to Lion's City - Singapore during the long break inclusive of public holiday.  By taking a flight to Singapore, we have ample time for sightseeing upon arrival. The most impressive food I tasted in the airport was the Burger King Breakfast set with the turkey ham burger that comes with a croissant bun.
Really fell in love with the breakfast set I ate.

Without further delay, we bought a package from the tourist information counter which consist of entry to the Singapore Flyer, the Night Safari, The Garden of the Bay and Universal Studio for SGD 150. Hiring a driver to travel around places makes our life easier. After checking in the hotel, we proceed to our first destination- Singapore Flyer, the Ferris wheel. Moving at slow and steady speed, we get to enjoy the magnificent view of Singapore from different angles at a comfortable pace.

What impress me  is that you can even have your meal while riding the Flyer. Some compartments have table coupled with chairs for such purpose. I am curious about having a meal in the Singapore Flyer. I quickly drop that idea when I saw the requirements and pricing. I guess now is not the time for me to indulge in such luxury yet.

We stop by the Merlion Park before heading to our next destination. A visit to Singapore is not complete if one does not stop by this place of interest.


Our next destination was Gardens by the Bay.
The place have several key of attractions. The 2 main areas that mesmerized me were the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.


 Even though it is around 5pm in the evening, the sun is still glaring as ever and the heat is unbearable for me. Going to the Flower Dome really save my life. Phew. Strolling around the area surrounded by beautiful flowers in a cooling environment makes me feel like I am on paradise.

The flowers are really impressive. I am impress with the unique Persian Garden design and flower arrangement in the Flower Dome.



Without further delay, we proceed to the Cloud Forest. Upon entry, we were greeted by the majestic man made waterfall.  Standing below splashes of water from the waterfall makes me feel like I am close to being on top of the world.


We had our dinner at a food court within the gardens of the bay. After that, we move on to the night Safari.

No photography were allowed when you are on board. So the least I can take is the vehicle that takes tourist for the ride. Surprisingly, the vehicle does not have any form of cage or protection for the tourist. Luckily, the animals were not aggressive. A daredevil Tapir came close to the vehicle  just to have a snack at the nearby grass. Almost touch that animal. Having a close look at those wild animals really change my perspective of them.
That concludes our tour for day 1.

30 July 2014

Day 2 was full day at Universal Studio.
Since that days falls in conjunction with the public holiday in Singapore, the crowd was scary since early morning.
Behold, the Universal Studio and the crowd.


The first section we went were greeted warmly by the dancing mascots from Madagascar. Really like the Penguins dancing in their suits. We visited the 4D show in the Kingdom of Far Far away. The spider and splashing effect is fascinating.

We took a ride in Jurassic Park to revisit the ancient Dinosaur that many fear. The ride was nice with a surprising end of excitement. Should have bought raincoat for my parents and siblings who sat at the other end. I thank my instinct for picking the right seat  that makes me dry.

 The greatest disappointment we had was the inability to ride the roller coaster when it was closed. To give myself more hope, I took a snapshot of the unique statute and hurried to the sci tech region for Transformers.

Transformers ride was the longest ride I had to take. The adrenaline rush and excitement really took the entertainment rides to a next level. The 4D effect, the hot air and splashing water was fascinating. After that, a parade walk was held while we were dining. At the end of the day, sesame streets came alive. Really miss my childhood. This concludes the end of  trip for day 2.

31 July 2014

End of Singapore trip, back to Malaysia. Home sweet home :)