Sabah in One Day

We usually don't book if it's not super discounted, so we waited patiently for Cebu Pacific Air and Airasia promotions and seat sales. So after nearly 7 months of waiting we finally got cheap  tickets from Airasia and Cebu Pacific for Php 5,000 for two persons including domestic flights. Our itinerary was to fly from Davao to Cebu, Cebu to Clark, Clark to Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu to Singapore, Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Clark then finally Clark to Davao. So last October 2011, we made it happen. We took a flight from Davao to Cebu then Cebu to Clark on the following day. 

The next day, we arrived at DMIA departure area 2 hours before our scheduled flight to Kota Kinabalu. While chatting with my hubby, when suddenly a  commotion erupted near the baggage scanning machine.  It all started when the foreigner rejects the security personnel’s bid to open his bag.  We later find out  that it was only a shaver  but  for me the security personnel have the right to confiscate and open your bag.  

 

  
Our flight departed on time and arrived  at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.  After clearing the immigration, we bought a prepaid sim card for Rm10 (Php 136.00)  near the arrival area to contact our friend joy. Thirty minutes later, our friend arrived and drove us to our inn which is less than a kilometer from the airport. We stayed at  Borneo Beachouse and booked it online for a cheaper rate (Php 800 per night) through their website. The room was basic, simple and nothing fanciful  but spacious and clean. After a short chit-chat, we had our dinner at Tanjung Aru Beach which is just a short walk from our inn. 

Tanjung Aru is not just a beach, it has various restaurants and few facilities too. Here's what you can find:

• First Beach Cafe ; Bar offers alcoholic drinks and a full menu including pizza, other western dishes and local food – they also have WiFi Internet access;
• First Beach Seafood Restaurant caters to groups and has cultural dance show;
• Hawker Food Stalls offering chicken wings, local dishes and fresh fruit juices;
• Sugarbun, a local fast-food restaurant;
• Basic shower facilities are available on the Hawker Food Stall side;

Eating spicy chicken wings at hawkers dining area.

Early morning next day, we decided to stroll around Tanjung Aru Beach before our afternoon flight to Singapore. Here are some images we took during the walk. 

 On our way to Tanjung Aru's First Beach Cafe

 Tanjung Aru's First Beach Cafe 

On a good day a stretch of clear, soft sandy beach will greet you, perfect for stretching out on and catching rays. Oddly enough you won’t often find tourists doing this though, as the beach can get incredibly hot during the day.

This place is very crowded in the evenings, particularly on the weekends. 

We asked some locals on where we can find the red durian and told us that it's not Durian season yet. Frustrating but there's always next time.

After 2 hours we were back to our inn to prepare our bags for the second leg of our journey. We have to catch a 4:00 pm flight to Singapore.

 Kota Kinabalu International Airport

Our friend fetched us from the inn to the airport and had our lunch at KFC fast food before bidding goodbyes. 

We arrived at the departure area 3 hours before our scheduled flight. There are few stalls inside selling food and souvenir items. Durian bar for a light snack. Although our visit was very short, we definitely enjoyed it. Stay tuned for my next blog post! Singapore.

Tuklasera tips

• Go to hawkers and have a spicy chicken!a must try.
• Have a durian bar for a snack
• Walk by the beach along Tanjung Aru