TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN MARINE PARK KOTA KINABALU

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park consisits of 5 islands, a short distance by boat from Kota Kinabalu city. GAYA Island is the largest island of the Park followed by MANUKAN, SAPI, SULUG and MAMUTIK. Gaya island with Sapi on its left From right to left - Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug. Shangri-la Tanjung Aru resort and Kampung Air (water village) on the main land. All the islands are about 15-20 minutes ride by speed boat from any of the city jetties. My favourate island is Manukan which has the longest stretch of beach amongst the rest of the islands.The surrounding water is ideal for snorkeling, diving and swimming. There are 20 unit chalets, a clubhouse, restaurant, souvenirs and diving centres and recreational facilities. Manukan's Chalets are partly visible from the jetty. The Manukan jettyIt is total relaxation on the lovely beach of Manukan and one may choose to enjoy some water sport activities : Banana boat, parasailing and jet skiing. Visitors can opt for a BBQ lunch which is the most popular.
Enjoying the BBQ lunch under shady trees.
Most visitors normally return to the city in the late afternoon.

MEMKABUT AND BONGAWAN TRIP

Two weeks ago, we attended the wedding of our nephew at a kampung (village) in Membakut. Wedding celebration in a kampung is normally a whole day affair with a good supply of food, drinks,snack and music.

There were two bands in attendance providing modern and traditional music.

Sumazau time!"Makan" time (feast time)

Some of the home cooked "kampung" cuisine.

The Jack fruit tree is a common sight in the "kampung". I spotted one at the back yard of the house.

Another common tree - the Sago After the feast, it's time to go home.

On the way back, we drove to Bongawan, a small town near Membakut and stopped by to see the old wooden shops which were built just after world war II. It was really amazing to see that all the old buildings were still in good shape after all these years.

KOTA KINABALU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NEW TERMINAL

The RM720 million new wing of the Terminal 1 is finally opened for use this morning. Passengers using this terminal will definitely enjoy better facilities comparing to the old wing.

The drive way to the departure level

Departure drive way and concourse

There are 4 check-in "islands" designated as A, B, C and D and each has 16 check-in counters. Our National Airlines is assigned to use island B for all domestic and international check-in while all foreign airlines are with island A.
MH check-in counters

Friendly and helpful MH check-in staff There are a few restaurants at the departure levelThe departure hall.

There are a total of 36 Immigration counters, 16 for departures and 20 for arrivals. For baggage delivery, a total of six baggage conveyor delivery belts are available. Hence, the CIQ clearance should be fast and comfortable.

International arrival concourse Arrival drive way and taxi standNo more rain or shine for arriving tourists to board tour buses.

According to the Malaysia Airport Authority, the old wing of the Terminal 1 would be demolished for upgrading works and is tagetted to be ready by June 2009. When completed there will be a total of 17 aircraft parking bays to accommodate both wide and narrow body aircrafts.

This old wing has been in use since 1986 and I have some fond memories of this old place when I was with the airlines.

MT.KINABALU ALL THE WAY

07:00 AM - we were on our way to Kota Belud for a fishing trip. It was a beautiful sunny day with Mt. Kinabalu greeting us in the distance while we were cruising on the Lintas highway. Throughout the drive, Mt Kinabalu was visible. What a manificent mountain it is! Along Tuaran road

Approaching the bridge of Kampong Abai near Kota Belud.

Kampong Abai is a popular fishing ground. According to my newphew, anglers used to land good sizes of sea basses and many others.
One can spend a day relaxing here as hot food and drinks are available. We had ice coffee for our break. The weather was good, the water was suitable for fishing but unfortunately we caught only a couple of small fishes. I have decided not to include the pictures of the small fishes we caught as it would be very embarrassing.

Again, Mt.Kinabalu was there for us as we packed our gears and set for home.

LOK KAWI WILDLIFE PARK

For visitors to KOTA KINABALU, I strongly recommend them to visit the Lok Kawi Wildlife park. This park festures most of Borneo’s popular animals especially some of the endangered animals such as the Pygmy Elephants, Orang Utan, Proboscis monkeys and Sumatran Rhino. This park is located about 25km away from Kota Kinabalu City or just a 25-30 miuntes drive. It is a worthwhile visit for both young and old, locals and foreign visitors.The entrance fees:
RM20 for foreign visitors, RM10 for locals and half price for children. Local senior citizen above 60 years of age is free.

Malayan tigers

The sun bears Borneo Pygmy elephants

Borneo's wild cattle The endangered Orang utan

The Proboscis monkeys

A Borneo Barking deer Borneo Clouded Leopard

There is also a Botanical garden with about 1.4 km walkway.