Amazing Kota Kinabalu! (Part 3) : The City, Shopping and More Food!

1 Philippine Peso is equal to 0.07 Malaysian Ringgit. That means, a single Malaysian Ringgit is equal to around 13-14 Philippine Pesos. I was counting the cash I had on hand and would definitely not leave this place without finding a bargain. We didn't waste time so as soon as we got settled, we went ahead and got our money exchanged; then went to malls like Suriah Sabah, Karamunsing Complex and 1 Borneo. There were a lot of things on sale like clothes, electronic gadgets, food, accessories, cosmetics, souvenirs and small trinkets. I saw some really good buys. I couldn't make up my mind what to take home so I only bought a few things (and thought I'll probably buy more the next day). Then we went to one of the best places for a sweet tooth like me. The Cocoa Boutique in Tanjung Aru. =)

Tanjung Aru's Cocoa Boutique

I don't know if you've realized it, but you're actually looking at two life like statues made of pure chocolate. Just look at the intricate details on these works of art! We proceeded inside and saw some more stuff made of the same chocolate. :)

The map of Sabah and schools of fish, then this cute Green Turtle (which is brown now LOL) was there to sat hi to everyone coming into the store. :)

Then the hallway was like chocolate heaven!

They have different flavors available, different fruits, nuts and spices in each chocolate masterpiece. Rumor says, there's a specific postal code for each piece on the shelves, I could live there. =)

Chocolate with Espresso Coffee, Dark Almond (obviously dark chocolate with Almonds), Milk Assortment (Milk Chocolate covered Hazel Nuts + Almonds), Milk Hazelnut (Milk Chocolate covered Hazel nuts).

White Chocolate with Strawberry, Dark Chocolate with Chili and White Chocolate with Coconut.

Milk Chocolate with real Hot Chili, or Mint

Hazel Nut with Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate. =)

I took a ton of these for Mom and Dad who's got diabetes because it's Sugar Free! =) I guess they can still have this in moderation. 

Plus, they've got a lot of the same chocolate put on smaller packs, and they have them on sale. This is perfect for those who want to bring a little something home after their trip. =) I especially love the white chocolate covered almonds because I ate almost a whole pound of it. Don't tell anyone haha!

We had dinner a couple of kilometers away from this place. It was hosted by the wonderful, warm and welcoming people of the Sabah Tourism Board.

Kampung Nelayan Floating Seafood Market Restaurant

It was raining when we arrived at the restaurant. This is in the Bukit Padang district which is almost at the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu. It's part of a Botanical Park that has got a lake and the structures are built on its shores. From the spacious parking lot where we alighted from our bus, you'll have to climb a few steps up to a Malaysian inspired house that's got seating for a couple hundred people. The place was packed, and we somehow figured a few minutes after that there was a show happening on the adjacent platform of across where we were at.

Amazing Kota Kinabalu! (Part 2) : The Pacific Sutera Hotel

Our day in Kota Kinabalu just started and this was what greeted me outside the airport. Most of the cars are Proton, which is all proudly Malaysian made. They are very proud of this in fact, almost all the cabs and city cars carry this brand. Notice too on this shot how the back part of this parking area is extremely covered by huge trees. While we were on the tourist bus it was so evident how almost every part of the city had trees or small forests around them; no joke. It just shows how much they care for nature. We headed off to our awesome hotel afterwards.

Our Accommodation: The Pacific Sutera

The morning was great and as we were flying along the right hand drive highways of Kota Kinabalu, we entered a huge place a few minutes away from the airport. The hotel where we were going to stay was called The Pacific Sutera. Take a look at this!

Nestled at the middle of Kota Kinabalu's Sutera Harbor Resort, this hotel is part of a 384 acre land facility that's got its own resort, golf course, spa, marina and a country club. It's got 956 rooms and suites if you include the Magellan Sutera. This place is perfect for family, executives and business travelers. Pretty cool that we are staying here because its in the middle of everything in Kota Kinabalu.

Outside, we could see a glimpse of their UNESCO World Heritage site Mount Kinabalu (Gunung Kinabalu). The interiors are reminiscent of Hawaiian - Pacific Island hotels but still had that tropical vibe. An iconic marble/granite statue of dolphins shown jumping off waters is placed center of the hotel's lobby. Several indoor plants and Orchids endemic to Sabah are also on display on this floor. Checking in was a cinch since there were no lines on the front desk. They keep that managed because they have several counters up front. The high ceilings made this all so grand too!

 Then we were sent to our respective rooms.

The Pacific Sutera Hotel: Guest Suites Interior

This particular room is situated on the 4th floor's far right side. It's non smoking, and its got 2 beds on quite a spacious suite. 

It's interiors look more modern. The pillows are soft and comfy and would probably cause you to stay in the room too much that you'll forget your trip LOL.

ZestAir Brings Us To Amazing Kota Kinabalu! (Part 1)

I am part of history!

I was invited to be part of the few who got to take part in the inaugural flight of ZestAir to an amazing place called Kota Kinabalu.I've always heard about this since I was a kid because some of my relatives have already been there. It was early morning and I just spent the last 18 hours for a shift, but that didn't dampen my spirits because I was so excited to see what Sabah, Malaysia had in store for me. I reached the airport quite late but the festivities were just starting. It looked like everybody was waiting for this moment where Filipinos will touch boundaries again via this airline. ZestAir and Air Asia used to have this done from Clark International Airport and now they're doing it from Manila's NAIA4. In my books, that's just totally amazing!

They even got this wall where everyone who's part of the flight are to send their wishes for ZestAir, this is just a momentous occassion!

These noble men and women took care of us during the flight. Then after a couple of hours, we got on board our cozy aircraft. They even got my carry on bags and put them on the storage bins on top. Mind you I didn't ask them to help but they did!

Then we went on and took flight to Kota Kinabalu! The guy I had a chat with earlier that morning was the first to book the flight online, and for that he won a trip to any destination of his choice through ZestAir! Amazing!

It took us around 2 hours to get there. The landing was quite smooth too (thanks to the pilot!). And when we went down the plane, a huge welcome party was waiting for us!

Arriving In Kota Kinabalu

The airport was huge, very modern and reminiscent of Manila's NAIA3 Airport. They say the one in Kuala Lumpur is even bigger. It was so clean and orderly inside and we were surprised when we went down from the plane.

Clad in uber colorful costumes, these gentle smiles greeted us at the airport's tarmac and we were individually given some bead necklaces which is part of their custom. These gorgeous people clad in native clothes actually represent the 32 tribes of Sabah, Malaysia; and getting to see this first hand was awesome! I loved how intricate the details of their costumes are and how they made our arrival extra warm + special.

It was so nice to have been received that well in foreign soil. I have never been to Sabah; and these people from both the Sabah Tourism Board (Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah) and Malaysian Tourism Board served as our hosts in this part of the country. They will show us around the capital Kota Kinabalu and nearby tourist spots which you should definitely watch out for! They were so warm and accommodating; I really felt right at home. Check out this video we watched on the tourist bus and all the places in Sabah we went to. It'll tell you something you probably didn't know about the place.

I was surprised, impressed and excited to find out more about the place. Sabah, Malaysian Borneo has yet to be discovered by travelers, adventurers, tourists and people like you. They've got more things in store for us on this trip. I'll tell you on the next part of my Kota Kinabalu series. Honestly, this whole experience on how we were welcomed makes me want to go back to Kota Kinabalu... Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. I fervently hope that it will be soon!

/*By the way, Zest Air flies regularly to the City of Kota Kinabalu every Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. Make sure you book a flight now through them or Air Asia. Now it's easier to go to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo on the freshest airline there is from the Philippines!

For more information about ZestAir and Kota Kinabalu


Visit their websites!

http://www.flyzest.com/
http://www.sabahtourism.com/
http://www.airasia.com/

Or follow them on Twitter

@flyzest

Or Contact them

Sabah Tourism Board
51 Gaya Street, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia
Tel:   +6088 212121
Fax:  +6088 212075
Email: info@sabahtourism.com