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Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Tour & Day Three of My Trip

May 9, 2015, 2:43 am
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Most part of day three was spent on the day trip to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring and i figured this would give a rather good summary of what to expect from the RM 201.40 per person tour purchased from RiverBug.

We had a great sleep; so comfortable that we didn't have enough time to have a decent breakfast! Luckily i could do without any food in the morning although the same could not say of Alex; who grab a polo bun from a coffeeshop and hungrily woofed it down! 

Notice the funny sign on the mini coach bus? No kissing is allowed woah! Like that how, if your toddler demands a wet kiss from you on his / her cheeks?! 

The pickup time was 8 am and Priscilla, our guide, kindly informed everyone that the journey up Kinabalu Park would be comparable to the winding roads at Cameron Highlands. Point taken and i knew i had to get a pack of preserved fruit when the coach stopped over at a petrol station to top up the oil.

10.00 am - Reached our first stop; Nabalu Town which boasted an amazing view of Mount Kinabalu if not for the darned clouds. To read more of this half mountain town, click here. 

Entering the Kinabalu Park Heritage Site at about 10.40 am. By all means, the ride wasn't half as bad as Cameron Highlands which has a giddying effect on me!

Map of the park for your reference. Many mountain climbing enthusiasts would have to navigate through the same way to get to the base camp.

Checking out the Botanical Gardens as part of our tour. Verdict - it was a subset of what we have in Singapore; interesting because we have Priscilla with us but generally quite boring. 

Descending down the mountain to Poring Hot Spring. I am on the lookout for a place to retire in peace and the allure to reside in the highlands is just so tempting!

Imagine waking up to fresh, crisp air (no air-conditioning is required), minimal pollution and likely a slower pace of life. Not sure it would be my cup of tea given i am such a hyperactive person even at my age, 

The road could be congested on weekends! 

Optional tour (at RM 30 per person) to catch the Rafflesia, which i did. Might as well since i have yet to see a real one after living quite near to the biggest single flower in the world for 35 years! To read more, click here. 

Lunchtime @ Round Inn located very near to Poring Hot Spring. 

Awkwardness set in when all our tour mates (eight in total) were seated together in typical Asian style; i am actually not as sociable as many friends thought i am! 

As usual, food has that incredible effect on people and we started chatting with one another. Anyway, food was really decent and i absolutely loved the sweet and sour pork!

Walking from the restaurant to the Poring Hot Spring; told ya it was close. 

It would normally be quite weird to see beach accessories on a mountain but in this case, Poring Hot Spring had slide pool and at only 500 meters above land, it was honestly warm!

For my separate postings on Poring Hot Spring, Canopy Walkway and the Kipungit Waterfall, please check out here, there and that, respectively. 

Time to return back to Kota Kinabalu; by then, all of us have abandoned all the initial shyness and started delving into topics like politics! 

Tuaran - even though more renowned for its signature noodles, the district is supposedly also quite famous for its horse racing. 

Water promenade at Kota Kinabalu. The round building across the water is the 122-meter Tun Mustapha Tower which had a rotating restaurant on the 18th floor and had a really easy-to-remember nickname; battery building. 

Requested Priscilla to drop us off at Star City Mall, where we had our first seafood dinner in KK. For review of Welcome Seafood Restaurant, visit this link.  

Walked all the way back to Jesselton Hotel as the weak Alex was too tired!

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Tour Price
RM 201.40 per person (original price). As this was the second purchase with RiverBug, we were quoted only RM 170 per person which includes everything in the itinerary except for the camera / video camera fee at Canopy Walkway.


For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here. 
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Yee Fung Laksa (怡豐叻沙) @ Gaya Street [Kota Kinabalu]

May 10, 2015, 12:02 am
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My penchant for free and easy travel means i usually have to generate a to-do and to-eat list before my trip, compiled from online searches, travel guides and advice from friends. 

Laksa was on my Kota Kinabalu (KK) list and it did seem that Yee Fung, conveniently located along Gaya Street where Jesselton Hotel was, has a much higher hit rate compared to the rest. 

It was a Sunday; given that Gaya Street was popular among locals and tourists for its Sunday Weekend Market (which i would cover in the next few days), do expect a bigger crowd turning up at the non air-conditioned coffee shop. 

There were a few signature dishes and it was obvious from my surrounding that 90% of the customers ordered either the A1 - Yee Fung Laksa or A2 - Yee Fung Ngau Chap. 

No prize on guessing my order; those who have been following this blog should notice i am not into mixed organs or internal organs. My apology to those who are unaware and waiting for my review on kway chap.

Within minutes from ordering, a steaming bowl of Yee Fung Laksa was placed on my table! Squeeze the lime and it would be time to dig in!

In summary, i was quite disappointed; the taste was more curry than laksa with a consistency that was pretty thin. My affection has been for thick, milky gravy kind of consistency. Noodles came from a hybrid version with thickness in between the typical bee hoon and thick bee hoon; i like.

For a much better taste experience, add in the chilli paste! The gravy turned out to be way more delicious after the spicy addition and with beads of sweat rolling down my forehead, the shiokness was undeniable! 

Done! Personally, i would have very much preferred the one in Yishun.

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Location
127, Jalan Haji Saman
[Despite the address, you may find another entrance from Gaya Street]

Map
As above

Opening Hours
6.30 am till 6.00 pm (Mon - Fri)
6.30 am till 4.00 pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Price List 
As above
Yee Fung Laksa - RM 7.00

Additional Information
Those interested in Yee Fung Ngau Chap can check out the photo i took of an elderly couple's order. I usually would not be daring to ask but they happened to share the table i was on. :P 


For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Gaya Street Sunday Market (Part 1) @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah, East Malaysia, Borneo Island]

May 11, 2015, 7:12 am
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One key advantage of staying in Jesselton Hotel was its immediate proximity to Gaya Street Sunday Market; the above photograph, taken right outside the hotel's lobby, shall provide an accurate depiction of how close we were!

The popular weekend market didn't take up the entire Gaya Street (originally known as Bond Street) but it still measured about 350 meters with spillovers to the arterial streets.  

190 photographs - that's the amount of pictures i have in the folder and there's no way i would upload all of them in one single posting! It would be too tiring for me! 

I would keep things short and sweet to the best of my capability and i think it would be best to prepare yourself for a photo entry as i doubt i can articulate, in detail, for every single photo! 

For example, a bracelet with crystal beads shall remain as it is. I have no idea where the crystal beads originate from although it did feel rather heavy.

Wooden plaques with Arabic wordings; i have quite a number of close Muslim friends and would have loved to purchase this for them except for one good reason. I don't read Arabic and am afraid i would buy the wrong thing!

Flowery shirts - i used to have a similar one in dark blue that was, at one time, my favourite shirt for almost a year. Now that i am older, i don't think i would want to catch myself wearing one.

Organic herbal tea and handmade soaps - in case you are wondering, as i was, the orang utans have no bearing in the making of the herbal tea and soaps and was placed there to emphasise the origin of the items; made in Borneo Island.

Tattoo Henna - i had a tour mate who was so obsessed with the temporary tattoo; she was asking the tour guide if there's any place in Kota Kinabalu (KK) that sells the plant-based ink.

Beside foreigners like myself, the Sunday market was equally popular with the locals and this can be seen from the products that were sold. Tell me, which sane traveller would buy a spade tool when he /she is overseas!?

Saw these superbly adorable tees and didn't hesitate to buy for my niece and nephew at RM 15 apiece. Actually, they can be found in quite a few locations within the market but quality could differ.

For quality wear, look out for the label that said "North Borneo".

Non mechanical foot massager.

Initially, i thought the green cakes were pandan-flavoured but it turned out to be horlick-flavoured. The bad thing about travelling in small group (two in my case) is that there are lesser people to share the food (and fats).

Glass accessories.

Some stalls didn't even have a structural stall with just a mat laid out on the floor to display their wares. Hm... i don't understand why there was a sign for new year offer when it was already April.

More clothes, flowery if i may add.

Wood roasted Arabica coffee powder! I should have purchased a kilogram (at RM 28) for my dad although i didn't remember smelling the perking wafts of coffee aroma.

I wouldn't buy any raw eggs too when i am travelling. They should be real i think even though the packing method was quite unconventional.

Herbs; some of them have funny sounding names like "hit won't die", "sweet urine grass" (guess it is for diabetic patients) and one known as Siti Fatimah!

Those residing in Malaysia and Singapore would be aware of this herb known as Tongkat Ali, renowned in Malaysia for its aphrodisiac properties!  RM 8.00 sounded quite cheap! Only problem was how to identify its genuinity.

Think the open-mouth monkey item was an ash tray.

Coming to the first of three intersections; this particular one had a fountain where people can sit around, in the hot sun. At least it's better than not having anywhere else to take a breather. If you are lucky, you may even be blessed with the occasional spills from the fountain.

Key Chains and they cost only 8 for RM 10! I didn't buy any as i had planned for a visit to the Handicraft Market which was said to be the place to buy souvenirs!

Grab yourself a pair of sunglasses to keep off the glare of the powerful sunlight!

Knowing my mum, she would consider buying raw sweet potatoes and corns back to Singapore! Actually i would too; i do remember lugging back seven ears of corns from Cameron Highlands.

Sepak takraw balls, straw hats and i am scratching my head at the longish item; is that a traditional fish holder? Those that can be placed in water and act as a holder while you continue to wait patiently for new catch.

Most noticeable was the Sabah Tea! There was a 3-in-1 milk tea version that tasted really delicious but i didn't buy any as the price was tagged at almost S$10 a pack!

Caps and sunglasses - perfect combination for one to wear on a sunny day.

More souvenirs - if you are buying a lot, you can still bargain! Do choose carefully as some of the key chains have faded markings.

Kuih Cincin - don't be turned off by their unappetising dry appearance; they actually taste quite good.

Kitchen ware; once again, this would be Mum's playground. Have i ever shared that she went looking around for a wooden spatula once when she was overseas?!

Buddhist figurines for sale.

Fake snakes - do you know that i have a severe phobia of snakes and when i was younger, i could not even bear to lay my eyes on rubber snakes!? Things have improved somewhat; i dare to play with rubber snakes now. Hahaha.

Baskets of interesting trinkets; moon stones, rings made from shells, brass and even yak bone.

Plants for the house; i like having greenery in my house and office although whatever plants that i laid my hands on have yet to suffer a good fate. Yes, even cactus.

Fridge magnets!

I am glad my family live in an apartment; if not, my mom would not hesitate to buy the guava sapling and plant it in the garden! I might relent (and plant it at the patch of grass behind my block) provided there is a pineapple custard apple sapling!

Lo Han drink to quench your thirst in the hot weather.

Life is an ever-learning journey - i didn't know the items with feathers are dreamcatchers until recently! According to Konrad J. Kaweczynski, "Only good dreams would be allowed to filter through... Bad dreams would stay in the net, disappearing with the light of day."

Bags of snacks!

It didn't dawn on me initially that these were Chinese Yo-Yos (扯铃); i honestly was under the impression they were oversized plastic goblets!

More hats; this time, more choices for the fairer sex.

Seashells booth - have your pick among the many available; from big to small, from smooth to spiky, from white to purple and from shells to corals!

Nice wind chimes - those thinking of a beach theme for your house can consider hanging these up! Would you feel that hearing the clinking of the shells would be therapeutic? In the middle of the night, it can be quite scary!

Dead horseshoe crab that would serve as a decorative item in the house. Well, i would prefer to fork out my hard-earned money on seashells than on a horseshoe crab!

Malay words can be quite easy to guess as some of them draw references from English; Jus is juice, avocado is well avocado. Mangga is mango or jackfruit ah? *scratches my head*

Rock painting! I am in the midst of buying an apartment myself and i guess it would be good for me to start sourcing for inexpensive art piece overseas!

Honeycombs! Could not remember why there was a pail full of them although there was a possibility the stall was selling wild honey.

Handbags - Uncle style!

Sabah durians; they were about the size of my palm! Damn, i have been craving for durians and the season is coming soon! Kilkon, let's grab a few while you are here in Singapore!!

What's interesting from this stall was the poster display promoting the product line of a species of lime directly translated to leprosy lime (which was actually kaffir lime). For more info, check out http://luckysoap.blog.com/

Bags of childhood memories - i count the jewel biscuits as one of the most memorable snack when i was younger; like many kids, i would pinch off the colourful sugary tops and eat them whenever my parents weren't looking! 

With an outlook like a bird's nest, i believe this was a kind of natural sponge for your body. Note the word "believe" as i could be wrong. 

Pots of blossoming flowers! Funny I was cursed with the death touch as my dad was an accomplished gardener when we were living in a village. 

Standard Malaysian souvenirs that could be found in many states; as usual, the beautiful Petronas Twin Towers were often represented.

Had that musical vibe in you? Get the set of traditional brass drums! 

Known as Kulintang, an ancient musical instrument set that came in a row of nine brass drums (gongs) of various sizes, the two men managed to work out a melodious tune that stopped quite a number of us in our tracks. 

Even after his feeble attempt to max out the volume of his huge ass speakers, the poor music CD seller right opposite could hardly compete with real life music.

Precious stone rings - this accessory would likely diminish with the passing of the older generation. 

Aquarium tanks! Like Chatuchak Weekend Market at Bangkok, it's also common to find live animals for sale at Gaya Street Sunday Market.  

More on that on a later post. Remember, i am not going to squeeze all one hundred and ninety photographs in this post!

Not your conventional dustbin. 

Ready to eat Sabah rock sugar bird nest - given my affection for this sweet, supposedly nutritious product, i surprised myself by not buying a cup to try it out! :(

More handmade soaps - what attracted my attention was its sea cucumber soaps; said to be moisturizing and loved by the Japanese! 

More fruit saplings! Okay, Mangga is Mango and in this photo alone, there were seven different varieties! Even rambutans have three! 

Sarong - define as "a garment consisting of a long piece of cloth worn wrapped round the body and tucked at the waist or under the armpits, traditionally worn in SE Asia and now also by women in the West." on google.com.

Wood products, rattan products and even bamboo products. Talking about bamboo, quite a number of friends have commented they could no longer find bamboo poles (for laundry) for sale in Singapore! Anyone knows of any shop which still sells them? 

You have the live and kicking animals at the Sunday Market and you also have the dead kind; one that was stripped of all feathers. This would have failed NEA stringent hygiene assessment, especially when they were placed under direct sunlight! 

Shoes; the garments for your feet. 

Customised signboards for your office cubicle / room; quite a unique gift for family and friends although some might find it a lil bit too gaudy for them. 

I am unsure what these were but i had that nagging assumption they could be bags of traditional herbs to treat minor ailments. 

However, next to the bags were baskets filled with pieces of wood! Hm... if they are indeed use as medicine, do i steep them in hot water or eat them like a biscuit? Any friends with a good grasp of Bahasa Malaysian care to advice?

Shall continue with part two in a separate post!

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Location
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah State [Borneo Island]
East Malaysia

Operating Hours
Sundays Only - 6.30 am to 1.00 pm


For the itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Freshly Made Putu Mayam from Heaven's Heritage @ Kopitiam [Kranji MRT Station]

May 12, 2015, 7:43 am
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As i inched slowly to my mid 30s, there were often flashbacks to my childhood days and one scene put my family at a hawker centre where my mum bought us kids putu mayam that we hungrily devoured with the help of orange-coloured sugar!

Strangely, it should be at least a decade since i last touched putu mayam and i would have cleaned forgotten about it if not for an article on food in the Woodlands area. One paragraph centred on freshly made putu mayam at a coffee shop within Kranji MRT Station.

As i was waiting for the Great Kon to arrive for our day trip to Johore Bahru, i figured i should use the time to check out the Indian snack stall and get myself a small snack! 

It was really fresh made and it's amazing to see the strings of flour being squeezed out from the mold; i should have asked the friendly gentleman to let me have a go! By the way, freshly made means there will be a patient wait for the 'strings' to be steamed to an edible condition. 

Served with grated coconut and a big scoopful of orange sugar, the minimum order was for at least two pieces of putu mayam priced at S$2.40. 

The freshness really made a big difference; the strings didn't stick to each other as was usually the case for putu mayam that were packed for home / left unattended for long period of time. That's not all; even the coconut tasted freshly grated and as it was just taken out from the refrigerator, there was that coolness that complemented the hot putu mayam very well. 

A simple yet blissful sensation overwhelmed me as i took a chunk with a bit of grated coconut and a light sprinkle of sugar; that very moment brought me back to my childhood. Darn, i do feel ancient! 

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Waiting for your friends to arrive at Kranji MRT Station so that all of you can take the public buses to the checkpoint? Use your precious time and give the putu mayam a try!

Location
Within Kopitam
Kranji MRT Station

Menu
As above. I am going to try the appam the next time i am there!

Pricing
Putu Mayam (2 pieces) - S$2.40
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Kota Kinabalu Famous Sin Kee Bak Kut Teh (新記肉骨茶) @ Sabah [East Malaysia]

May 13, 2015, 8:12 am
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Have you seen the latest "Adidas Watches"? " 
p.s. Putting this sentence shall enable me to keep on blogging!

Anyway, my visit to Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh was purely a matter of convenience as it was literally right opposite the lobby of Jesselton Hotel. However, i could not help comparing Yu Kee with another nearby Bak Kut Teh restaurant that seemed to enjoy better business.

Sin Kee Bak Kut Teh! 

Even though we were still stuffed from an early dinner not more than three hours ago, we gamely opted for the 2 personal claypot bak kut teh; which i assumed would be a big pot for two of us. 

Do excuse me for the harsh lighting as i was seated in a badly lit area and i didn't have much choice but to use the "flash" function when i realised almost all the photos turned out to be blurry!

As usual, our order consisted of only pork ribs, meat balls and soup given both our disdain for internal organs. Soup wise, i had to agree there was a stronger BKT kind of herbal flavour yet the bitterness was a lot more apparent as compared to Yu Kee. 

No surprises on the pork ribs even though i would like to give my comment on the meat balls which had that suspicious taste of liver! Honestly, it's not common to see me frowning when i chewed on meat balls. By all means, i admit that an innards lover might really enjoy this. 

This is just my opinion, like any other review i wrote in this blog.

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Location

26, Jalan Pantai, 
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 
Malaysia

Map
As above

Operating Hours
From 4pm till 11pm.

Price
RM 32.80 for 2 personal claypot bak kut teh. two bowls of rice, a coconut with soft, silky meat and a can of coke! 

Additional Information
The coffee shop was as famous for its roasted delights and you may wish to give it a try if your tummy can endure more food! 


For the summarised itinerary of the 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here. 
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Gaya Street Sunday Market (Part 2) @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah, East Malaysia, Borneo Island]

May 15, 2015, 8:41 pm
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I was deliberating whether i should include this as part of the weekend market as it wasn't located along the stretch of Gaya Street; however, this didn't stop visitors like myself from going with the flow.

Geographically, this section sat in a compound away from the main roads and in usual non-weekend-market times, served as a carpark for motorists.

Compared to the hive of activity along Gaya Street where almost anything can be found, the produce sold here seemed catered for the local population.

Can't help feeling a sense of familiarity with the Chong Pang market in Yishun!

Chinese steamed sponge cake in the form of mushrooms - don't you think they look like those poisonous mushrooms often illustrated in fairy tales?!

The smell of these dried / salted products can be repulsive although in the eyes of those established Asian chefs / mothers who cook frequently / locals, some of them were important ingredients for dishes / staples for their main diet.

It's a good thing that my mom isn't internet savvy; she would have lamented that i should have purchased a few packs of the dried shrimps!

I would have helped if she has informed me earlier (like in the case of Sarawak pepper) but i definitely would not agree to bring back bags of rice from overseas!

There were quite a few types available in the market.

Well dressed long haired dachshund spotted in the market - it didn't need a leash and i found it fascinating to see a pet dog following its owner since Islam is after all the official religion in Malaysia.

Apart from a pack of cigarettes, this adorable canine held the important responsibility of securing the owner's mobile phone as well!

Internal view of the "market". This was another area in Kota Kinabalu where you can get these items and i would be covering them once i am done with Gaya Street Sunday Market.

That area was purpose-built and you would not get leaves acting as mats for fruits. Not sure if you have the same view as me; personally, mess brings out the creativity of humans and anything that fits a common mold can be relatively boring.

Salted fish - i have never liked them and even in the case of ikan bilis, i am not a big fan and would not actively seek them out.

Bags of egg ee-mee.

Corns at RM 3.00 for a pack - now, that's cheap! Just the other day, my mum was commenting she paid S$2.50 for one ear of good quality corn! Damn, i miss the raw corns from Cameron Highlands!

Dried foodstuffs again.

Salted vegetables and some other stuff; as you can see, the owners would ring anything originating from their plantations to sell in this market.

Orchid saplings! 

Lastly, clams and good sized oyster meat! Their freshness would be subjective and given my tummy's penchant to dispel food with questionable freshness, these would be something i refrain from buying even in Singapore.

p.s. there is still a part three for the weekend market!  
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Location 
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, 
Sabah State [Borneo Island] 
East Malaysia 

Operating Hours 
Sundays Only - 6.30 am to 1.00 pm 


For the itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Last Part of Gaya Street Sunday Market @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah, East Malaysia, Borneo Island]

May 16, 2015, 8:30 am
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The way i planned the postings for the weekend market at Kota Kinabalu was mainly in chronological order but for the sake of categorisation, do expect some deviations. 

Hence, let's start the last post of Gaya Street Sunday Market with the picture of the Chinese style archway signifying the main entrance to Gaya Street. 

Packets of sushi for sale - long accustomed to having them stored in partially refrigerated compartments, i am apprehensive on their freshness under the hot sun. 

Balloon man who was trying his best to keep his floats intact from a sudden gust of strong wind! 

Biscuits again - wait, something caught my attention; was the lady trying to pick her nose!?!?!? Am i disgusted? Of course not! Whoever says they don't pick their nose is lying! 

Walking back towards the direction of Jesselton Hotel. 

Socks and rattan hats - short people (like me) should not wear the straw hats. Our short stature would likely irritate taller people who would have the stray rattan strips slapping against their face / neck even though it isn't their fault for being taller. 

Are you a big fan of postcards? Not me since i prefer to take photographs using my own camera and then framing them up if they turn out well. 

Wheatgrass honey water! They used to be really popular in Singapore and i vividly remember my greenish output 8 hours after having my first cup! 

Fruit saplings for rambutans and cempedek! Speaking of cempedek, it's difficult to explain what it was to a non-southeast-Asian native as it appeared to look like a jackfruit yet the taste of the fruit was vastly different. 

Mini computer for the kids although my eyes were centering on the portable fans. Would love to purchase one to dry up my perspiration except for the fact that it would attract too much attention on a man who wasn't pushing a pram! 

Old-school toy. 

Focus of attention - the sour plum juice to soothe the body on a warm day!

Quite a number of Chinese rice dumpling stalls with jaw-dropping prices! Tagged at RM 2 for most rice dumplings, the low price was literally unheard of in Singapore nowadays. 

And they were not plain, filling-free rice dumplings! Those RM 2 ones had "liao" one okay! I didn't buy any to try out as i know for a fact the carbohydrate content would be super high! 

Other kind of kuehs on sale. 

Seedless guavas with an appearance that would not appeal to many, especially the picky Singaporeans; some parts of the fruits were black in colour lor! 

Crowd at 9.30 am.

Live animal section - the stalls were spread throughout the street although in essence; you could find a higher concentration in the middle of the Sunday market. 

Budgies, known as seekers in KK, were priced at RM 50 each. I don't think they were that expensive in Singapore even though it has been quite a while since i last checked on the prices. 

Goldfishes! Among pets, rearing a fish would be the last thing on my mind. I have had enough experiences to confirm i am better off eating them than keeping them as pets. 

Fish feed and accessories.

I did contemplate marine fishes as pets but after a few snorkeling expeditions in Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives, i feel that they would be better off in the vast ocean.

Pretty fighting fishes.

Chicks and ducklings - unlike the ornamental fishes and dogs, the chance that these young poultry were bought as pets would be very slim. 

Most would be slaughtered for meat when they reach adulthood while a selected few would continue to live if they could provide nutritional eggs for the human family. 

Baby geese! Do you know it's quite hard to get your hands on roasted goose meat in Singapore due to import restriction? 

Rabbits!

Puppies! After Rubee's demise, i could not bring myself to have another dog to call my own. Come to think about it, he had passed on for almost four years!

Dog collars! I used to seek out various designs when Rubee was younger and it eventually dawned on me that sturdiness and durability were way more important! 

Kittens for sale - it's quite disturbing to see visitors poking their fingers into the cages! There was one cruel kid who intentionally used his finger to irritate the poor kitten and i almost told him off! 

Sometimes, i wish the animal would strike back although given the supposedly moral standing of a mere human, the animal would most probably be condemned to an unfair death. 

Hamsters!

What is your first thought when you see the above sight? I thought it was very civil minded of the citizens to contain all the rubbish at one location rather than throwing them anywhere; positive thinking. Some would, however, immediately pinpoint on the lack of rubbish bins by the city council. 

Siew mai - travelling had taken a toll on my food postings! It has been really long since i last had dim sum!! To think i used to be extremely obsessed with those little bundles of joy! 

Coin banks! No pigs, no like. :(

Poison for pests like rats, lizards, cockroaches etc. I can understand why people want to get rid of rats and cockroaches but lizards are great to have at home as they prey on those bloodsuckers; the mozzies! 

Nicely packed biscuits again, including those offered to Chinese gods. 

Antique ware - kamcheng and even traditional iron that require burnt charcoal to smooth out the wrinkles on your shirt! Guess you would have to use good quality charcoal too as bad ones could emit too much smoke.

Local souvenirs.

Natural handmade soaps with ingredients like sea cucumber (popular with Japanese), noni. coconut, cinnamon and mangosteen. 

Unlike peninsular Malaysia, Christianity seemed to take up quite a significant proportion among Sabahans and it's not limited to just the Chinese. 

Old fashioned, model bicycles. 

Glow in the dark figurines made of luminous stones.

Plastic bags?! Frankly, it did make perfect sense to sell them in the weekend market; there might be merchants who need them for their customers!

Plant saplings again; many of which were orchid species. 

Fake branded goods - surprisingly, i didn't see that many in this Sunday market which was a good thing since i am totally not into branded goods. 

If i am a female, i would choose the above bags over branded bags. Why waste money when both bags serve the same purpose?! 

Lo Han Ko & Dried Longans drink! It should be similar to the incredibly delicious Air Mata Kucing drink at Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur! 

Business at the fruit juices stall next door paled in comparison; could not blame the consumers as i guess we do recognise that the fruit juices as labelled were merely concentrates and not freshly squeezed. 

Woah, these bags would be quite trendy for the wet markets! 

These are not whiteboard dusters! Their function would be similar to a sticky roller even though the ones shown in the above pic were capable enough to pick up tiny stones too! 

Lemongrass tea. 

Piggy banks made of coconut husks!! At almost RM 20, i gave up the purchase after thinking it through; think i still prefer pottery / porcelain type. 

Canvas paintings! I like the one with an owl.

Keychains! If you have been following all the postings on Gaya Street weekend market, you should have realised the keychain booths were quite numerous. 

Personalised postcard by a very talented man who, by the way, wasn't Chinese despite the very Chinese artwork! Rest assured, the postcards were accepted by the Malaysia national post office to be mailed overseas! 

For a non Chinese, he wrote beautiful Chinese characters! Compared to him, i should just bury my head in the ground out of shame. 

More biscuits! Do note the melted chocolate in the container on upper left of the photograph; this would have illustrated my apprehension when it comes to buying prepared packed food in an open air market. 

Dried seahorses - in traditional Chinese medicine, their benefits include treatment of asthma, throat infections, insomnia, abdominal pain and are believed to be aphrodisiac.

Colourful Sarawak kueh lapis that came in many flavours! I tried a few when i was at Suria Sabah earlier but they weren't as yummy as those from Batam! 

Brooches.

Sabah made iron wood chopping board - trust me, mom would insist on getting it and hauling the heavy item back to Singapore if she was there. 

Chilli padi chocolates?!?!!? 

Street buskers! I didn't take his picture as he was visually impaired and would not have known if i had taken his picture.

I finally got a bottle of seaweed bird nest drink at RM 3.50! Wrong choice as it tasted nothing like the Coral Seaweed i enjoyed so much! 

Guess the stall owner was giving discounts to clear his / her stocks.

Henna tattoos that can last for a week. You may also engage them to plan parties and carnivals which may include magic shows, face painting, clowns and balloon decoration!



Tired feet? Engage the blind masseurs at RM 20 for thirty minutes to give your feet a well deserved treat. Their location? On the side of Jesselton Hotel.


Hairpins i think.

Magnets of quality and designs that i didn't like.

Got these unique magnets instead! 

Last stop - the stall facing Jesselton Hotel which offered a humongous amount of Sabah made, natural handmade soaps!

Aside from goat milk soap, there were also soaps made from breast milk and soaps specifically for your hair and even for your beloved pets!

Alex got the above free as the owner could not believe he is past 30 years old! Upon seeing his IC and admitting defeat, she ordered the staff to let him select five soaps of his choice; lucky ass saved RM 25! 

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Location 
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, 
Sabah State [Borneo Island] 
East Malaysia 

Map
As above (in yellow).

Operating Hours 
Sundays Only - 6.30 am to 1.00 pm



For the itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Hoshino Coffee - Japanese Style Western Desserts @ Suntec City Mall [Singapore]

May 17, 2015, 7:11 am
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One of my earliest visual memories of Japanese food came from those plastic food replicas outside Japanese dining establishments; how could they look so mouthwatering?! 

Known as sampuru, we don't see them as often nowadays but when i happened to chance upon them again at Hoshino Coffee, i could not help but decide to check out the cafe! The fact that there was always a long queue kind of also encouraged me to pay it a visit. 

While my motivation came from the sampuru, i bet many others came for the sake of having a nice cup of coffee in Hoshino's superbly stylish setting. 

Modernistic leathery / velvety seating with speckles of traditional Japanese lanterns, Chinese calligraphy would be my simple description of the decor. Oh, there were a lot of mirrors too!

Before i touch on food, let me first put down my utter satisfaction with the service staff who provided impeccable service, even in the face of a few absolutely deplorable customers. As soon we sat down, two glasses of iced water were immediately placed on our table. Thumbs up!

Hot Japanese Macha Latte
After that amazing cup of green tea latte in Jeju, i endeavour to order whenever i see it listed on the menu. Pity the one at Hoshino Coffee failed to meet my expectation; the bitterness of matcha hit me the nanosecond the green liquid flowed towards my taste buds.

French Toast (Sugar & Cream)
Anyone is able to draw comparison with another French toast from a popular cafe in Singapore Name the cafe! Yes lah, it did appear almost similar to the one from Miam Miam Cafe Kitchen! 

Douse the homemade whipped cream with the glass of maple syrup! The whipped cream was dense and nice to have on its own although i thought it didn't gel well with the French toast. 

The French toast was in summary, good even though it was sinfully oily with soggy insides and an egg batter that could have been more generous.

Spring Pancake Souffle 
A seasonal recommendation, i opted this over the conventional pancake souffle that Hosino Coffee was famed for. As i have always said, i don't particularly know how to enjoy souffles.

By the way, a twenty-minute wait would be required before this beautiful piece of artwork can be served and you may want to do as we did; order something first to fill your tummy. 

To put it simply, it's like eating a piece of normal cake (no exceptional flavours) topped with sour strawberries and sweetened with condensed milk, whipped cream and a scoop of Japanese uniquely flavoured ichigo ice cream. For me, i would still prefer the crunchier waffles.

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Location
3 Temasek Boulevard,
#01-651, Suntec City Mall.
Singapore

Ordering Menu 
As above

Price
Hot Japanese Macha Latte - S$9.00
French Toast (Sugar & Cream) - S$9.80
Spring Pancake Souffle - S$14.50
[Subject to GST and Service Charge]

Additional Information
Just a shot of the menu page with the recommended Hoshino Pancake Souffles for your reference.
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Search

Central Market (亚庇中央市场, Pasar Besar) - @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah State, Malaysia]

May 18, 2015, 7:40 am
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The central market in Kota Kinabalu was packaged on guide books as a tourist attraction and i guess i would not do it any justice by not visiting it when it was merely a few hundred meters away from Jesselton Hotel. 

By and large, the first floor was a wet market similar to what we can find in Singapore (like Chong Pang) although there was a significant difference; the lack of chillers. 

Fresh meat were simply laid on cardboard and newspapers; raising questions on the hygiene condition of the market even though such displays were common in Singapore about 20 years ago.

Such gory sight can be repulsive for tourists not accustomed to it. Funny how hypocritical some humans are; some of us eat fish and chips but could not stand seeing a whole steamed fish, with its mouth and eyes still intact. 

Raw meat was just a small section and i guess those sensitive to the smell of blood and raw meat would be able to breathe better here. 

Vegetables section! I was a bit late in my visit (around 12 noon when i reached) and the place was pretty empty; come at about 8am and i bet it would be a hotbed of activity!

Mangoes were in season, i think.

This little girl gamely posed for my photograph! So sweet of her! Unlike Singapore, it's quite common for kids to help out in the family business which i thought was great training for the younger generation! 

To one corner was another raw meat section; the fish and the chicken. I only know chicken as chicken (at most old mother hen) and i initially thought there were nine types of chicken at this stall (ayam = chicken)! 

Well, the supposed nine types could mean chicken wing, chicken drum, chicken bone, chicken breast, chicken thigh, chicken neck, chicken butt, chicken feet and chicken meat. 

A typical stall in the market.

Sold in bundles, i could not quite remember what these leaves were used for even though they looked familiar; were they the bamboo leaves used as wraps for Chinese rice dumplings? Hm..... seemed too dry though.

The mix and match stall.

I didn't have much fruits while i was in KK! However, i did manage to find the Packham pears! When would they be back in Singapore?!?! I miss them so so much!

This part focused more on small kitchen products like sponges, brushes etc. 

Raw honey! After been to quite a number of apiaries, i am now hesitant when it comes to buying off the rack honey as i would not be able to identify if they are real, fake or diluted. Speaking of honey, i have run out of stock! Maybe it's time to order a few more bottles from Taiwan! 

Biscuit and spices stalls; my mom did request me to buy something from KK; a few packets of Sarawak pepper powder which was renowned for its aroma and spiciness! 

Second floor of Central Market was the food section! Doesn't this remind you of some of the hawker centres in Singapore? Wet market at the basement and hawker centre on the ground floor?

I didn't try anything since i already had Laksa at Yee Fung. Visually, nothing appealed to me and i am also a sucker for queues which were lacking at all the stalls. To give it the benefit of doubt, maybe the place was more crowded in the morning.

One key advantage of the hawker centre; it overlooked both the sea and Pulau Gaya, the biggest island within the tunku abdul rahman marine park! One key disadvantage; the stench of fishes which can be off putting for some of you. 

Take your time to roam through the tidy clothing and shoes shop on level two as well. For all you know, you might catch something of your fancy. 

Frankly, you could get some of the experiences in Singapore too although i get the feeling that the shops in the lion city, given the need to make full use of shelf space, were much messier! 

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Location Map
As above


For the itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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KBox K Lunch Buffet on Saturday & Sunday - Unlimited Food Indulgence and Singing for 3 Hours! @ Marina Square [Singapore]

May 19, 2015, 8:00 am
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I am fortunate to have come from a family with strong ties and this can be seen from the occasional meetups the Teo siblings have; given i am not keen in shopping for lady clothing and accessories, the one activity that doesn't raise any objection, aside from food, would be a karaoke session! 

Being poor and cheapos, we have always opted for the affordable K Lunch promotion at KBox! However, the limited food we got from K Lunch was usually quite pathetic and the popular chain has now upped the ante by having K Lunch Buffet as a permanent fixture at a few branches! 

This post would not focus on reviewing the food extensively; rather, i aimed to let all of you have a better idea of what to expect from the buffet and shall give a summary of my 'dining' experience later.

Unlimited soft drinks like nestle blackcurrant, lemonade lite and nesta green tea and peach! Those hoping for a cup of hot tea / milo / cappuccino etc can give Marina Square a miss. Only the outlet at Cineleisure Orchard offered the hot drinks.

Main section, of which the marmite prawns were memorable. Guess most stuff marinated in marmite sauce would turn out great! Marmite chicken replaced prawns once they were cleaned up by the hungry patrons. 

Dim sum with prawn dumplings, kaya pao and chicken siew mai; i guess many people are wondering if KBox is Halal certified. It is not because all the branches serve alcohol even though the food doesn't contain any pork / lard (have confirmed this with the staff). 

Porridge and radish soup; very typical Chinese makan.

What's porridge without all the condiments?! I would like to put on record that i would never, ever touch porridge in a buffet; why waste my calories?!?! 

Eggs with baked beans, nonya fish otah and roast duck. 

Salads and their dressings; like porridge, i am not a fan of salad when the word buffet is involved. Furthermore, i prefer to have salad at home.

I am much more keen in sweet stuff although i tried to be selective. Cannot afford to take too much sugar-laden stuff at my age mah! 

Disclaimer for all diners that would absolve KBox from any responsibility from allergies arising from having raw food in their premise! 

There's always an extra stomach for nonya kueh! Sadly, they were disappointing and the only good thing i could think of was how lucky i am by taking only one piece each. 

I indulged a lot more in deep fried stuff that day; the spring rolls were quite addictive! 

Cold longan and lychee soup; a hot version similar to cheng tng was also provided. Psst, bring along a bottle of mineral water to dilute the sweetness

Come to think about it; i didn't have any ice cream! By the time i was done with most food, i was already feeling the chill of the air-conditioning and guess my sub conscious mind had conveniently filtered out the ice cream.

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In summary, food wasn't fantastic (more misses than hits) and i was honestly not expecting much for the S$20 per person we paid for unlimited food and drinks and singing in our terrible voices for three hours. 

Location
6 Raffles Boulevard 
#03-208/209 
Marina Square

Price
K Lunch Buffet (Saturday and Sunday) 
@ S$12++ per person [add up to be S$20]
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Lucy's Kitchen @ Imago KK Times Square [Kota Kinabalu]

May 20, 2015, 8:10 am
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When one is on unfamiliar grounds, one will check the surroundings and go along with the crowd; which was exactly what we did when we were in search of food at Kota Kinabalu's latest mall.

From the limited options available (the shopping centre was not 100% open), it did seem Lucy's Kitchen commanded the most customers!

Setting was simple, cheery yet complicated.

I especially loved the hanging kitchen display and thought this would be an fantastic yet practical idea for the house that i would be getting soon; fingers crossed on that as prices remained pretty much out of my reach.

Basmathi Rice w Grilled Chicken
From the menu, there were some similarities to PappaRich and i guess starting with the chef recommended basmati rice with grilled chicken would be a great choice for my early dinner.

Although served warm, the basmati rice lacked the robust aroma that impressed me the very first time i tried the long grains. Furthermore, there were a few hard clumps that were, in my opinion, unacceptable for a restaurant.

Grilled chicken had that inevitable freshness yet the so called special-sauce marination that could have elevated it was conspicuously missing. Overall, disappointing.

Chocolate Molten Dessert
A Chinese would tell you that a good dish should fulfill three criteria; the display, the aroma and the taste. Personally, i am all for taste even though i would give bonus marks for initial impression (display) . 

As in the case of this lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Fail #1 - i didn't have that runny chocolate filling gushing out like lava flowing out of a volcano. Well, that deficiency could have been excused for a nicely flavoured chocolate cake except that the texture was a tad too hard. 

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Location
Basement, Lot 42,
KK Times Square,
Kota Kinabalu

Price
Basmathi Rice w Grilled Chicken - RM $15.90
Chocolate Molten Dessert - RM $9.90
[Subject to GST and Service Charge]


For my itinerary on Kota Kinabalu, click HERE.
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KK Handicraft Centre (Formerly Known as the Filipino Market) @ Sabah [East Malaysia, Borneo Island]

May 22, 2015, 8:30 am
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The handicraft centre in Kota Kinabalu (KK) was extremely easy to find as it was just next to the Central Market i covered a few days ago!

It was broken up into a few sections and i was initially under the impression the handicraft centre was separate from the Filipino market which was very much talked about online; turned out the latter was a former name.

I honestly think this tree species should be planted in Singapore as it provided a damn good shade in hot weather! Anyway, the few ladies under the shade seemed to be selling traditional medicine. Legitimate or not, you make your own judgment.

Do look out for the roaming chickens and stay out of their way! They did look as if they have mastered martial arts and could successfully deliver a painful kick anyone who tries to catch them! Other than that, i think they would make for a delicious, healthy fried chicken given their lean muscles. 

The first section was fruits; which didn't generate much interest from us as we just walked from Central Market where there was an abundance of them.

Quickening our pace to pull ourselves away from enthusiastic fruit sellers, we came upon the next section that would have been a paradise for my dearest mum.

Dried foodstuff! Of course we can get them in Singapore although the prices back home can be exorbitant as Singapore, no matter how developed, imports most items.

Sea cucumbers never appeal to me but mum loves the taste and texture! Known as ginseng from the sea, it was said to be extremely nutritious and can command up to a few thousand dollars (S$) a kilogram.

Since i didn't know how to "choose", i had a valid excuse not to buy any!

Looking like normal tree branches, i was wondering if these "kayu tas" were canes used to discipline naughty children. I googled on the name and interestingly, it was known as the "staff of mountain god" and although primarily used to ward off wild animals, it was said to have legendary properties. For more information, click here.

I went to the handicraft centre on two different days and for Sunday, there was a temporary market right behind the "official" handicraft centre building. Nothing of interest and i doubt many of you would be keen to purchase the clothing.

The same place on a Tuesday.

Past the temporary market would be an area locals and tourists alike would traverse, mainly at night for the cool sea breeze; the food section!

For someone who loves to eat, i am careful when it comes to overseas dining as my gut is extremely sensitive and the worst thing to happen on travels is to get sick, as i did on my Maldives trip.

Nothing was ingested from any of the food stalls as i was uncomfortable about the hygiene conditions. The foul smell of rotten fishes and drain water permeated the environment, making it even more difficult for me to enjoy the food.

Connected to the cooked food section was another fresh fruit & vegetables section; frankly, it was getting a bit boring for me as things sold were generally the same. Maybe the rent here, compared to Central Market, was cheaper.

A more permanent structure; "persatuan penjaja bumiputera pantai barat sabah pasar buah-buahan tempatan" is translated to "bumiputera traders association Sabah 's west coast local fruit market"! Don't we all love google!?

Again, nothing exciting.

Except for the "dry corals" which almost made Singapore their home! Alex was about to purchase a few and i had to warn him they served no purpose, difficult to clean and were experts in collecting dust!

Okay, we are finally going to talk about the handicraft centre which was in fact smacked somewhat in the middle of what we have gone through so far and faced the main road. 

First thing that caught our attention; the row of male seamsters. As this wasn't a big scale clothing market, i did wonder why they were here and if you notice, all were male! 

Using old school sewing machines, it didn't appear that business was roaring and most of them were happy chit chatting with one another, with relaxing trails of cigarette smoke accompanying their conversation.

Entering the narrow yet tidy corridors of the "official" handicraft centre! 

True to its name, you can find loads of handicrafts and souvenirs even though you would find it hard to get your hands on a decent sized one for display given the restricted space allocated to each stall.

Most were just small knick knacks (tee shirts, bags, key chains, magnets, ornamental displays etc); many of which could be found at the Sunday Market. 

For key chains, they have better designs with sturdier quality. For that, be prepared to fork almost double the prices of what you can find in the Sunday Market. Owners were friendly though and i believe you could bargain for better pricing.

Who in the right mind would carry this out on the streets?! I think it was made of real toad skin that was leatherised and then made into a sling purse. 

Those into pearls can also find a wide variety at the handicraft centre, in different colours. 

More pictures of the handicraft centre. In all, i wasn't impressed and could not help comparing it to the handicraft centre we used to have in Singapore, where Chinatown Point is. Most importantly, things sold there were homogeneous and stalls seldom differed from one another. 

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Location
A stone throw from Central Market


For the itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Day Four of My Kota Kinabalu Trip; Seemed to be Filled with Markets! @ Sabah [Borneo Island]

May 23, 2015, 8:30 am
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Although i was excited to start the walk through the weekend market along Gaya Street, Alex insisted on filling his tummy at Old Town Coffee, which was right opposite Jesselton Hotel. 

He wasn't satisfied with his food but it didn't matter to me as my intention was to have Yee Fung Laksa for breakfast. For review on the laksa, please click here. 

Anyway, you wouldn't believe that we spent close to three hours at Gaya Street Sunday Market! Okay, maybe a little bit lesser as that included at least two trips back to our hotel to dump our stuff and release my bowel. For elaborating postings on the weekend market, click here, there and that. 

Strolled past two signature icons of Kota Kinabalu; the historical Atkinson Clock Tower and Signal Hill Observation Tower. No time to check them out on day four as we have limited time! 

Reaching a crossroad facing both Wisma Merdeka and Wisma Sabah, my aim was to walk straight down where we would eventually meet the sea.

Made use of Wisma Merdeka's sheltered walkway! 

Arrived at the promenade under the bloody hot sun and i can hear the murmurings of complaint by Alex; this ass would prefer shopping centres if he could have his way.

Obvious sign for no fishing.

I regretted not allocating any time for a sunset walk along the promenade during my trip as i thought its facing to the west would likely mean a spectacular sunset! 

Close-up of the Marlin statue that every tourist to KK would take a photograph of. Be mindful of the motor vehicles travelling around the statue as the road was indeed a busy one! 

Me doing the touristy thing. 

Looked like a jetty on the far end; my guess is that the boats would likely be fishing vessels bringing in fresh seafood from the ocean to be sold at the central market. 

Open air car park next to the central market; initially, i thought the management was so kind as to prevent canopies for the lots until it dawned on me that they were for the food stalls at night! 

The boats berthed next to central market.

After checking out central market, i immediately proceeded to the handicraft centre. In actual fact, my objective was to check out the handicraft centre to compare the prices of souvenirs! 

Things were quite expensive and i would have a better deal at Gaya Street Sunday Market! I had to act fast as the weekend market was said to end by 1pm! Well, i did manage to spare some time to take shots of warrior chickens and a playful feline. 

From the map, it appeared shorter to cut through the little lanes. I personally like to get lost when i am overseas as there is a higher possibility of chancing upon the local way of life. 

One aspect of KK life that i really envied a lot was their traffic condition; everyone drove /rode so slowly and it didn't take much effort to cut across major roads.

I did mention we need such trees in Singapore!

A memorial plaque that was located very close to the start of Gaya Street. We were lucky that most of the weekend stalls were still operating at 12.30 pm! 

Shopping was partially completed and it's time to check out the air-conditioned shopping centres! Before then, let's check out the Tourist Information Centre which was housed in a building built in 1916 and was one of three buildings still standing after World War 2.

Compass on the pavement outside the centre. Anyway, i would encourage every new visitor to pay the Tourist Information Centre a visit as it did provide a ton of helpful information and brochures.

First shopping centre for the day; Suria Sabah! This photo was taken at Suria Sabah which showed its proximity to the graffiti building that i touched on before. 

Suria Sabah was the biggest shopping centre in Kota Kinabalu until Imago KK Times Square opened its doors in April 2015.

For a Sunday, the crowd was quite thin and i assumed it could have been because of KK Times Square. As in Singapore, new malls always draw a lot of customers curious about them. 

Turned out most customers were on the first floor where there were a trade fair. Granted the size of the crowd was not comparable to what we see in Singapore, we have to remember KK had a basic population of just over 400,000 and even then, i can count quite a few malls within the state capital.

This must be the longest pedestrian bridge in KK! Above Jalan Segama, it was at least two hundred meters long and connected to central market.

I heard from one local that this place would come alive at night with stalls along the street.

Walking along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen which covered the promenade, the central market and the handicraft centre that we visited earlier in the morning. 

Warisan Square - a complicated complex that had a number of massage parlours and food establishments. With competition coming from newer shopping malls, i can see quite a few shops that had rolled down their shutters, for good.

Not to mention that there was another shopping centre, Oceanus Waterfront Mall, that would likely be up and running within the year.

A rather clean canal - at this point, we still had Oceanus Mall sheltering us from the sun! 

Not anymore! Whatever the case, this appeared to be a bus terminal except that its concept was to have an extremely long bus stop! 

One of the routes for the city buses. 

Unlike purpose built kiosks which sell newspapers, drinks and tidbits in bus interchanges and bus stops, the situation was a lot different in KK. 

According to the map, the walk along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen would bring me to Imago KK Times Square and i was hesitant as it did seem that the buildings right ahead were still undergoing construction!

Heng i was right! I can sense Alex's mood changing the longer we stayed in the sun and it was with apparent relief to see the words "Imago KK Times Square" branded across the building. 

Like Oceanus Waterfront Mall, the building would be opening up in phases and many outdoor sections remained hoarded up. No matter what, we were just keen to explore the air-conditioned indoors! 

The first thing we heard when we entered was "screaming"! There was a rat on the loose and poor rodent had a hard time finding a good spot to hide itself! 

In relative to the other malls i have been to in KK, Imago KK Times Square would be like ION Orchard with its array of designer shops and modernistic, high class design.

We had a hard time finding food as there was limited choice! The one with the longest queue was a takeaway outlet for Chimney Cake! In my opinion, it was similar to the pretzels sold at Auntie Anne's but in a different shape. 

Dinner was at Lucy's Kitchen. For my review, click here. 

Took a cab back as there was no way we would compromise our calves by walking back! 

Given that dinner wasn't satisfactory, we decided to stuff ourselves with Bak Kut Teh at Sin Kee. Yet again another disappointment that made me depressed as it was a blatant waste of calories! 

The last thing we did before retiring at Jesselton Hotel; booked a day package with Excellence Eco-Tours Services to Sapi and Manukan Islands for the next day! 

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For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.
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Coral Flyer - The World's Longest Island to Island Zipline @ Pulau Gaya & Pulau Sapi [Kota Kinabalu]

May 24, 2015, 8:30 am
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With the tagline "The World's Longest Island to Island Zipline", i knew i could not resist giving the Coral Flyer a try when i was at Kota Kinabalu's Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park! 

The tickets could only be purchased from Sapi Island Jetty, which wasn't that hard to find; there was only one official jetty and you could not have missed the publicity surrounding the zipline upon your arrival.

I did mention it was an island-to-island zipline and this means a short speedboat ride to the nearby Gaya Island; by short, i meant arriving there in mere minutes! 

Within the marine park, Gaya was hailed as the largest island and although the island can be covered on foot, the area for the zipline was rather deserted; i counted less than ten humans in my brief journey. 

Island map as appended above; our location was at number 2 - Padang Point. 

Directions were clear on where you should proceed upon reaching the jetty at Padang Point. The zipline was also quite noticeable on the speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu.

Our safety equipment!

It's comforting and assuring to see everything in such neat and tidy condition! Despite my adventurous streak, i am growing to take note of safety issues (thanks to my current work); of course nothing is guaranteed but at the very least, we should reduce the chance of mishaps! 

Always let the experts "dress" you up. You might have a higher chance of making a fool out of yourself if you ever attempt to self-serviced. 

After donning the safety harness and hat, you shall proceed to the jumping platform. Just follow the signs! 

Which means a climb up to a suitable elevation! Frankly, Coral Flyer should consider building obstacles similar to those in Forest's Adventure to hype up the experience! 

Found this furry stuff on the ground. Not sure what it was even though it did seem like an oversized lalang seed. 

Two minutes of climb later! The heart was trembling with excitement as we saw from our guide's phone that just two weeks before, two whale sharks were photographed in the shallow straits between the two islands! 

There wasn't any barricade surrounding the attraction and i wonder if notice would be taken heed by the trespassers. 

Scenery in front of us! Alex was asked to go first as i wanted to video down the experience for publication in this blog! Do check out the video at the end of this post.

My turn!

In the matter of around fifteen seconds across 250 meters, there was limited time of where i should focus my camera and this was in addition to the exhilaration of zipping down the line! Anyway, the above showed the jetty at Sapi Island.

The view in front where a staff member was on standby to "receive" me.

For RM 64, i personally thought it was too high a price for just ten seconds of play and for about S$10 more, i would have a much more enjoyable time at Forest's Adventure; not to mention i can also spend a far longer time in the latter. 

Safety wise, i was impressed with what i saw; inspections were said to be conducted daily and the imported stainless steel cables were anchored to an eighteen-ton blocks at either end.

Taking it once was enough. I guess having been on the world's longest island to island zipline would be something to blow about to friends even though at 250 meters long, it was a baby compared to the world's longest zipline; the 2,213 meters "Flight of the Angel" in Rocca Massima, Italy! 

Video as above!

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Website

Price
RM 64 per person


For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Borneo Island) trip, please click here. 
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Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul @ City Square Mall [Johor Bahru, Malaysia]

May 26, 2015, 8:30 am
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There are many Chinese translations for chendol / cendol / chendul and i honestly thought the above, 煎蕊, was by far the best i have seen with insightful explanation on the words' relevance to the popular dessert.

Notwithstanding the above, i have always maintained that active advertising, nice decoration etc can only do so much to a dining establishment. It's the taste of the food that really matters eventually.

Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul (yes, that's the name of the shop) seemed to attract a lot of curiosity from passersby and i guess it was appropriate to fulfill our dessert there after a filling meal at Bornga Korean BBQ next door. 

Teochew Chendol Original
Compared the above picture with the first photograph at the beginning of this post and you would roughly guess i wasn't too pleased with over-watery chendol. 

Established in 1936 with a history spanning almost eighty years, it would be unfair to judge a dessert based on its appearance. 

Slurping the contents as if i was drinking a bowl of soup, i must admit it was a mess-free indulgence and honestly a very balanced tasting chendol that had elements from two of my favourite chendol stalls in Singapore. Gula Melaka was slightly tastier in Jin Jin while the green chendol (the green stuff) was marginally better at Changi Village. 

Fried Popiah
This wasn't on the chef recommendations and i could not quite remember why we decided to buy this. Guess it was always nice to eat something deep fried to accompany a cold dessert.

The popiah was definitely nothing to scream about. 

It was surprisingly the laksa dip that had a lasting impression on us. The taste was assam-like and the popiah tasted more flavourful with that uniquely sourness once it was soaked in the dip!  

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Location
Lot No MF-19A,
Level 3 Johor Bahru City Square,
106-108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook

Menu
As above.

Price
Teochew Chendol Original - RM 5.90
Fried Popiah - RM 8.90
[Subject to GST]

Additional Information
The Teochew Durian Chendol that the Great Kon totally enjoyed had a much better appearance with a small mound of ice shavings! 
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Parasailing - An Exhilarating Experience @ Pulau Sapi [Kota Kinabalu]

May 27, 2015, 8:14 am
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I am known for my adventurous, daredevil traits and despite my fear for heights, i always seek to challenge that fear by attempting daring, somewhat safe activities like Forest Adventure.

In my most recent overseas trip, i had the opportunity to fight that fear again and it started by forking out RM 100 per person (or RM 180 for two persons) and then following a bunch of like-minded adventurers to the jetty.

Take the speedboat that would send you to a distant place where the adventure shall begin.

Once it has ventured far beyond the island, one of the crew shall unravel the bunch of materials at the back in a careful manner; ensuring that the ropes are not tangled up!

Rising against the wind, the rainbow parachute started to take shape and without wasting any time, the "captain" of the boat barked at the six of us; "who wants to go first?".

We shall take the lead! As with coral flyer, leave the dressing up to the professionals, especially when the boat was rocking unsteadily on water.

It's ready!

With his nifty fingers, likely accustomed to the same procedure for years, he fastened the strap, hooked the carabiners.

We were asked to sit down on the platform at the back of the boat and get ready for the lift. Want to take some photos? Pass your camera (including mobile phone) to the friendly crew and they would be more than willing to take hundreds of shots for you!

I brought along my Olympus tough camera with me instead as i prefer to have control over my own photos; do note you bear the risk if you accidentally drop your camera / any other item you brought along into the great ocean.

Take-off as the speedboat got smaller and smaller!

The excitement was amazing and it was so carefree up in the sky where there's no one else except myself, and that bugger right next to me.

My apology; he was actually quite quiet and like me, was enjoying the exhilarating sight in front of him with the strong sea breeze brushing against his face and hair.

Option at no extra cost - would you wish to touch the water? You can choose to have only your feet wet, up to your knees or a splash that would require a change of pants. Make your decision and inform the "captain" before you take off!

Breathtaking view in front of us!

From the picture, you might have assumed that the nervousness has worn off; not really as you could see how tightly our hands would grasping the suspension lines!

Shadow of the parasail.

I couldn't really quite gauge how high we were but for any person with a phobia for heights, it doesn't really matter!!! I was more worried that a great white would jump out and grab me by my feet!

The islands ahead of us!

After about six minutes up in the sky, we mere mortals would eventually be banished back to the ground.

The final splash (up to our knees as we agreed) before we were reined in.

RM 180 - gone in six minutes! Given the chance, i honestly would not mind paying again! Next time i shall try the helicopter up the mountains or something.

Next team for the launch!

Control of the launching and retrieving apparatus was via the captain's foot!

I bet we were like that a few moments before. This reminded me of Jurassic Park 3 starting scene; no need to worry since the sky was so bloody clear!

A few other photos.

There were quite a few operators for parasailing and for safety reason, we could only see other groups from afar and anyway, i have full trust in our captain who was my age and had been in this trade for fifteen years!

Time to wrap up!

Photos taken from my iphone by the crew member. Like many people in the tourism trade, the crew had quite a knack for taking good photos!

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How to Purchase
As i joined a tour for the island trip, a representative would turn up once we arrived at Sapi Island to share with us the list of sea activities we could join. Don't fret if you don't have sufficient cash, they would collect the money when you reach back at the hotel.

Price
Parasailing for One - RM 100
Parasailing for Two (together) - RM 180


For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Borneo Island) trip, please click here. 

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Snorkeling at Sapi Island (Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park) @ Kota Kinabalu [Borneo]

May 28, 2015, 7:49 am
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I think it's inevitable that i would have to partake in snorkeling when i was in Sabah as the state is renowned for her beautiful waters and count Sipadan (rated Top Dive Destination in the World) as one of the many islands under her jurisdiction. 

Furthermore, i must make full use of my easybreath snorkeling mask! This one was recently purchased as the old one was surprisingly too big for me! This S/M sized mask was a snug fit and i didn't face any problem with water seeping in. 

The first fish i spotted after jumping into the water; the boring sergeant major fish that was in abundance in every snorkeling expedition except for Maldives!

Maybe i did too much snorkeling in Maldives; it didn't seem as fun in Kota Kinabalu and it didn't help that compared to the Maldives, the water was cloudier, the fishes were less active and coral life was not as vibrant.

I still see the fishes sucking stuff off the seabed and rocks. 

Maybe i am indeed facing snorkeling fatigue; which isn't good news as i would be travelling to the Perhentian Islands next month! :(

Spotted the common sea urchin! 
 
To be fair, my first ever snorkeling in Krabi back in 2012 did seem to pale in comparison when compared to Sapi Island. Oh well, as we all know, Krabi was badly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Think this was a pufferfish!

Aside from the underwater conditions, there could be another reason why i wasn't too happy with the snorkeling in Sapi Island; for safety reason, most areas were off limits to the public.

While i applaud the consideration from the authorities, the restriction severely limits the scope of exploration for a person who doesn't dive!

Checked out the little bugger with striking blue streaks! 

Unlike Maldives, the drop was rather far and although i did attempt to swim all the way out (risking trespassing into restricted zone), it was kind of petrifying to find no human around you and all i heard was only my breathing. 

Just to play safe, i guess i would have to be satisfied with whatever that was available!

Let's just make this into a pictorial post; once again, i got too trigger-enthusiastic with the use of my Olympus TG-3 underwater camera! 

The above did appear to be a cemetery for dead corals. 

No idea why this spot was so popular with the fishes! 

Would it even shock you to know that i spent only about twenty minutes snorkeling at Sapi Island. Alex was in the water even lesser than me. Guess we can all point our fingers at Maldives for the disinterest! 

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Location
Sapi Island, Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah State, East Malaysia


For my 7 days Kota Kinabalu itinerary, click here.
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Sapi Island - The Most Popular One @ Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park [Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia]

May 29, 2015, 8:30 am
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Long before i even booked my accommodation, i was most keen on Pulau Gaya, the biggest island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park but upon arrival at KK, it seemed that size doesn't really quite matter when it comes to popularity. 

Listed as the second smallest among the five islands in the marine park, we selected a day package that sent us on a speedboat journey to Sapi Island on a lazy Monday morning.

Narrow waterway separating Sapi Island and Gaya Island. If you look closely enough, you might be able to see a few lines connecting the two islands; they were not power lines! Check out the Coral Flyer to find out more. 

Arriving at Pulau Sapi jetty. 

Crystal clear water, teeming with fishes. I was actually looking forward to snorkeling although the memorable trip to Maldives wasn't too long ago. 

Wide shades of blue that turned into a short spectrum of green; this would mean only a short distance to the big drop into the ocean, area that should be avoid by amateur snorkelers!

Beachfront - not too bad and wasn't too crowded; not yet. 

See those floating coloured balls? They demarcated the zones of which you can access. Given the high sea traffic, i can understand the safety reason for doing so even though this severely restricted the enjoyment of snorkeling. 

Entering the island proper. 

Jetty building - aside from housing an information counter, there was also a shop where you can buy beachwear, kitschy souvenirs, just to name a yet.

Do's and Dont's - at part b, it was mentioned that "no person shall cut, damage, remove, injure, destroy or bomb any coral (whether living on deep)"; who the hell would bring a bomb anywhere unless they mean a fart bomb! 

Another building right ahead of you once you step out of the jetty building. This time, it housed a convenience shop and a small counter where you can rent life jacket, snorkeling mask, fin and even beach mats!

Prices as above; excusez moi for the blurry picture. The deposit would be the killer so make sure you bring enough cash! Those who sign up for the island package (like us) would be provided with the snorkeling mask and life jacket for free. 

Bought fried caramelized banana chips! 

Next to the jetty building - the tents and the nicely covered tables and chairs; honestly, i was under the impression that there was going to be an event later; maybe a beach wedding or something.

Turned out the area was for those who have signed up for the day packages! Together with your tour mates (who were still strangers with you then), a table would be assigned and the guide would help to guard over your prized possessions. 

Lifeguard station - do note that despite their presence, you swim at your own risk! 

Signs at the beach for your reference. 

I should be eager to start my snorkeling but i was keener on Coral Flyer which i have chanced upon while doing my research in Singapore. So, hold on while i registered for the world's longest island to island zipline.

Once you have settled in at your table, a person would drop by and start to promote packages of sea sport activities available on Sapi Island; the common banana boat, parasailing, waking on seabed etc. You could buy a few to get a better deal and if you don't bring enough cash, you could always pay back when you are back in KK.

For us, we wanted to take things slowly and opted to put on hold the signing up of any sea activities until we have completed Coral Flyer.

The trip over to the nearby Gaya Island took less than three minutes! 

Once again, the waterway between the two islands. Our guide told us just two weeks before, two whale sharks were spotted in the same shallow waterway! Lucky to those who were taking the zipline then! You may read more on my review of the Coral Flyer here.

Tons of fishes lurking beneath Gaya's jetty!

The road up to Coral Flyer at Gaya Island was pretty good, with sturdy concrete steps. However, the pathway down from Coral Flyer at Sapi Island was a different story!

A dirt path would be my best description of it and please look out for uneven steps, fallen trees that block your way and tree roots protruding out from the ground. 

Chalets? I understand there is no accommodation in Sapi Island for tourists even though you may choose to camp overnight.

We registered for parasailing! Read more here. 

Divers wannabes taking their class; i am supposed to take up diving although that interest has waned somewhat. One fellow colleague's comment has a profound effect; diving is an expensive hobby! 

A ribbonfish in the clear water! 

Other side of the jetty which didn't seem to attract much attention from the beachgoers; likely due to the lack of a white, sandy beach. 


Venturing to the other side of the beach; you don't have to climb up. Just stick to the ground and walk over; as far as scenery is concerned, the other side was more spectacular and given its secularist location, less populated too. 

Rocky outcrops; this area would have been better for snorkeling but it was out of bounds. Attempts to jump in would result in loud, continuous whistle shrills from the alert lifeguards!


Quite slippery so do walk carefully.


The other side - personally, i thought this was it and i could not venture any further. According to this informative blog post here, i should have been more adventurous! Snorkeling was said to be epic at this southern part of Sapi! 

Many tourists were, like me, unaware and thought of this area as just a fantastic spot to take cheesy photographs, above water.

Humongous rock that sat in between the populated beach and hidden section.

Popular beach section - i chose a Monday to visit as i presumed that weekends would be very crowded! The only disadvantage is that with lesser people, you feel less willing to explore. Sometimes, monkeys see, monkey do could open up to a new frontier you never thought possible.

Sapi Island is known for its huge monitor lizards which i never had a chance to spot! 

Next to the enclosure was in fact another pathway that shall bring us to a hidden cliff!!! I didn't know about it until i was researching about Sapi island while doing up this post. Darn, people do research before the trip while weirdo me does it after the trip!

Buffet lunch, provided as part of our day package, was provided! 

Drinks would include free flow of fruit punch, plain water and even pepsi! Unlike the buffet lunch which would only begin at about 12 noon, drinks via the self-serviced dispensers were available right upon your arrival.

Lunch was actually quite scrumptious as fair as visual was concerned with crabs and prawns. My personal favourite was the well marinated chicken wings! 

Unfortunately, the dining experience was marred by the roasted sweet potatoes. Notice the worm!?!? Thank god my travel companion from China had a closer look!

Hungry and didn't sign up for the tour package? No problem as there was a small cafe that has quite an extensive menu. Prices were higher of course.

Menu as appended above for your reference!

With all the news about kidnapping at Sabah (although they were concentrated on the northern part where Sipadan island is), it was indeed assuring to have the police around! 

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Location
Sapi Island, Kota Kinabalau,
Sabah State, East Malaysia

Admission Fees
Applicable only to those on free and easy. 

Island Map
As above.


For the summarised itinerary of the 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Borneo Island) trip, please click here. 
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Coffee : Nowhere - A Nice Place to Chill Out Near NUS @ West Coast Plaza [Singapore]

May 30, 2015, 7:35 am
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Nowhere - the pronunciation has always been a confusion; should you pronounce it as no-where or now-here? Mystery solved; it should be no-where.

However, according to google, nowhere is defined as not in any place or not anywhere which is an oxymoron when used in conjunction as brand name for a shop that sells coffee!

Personally, i prefer Coffee Nowhere over the hundreds of cafes that have been sprouting like mushrooms in Singapore! It has character yet not overly focused on interior design. 

On one hand, it seemed to target the office crowd but on the other, you could still find some comfortable spot where you can spend your afternoon sipping on your beverage while reading a novel. 

Unlike some coffee cafes, there was a food menu (including full day breakfast options) with set lunch / dinner on weekdays! Pity the selection was pretty limited and i was the only one who opted for the set. 

Mushroom Soup (Set Lunch)
Visually, the texture told me this would likely be the thick, clumpy type of mushroom broth that i have always enjoyed over the watery version.

Realistically, it had that earthly flavour signature of edible fungi but failed in having a seasoning that could have enhanced the taste. To put it simply, the taste was bland and flat. 

Prawn Oglio-Olio Spaghetti (Set Lunch)
Nicely adorned; the aroma that accompanied the hot pasta when it was served to my table surprisingly did not manage to agitate my appetite as i would have expected. 

With six prawns (yes, i counted them), i thought the spaghetti was quite a good deal for a set lunch!

The first thing that hit my taste buds was its spiciness! Other than that, there was hardly any seasoning or flavour that stood out and like the mushroom soup, it was relatively bland once you remove the "spicy".

Whatever the case, i paid for the meal out of my pocket and i am not going to lay it to waste. 

Drink (Set Lunch)
The above was supposed to be my drink; if i remember correctly, you only have a few choices and none of it appealed to me; hence, i passed this to my friend. She had no complaint so i guess it should taste alright. 

Creme Brulee Cappuccino 
What i had was this! For members, there was 1 for 1 beverage on Mondays and i sure didn't regret ordering the creme brulee cappuccino; the top layer cracked just like its dessert cousin and the coffee was creamy, flavourful with a touch of the creme brulee that many loved to have. 

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Location
154, West Coast Road, 
#B1-06/07, West Coast Plaza

Map 
As above.

Opening Hours
Mondays to Fridays - 10am to 10pm
Saturdays, Sundays, PH - 8.30am to 10pm

Food Menu
As above

Drink Menu

As above

Pricing

Prawn Oglio-Olio Spaghetti Set Lunch - S$12.80
Creme Brulee Cappuccino - S$7.80

Additional Information
Free wifi (password would be on your receipt) and plain water can be taken from the counter on the second floor! Maybe i should have gotten some salt and pepper for my soup and main. 

A friend had the Burger Nowhere - i stole a bite and thought it was absolutely to my liking! Maybe i should give the food another chance; next time, i shall have the chilli crab baked rice! 

By the way, sign up for the prepaid member card for a better deal! 
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Snorkeling at Manukan Island (Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park) @ Kota Kinabalu [Borneo]

May 31, 2015, 8:30 am
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Yes, yet again another snorkeling; do bear with me as it would be the last one i had for Kota Kinabalu! This follows, by the way, the snorkeling i had at Sapi Island.

The vast underwater scene was relatively sparse which wasn't a bad thing as it meant better clarity whenever activities were detected. 

Like the congregation of fishes that came together to make themselves bigger, likely as a mode of defense towards their predators. 

Guess it didn't work as can be seen from the photo above although their strategy could be to deter their predators from far as they would have appeared much bigger from a distance.

Sea grass - this reminded me of a Mantanani Island in Kota Kinabalu that was renowned for its numerous sightings of dugongs! Sea grass, as some of you might be aware, is a common staple for the marine mammal.

What Manukan Island lacks in terms of underwater scenery was made up by the huge amount of fishes in the water.

Looked kind of delicious as it seemed familiar to the type that mum has cooked for me before; think it is called red monkey in Hokkien (ang gao) and said to be quite expensive! 

Pomfret! Steamed pomfret in Teochew style was the most delicious; oh boy, i must be very hungry right now as i have not had lunch yet!

Thousands and maybe millions of ikan bilis in the water too!

Boring seabed - i am so accustomed to seeing beautiful corals set with vibrantly coloured fishes that this didn't meet my expectation. Thankfully, i was already pre-informed that Sapi Island was a superior spot for snorkeling in the marine park. 

Giant clam!

Leading into the sea, this could be the remnants of an old jetty. The wooden beams had been intentionally sawn off, possibly to prevent injuries from poor swimmers who would have cut themselves if they unwittingly swim towards them.

Corals were slowly taking ownership of the cut beams! 

Something was hiding in the rock! The thing wasn't as common in the marine park although back in Krabi, they were seriously in abundance! 

Ya lah, sea urchins!

Anyway, more of the unexciting underwater pictures i took at Manukan Island. Hopefully, the next trip to Perhentian Islands would result in way more spectacular photographs! 

Taking a breather before i continued my boring exploration. The place right ahead was Kota Kinabalu by the way. As you can see, water was crystal clear! 

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Location
Manukan Island, Kota Kinabalu, 
Sabah State, East Malaysia 


For my 7-day Kota Kinabalu itinerary, click here.
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