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Travel Blog November 2005 Page 2
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In November 2005 we set off on a trip starting in Western Australia covering Brunei, Sabah in Malaysia, Thailand & a brief visit to Cambodia. Whilst away we maintained a Blog for the world to see. Following is a cleaned up version of that original Blog - spell checked and with some trip photos included!
Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
The 40 minute flight from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu (KK) is so quick we were ready to land by the time most passengers had completed their Malaysian immigration cards.
Getting through KK's compact airport was quick and easy and we purchased a taxi coupon into town for RM17.
It was a 15 minute drive to the Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu, a luxurious hotel on the waterfront which was a bargain (booked through Hotelzasia!). It is located right next door to the multi story Wayasan Shopping Centre and there is plenty of food, drink and shopping nearby.
The local specialty is herbal chicken and herbal soup dishes and we tried both for around RM6 a dish. Beers in local pubs were around RM7.50 for a small Tiger or Heineken and meals are in the RM4 - 7 range depending on what you eat.
KK rocks at night and is alive with pubs and eating spots. The city is long and narrow, just a half dozen or so streets wide, bounded by the beach and the mountains. The town stretches along the coast for many kilometres.
A day in Kota Kinabalu
Saturday, November 12, 2005
We started off early from the Hyatt and walked the 20 metres to the beach, graced by an enormous blue statue of a swordfish. There is no beach as such as the waterfront is a wall. The views out to the South China Sea are excellent and there are some nice islands nearby with settlements. Boats ply the sea, both ferries and fishing boats.
We walked several kilometres along the coast, passing a variety of markets selling souvenirs and endless varieties of fish and fruits grown locally in Sabah. There are plenty of restaurants along the way. Eventually we hit a large shopping centre for a pitstop and did some shopping. Plenty of bargains to be had, too.
Walking back along the second road we reached Sabah Centrepoint, an enormous multi store shopping mall that is so big it almost seemed out of place in tiny Kota Kinabalu. A great place to get out of the midday heat, lots of clothing, sports goods, electronics, restaurants and so on. Burning your photos to CD costs RM10 here, and you can get a great meal of either Malaysian or western food at prices ranging from RM5 to 10.
We got some bargains including FILA rucksacks (the real deal, not pirated knock offs) for RM25 each. A real bargain and there are plenty to be had.
South China Sea, Kota Kinabalu
Airports Galore
A long day today, departing Sabah in Malaysia and starting the day off with a plastic breakfast at Kota Kinabalu Airport. A 40 minute flight to Brunei and some fabulous views of the Borneo coastline, Labuan Island and Bandar Seri Begawan before landing in Brunei.
We had a 8 hour transit in Brunei airport so took a day room which is basically a little hotel room in the terminal with air con, bed and bathroom. Cost for 8 hours was B$60, although all we had were A$ so we had to pay $60 in Australian currency. Not a great deal but comfortable and it beats sitting in the transit lounge all day.
The 5.55 pm flight to Bangkok was late due to the inefficiency of Brunei airport ! The check in lady at the Royal Brunei counter was playing video games on her computer, even the immigration officer was running a snooker game on his PC. Nice work if you can get it.
A 2 hr 15 minute flight and we landed in humid Bangkok for a very long wait for our baggage. Finally got out and caught a cab for 260 baht into the city.
Royal Princess Luan Luang Hotel, Bangkok
We booked this Bangkok Hotel through HotelzAsia and got a great price. The room was very large with an even larger balcony ( though they don't bother with outdoor furniture which would have been a great touch). The included breakfast buffet was excellent.
The hotel is about a 10 minute walk to spots like the Golden Mountain and the Democracy Monument although the immediate vicinity of the hotel is bereft of food stalls at night. The only food available was from the nearby 7/11.
The only complaint about this hotel was the absurd charges for laundry, over 2400 baht for a quantity of laundry that in subsequent hotels in Thailand cost less than one tenth of this amount. Disgraceful.
A clear case of overcharging and greed and a big thumbs down to the Dusit Hotels Group for this sort of rip off. A nice hotel but take a walk to the laundry if you need to do some washing!
Democracy Monument, Bangkok
MBK Centre Bangkok
We spent a day in the Mah Boon Krong (MBK) centre in Siam Square, Bangkok. This multi store centre met all our shopping needs including picking up SIM cards for our phones, stocking up on clothes and electronics and even dentistry, hairdressing and optical services. All at a fraction of Australian prices and one of the ways we subsidise our travel.
Security is high at present and random bag checks are happening at the doors and guards with bomb mirrors are checking trucks downstairs. A sad sign of the times but its good to see they are on the ball.
After MBK we took a 85 baht cab ride to Chatuchuk Park, Bangkok's largest and cheapest outdoor weekend market. They have everything
from clothes to souvenirs to wild animals for sale in this place. The market was incredibly crowded and very hot.
A good lunch here at 25 baht for noodles with beef balls.
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