JonnieB
Contributor
Kota Kinabalu Report: Diving Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
March 2006
Keywords: Scuba Diving, Malaysia, Borneo, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Labuan Wrecks, Sabah Divers, Borneo Divers
Introduction
This report covers a week spent diving the islands of the Tunka Abdul Rahman Marine Park off Kota Kinabalu. This trip was exploratory, being my first trip to this area of Sabah. I have dived the other side of Sabah (Sipadan-Mabul-Kapalai) before. This report covers the basics of staying in KK , the diving scene, and the conditions and marine life of the dive sites at the Park.
Kota Kinabalu City
Kota Kinabalu is the capitol of the Malaysian state of Sabah, which, together with the state of Sarawak, make-up the Malaysian half of the island of Borneo. The island of Borneo is the worlds 3rd largest, and is primarily known for its wildlife and natural resources. Sabah is sparsely populated, with about 2.5 million people a mix of indigenous tribes, Malays, and Chinese immigrants. Kota Kinabalu is a small port city facing the South China Sea, with majestic Mt. Kinabalu (at 4000+ meters, the tallest mountain in Asia after Mt. Everest) off in the distance. It is the main gateway and transit hub for the traveler in Sabah.
The KK international airport is 15 minutes from the city center. (However, traffic during the morning/evening rush hours slows to a crawl. Therefore, be sure to allow adequate time at least 1 hour... when departing for flights. ) Travelers flying Air Asia will arrive and depart from Terminal 2. This terminal is separate from the main terminal and has very limited services. There is a small restaurant outside the terminal and a souvenir/snack shop inside. For arriving passengers, there is a taxi counter but no hotel booking service or ATM. Taxi fares are fixed and the rate to the city center is MR20.
The city of KK is not too interesting in and of itself. For the traveler, it is primarily a service center and jumping-off point for the diving, mountain climbing, trekking, and other outdoor activities Sabah has to offer. The primary tourist attraction in KK is the islands of the nearby Abdul Tunku Rahman Marine Park. Not to put too fine a point on it KK is a non-descript little coastal town, with a good travel infrastructure for those staying locally or planning to explore the rest of the island.
Lodging options in KK are extensive, ranging from 5-star waterfront resorts to backpacker dormitories. For divers, the best location is the City Centre district, adjacent to the Wisma Sabah and Wisma Medeka buildings. Everything the traveler needs can be found here: hotels, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, internet shops, bookstores, and even the local Sunday market. Mid-market hotels include the Capitol and the Kinabalu Daya. Comfortable and clean air-con rooms run MR 95-150. Going up-market, you have the Jesselton Hotel, with a colonial period décor, and a modern Hyatt Hotel. Rooms at the Jesselton are more luxurious than those at the Capitol/Daya hotels, with rates starting at MR 230. There are a number of other mid-market hotels and backpacker lodges along Gaya, Pantai, and Dewan streets just have a look around. I stayed at the Kinabalu Daya Hotel and was quite happy. The location is perfect right across the street from the Merdeka shopping arcade and the Sabah building. It is also convenient to restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores. A small breakfast buffet is provided and made it easy to have a bit of nosh before heading out for the days dives.
There are many Malaysian and Chinese storefront restaurants in the City Centre area. Just see where there is a crowd and join-in. The Jesselton Hotel has a couple western food outlets but unfortunately, the food did not match the hotels 4-star setting. Probably the best (its full everynite) western restaurant is Little Italy, located on the ground floor of the Capitol Hotel (just out the door and down the block from the Kinabalu Daya). The pizzas and pastas are good and the portions are generous. Thien Thien is a good Cantonese style Chinese restaurant, located in the Pantai Inn on Pantai road. Nearby on Gaya road, XO is reputed to be the best place for steaks and seafood and Rasa Nyonya, a few doors away, has authentic Malay cuisine. There is a KFC, Coffee Bean café, and some local bakeries in the Medeka shopping center. A short walk away, near the Hyatt, is a Burger King. Some guides recommend the food court at the Medeka center but I found the food and atmosphere there most foul. Mention is also made of the nearby Beach Street night time restaurant and bar scene but to me it appeared to be stale and lifeless.
A couple special mentions are Borneo Books and the grocery store/café opposite the HSBC bank. Borneo Books has two outlets in the Merdeka shopping center and carries a large selection of books on and about the island of Borneo; its history, ecology, and botany/zoology. Come here to pick-up a useful field-guide if you are going trekking or exploring Borneos wild hinterlands. The outlet on the 3rd floor includes a sitting/reading area with free coffee/tea and free internet access (bring your notebook). There is also an assortment of magazines and pamphlets to peruse. For all your fresh food and grocery items, there is a nice supermarket (sorry forgot the name) opposite the HSBC Bank branch on Gaya Street just up from the Daya Hotel. Here you can stock-up on food and drinks for your hotel fridge or to take on island day-trips. There is also a wine store upstairs and a great bakery/café on the premises. (There is also another supermarket at the intersection of Gaya Street and the Beach Street arcade.)
March 2006
Keywords: Scuba Diving, Malaysia, Borneo, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Labuan Wrecks, Sabah Divers, Borneo Divers
Introduction
This report covers a week spent diving the islands of the Tunka Abdul Rahman Marine Park off Kota Kinabalu. This trip was exploratory, being my first trip to this area of Sabah. I have dived the other side of Sabah (Sipadan-Mabul-Kapalai) before. This report covers the basics of staying in KK , the diving scene, and the conditions and marine life of the dive sites at the Park.
Kota Kinabalu City
Kota Kinabalu is the capitol of the Malaysian state of Sabah, which, together with the state of Sarawak, make-up the Malaysian half of the island of Borneo. The island of Borneo is the worlds 3rd largest, and is primarily known for its wildlife and natural resources. Sabah is sparsely populated, with about 2.5 million people a mix of indigenous tribes, Malays, and Chinese immigrants. Kota Kinabalu is a small port city facing the South China Sea, with majestic Mt. Kinabalu (at 4000+ meters, the tallest mountain in Asia after Mt. Everest) off in the distance. It is the main gateway and transit hub for the traveler in Sabah.
The KK international airport is 15 minutes from the city center. (However, traffic during the morning/evening rush hours slows to a crawl. Therefore, be sure to allow adequate time at least 1 hour... when departing for flights. ) Travelers flying Air Asia will arrive and depart from Terminal 2. This terminal is separate from the main terminal and has very limited services. There is a small restaurant outside the terminal and a souvenir/snack shop inside. For arriving passengers, there is a taxi counter but no hotel booking service or ATM. Taxi fares are fixed and the rate to the city center is MR20.
The city of KK is not too interesting in and of itself. For the traveler, it is primarily a service center and jumping-off point for the diving, mountain climbing, trekking, and other outdoor activities Sabah has to offer. The primary tourist attraction in KK is the islands of the nearby Abdul Tunku Rahman Marine Park. Not to put too fine a point on it KK is a non-descript little coastal town, with a good travel infrastructure for those staying locally or planning to explore the rest of the island.
Lodging options in KK are extensive, ranging from 5-star waterfront resorts to backpacker dormitories. For divers, the best location is the City Centre district, adjacent to the Wisma Sabah and Wisma Medeka buildings. Everything the traveler needs can be found here: hotels, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, internet shops, bookstores, and even the local Sunday market. Mid-market hotels include the Capitol and the Kinabalu Daya. Comfortable and clean air-con rooms run MR 95-150. Going up-market, you have the Jesselton Hotel, with a colonial period décor, and a modern Hyatt Hotel. Rooms at the Jesselton are more luxurious than those at the Capitol/Daya hotels, with rates starting at MR 230. There are a number of other mid-market hotels and backpacker lodges along Gaya, Pantai, and Dewan streets just have a look around. I stayed at the Kinabalu Daya Hotel and was quite happy. The location is perfect right across the street from the Merdeka shopping arcade and the Sabah building. It is also convenient to restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores. A small breakfast buffet is provided and made it easy to have a bit of nosh before heading out for the days dives.
There are many Malaysian and Chinese storefront restaurants in the City Centre area. Just see where there is a crowd and join-in. The Jesselton Hotel has a couple western food outlets but unfortunately, the food did not match the hotels 4-star setting. Probably the best (its full everynite) western restaurant is Little Italy, located on the ground floor of the Capitol Hotel (just out the door and down the block from the Kinabalu Daya). The pizzas and pastas are good and the portions are generous. Thien Thien is a good Cantonese style Chinese restaurant, located in the Pantai Inn on Pantai road. Nearby on Gaya road, XO is reputed to be the best place for steaks and seafood and Rasa Nyonya, a few doors away, has authentic Malay cuisine. There is a KFC, Coffee Bean café, and some local bakeries in the Medeka shopping center. A short walk away, near the Hyatt, is a Burger King. Some guides recommend the food court at the Medeka center but I found the food and atmosphere there most foul. Mention is also made of the nearby Beach Street night time restaurant and bar scene but to me it appeared to be stale and lifeless.
A couple special mentions are Borneo Books and the grocery store/café opposite the HSBC bank. Borneo Books has two outlets in the Merdeka shopping center and carries a large selection of books on and about the island of Borneo; its history, ecology, and botany/zoology. Come here to pick-up a useful field-guide if you are going trekking or exploring Borneos wild hinterlands. The outlet on the 3rd floor includes a sitting/reading area with free coffee/tea and free internet access (bring your notebook). There is also an assortment of magazines and pamphlets to peruse. For all your fresh food and grocery items, there is a nice supermarket (sorry forgot the name) opposite the HSBC Bank branch on Gaya Street just up from the Daya Hotel. Here you can stock-up on food and drinks for your hotel fridge or to take on island day-trips. There is also a wine store upstairs and a great bakery/café on the premises. (There is also another supermarket at the intersection of Gaya Street and the Beach Street arcade.)