Night in Tawau,night in Kota kinobalu ???

[hallboy]

on my way t oSipadan - or on the way back - i will have a night to spend in Kotakinobalu, and an other in Tawau. do you have hotels, retaurants or things to do to recommand me? i have also half a day in Kual lumpur: iv head about a butterfly garden..

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Galun]

Others may have a different experience, but for us there was absolutely nothing to do in Tawau. We stayed at the Marco Polo hotel in Tawau which was next to the largest market in Tawau (I think), and about 2 blocks from a department store. The hotel was decent with a nice big bathtub for cleaning gear.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I stayed at the Marco Polo for a couple of nights in December. Not much going on there.

One thing you have to make sure you do is to get your Passport stamped in KK. When I arrived there I got off the plane and was in the departure lounge. No problem, I was leaving for Tawau in an hour and a half. Well, I didn't have my Passport stamped there and no one directed me to the Immigration Desks. When I got to Tawau, I looked for Immigration and even went up to one of the guards and they told me just to go through because there was no Immigration desk there. I told Ketrik at Kapalai and thankfully they helped me get a special pass to get out of the country. It took about $100 and 6 hours in a Government office to get it.

 

[MartianBeerPig]

The Butterly park in KL is very nice. And close to the Bird Park.

Be careful with time if you're only in KL for half a day. The airport (KLIA) is quite a long way out of town. The fastest way into KL is via the KLIA Ekspress (http://www.kliaekspres.com/index3_klia_ekspres.html). It takes about half an hour. If you take a taxi from the airport, you're looking at about an hour.

When you enter Malaysia, you must get your passport stamped. If you enter at KLIA, you won't have a problem. But it may be different at KK.

 

[hallboy]

i enter in KLumpur, i then i have to go to the domestic airport to go to K kinobalu, where i stay one nignt, before an early flight to Tawau.

Anything to do or an hotel to point me to in K kinobalu?

 

[Galun]

The KK immigration desk is right across from the Malaysian Airlines customer service desk on the same level of the departure gates.

 

[3some]

i enter in KLumpur, i then i have to go to the domestic airport to go to K kinobalu, where i stay one nignt, before an early flight to Tawau.

Anything to do or an hotel to point me to in K kinobalu?

I was at KK last year and stayed at Malar Kinabalu and D'Borneo.

Malar Kinabalu is really cheap, some RM 50 or 60 i can't remember, for a twin room with attached bathroom and hot shower. Place a bit rundown and the table almost cracked when I tried to sit her on it... anyway, good view cause its a tall building.

D'Borneo was 4 star standard for only RM120! Very clean room, coffee making facility, towel and miniature toiletries, everything new and wifi available for a small fee. If they add a mini bar in the rooms, then i'll give it a 5 star. The place is just right next to the tourism office down town. There is a night market behind the hotel at night. Things are much cheaper there than the filipino market.

When are you going?

 

[malaysia-islands]

on my way t oSipadan - or on the way back - i will have a night to spend in Kotakinobalu, and an other in Tawau. do you have hotels, retaurants or things to do to recommand me? i have also half a day in Kual lumpur: iv head about a butterfly garden..

Not much advice for Kuala Lumpur, many ppl can recommend you many thing. KLIA to downtown is 30 minutes by express rail. Then you can catch the light rail Putra to view the Twin Towers. Enough for 1-2 hours. Not too sure about butterfly park. You have to take taxi, I think. Using rail transit is the most reliable and predictable. Others can get you stuck somewhere, especially you have only 1/2 day.

As of Kota Kinabalu, I've stayed at numerous resorts there. Quite a nice city with beautiful ocean view. See my URL below for the resorts + some local attractions.

http://www.malaysiahotelreview.com/sabah.shtml

 

[okamiotoko2004]

Stayed in KK back in June. Dove with Absolute Scuba and it was probably the best dive shop I ever dove with anywhere. $50 three boat dives wth lunch that is huge. They lugged and cleaned all my gear. The operation was great only my buddy the dm and me in the water, the reefs were in excellent shape, wild life was outstanding, some of the best diving I have done. The DM's were also great, slow easy pace, knew the sites well. All around great time. Dove with them 2 days.
As far as KK there is some nightlife if you want to call it that around the waterfront in town just past the market. I ate at numerous mom and pop restaurants around the city and the food was great. Fried fish, soup vegies, all fresh and very cheap, two of ate like kings for like $10 US. The is a nicer pricier seafood restaurant on the water front where the food was outstanding, expensive for there but really good, you pick all your own food. KK is a small town but nice and very laid back. Hotels are either really old or new and on the pricey side. You can get a run down place on the cheap though just got to look for them. Taxis are also inexpensive.
Have a good time there.

 

[malaysia-islands]

Oh yes, diving is dirt cheap in Kota Kinabalu. I paid $38 for 2 dives (actually $57 for 3 dives, but decided to do 2 dives only at lower price). Considering how the islands are VERY close to the bustling city, seeing extra large gorgonians and *some* fish is acceptable for me. Plus people get to the city mainly for business meets and other land-based adventure (golfing, climbing Mt Kinabalu, etc).

Anyway, the original thread post was probably not looking to dive in KK (heck, he'd be in Sipadan, and KK is just for transit). Anyway, my two favourite hotels in Kota Kinabalu are Magellan Sutera Harbour and Hyatt Regency Kinabalu. The new Le Meridien Hotel wasn't bad either, I loved the extra large room. Shangri-la Tg Aru was a tad disappointing.