MALAYSIA
MALAYSIAN BORNEO – SABAH •• Kota Kinabalu lonelyplanet.combooked beds. Independent travellers may find
Sabah a bit frustrating, but we promise that
the hoop-jumping is well worth it.KOTA KINABALU
pop 579,300
West Malaysia has KL; East Malaysia has KK.
Borneo’s version of a capital city isn’t the
most distinguished spot, especially if it’s your
welcome mat to the island (as it is for most
shoestringers). Dreams of gorgeous jungles
and charming seaside shanties will be quickly
abandoned as you glimpse the unattractive
tic-tac-toe of concrete structures from your
aircraft window.
The city is quick to blame its insipid cen-
tral core on the atrocities of war. Originally
founded as Jesselton, KK was razed by the
Allies not once but twice during WWII,
the first time to slow the Japanese advance
and the second time to hasten their retreat.
After the war the whole thing was rebuiltfrom scratch, and renamed Kota Kinabalu
in 1963.
You’ll end up spending a day or two in
Kota Kinabalu if you’re game to see a number
of Sabah’s attractions, so make the most of
your KK stay and eat your way across town.
Steaming street noodles and fresher-than-
fresh seafood beckon the palate, and the bar
scene ain’t half bad for a Muslim nation.
If you’re really stuck for things to do, ask
the locals what the word ‘Kinabalu’ means.
We’re not gonna tell you the answer – be-
cause there are a dozen different definitions –
but we’re pretty sure you’ll find them all
rather interesting...Information
Borneo Books 2 (%088-538077; http://www.borneobooks
.com; ground fl, Phase 1, Wisma Merdeka; h10am-7pm)
A brilliant selection of Borneo-related books, maps and
a small used-book section. Plenty of those useful Lonely
Planet guides too. Wink.PLAN AHEAD!
They call Sabah ‘the World’s Largest Theme Park’, and like any good attraction, Sabah has queues.
You won’t see frowning tourists queuing for their turn on the ride – instead you’ll find disgruntled
adventurers snared by thick coils of red tape. As we researched our way across the island, we
encountered scores of vacationers lamenting booked beds, or bemoaning being barred from
national parks. So, we’re coming right out and saying it – plan ahead!
The best way to get the most out of a Sabahan sojourn is to develop an itinerary before you
arrive. Once you have a good sense of the sights you’d like to visit, find out if those destinations
require permits. Mt Kinabalu and the Semporna Archipelago (Sipadan) are the two most popular
spots in Sabah that have stringent visitation regulations imposed by the Malaysian government.
For a Kinabalu climb, it is best to book as far in advance as possible – six months is ideal
although usually not feasible for most travellers. Head directly to the Sutera Sanctuary Lodges
office in Kota Kinabalu (KK) if you did not organise your climb before leaving home – sitting in
front of the booking agents will increase your chances of finding a cancellation (although you’ll
probably have to reshape your itinerary once they offer you an inconvenient ascent date). Most
of the beds have been gobbled up by tour operators, so if you can’t snag a bed with Sutera,
chances are you can find a travel agency around town that can sell you one (at a much higher
price of course). Adventurers interested in tackling the mountain’s via ferrata course should
contact Mountain Torq ( p499 ).
To delight in a world-famous Sipadan scuba session, divers must obtain a permit. You can
roll the dice and show up in Semporna hoping to find a golden ticket, but remember, like any
game of luck, the house always wins. Permits could be cloaked in frilly vacation packages, or
worse, you could be forced to dive every other site in the Celebes Sea before you’re allowed to
explore Sipadan’s walls. In general, most dive centres in the area are very upstanding operations
and can cater to your needs if you book well in advance (four weeks is ideal, but the earlier
the better).
Swarms of travel agents in KK will try to convince you that Sabah can only be discovered
while on a tour. This is simply not true. Yes, there are places like the Danum Valley that cannot
be accessed by private vehicle, but hotspots like Sepilok, Sandakan or Sungai Kinabatangan can
in fact be explored under your own steam!492