MALAYSIABook your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels MALAYSIAN BORNEO – SABAH •• Kota Kinabalu
Akinabalu Youth Hostel (%088-272188; akina
[email protected]; Lot 133 Jln Gaya; dm/r incl breakfast
from RM20/50) Friendly staff, fuchsia-accent
walls and trickling Zen fountains make
this a solid option among KK’s hostels,
particularly if you find a quiet time to take
advantage of the gratis internet and pirated
DVDs. Accommodation is mostly in basic
four-bed rooms, with windows facing an
interior hallway.
Summer Lodge (%088-244499; http://www.summer
lodge.com.my; Lot 120 Jln Gaya; dm/d RM28/65; ai)
Summer Lodge feels a bit like a bed factory,
with mattresses indiscriminately stuffed be-
hind every door. Quality varies so you’ll prob-
ably have to check out a few rooms before you
find a comfy one. The friendly owners also
run a hostel (dorm/double from RM25/60)
near the base of Mt Kinabalu.
Step-In Lodge (%088-233519; Block L, Kompleks
Sinsuran; http://www.stepinlodge.com; dm with fan/air-con RM28/38,
d with fan/air-con RM70/90; ai) This popular spot
wins the award for KK’s smartest hostel with
larger-than-normal bunk beds, comfy mat-
tresses, real coffee at breakfast, and an excel-
lent (not to mention knowledgeable) staff.
These clever touches make Step-In feel much
more homey than some of the factory-style
operations nearby.
Other backpacker options:
Travellers’ Light (%088-238877; Lot 19 Lg Dewan,
Australia Place; http://www.travellerslight.com; dm/d incl
breakfast from RM25/65; ai) Only a few rooms here,
but they’re spick and span.
Hamin Lodge (%088-272008; Lot 19 Block C, Kom-
pleks Sedco; http://www.haminlodge.com; dm/tw from RM28/62;
ai) A great find. Ten-bed dorms are cramped, but
basic private rooms are good value.
Eating
KK is one of the few cities in Borneo with
an eating scene diverse enough to refresh
the noodle-jaded palate. Besides the ubiq-
uitous Chinese kedai kopi and Malay halal
restaurants, you’ll find plenty of interesting
options around the city centre – head to
the suburbs if you’re looking for some truly
unique local fare.
Kedai Kopi Fook Yuen (G33 Ground fl, No 4 Asia City;
kaya RM2.60; h6.30am-1am; W) Cheap and quick,
a snack of sweet kaya is the perfect energy
booster after a morning of sightseeing. And
this isn’t your standard Singaporean coconut-
egg-jam: Sabahans have developed their own
version of this tasty confection.
Night Market (off Jln Tun Fuad Stephens; meals from
RM2; hdinner) The night market is the best,
cheapest and most interesting place in KK
for dinner.
Centre Point Basement Food Court (Basement, Centre
Point Shopping Centre, Jln Pasar Baru; mains RM3-10; hlunch
& dinner) Your ringgit will go a long way at this
popular and varied basement food-court
in the Centre Point mall. There are Malay,
Chinese and Indian options, as well as drink
and dessert specialists.
Kedai Kopi Fatt Kee (28 Jln Bakau; mains from RM5;
hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat) The woks are always
sizzlin’ at this popular Chinese place next to
Ang’s Hotel. Long queues are guaranteed,
but it’s always worth the wait. Its sayur manis
cooked in belacan (shrimp paste) is a classic,
and salt-and-pepper prawns are great.
Little Italy (%088-232231; Jln Haji Saman; mains from
RM23; hlunch & dinner) Dear homesick holiday-
maker: this is your place. Create your own
carbo-load with a variety of saucey tributes
to the Bootland. All things considered, it’s
a rather pricey endeavour, but it’s definitely
worth stopping by if you’re in desperate need
of a rice respite.
Port View Seafood Village (%088-221753; Lot 18
Waterfront Esplanade; dinner from RM50; hlunch & din-
ner) This cavernous Chinese seafood specialist
feels like an aquarium where you can eat the
displays – we’ve never seen such an extrava-
gant array of live fish. Even if you don’t eat
here, it’s worth walking into the foyer to check
out the veritable cascade of turquoise tanks.
In the early evening, head to Tanjung Aru
at the south end of town near the airport for
sunset cocktails and light snacks along the
ocean. A taxi to Tanjung Aru costs RM20, or
you can take public transportation (RM1.80) –
try Bus 16, 16a or City Bus 2.
Self-catering choices in KK include the
following:
Milimewa Superstore (Jln Haji Saman)
Tong Hing Supermarket (Jln Gaya)Drinking & Entertainment
Averaging 12 cans of beer a month per capita
(not including smuggled goods), Sabahans are
big drinkers by Malaysian standards, and KK’s
nightlife allows plenty of scope for visitors to
join the party. The Water front Esplanade (Jln Tun
Fuad Stephens) houses a good number of upscale
‘resto-bars’, while Beach St, in the centre of
town, is a semi-pedestrian street cluttered
with bars and eateries.495