Kota Kinabalu is the largest city of Sabah State locate in the island of Borneo. This is a growing city, and it is also a resort destination because of the tropical islands, the rainforests, and Kinabalu Mountain.
Furthermore, this Malaysian city is the main pathway to come to the island of Borneo. From Kota Kinabalu, you are able to glimpse the South China Sea on a narrow grassland and a lot of hills that are bordered by Crocker Range in the Kinabalu Mountain.
Thus, Kota Kinabalu has developed quickly as a tourism destination nowadays. This is really a valued dating place for every couple to get precious experience in a natural life.
The transportation for getting Kota Kinabalu
By airplane
Kota Kinabalu has an international airport, so you could take a flight from your living as quickly as you can. Kota Kinabalu International Airport has about 7 – km distance from the center of the city, and you will take about five minutes to enter to the center.
There are several direct flights from the international arrivals to Kota Kinabalu International Airport such as Royal Brunei Airlines (from Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei), Thai Smile (from Bangkok, Thailand), Xiamen Air (from Fuzhou, China), Malindo Air or Malaysia Airlines (from Taipei, Taiwan or Tokyo, Japan), etc.
On the one hand, you could also take a direct flight from local places in Malaysia like AirAsia (from Tawau, Sandakan, Penang, Miri, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru), MASwings (from Bintulu, Kudat, Lahad Datu, Lawas, Limbang, Sibu, Miri, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau), and Malaysia Airlines.
To move to the center city from the airport, you might pick an airport bus, a minibus or a taxi. Furthermore, you may choose the form of walking or hiring a private vehicle like Uber or Grab to try your own experience by yourself.
For walking, you would take a map from the customer desk in the airport to locate the right ways. For hiring a private vehicle, you should access the local internet from the airport and download an app to book a car.
It depends on your option, but you should consider the situation before trying these forms. Do you have heavy luggage to carry on while walking on the streets? Are you good at locating the right path?
By bus
There are two bus terminals which passengers might catch them to arrive at Kota Kinabalu – Wawasan Terminal and Inanam Terminal.
With Wawasan Terminal, you will come the South of Kota Kinabalu and with Inanam Terminal, the bus driver will enter the North and the East of Kota Kinabalu.
However, the Wawasan Terminal has been constructed since 2016, the bus companies have other departure points. Therefore, you should ask the latest information from the local bus companies and the hotels.
For the Inanam Terminal, you would catch the 4th and 8th local buses with reasonable prices (about RM 2 per one way) to come to the East and the North of Kora Kinabalu.
By sea
If you want to get to Kota Kinabalu from Labuan, you could take the ferry service about three hours. You could pick the service that is available time for your schedule because there are two services daily at 8.30 AM and 1.00 PM.
On the flip side, you could visit Bandar Seri Begawan about one day if you start the trip as early as you can. The package price is around RM 56 per one ticket to discover another amazing place – Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
By train
To enter to Kota Kinabalu by train, you should come to Sabah State Railway initially. There could be three trains kick off the trip from Tanjung Aru to Beaufort station. Furthermore, you could change the trains if you want to come to Tenom. You will take around two hours with the cost is about RM 4 per one ticket between Kota Kinabalu and Beaufort.
You do not only overlook the sightseeing of Kota Kinabalu and Tenom, but also you might explore the sceneries from many places in the journey such as Putan, Kinarut, Kawang, Papar, Kimanis, Bongawan, Membakut, Beaufort, Saliwangan, Halogilat, Rayoh, Pangi.
Things to visit in Kota Kinabalu
The beaches
At Kota Kinabalu, you possibly enjoy many beaches with the sunlight and a great sand along the beach like Tanjung Aru Beach and The Police Beach. Moreover, Sabah city is a multicultural destination that allows the tourists and the local resident might enjoy the fresh air together. They would also have an incredible experience in the wilderness beaches.
Why do not you want to play water sports in Kota Kinabalu? You should not miss out to play water skiing, parasailing, scuba – diving and other water sports which you may want to come across. Most of the couples also enjoy the sunset that really a one – to die for a moment in their life time.
Underwater life
As an island, Kota Kinabalu has a great deep – ocean life with colorful corals and plenty of species which are living there. For this reason, scuba – divers could not forget to shoot many fascinating and quaint sites. Therefore, you should prepare for discovering exploited activities that are waiting for you to discover in the underwater life.
Island Hopping activity
Discover an island is a normal activity for most of the travelers, but it is a surprising moment with them in Kota Kinabalu when trying Island Hopping.
“Island Hopping” is a given name of the activity that you could take part on a tour through different islands in this place with a limited time on each of an island to have an overall view.
Most of the famous islands of Kota Kinabalu stay in Tunky Abdul Rahman Park, you would have “Island Hopping” in this park through lots of different islands like Sapi Island, Gaya Island, Mamutik Island, Manukan Island.
When participating in this platform, you will discover several things, having a deep observing in each of island, and saving your budget at the same time.
Fresh seafood
Tourists come to different place might want to try the rich – water seafood in Kota Kinabalu with various species. You absolutely should enjoy eating fresh seafood when traveling to an island, yet seafood of an island has the different state from the delta land with fishes, eels, crabs, oysters, crabs, and clams.
In addition, many famous seafood restaurants have opened and developed in Kota Kinabalu so you freely relish those kinds of seafood in these outlets like Ocean Seafood Village, Windbell Seafood Restaurant, New Gaya Seafood Restaurant, etc.
Conclusion
What do you think of Kota Kinabalu as a tourist destination? Is it magnificent for the tourists who come around the world? This place is also a true dating place for all of the couples to take many beautiful shots with lots of meaningful moments. On the other hand, family members, a group of friends and acquaintances could totally discover Kota Kinabalu due to its unique activity.
