Kota Kinabalu: 3 Itineraries for Your Malaysian Adventure
Planning a trip to Kota Kinabalu (KK)? Good choice, lah! AirAsia currently offers direct flights to KK on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. To make the most of your time and duit, these itineraries are built around those flight days.
Keep in mind that these flight schedules mean you'll probably lose most of your first and last days to travel.
HCM - KK: Flight departs 13:25, arrives 16:25
KK - HCM: Flight departs 11:45, arrives 12:55
1. Relaxing Getaway (5 Days, 4 Nights - Tue to Sat)
Day 1: Arrival in KK – Grab a local SIM card, take a Grab car to your hotel, enjoy dinner, and arrange your tours/transport/tickets. Maybe even explore KK by night!
Day 2: KK City Tour – Opt for a packaged tour or hire a private driver.
Consider hiring a Grab driver for a personalized tour. I did! The first driver who picked me up from the airport was fantastic. For RM 350, he drove our group of three around in his 4-seater car. He was super helpful, showed us around the attractions, even bought tickets if we wanted, and happily took photos! Mr. Elvis is a good choice: +601120848113
This was a great deal compared to the RM 170+ per person cost of a half-day city tour. I would recommend starting later in the morning (around 9:30-10:30 AM) so you can catch the sunset at location #6 below.
Morning Activities:
- Atkinson Clock Tower, Signal Hill Observatory Tower (09:00-23:00)
- Masjid Bandaraya Mosque (entrance fee including clothing rental is RM10, outside photos are RM5). Open Monday – Sunday : 8.00am to 12.00noon, 2.00pm to 3.30pm, 4.00pm to 5.00pm. Friday: Closed
- Tun Mustapha Tower (Yayasan Tower) & Menara Kinabalu, Sabah State Admin Centre - highest government office 33 level (visit outside)
- Universiti of Sabah mosque. This area has over 20 attractions! Entry to the grounds is RM10. Focus on the main attractions: mosque, pier, beach, colorful steps, clock tower. There are separate fees for the art exhibition center and the marine institute.
Afternoon Activities:
- Peak Nam Toong Temple
- Sabah State Mosque (04:00-23:00 - great for exterior shots)
- Breeze Beach Club (Fri, Sat, Sun: 7pm -50%, 8pm: fire dance) => Snap photos of the harbor with all the yachts. Watch the sunset here! OR Tanjung Aru Beach sunset.
- Imago Shopping Mall
Day 3: Kundasang Day Trip
I hired Elvis again for this. He charged RM 450 for a 4-seater car for our group of 3. Mr. Elvis: +601120848113. This doesn't include entrance fees or meals. Packaged tours cost around RM 300 per person.
- Tamparuli suspension bridge (experience a suspension bridge like those in Tay Nguyen or Sapa)
- Pekan Nabalu market & View Point
- Alpaca Club (I've seen alpacas in Hua Hin, Thailand, but they're so cute in movies, I had to see them again!)
- Desa Dairy Farm, Desa cafe (food available) – Entry is RM5, payable by cash at the ticket booth for vehicle access.
- Kloud Restaurant, Bar & Cafe at Mountain Valley Resort, Jalan Tenompok, Bundu Tuhan, 89300 Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia
- Suria Sabah mall
Day 4: Island Hopping
Follow the detailed instructions to go independently (find these later) or book a full-day tour.
Day 5: Enjoy breakfast, check out of your hotel, and head to the airport for your flight back home. Selamat jalan!
2. Relaxed Exploration (6 Days, 5 Nights - Thu to Tue)
Important Note: Visit Kundasang on a Friday or Monday to avoid weekend crowds.
Follow the same itinerary as above, but with an extra day for:
- Visiting the Mari Mari Cultural Village.
- Indulging in a beautiful resort: Bunga Raya Island resort & spa, Shangri La Rasa Ria, Sutera Harbor resort.
- Spending a night in the Kundasang highlands. Split Day 3 into 3a & 3b.
Day 3a: Travel to Kundasang, stopping at:
- Kloud Restaurant, Bar & Cafe at Mountain Valley Resort: Have a drink and relax.
- Desa Dairy Farm – The "New Zealand of Malaysia" dairy farm.
Stay overnight at: Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Poring Hot Spring.
Day 3b:
- Wake up and visit: Poring Hot Spring
- Have lunch at the Sabah Tea resort restaurant.
- Watch the sunset from Kokol Hillside Cafe & Restaurant.
Return to KK.
3. Leisurely Adventure (7-14 Days, Includes the Above Itineraries)
The number of days is up to you! You can easily spend two weeks exploring Sabah, especially its beautiful eastern coastline. Here are a few spots for beach lovers:
Two places known as the Maldives of Malaysia – spend 3-4 days at each:
- Sandakan (has an airport, accessible by flights from KK) – Recommended by many YouTubers.
- Semporna (fly to Tawau, then transfer by car) – Suggested by Elvis Lee.
Take Note: These two locations are still relatively new to many tourists, so research your itinerary carefully beforehand. I hope to visit these places soon and share more details with you all.
(To be continued…)
#KotaKinabalu #Sabah #Malaysia
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