Sabah Family Trip 2008

Been a while since our whole family travelled to somewhere, as its either my dad been busy, or me n sis being busy during the holz...

Thus, with firm determination, we decided to have the first family trip of 2008, travelling to Sabah, more precisely Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. =)

The Flight

First Day: Arrival Day to KK

We left KL in the morning of 7th Jan, and took a 2 and a half hour of flight in an Air Asia Airbus, and arrived in KK in the afternoon. We then checked into our hotel, The Tanjung Aru Shangri-La, located just 5 minutes away from the airport.

Tanjung Aru Resort

It is one of the nicest hotel i've ever been to. Upon arrival, a big gong is hit to announce our arrival, and a traditional instrument is being played constantly throughout the day to entertain the patrons of the hotel.

The Gong

The Musician

Customer service of that hotel is just excellent, and it is filled with mostly with Japanese tourists escaping winter in Japan =P.

The hotel is located just right by the beach, thus giving us a beautiful view from the room, along with fresh air and breeze that we can never enjoy from a life in the city.

The Hotel

Along the walk way, are displays of arts from the natives of Sabah. Apparently, these displays had been there ever since the hotel opened up some 60 years ago. Its like a historical walkway =P.

One of the displays

Another one of the displays. According to the staff, the hand was being "eaten" by the birds.

After we checked in, the first thing we did was to find lunch. Dad decided that we should go find something local in the city, thus after enquiring the staff of the hotel, we decided to head to Centre Point to search for food.

Centre Point

After walking around the food court, we realized except for Malay mixed rice, there is practically, NOTHING ELSE. Thus, we chose one of the stall that looks the nicest.

Looks can be deceiving.

In the hype of wanting to try new stuff, we ordered something called the Coconut Shake, which looks extremely nice from the picture in the menu. But, it turned out, to be something like this:

Two large-ass mug of sweetened ice

Honestly, it tasted like crushed ice, with white coloring and condensed milk >.<

In the hype of wanting to try new stuff as well, i took a veg that i've never seen before and never tried before:

Tasted like...

Tasted even more bitter than bittergourd =S.

Later, i got to know that its actually a part of the Papaya Tree.

Enough said, we had quite a bad lunch. But lukily, thats the end of bad food for the whole trip in Sabah. =P

We strolled around the complex after lunch. The complex is basically something like Sungai Wang in KL, with lots of small shops and kinda run-down, however, as we proceed to the 4th floor, the whole scenario changed:

Third floor and below

Fourth floor and above

Its like entering another shopping complex. Like a change from Sungai Wang to Lot 10, in the same building! -_- Weird stuff.

We went back to the hotel after walking around, then went for a walk at the beach and of the hotel and checked out the watersports and other facilities available. The beach is clean, water is nice, its just a perfect place to relax.

Me and Dad checking out the jetty

Along the coast

Qi Spa, a place to get massage and to relax if you are willing to spend the money =P

The Beach, just a small strip, but well maintained

Me, Dad, and Mum

Sis, Mum and Dad @ Sunset Bar

Me, Mum and Sis

Sunset Bar, a perfect spot, to have a martini, relax, and watch the sun set. =)

Me trying out the hammock

In the end having a hard time trying to get out of it

Scenary

As we finally finished looking around the hotel, we had a buffet dinner, then headed back to our room to rest...whats a better way to end the day, by just chilling at the balcony? =P

Sunset at the balcony

Second Day: Watersports

As the second day started, we realized that except for climbling Mount. KK and enjoying the watersports in the hotel, there is practically nothing else to do in this city. Thus, we decided to just explore around the hotel since no one else except for me wanted to go to Mount KK (i will go next time by myself =P)


First thing i tried out, is something i've always wanted to try, Parasail.

First, they strap me on a thing to strap me on the parachute

Then, they start setting up the parachute

Swuff! It is now half-flying

They then strap me on to the parachute, and asked me to sit down

And i started flying away....

Away...away....away...

The view from up there is just amazing...its like being on a helicopter but without the heli-buzzing sound...i regretted that i didnt bring the camera up there with me =(.

After approximately 15 minutes flying up there, they pulled me back, and landed back on the boat.

A gentle landing

A complete family picture =)

After parasailing, i went on to jetski by myself while my parents n sis stroll around the hotel more...sorry, no pics of that, since i didnt bring a camera and my parents and sis are not around =P.

Dinner time came and we went to this restaurant that is visited by most of the tourist, called PortView Seafood Restaurant, approximately 10 minutes away from the hotel.

PortView Seafood Restaurant

Food is just ok, though their seafood are pretty fresh, since all of them are alive in tanks in the restaurant, and they have a large variety of seafood to choose from. Price wise, a little on the high side but still cheaper than cities like KL. =)

Tanks and tanks of fresh seafood

The inside of the restaurant

Being a tourist spot, the restaurant had set up a stage and had performers performing every night dances of Malay and Kadazhans culture...pretty interesting for some, yet pretty boring for some as well. =P

One of the performance

And that concludes the second day of our Sabah trip.


Third Day: Chilling Day

With not much left to do during the third day, all we did is just relax and rest throughout the day.

My parents did carry on their daily routine of waking up early in the morning, and at this day they went exploring the morning market while me n my sis are still deep in dreamland.

Some stuff that is selling in the morning market. Most of them revolves around seafood.

Dun ask. I have no idea what is that thing.

As the evening came, my sis decided to go read by the beach, while me n my parents had a stroll towards a nearby hawker that we saw as we took the taxi to the hotel.

The hawker place.

It is nicely located just by the beach, though the place itself has not much stuff to eat. Thus we sat there, ate fried noodles, drank coconut, and enjoy the sea breeze. As we are done, we went for a walk by the beach.

Mum

Sitting near the beach

The beach

Footprints....footprints...footprints...

Another Family Picture

That night, we went back to the same place for dinner again, as i was craving for fried softshell crab.

Deep Fried Softshell Crab

That dish is absolutely gorgeously delicious.


Fourth Day: Arrival to Sandakan

Days in KK had came to an end. Next destination: Sandakan.

Family Pic before leaving KK

We took a 45 minutes flight to Sandakan, and was being fetched from the airport by my aunt, and took us back to her house, where we will be staying in Sandakan.

After settling down our luggages, we went to this famous place, where they sell giant groupers, also known as Long Dan, for lunch. Really good food i have to say. =)

An idea how "giant" is the giant grouper

Our Long Dan Meal

We went back home for a rest after lunch, and something worth mentioning is that while we were at KK airport, we bought two large Seven-Star Grouper (七星斑), weighing 3.2kg and 2.7kg. As we arrive Sandakan, the fridge wont be able to fit both of the fishes in as they are too long ( i dun think any fridge will be able to fit them in), thus, started the mission, to chop the frozen fishes into half.

The bigger of the two, 3.2kg

*Whack, whack*

Come on...break!

Finally...now...the next fish...

After we are all well rested, my aunt brought us to our first sight-seeing expedition in Sandakan...the Crocodile Farm.

The Crocodile Farm

Not so interesting except for looking at crocodiles and some performance...but overall its still considered an eye-opener.

There are other fishes in the farm as well...

Crocs

Crocs Performance

Dad, Mum, Aunt, Cousin Sis, and Me @ Croc Farm

As we got back home from the farm, my uncle arrived home as well, with a surprise.

A fruit, that can never be found in the Peninsula.

Its called, Tarap.

The fruit Tarap

Though its not the season yet, im lucky enough to be able to taste it as my uncle so happen to see it selling, thus he bought a few back to satisfy our crave to try something local.

It looks something like a combination of a cempedak and a durian, with sticky "antennas" sticking out. The aroma of the fruit is strong, and smells, like a combination of cempedak, durian and nangka. Just beautiful.

How do you open it? Just peel it. The skin is soft.

Like cempedak, u just pluck it out

And eat it!

The taste of the fruit is also like a combination of cempedak and durian. Somehow it just makes me think that this is a crossbreed of those two fruits, but apparently not. Those of you who ever had the chance to try this fruit, try it, u will not regret it. The taste is just heavenly good.

After a moment of rest, its time for dinner.

We went to this restaurant called Bai Sha (白沙) that has a wide variety of seafood and mainly, shellfish available. It's a big treat for people like me who loves this kinda stuff.

Shellfish

More Shellfish

Crabs...well, whats left of it. I kinda got too excited when it came that i forgot abt taking a pic =P

Im a dirty eater, especially when it comes to crabs

Heavenly, Heavenly, Heavenly.


Fifth Day: Probiscis Monkey

Yes, monkeys. With most of the Borneo covered with forest, wild life is the main attraction of this place, and one of them, is the Probiscis Monkey, which can only be found here in Sabah.

However, the journey to the Labuk Bay Probiscis Sanctuary is a hard one.

First, we drove approximately 30 minutes to the entrance of a palm oil plantation.

And then, we hopped onto one of these trucks sent by the Sanctuary.


And had a one and a half ride, at the back of the truck, through the palm oil plantation into the forest, on bumpy, muddy "road" filled with potholes caused by huge lorries carrying the palm oil produce outta the plantation, and listening to the constant roaring of the truck's old diesel engine, while sucking in fume's of the truck itself.

The "road"

Mum gettin dizzy

Yet, all those sufferings are worth it, as what we get to see next, was something that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

Probiscis Monkey, and yes, it has red penis.

It is interesting how they manage their "civilization". There are basically two groups of Probiscis Monkeys (Probiscis means "long nose" btw), one is the Bachelor group, which consist of only the Males, while the other is the Family group, which consist of only ONE male and multiple females and baby monkeys.

Each group has a dominant one. In the Bachelor group, the strongest male will be the one, while in the Family group, obviously the husband, the only male, is the dominant one.

One of the follower of the Bachelor group

The Leader (Dominant one) of the Bachelor group, notice the longer nose he has.

For a bachelor in the Bachelor group to get a wife, he has to fight the Leader of the Family group, and only if he wins the leader that he can get the girl he wants.

Poor bastards.

As the feeding time gets closer, all of them started to emerge from the forest and waited together in their groups, while in the same time keeping a distance from another group.

Waiting...waiting

And as the time arrives and the keepers brings the food out, under the lead of the Leader, each group progressively decend from the tree in order and march towards the food.

Decending from the trees in order

And calmly eat the food provided as a group. As one group of Probiscis Monkeys are eating at this certain location, other groups will not come interfere or share the food with them. Pretty coordinated eh?

Eating as a group, with the Leader in the middle

The whole experience is pretty interesting, as we saw fights broken out between monkeys, and some wild, normal grey monkeys challenging another group of Probiscis Monkeys and in the end won and got the portion of their food.

Other wildlife can be seen here as well, like the Hornbill

the normal grey monkeys (not sure what names are they called)

and the Greyleaf Monkeys

As the monkeys finally finished their food, we too return to the bumpy roads and went home.

Family with my Aunt

Dad with mum in the truck

Cousin Sis and Sis

Sixth Day: Orang Utan and Leaving Sabah

As our flight back to KL was in the evening, we made a final visit to another wildlife spot, the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehab Center, which is supported by the Malaysian Government and UK Appeal, an environmental organization based in the UK.

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehab Center

No bottles of water are allowed to be brought into the jungle itself, as wild monkeys, those normal gray ones, might appear and grab it away from us, which might cause injuries to the visitors.

Warning signs of the wild monkeys

As we arrived 30 minutes earlier prior to the feeding time, we waited, along with a large crowd of other tourists, for the orang utans to appear from the jungle. Note that all these orang utans are left wild roaming around the jungle, and only those who are still not used to the wild will come to the feeding platform for food. Many has already went deeper into the jungle and lived freely without the support of human beings =) pretty interesting.

An idea how large the group can be

Finally, after the anxious wait of us tourists, two orang utans finally came swinging on the ropes connected to the feeding platform.

Here they come

swinging

Keepers feeding them bananas and milk

One of the orang utans eating, ignorant to the crowd

Sis tip-toeing, trying to get a better look

Cheeky

Taking a rest after a heavy meal

After seeing the orang utans finishing their meal, lying around resting and doing totally nothing, we retreated from the platform and visited the exhibition room and AV room that shows a documentary regarding the center and the orang utans.

The forest

Sis, Mum, Me, Dad and Aunt

Profiles of all the Orang Utans in the Center

All of Us

We went to have lunch after that, headed home for a rest, then left my aunt's house and headed to the airport, which ends our 6 days journey of the state of Sabah. =)

The family pic of the trip

A pretty good trip i had to say. We all had enough rest and have seen things we never seen before, tried food and fruits exclusive to this place, and enjoyed travelling as a family once again. =)