Trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Day 4)

Date: 15 August 2009, Saturday

Venue: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Last day! :( I wish my holiday could be extended to more days...

Our last day was spent at the Kota Kinabalu Park in Kundasang. It took us almost 2 hours to get to Kundasang from 1Borneo, & my dear brother, Melvin, was so very nice to take leave from his work in the hospital & chauffer us around. All we wanted to see was the Mount Kinabalu.

On the way there, we were thrilled by the peaceful sight of highlands, mountains, & the lovely view of greeneries. Such sights are extremely recommended for better eye-sight. I enjoyed the drive up the hill to KK Park, where there's an observatory deck to catch the view of the majestic Mount Kinabalu. *melts*

The lovely view on the way up to KK Park

Pretty purple flower at KK Park

KK Park's Lodge

KK Park's Souvenir Shop

View of the hills out of KK Park, on the way to Ranau

It was rather unfortunate that the clouds were covering Mount Kinabalu when we arrived at KK Park. It was at sight on the way up! :( Super disappointing. Not giving up, we left KK Park for Ranau & Poring Hot Springs first.

We walked around the Ranau's morning market & went around the small town of Ranau - nothing much, really. The only thing that fascinated the city girl in me were the cute little ducklings & chicks *lol*

Itik Lelong (RM2.00/duckling)

Ayam Kambing (RM3.00/chick)
I really wonder what is an "ayam kambing". Literally translated, it will be goat chicken! *rofl*

Right after that, we left for the Poring Hot Springs, only to be disappointed. I was expecting the natural hot springs like the ones I've experienced in Ipoh! All I saw were pools with warm water. Cis. Just like my own bathroom kinda experience. Cheap thrill!

The "hot spring" (more like warm water pool)

Thank goodness there's more to "hot springs" at Poring; there were some waterfalls, the bat cave, canopy walk, & also a moth farm. Melvin, Aaron, & I hiked up to the waterfalls (I nearly fainted. I really lack exercise & stamina), & after that to the Bat Caves, which was like SOOO not caves & there weren't bats! *pah!*

Hiking up those steep hills, through the "jungle/forest paths" weren't very fun, especially when I'm just wearing slippers!!! I was not prepared for any hiking at all! *faints* All said, I had fun laughing at my low-stamina & the jokes that both the guys cracked throughout the journey to keep me going :) Thanks, guys!

Aaron, trying to motivate me as we hiked up the hill

Melvin & I at the Kipungit Waterfalls
This is the smaller waterfall, which is a 30 minutes hike from "base" *wergh* It was rather refreshing to just sit there, rest, & relax. All 3 of us were kinda punctured after hiking up all the way to the so-called Bat Caves...

Aaron & I at the Poring Hot Springs' Pool Area

Enjoying an ice lolly on our way out of Poring

After spending a few hours at the Poring Hot Springs area, we left for KK Park again. We were SO not giving up & were dying to catch a glimpse of Mount Kinabalu from the observatory deck. After praying & waiting for around 45 minutes, munching on chips & chit-chatting while waiting, the sight of the tallest peak in Southeast Asia finally appeared!!

We managed to catch not just one shot of the peak, but several shots!! Woohoo!! The waiting paid-off :D

Peak-a-boo!
Can you see the peak of the mount peeking through the clouds?? :D

Best shot with Mount Kinabalu as the background :)

Satisfied with what we saw & totally excited on the inside, we left KK Park to satisfy our next desire - last seafood meal at Salut Seafood Restaurant!! *woots!!*

Farewell, Mount Kinabalu & KK Park...

Salut Seafood Restaurant, here we come! *tummy rumbles*

The road into the restaurant
It's best if you have a 4-wheel drive. The road was really bumpy & rocky!! *free massage*

Prawn/Fish Cultivation Pool

Hello, Salut!

The biggest 'si ham' I've ever seen in my life! *eeek!!*

Salut is located at a mangrove area

Appetizers - preserved veggie/fruits

Fresh Oysters (RM3.00/shell)
The oysters were really fresh & delicious :P

Steamed Prawns (RM24.00/half kg)
It's slightly more expensive than Gayang, but its freshness made it worth paying the price difference :) Who needs seasoning when the prawns itself is so sweet? :D

Deep-fried Squid Rings (RM30.00/serving)
Crispy, golden brown squid rings - yums! This was our 2nd squid dish in our KK trip :P At Salut, seafood with different cooking styles will have different prices.

Stir-fried Bamboo Clams with Ginger & Spring Onions (RM14.00/serving)
The clams were a little too small. By the time it was cooked, the clams shrunk & fell out of the shells! It was quite a challenge to hunt for the clams...hahaha..

Stir-fried Sabah Veggie with Garlic (around RM8.00)
We ordered the veggie to be stir-fried with sambal, but somehow the dish came out wrongly. We didn't have much time to bother as we needed to catch our flight back to KL, so we just enjoyed the simplicity of the dish ;)

Melvin in the Giant Clam Shell
There is a row of giant clam shells in front of the restaurant. The shells were hard enough to support our weight! The restaurant workers told us that we could even sit in it :D

Me Pearl! *lol*
The one in the clam is the pearl...kekeke...

The verdict: Excellent food, great fun, pocket-friendly too! Total bill inclusive of rice & tea = RM99.00 only *waaaaahhh*

Map to Salut Seafood Restaurant

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Salut Seafood Restaurant
Kampung Salut
Jalan Sulaman
88300 Tuaran
Kota Kinabalu.
Tel: (+6088) 228 301
Business Hours: 10:30a.m. - 09:30p.m.(Tuesday - Sunday & Public Holiday)
Halal: Yes


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * 1/2
Price: * * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * *


Overall:

- Ruth