Our Haven in Kota Kinabalu

Earlier this year we rented an apartment in 'The Peak', an apartment complex in Kota Kinabalu. It is a refuge from the hustle & bustle of the city without being too far out from the shops and restaurants. The views over the bay are wonderful and relaxing. The harbour is right there with cargo and cruise ships visiting.
We hired a car which gave us the flexibility to go & come at any time and also visit areas around the city as we wished. One or Two warnings on this

1. Heavy rains make driving dangerous and flooding of the roadway almost instantaneous.
2. The local driving is somewhat hair-raising at times. They overtake on either side of the car and on blind corners. Some drive very fast but others almost too slowly which can cause frustration to others.
3. Double parking is almost universal.

There are many good beaches around and where public access is allowed then these are well used, especially during public holidays. This usually means that parking is difficult and the place becomes untidy and messed up very quickly. So it is best to avoid public beaches at the weekend or on public holidays. We were fortunate to have access to beaches at a couple of local hotels. The apartment block also had a good pool area which was well maintained by the staff.

Shopping in KK is very easy. There are a number of good supermarkets that are similar to Tesco or other Western style shops. The foods include recognisable UK brands. The only point to note is that pork and wines may be in a separate area of the shop to meet the local regulations but both are readily available.
Tong Hing was our favourite Supermarket which had a good range of foods and all of good quality. They stay open late which can be a great help and there is a parking area outside the door. You may have to pay for the parking at the council booth but this is very cheap.
The Giant Supermarket at the City Mall is an alternative that we would recommend.
The local restaurants are good and our favourite is 'Little Italy'. The food is excellent. The owners are Italian and they have developed their own sauces which make the pasta dishes really delicious. The service is also very attentive and given with a smile. The pricing is very reasonable.

An alternative to that is a visit to Shangri-La Tanjung Aru and their 24 hour buffet restaurant. The price is more on a par with European hotels but the food is also very good.

We were in KK for the Chinese New Year. The highlight of this is the Lion Dancing. All hotels and businesses have the teams visit to 'bless and bring good fortune to their establishment for the coming year. Little Italy had a troup with , I think, 14 lions. A very noisy and colourful display

There are many other things to see in the area and they will feature in future blogs. Join us then for more fun.