Kota Kinabalu Part 2

For my third day in Kota Kinabalu I decided to go island hopping and see the beautiful beaches that Sabah had to offer. My first stop was Jesselton Point where I had to take the ferry to the different islands in Sabah. I had trouble buying a ticket because the ticket sellers did not sell tickets for Pulau Sapi for just one person. I had Pulau Sapi, Pulau Mamutik, and Pulau Manukan on my destination list I didn't want to miss out on any of them. I decided to wait for other people to come so I could randomly join them on their trip to the islands.

Breakfast before island hopping

I waited for hours and randomly approached people to find out if they wanted to go to the same islands I wanted to go to. After more than an hour of waiting I was finally able to join a group of people heading to the same islands as I was. I accompanied two Malaysian girls and a Colombian guy. It was nice to know that someone from as far away as Colombia knows about Boracay.

Jesselton Point

I paid a grand total of MYR 80 for the ferry ride to the islands and back with the conservation fee for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Manukan, and Pulau Sapi). Anyway...The first island we visited was Pulau Mamutik. 

Pulau Mamutik

Yes I was there

Pulau Mamutik

After Pulau Mamutik our next destination was Pulau Manukan.

The Fees

Pulau Manukan Monitor Lizards

Pulau Manukan

I liked trekking so I decided to try this trail in Pulau Manukan. Worked up quite a sweat going back and forth.

Pulau Manukan

The brightly colored fish in Pulau Manukan was definitely refreshing.

The colored fish swimming around and causing a minor frenzy. 

Pulau Manukan

Pulau Manukan was definitely better than Pulau Mamutik. There are also plenty more things to do on this beach. You can go snorkeling, diving, water sports, hike, and a bunch of other stuff. There's also a REALLY expensive resort on this island. The white sand beach and crystal clear blue water reminded me of the beaches back home. It's funny how you'd love what your own country has to offer more once you see the beauty that other countries possess.
Next stop Pulau Sapi.

Pulau Sapi

Pulau Sapi

The obligatory tourist picture

Meet new people traveling alone

It was an eventful day at the different beaches in Kota Kinabalu. The beaches were great but I still think the beaches at home are still better.
When I got back to Jesselton Point, I still had a lot of time in my hands so I decided to go around the city but this time around I decided to take the bus to cut down on my expenses. This bus takes you around town:

The fare for the bus is somewhere around MYR 1 to 1.5, you can definitely save more money when you take this bus around town. I went to look for souvenirs to take back home I went to a handicraft market that sold bracelets and scarves. I got a pair of bracelets for my sisters that cost MYR 10 each and a scarf for MYR 30-40.

Waterfront

As I wandered around Kota Kinabalu I ended up in the Waterfront. Got to meet fellow Filipinos that worked there. It was a strange encounter since I noticed that there English was different from the Malaysians I've talked to. Since I was wearing a Jose Rizal shirt one of them noticed the design and started saying something about it. Then we found out that we were all Filipinos. I met other Filipinos that have lived and worked there for years now. Some of them were born there and had mixed blood already. The link we have with Sabah is not only geopolitical and physical, but also cultural and racial. That concludes my third day in Kota Kinabalu.