Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Sunday Market, Sabah

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Pasar malam (night market) is something that we Malaysians are quite used to. Almost every area has its own night market once every week. In fact, a visit to pasar malam is quite a tourist attraction by itself. However, when it comes to sunday market, there can't be that many around the country and if so, none as big as the one on Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu.

Gaya Street

No cars are allowed during this period

My first visit to the morning market took me by surprise by its massive size. The whole street, which is a backpacker haven and where I was based at when I was in the capital city, was closed from vehicles to accommodate the many makeshift hawker stalls opening just for that day. From one end to another, the whole road was decorated with large, colourful umbrellas, protecting them from the merciless sun.

 

The locals are doing shopping in the market as well

There are surprisingly many things to see and buy here in Sunday Market. I was expecting something along the line of souvenir stalls targeting guillible tourists but instead, there are more locals traversing along the street, looking for some bargain buys or locally produced products. In fact, it reminded me more of the famous weekend market in Bangkok, Chatuchak Market.

Handmade soaps

Unfortunately, these adorable dogs are for sale too

This is definitely one market not to be missed when in Kota Kinabalu.

Info Box

Sunday Market,
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
The market starts from 5.30 a.m. and most likely open until 1.00 p.m. Vehicles are not allowed to use the street from 5.00 a.m. onwards.
For more information, click here.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Mount Kinabalu, Sabah

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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My detailed journey up to Mount Kinabalu has been documented here in Virtual Malaysia. Do have a read at it.

You tend to be very proud of the works you did if you had poured in all your efforts and it came out exactly as you imagined it to be. Put in a bit of hardship and obstacles along the way and when you pulled through, there is a sense of pride in it. That is how I felt when I was at the top of Mount Kinabalu and this is why I can say quite certainly that this will be my greatest achievement for 2014 even though we're barely halfway past the year.

After all the hard works, you'll be rewarded with these awesome views

The breath-taking view from Mount Kinabalu

Me at the eighth kilometre

Once you reached to the peak, you sort of forget all the struggles you faced along the journey. Or perhaps, the views just somehow make the whole hike worthwhile. While you can't really stand at Low's Peak for long - there's a long queue of peoples waiting to have their photos taken with the sign - you can definitely enjoy the breath-taking views even after the eighth kilometre. 

The long line of peoples heading to Low's Peak

The last 200 metres or so

It really amazed me, looking at how pillows of clouds, with the sky in different layers of colours, served such an awe-inspiring background to the mountain. Words failed to describe the beauty. Only when witnessed with your own eyes you can truly appreciate the wonders of Mother Nature. 

At the highest park of the mountain

Climbing Mount Kinabalu seems like a daunting task upon hearing its mighty name but it is definitely doable. Hard, but doable. In fact, Mount Kinabalu is the most accessible mountain in the world and the fact that it is right in our own backyard means we have to take the opportunity to climb it at least once in your lifetime. I already did mine. What are you waiting for?

Mount Kinabalu from afar

The many shots from Mount Kinabalu

Info Box

Kinabalu National Park,
Sabah, Malaysia.
The easiest way of climbing Mount Kinabalu is through tour agency. Travel agencies will help arrange everything from hiking permits to accommodations at Laban Rata. Prices depend on which agencies you consult with.

As Mount Kinabalu is a popular destination and there are limited rooms available up at Laban Rata, it is best to book in advance to avoid disappointment. It is advisable to book at least 6 months in advance.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House), Tamparuli

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Have you ever see a house turned upside down? Can you imagine living in such a house? I bet you will have trouble getting yourself oriented. While the idea of living there is not appealing for me, I definitely would be interested to have a look at such a unique house and luckily for us Malaysians, we have an upside down house just around the corner.

Rumah Terbalik or Upside Down House

Located along the road to Tamparuli town, you can easily hop on town bus from Wawasan Terminal to Tamparuli and indicate to the bus driver to drop you right outside the Rumah Terbalik, which will be on your left. However, direct buses to Kota Kinabalu are not so frequent so you are advised to take a bus to Tuaran town before changing to another one back to the city centre. It takes about 40 to 50 minutes one way.

RM 10 for adult

Taxis and self-drive are two other options you can consider. Do ask the taxi driver to wait for you to finish your tour as it might be hard to catch another one.

You have to wait for your turns to enter as visitors enter by groups. There are tour guides who will lead the way, giving information regarding the house as we move inside the house.

Friendly tour guide

No photography allowed inside the house but you can take photos of its upside down porch, garden and toilet which are outside the building. I believe with this no photography rule, visitors will not be spoiled of the surprises the house has in store for you. The interior of the house is decorated according to the traditional Sabah kampung (village) house, fully equipped with living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and so on.

Inverted porch

Garden upside down

Imagine doing business here

There are cafe and gift shop at the end of the tour for you to recharge yourself or take back a piece of Rumah Terbalik with you. This Upside Down House is definitely a unique experience that can challenge your perceptions and definitely worth a trip.

Here's another take on Rumah Terbalik in Virtual Malaysia. Do have a look and comments away.

Info Box

Rumah Terbalik (Upside Down House),

Kampung Telibong, Batu 21, Jalan Telibong, Tamparuli, Sabah.

Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Adult RM 10 (RM 18 for foreigners), child RM 5, free entry for children below 3 years old.

Website.

I'm Back!

Wow, I have deserted my blog for more than 3 months already! I better start updating it or otherwise, people will begin to think that this blog is dead for good.

These past few months had been an exciting one for me, especially from end of July 2013 to early September 2013 as I have been on the move most of the time. My first destination was Pulau Perhentian. It was a spontaneous, last minute trip, as my last day in the company came a week earlier than expected. I took a bus from Putra bus terminal to Kuala Besut and from the small town, took a speedboat ride to the island. I spent about 3 days there doing nothing but lazed around the white sandy beach, went out into the sea to snorkel, and read a book or two. It was a truly simple life.

The beautiful beach of Perhentian Kecil

After that, my next stop was Vientiane, Laos. I went with a fellow blogger, Diana, and we spent a good one week exploring the capital city and its charming countrysides up north like Vang Vieng, Phosavonh and Luang Prabang. With Laos done, I have finished with the Southeast Asian countries, excluding Timor Leste.

Patoxai or the Victory Monument in Vientiane

Plain of Jars, a mysterious occurance in Phosavonh

I then crossed border to Thai side from Vientiane to Udon Thani, a city in northern Thailand only to take a train ride to Bangkok to meet up with my family. Somehow, it has become an annual thing with my family to go for an overseas trip even though after the disastrous Singapore trip. Luckily, this time in Bangkok, it fared much better.

When the week was over, my family flew back to Malaysia while I took a bus ride to Phuket. I spent roughly 3 days in the island, exploring its quaint old town as well as hopping around its surrounding islands. Even though it was supposed to be low season, the crowd there is still large and most of them are Chinese tourists. I followed Phuket with a quick stop in Hat Yai to catch a train back to Malaysia.

Rows of umbrellas in Patong Beach

Next, I continued with a 2 week stay in Sabah. I concentrated mostly in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. While Sandakan is more of a small town, it is much easier to navigate around its attractions as there are public buses and transportation to bring you around while in Kota Kinabalu, the famous sites are almost 2 hours away from city centre.

These two shots of old buildings, can you tell which is Luang Prabang and Phuket Old Town?

Well, at least for these past one month plus, I have a wonderful time, seeing new things and meeting new friends. I can't wait for another long-term vacation like this again. More about it soon.

*TO BE CONTINUED*