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2 nights 3 days little trip in Kota Kinabalu. 1st Day : Let's go watching

Updated: Aug 12, 2022

【 Malaysia Long stay, Malaysia Property, Apartment, Hotel,Travel, Rental , MM2H, Blog】Japanese wife Aya recommended Kota Kinabalu Travel Trip

Note) This picture was taken at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.

Hi, I am Aya, a Japanese and married local Chinese Malaysian guy and as sequel to the last Kota Kinabalu condominium introduction article,this time I would like to introduce the recommended sightseeing spot of Kota Kinabalu.

~2 nights 3 days course~

1st Day (Friday) Arrive at airport at noon → Put your luggage at the hotel (if possible)

→ Lunch → Visit the Sabah Tourism Board to collect tourist information and visit Gaya Street → Let's go see the Wild Proboscis Monkey & watching mangrove & enjoy fireworks

2nd Day (Saturday) Nabalu Village → Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden → Kundasang → Canopy Walkway & Poring Hot Springs → dinner at Night Market

3rd Day (Sunday)  Sunday Market → Lok Kawi Wildlife Park → Go to Airport

1st Day (Friday)

After arrived at Airport, please leave your luggage at the hotel if it’s possible. Then, lets’ go grab for lunch. If don’t have energy how do we go further for the schedule?

This is a local shop called FOOK YUEN at Gaya Street! Let's eat curry laksa with shrimp! This curry laksa was not so spicy and it was to Japanese taste! Besides, I like to take it with my favorite shrimp ~ ☆ 彡 It is not spicy at all compared with Kuala Lumpur's laksa. If this shop was closed, no worry to find other restaurants down on Gaya Street.

< Let's go see the wild proboscis monkey, mangrove & enjoy fireworks >

The meeting up time for watching mangrove cruising & fireworks was 4:30pm and departure time from Kota Kinabalu was 2pm, mean it will take 2 Hours from KK to the meet up place. Still have some time for shopping to buy some souvenir shop at Gaya Street before 2pm.

After leaving FOOK YUEN and walking to the right and you will reach Sabah Tourism Board, you can collect sightseeing information there! (Saturday and Sunday public holidays are closed. Em, why???)

~Mangrove River Cruise & Firefly~

When you arrive at the site, please take some snacks first. We have been guided to wear a life jacket, got on a small boat, then went to watch mangrove and meet wild proboscis monkeys. Since I had never seen a wild proboscis monkey before, I have gotten tension rising ☆ before departure, I tried a cup of soup of sweet potato, it was very delicious and it’s OK to free refill but this is a snack and the dinner will be served later, so do not eat too much!

A plenty of huge leaves plants growing along the river with the rainforest jungle! I have never seen this scene for my life. I felt the strength of life.

OMG! It's the wild proboscis monkey! I really first time to meet them! Too excited and speechless! Because of they are living in wild, so you might unavailable to meet them or see properly. However, it was very wonderful to meet them. In the evening, they will appear and eat mangroves leaves.

親子のテングザル(≧◇≦)

Do you know that proboscis monkey is systemized as polygamy group that they making a group with one male and a few female when living together? Wow, the male proboscis is a KING (haha)

The proboscis monkey is so timid, so please do not make noise or do not chatter while you are watching (it is okay if you are just whispering). They will run away when they got surprised. I even saw parents and baby of Proboscis monkeys. When it comes to their sleep time or if they want to go back into the jungle, they will put their ass to face to our direction as a sign. What a cutie thing (^ ^^ #)

Do you able to find out the proboscis monkey in the mangrove tree on of upper left side from the above photo? This was the distance quite far from my sitting place. Because of the reason that they all in wild, it we get too close, they will run away. It is better if you have binocular for watching.

There are 7 groups proboscis monkey here but when I could only saw 1 group that day. It seems that the monkey rarely appear in the training day. Raining is the uncontrollable factors but I was deeply moved because I saw the proboscis monkey for the first time!

Normally after watching the monkey, will go back to the lodge and take dinner but that day we could hardly see the monkey monkeys even the staff tried hard to look for them until getting dark. Therefore, the staff decided to go for fireworks directly before we went back to lodge. We also enjoyed the sunset on the ship, then we went for fireflies. Lastly, returned to the lodge for buffet dinner. By the way, sunset of Kota Kinabalu was very beautiful and romantic ☆ 彡

When getting dark, firefly tour will be started!

I took a picture for the firefly but it did not appear at all from the picture. . . I have seen fireflies at Sasaran (1.5 hour from KL ), but since Kota Kinabalu was more plants here and indeed a lots of fireflies, a lot of lights, it was really beautiful and it was worthy to come over here (≧ ◇ ≤) It really deserve a nod beause there were a lots of fireflies in this big giant mangrove trees area.

Sorry that you can not see the fireflies in photo. Also due the reason that Malaysia is still under developing and the the nature is getting lesser and lessser. So please go and see it early!

Since there are many mosquitoes in Malaysia, please do not expose your skin. Mosquitoes in Malaysia will stab even from above of outside of the clothes , so let's put a lot of insect repellent spray!

Dinner is Malay food buffet style! ! It was the most delicious Malay cuisine I've ever had! Because it was buffet, you can refill and have a place where you can relax. (# ^^ #)

It was close to 11 p.m. when we arrived at Hotel but it was a delightful day trip full of stomachs by eating delicious Malay cuisine and by watching the wild proboscis monkey and fireflies.

Aya tips:

・Since the sightseeing spots of Kota Kinabalu are separately far from each other, let's departure earlier for your schedule

・E & A WORKs & Tabiniko introducing the appreciation of wild proboscis monkeys & firefly & watching mangroves.

・Its about RM100 onwards to join the watching. The fee is including buffer and other light food. However, the transport fare will be separated. Transportation fee is subject to the amount of person, please kindly send inquiry. Furthermore, its will take 2 hours only for 1way and another 2 hours for come back to the city, means it will cost for the transport fare. (All fee is updated on JUL 2018 and subject to change anytime, please send inquiry to check as well.) The minimum for the watching activity is from 6 person.

・The Watching Fee is included boat riding, light snack, buffet, it really reasonable! Also, its is non-refundable and unable to cancel after bookings made.

・There is no Japanese staff on the day, but if you are referring through E & A Works & Tabiniko, we will accept questions in Japanese.

・Please note that it will be English guide on the day.

・After booking made, agent will prepare all the food, that’s why its non-refundable and unable to cancel even the raining day. Please kindly understand squall, heavy raining is normal in Malaysia and it comes very sudden.

・When inquiring, please advise the number of people who want to join and the age of children if have.

Selling points for ‘Let's meet the wild proboscis monkey & firefly appreciation while looking at mangrove

「Meet with Wild proboscis monkey」+「Firefly is very beautiful」

Reservation, inquiries are here 予約、お問合せ、詳細はこちら

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