Cuti-Cuti Sabah BAH: Hibiscus Beach Retreat of Kudat, Sabah

"Epitome of peace, relaxation and escapism from the busy lives" - this is how I define of my stay in Kudat. 

So for the second week of June, we decided to head to Kudat, a chilled-town sits on the northernmost tip of Sabah and it takes approximately 3 hours drive from the city center of Kota Kinabalu. The ideal way to travel around this town is either rent a car or sign up for a day trip from local tour operator. If you considering to rent a car, I would recommend my friend's car rental company - Mirai Travel and just quote my name to get the best price. Trust me, not only that he provides the best car rental services but he will give you any recommendations and suggestions of things to do and see within the state of Sabah. 

Talking about Kudat, this is my second time to this town. The last time I've been here it's like 5 or 6 years ago (I barely remember) and this is why I thought it's best to repeat for another round. For this trip, I went and visited more attractions rather than just Tip of Borneo and I will share more about it on the next upcoming post cause I want to focus more on the accommodation I stayed in this post. 

#1: Our accommodation in Kudat is perched on a small cliff top - cool right?

It was kinda last minute decision for us to book this Hibiscus Beach Retreat (less than a week) and luckily, we managed to secure our reservation cause there are only two self-contained chalets which are Clifftop and Treetops. We chosen Clifftop because not just that it has unrivaled views of the South China Sea, but it's also closer to the private beach. 

#2

Consists of one queen-sized bed and ensuite shower, this self-contained chalet is perfectly suitable for couples and small families who are looking for barefoot luxury, privacy and exclusivity at its best. They even prepared and placed basic kitchen appliances like fridge, kettle, bread toaster and also coffee pod machine within the room for the convenience of the guests. In terms of the size of the room, I found it's pretty spacious and we had no issue of moving around (probably because there were only two of us). The cherry on the cake of this stay is the gorgeous and marvellous sea and sky view straight out from the room. 

#3: One bedroom self-contained chalet is perfectly suitable for couples and small families.


#4: The gorgeous view of the horizon is to die for


#5: Listening to the wind and the sound of crashing wave while sleeping - it's like lullaby.


#6: Besides the kitchen appliances, the capsule coffee machines and books deserve more points.


#7: Imagine doing your 'business' while enjoying this kind of view


#8: Anyone love sunkissing?

#9: The stay includes breakfast where they stored inside the fridge before the check-in time. It might looks simple and basic with bread, cereal, fruits, juice and milk but no complain when this place is like paradise. 

#10: Tranquil and quiet beach with crystal clear water


#11


#12: The chalet is built in the middle of the lush green jungle and surrounded by nature

The stay, the service, the sea - what can we ask for more? Everything about Hibiscus Beach Retreat is beyond words. Though there is no phone coverage nor free WiFi connection where both of us were totally disconnected from the world for almost 24 hours, thus this is the time to get off the grid and just let the nature amaze us with its beauty. Absolutely idyllic stay to relax, unwind and escape from the hustle and bustle of living in the city. It's damn so good that until now, this place unable to get out from out head. I can conclude that this is a truly hidden gem of Sabah and I can't wait to go back and stay for second time. 

Interested in staying Hibiscus Beach Retreat? Good news cause they are currently doing promotion where one night stay for only RM295 instead of RM590. Hurry up book with them cause they only have to two available chalets and as for the one I stayed, exclusively one and only Clifftop. 

Hibiscus Beach Retreat 
Website: www.hibiscusbeachretreat.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hibiscusbeachretreatborneo
Contact: +6019-895 0704
Email: info@hibiscusbeachretreat.com 

Share:

Sunrise Jungle Trekking at Rasa Ria Reserve by Shangri-La

Throughout the month of June, the boyfriend and I decided to do "Cuti-Cuti Sabah" as our weekend getaway. This is what happen when you can't travel internationally, you travel locally. Since there are handful of local hotels and tours are doing promo now, why don't we take this opportunity to do staycations and at the same time, to help to boost the local tourism industry, right?

We kick-off our Cuti-Cuti Sabah plan in the early week of June with jungle trekking at Rasa Ria Reserve. This nature reserve is located within the prestigious Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, a 5-star resort situated in a colourful town of Tuaran, which is almost an hour drive from Kota Kinabalu. Because it's protected area, therefore it opens to the in-house guests only with an additional charge of RM20 per guest. So if you happen to stay in this resort, do take this opportunity to explore the Rasa Ria Reserve.



In collaboration with the State Wildlife Department of Sabah, there are varieties of new and enhanced recreational activities in order for the guests to get closer to the nature, learn more about exotic plants and indigenous wildlife. Guests can choose activities such as bird watching, jungle walk for sunrise, adventurous night walk and even breakfast with a view at the peak. Interesting, right? Want to know more about their recreational activities, you can check out more here.



We assembled as early as 5.30 am at the lobby, before picked up by the hotel staff with the electric golf cart to the discovery centre. At the discovery centre, we were greeted by two rangers where they will give us briefing before starting the jungle trekking. As the sun has yet to rise and because it was slightly dark, each of us were given a mini torch light. And you know what, according to the ranger, we're the first group to do the jungle trekking ever since MCO implemented in the mid of March.





And because it was raining earlier, hence there were certain trails which were quick slippery while we're walking through this tropical jungle. The trail from beginning to the lookout point wasn't that long - it's approximately 4.8km long and within 40 minutes, all of us had finally arrived the peak point. We managed to reach at the lookout point few minutes before the sunrise took place. Though the weather wasn't clear as pairing with picturesque scenery. Don't you think this view is breath-taking?

Throughout our jungle trekking, there were no any local wildlife in sight, except for squirrel. I think mainly due to MCO where no guests were allowed to come and visit, hence the animals must be roaming somewhere else. I think so lah! As much as I love to encounter these animals where they can roam freely across the reserve, I did pray hardly that I won't bump into snakes cause that is one of the things I fear the most. I can't imagine if I stumble upon one, probably I will immediately fainted on the spot. I'm not kidding. 

If you are planning to stay in Shangri-la Rasa Ria and interested to sign up for this sunrise jungle trekking, do remember to bring along comfortable walking shoes, trousers and the most important one, the mosquito repellent cause there are plenty of mosquitoes waiting to have their meals. 

By the way, Shangri-la Rasa Ria is currently having great deal for your ideal and relax staycation. Hurry up and book with them before the deal end. 

Last but not least since you are in the town of Tuaran, don't forget to try its fried "Tuaran Noodle" which is well-known among the local. It's one of the food you must try when visiting Sabah, particularly Kota Kinabalu. It's best to serve with lihing (the Kadazan-Penampang native's rice wine).

Tuaran Mee - one of the most popular noodles in Sabah. Majority the local would recommend the Lok Kyun Restaurant of Tuaran town.

Share:

Summary of My 22D19N Balkans Travelogue (2019) Covering Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania & Montenegro

SUMMARY OF MY 22D19N ITINERARY

Day

Destination

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Kota Kinabalu → Singapore Singapore → Istanbul → Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest → Brasov + Bran Brasov + Sinaia Brasov + Sighisoara Brasov → Bucharest → Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo → Sofia Sofia Sofia → Skopje Skopje + Ohrid Skopje → Pristina Pristina + Prizren Pristina → Tirana Tirana + Berat Tirana → Kotor Kotor Kotor Kotor → Podgorica Podgorica → Istanbul Istanbul → Singapore Singapore → Kota Kinabalu

FLYING WITH SINGAPORE AIRLINES

This is my second time flying with this prestigious and award-winning airlines? Why I chosen this airlines? One of the main reasons is because it's connecting the flight between Istanbul and Kota Kinabalu with transit in Singapore and the airfare was pretty affordable. 

VISA & CURRENCY EXCHANGE

Visa is not required for Malaysian passport holders to visit all these 6 countries. However, this will change from 2021 onwards. Malaysians will need to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver, which will be obtainable through the online application system. For more info, you can check out here.

As for currency exchange:

• Only Kosovo and Montenegro are using Euro (€)
• Romania - National currency is leu (€1 = 4.60 leu). I exchanged at Bucharest Airport and Bucharest Old Town (of course I would recommend the latter)
• Bulgaria - National currency is lev (€1 = 1.91 lev). I withdraw some from Veliko Tarnovo train station and exchanged the rest in Sofia
• Macedonia - It's known as denar (€1 = MKD61.40). I exchanged denar at the Old Bazaar of Skopje.
• Albania - It's national currency is lek (€1 = 123 lek). I went and exchanged at the shop opposite of my hostel.
  
  

RECAP OF MY TRAVELOGUES

• From Kota Kinabalu to Bucharest, Romania
• Bucharest - The First City of Romania I Wandered
• To Brasov From Bucharest
• Short Trip To Bran Castle From Brasov
• Peles Castle of Sinaia, Romania
• Sighisoara, Transylvania's Medieval Fortified City
• Train From Brasov To Veliko Tarnovo
• Goodbye Veliko Tarnovo and Hello Sofia
• Sofia, Bulgaria - Things To Do & See In A Day
• Skopje, The Capital City of North Macedonia
• Short Trip From Skopje To Ohrid, North Macedonia
• Leaving Skopje To Pristina
• A Day Trip From Pristina To Prizren
• Tirana, The Beating Heart of Albania
• Berat, The Town of A Thousand Windows
• Kotor, A City of Montenegro That Stole My Heart
• Hiking San Giovanni Fort of Kotor, Montenegro
• The Island Gospa od Skrpjela (Our Lady of The Rock) & Bay of Kotor Cruise
• Podgorica, Montenegro
• Istanbul Tulip Festival 2019

MY TRAVEL HAUL

A handful of fridge magnets I bought

Chocolates. It's funny I don't really into chocolates but then, I love to buy chocolate as souvenirs to friends and family.

Share:

Istanbul Tulip Festival 2019

<< Previous Post: Podgorica, Montenegro <<

Istanbul, aku datang lagi! (it means "Istanbul, here I come again" in Malay language)

To be precise, I've been to Istanbul like 4 times - enter and exit for my trip to Bosnia and Croatia in 2018 and also, for this leg of my trip. It's funny how I'm only focusing on Istanbul but not the rest of Turkey cause I have promised my friends to wait for them. Not sure when and whether we able to accomplish this wishlist or not, but I believe someday we will. Fingers crossed!

PODGORICA TO ISTANBUL WITH TURKISH AIRLINES  

#1: Flying with Turkish Airlines for the second time

From Podgorica of Montenegro, I booked my flight with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. There are not many options for this route and due to this, the fare is relatively expensive. One-way cost me €143 (approx. to RM662) and this is not my maiden experience flying with them. Even for my previous trip from Zagreb of Croatia, I also booked the exactly same airlines cause there's the one and only option I had. Exiting Istanbul to other parts of Europe is pretty cheap, but entering makes my bank bleed so badly. 

#2: Their flight safety video is super cool! Featured those characters from 'The Lego Movie'


#3: At least the airfare is including in-flight meal and baggage allowance.

ISTANBUL NEW AIRPORT 

#4


#5: The ideal way to get to the city centre from Istanbul Airport is by taking Havaist bus

Though Istanbul might no longer a stranger place for me, but because they moved to the new airport and no longer operated at Atuturk Airport, it's time for me to crack my head once again in order to get to the city center. The newly operated airport is located in the Arnavutköy district, which is on the European side of Istanbul. Thankfully, it's fairly easy to get to the city by using Istanbulkart.

HOW TO GET TO ISTANBUL CITY FROM AIRPORT
Catch Havaist bus at the level (-2) of the airport. Don't worry if you don't have any Istanbulkart with you cause there is a booth for you to purchase or top-up your look-alike "Touch N Go" card. As for the bus fare, it's vary according to your destination. The most popular stops like Taksim and Sultanahmet Square costs 18 lira per trip.

MY STAY IN ISTANBUL

#6: Bunk Hostel in Taksim area of Istanbul

I decided to book other accommodation instead of staying the same place I have stayed before in Istanbul. It's indeed last minute booking as I was indecisive of which area should I stay - whether Taksim or Sultahnamet Square since these two areas are popular among the travellers. At the end, I went for Taksim and I booked this chic and new hostel - the Bunk Hostel. The location of this hostel is 700m from Taksim Square and 800m from Taksim Metro Station. If you are taking Havaist bus from Istanbul New Airport, it will stop exactly at the same place as the one from the former airport - situated behind Point Hotel Taksim.

Bunk Hostel
Date Stayed: 25 April - 26 April 2020
Room Rate: €17.86 (approx. to RM83) for a bed in 6-bed female dormitory room with private bathroom

One of the things I love about this hostel is that it has a large rooftop terrace overlooking the city and I was indeed having a great time sitting here doing nothing but just enjoying the view. Secondly, they served free breakfast for all the in-house guests. The only downside of this hostel is that the dorm is significantly compact and small. I even had issue of climbing up to my bed due to the limited of space.

EXPLORING ISTANBUL
Like I mentioned earlier, this is not my first time to Istanbul and I've been few places like Sultanahmet, Hagia Sophia and bazaars. You can check out my post here.

As for this round, I narrow down my visit to two famous tourist attractions only, which are the Galata Tower and Sultanahmet Square because I was kinda exhausted and worn-out from the long travelling period.

Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower)
Previously used as a watchtower to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbour, now it has becomes one of the eye-catching landmark of Istanbul. However, I didn't make my way up cause the line was extremely long and I'm the type that dislike wasting my time to queue. I think it's best to arrive this place in the early morning to beat the crowd.


#7: Galata Tower


#8


#9

Istanbul Tulip Festival at Sultanahmet Square
Seriously, I never expect and specially plan for this one. I wasn't aware of the tulip festival until I reach Sultanahment Square. The reason I went there just to kill my time but unexpectedly, I was greeted by thousands, or even millions of colorful tulips. Can't believe that previously I always saw this annual event on social media but now, luck was on my side where I got to see and experience right in front of me.

#10: What a sunny day at Sultanahmet Square

#11: Istanbul Tulip Festival - an annual event which held each April, except for this year due to the pandemic situation.


#12: My favourite shot

#13: It's free for public and you don't have to pay any entrance fee. Just that there's a barrier between the tulips to avoid the public from step on it. 

GOODBYE ISTANBUL!

Staying in Istanbul for less than 24 hours, now it's time to kiss goodbye to this beautiful and amazing city. Just like how I got to the city centre from the airport, I used the exact same way which is by catching the Havaist bus that can be found behind Point Hotel Taksim. The bus departs to the airport is quite frequently, therefore you don't have to bother of buying the bus tickets in advance. Make sure that you are heading to the correct airport cause Istanbul has two different airports - Istanbul New Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport. 

#14: Anyone collect Starbucks mug?


#15: Absolutely agree with this quote - "Easy to Love, Hard to say Goodbye"


#16: Flying back to Singapore with Singapore Airlines

And this concludes the end of my 3rd Europe Solo travelogue. Pop champagne! If I were to be more hardworking, actually I can complete this whole series of travelogue at least by end of May (which is last month). But you know what happen when procrastinating has taken over me. Hopefully after this I can motivate myself to update my blog more frequently cause I have tons of backlog. 

Share:

Podgorica, Montenegro

<< Previous Post: The Island Gospa od Skrpjela (Our Lady of the Rock) & Bay of Kotor Cruise <<

 

Kotor is such an amazing place until it's hard for me to leave this town eventhough I was there for 4 days and 3 nights. With a heavy heart, I need to move on to my final destination which is Podgorica before flying back to Istanbul. Besides being the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is also the country's largest city.

GETTING TO PODGORICA FROM KOTOR

#1: Bus schedule from Kotor to Podgorica

Bus from Kotor to Podgorica departs almost every hourly. Hence, you don't have to worry about purchasing the bus ticket in advance. The bus ticket for a single ride costs €7 and if you have luggage with you, there will be an additional charge of €1 applied.

ARRIVING PODGORICA
I left Kotor town around noon time and after nearly 2 hours, I have arrived Podgorica. From the bus station, it takes about 10 minutes walk to the city center as well as my hostel.

#2

Montenegro Hostel Podgorica
Date Stayed: 24 April - 24 April 2019 (1 night)
Room Rate: €8.00 for a bunk bed in mixed dormitory room for 1 night (Booked from Booking.com)

Right after I check-in into my hostel and quickly left my backpack, it's time to explore the small and tiny capital city of Montenegro. I didn't bother to take any public transportation cause the city is relatively compact in size and the ideal way to travel around is on foot. Well as usual, I always rely on the Google Map to navigate around the city. 

#3: Clock Tower (Sahat Kula) - One of the very few Ottoman landmarks that survived the bombing of Podgorica in World War II

#4: City public park


#5: Hercegovačka Pedestrian Street - a shopping street but I don't find any interesting things here


#6: Millennium Most - Newly built bridge over the Moraca river


#7: Vladimir Vysotsky Monument - A statue of the famous Russian singer given by the Russians


#8

After my small little exploration around the city, I found that the city is tend to be unattractive and tiresome. Just when I thought Bucharest, the capital city of Romania is pretty boring and dull, I can conclude that Podgorica is top on the list to be the most unattractive city in Europe. No surprise many travellers skip this city because the city was rebuilt as a modern planned city and by no means a principal sightseeing destination. As for me, I only spent less than 15 hours in this city and I can't wait to leave on the next day. Sorry Podgorica - you are not my typical eye candy. 

Because I need to catch my flight back to Istanbul, Podgorica is the only airport serves that particular route. And in order to get to Podgorica Airport is by taking taxi as my flight to Istanbul was quite early. There is not much information about the public transportation heading to the airport but I don't want to take any risk of missing flight, hence I opted for taxi. One way taxi ride costs me €7 which I found it's affordable and reasonable. 

#9: This is my first time to ride taxi alone in Europe


#10: Podgorica Airport


#11: Leave only footprints behind

My 3rd Solo Europe travelogue is almost coming to an end. I thought I can finish this travelogue at least end of May but again, I was too procrastinating. I really hope I can quickly finish this one cause there are plenty of things I like to blog and share here. Like my trip to New Zealand, Hanoi, Sweden, Norway, USA, Iran, Hokkaido and more. DT, please don't be lazy again!

>> Next Post: Istanbul Tulip Festival 2019 >>

Share: