Staycation In The Magellan Sutera Resort

I couldn't remember when was the last time I had staycation in my beloved hometown. I think the one I had probably few years back and because of that, I deserve to have another weekend staycation to rejuvenate and unwind (though I seems like having weekend getaway every week).

Since ever the government relaxes the Movement Control Order (MCO) by allowing the tourism industry back into the business, there are handful of hotels and resorts within Kota Kinabalu area that are currently having promotion offers to the local Sabahan and also Malaysian too. One of them eventually caught my attention which is the The Magellan Sutera Resort.

Sutera Harbour Resort is well-known among the local for being the largest resort in Kota Kinabalu city center comprising two distinctive 5-stars hotels; namely The Pacific and The Magellan. We picked the latter cause that's the only one which are currently open for business and right now, they are offering as low as RM290 per room for a night and it's including breakfast too. What a great deal! We booked two rooms to stay in the early weekend of July and due to that, they upgraded us from Deluxe Garden View to Deluxe Sea View (this only applies if you book two rooms or more).



DELUXE SEA VIEW OF MAGELLAN SUTERA RESORT
The check-in process was slightly disappointed because there were quite number of hotel guests checking-in at the same time causing the process to be slow and we were in the queue for almost half an hour. But all this can be forgiven right after we got our room key and stepped into the room, we're completely blown away by the room and totally forgot how awful experience we had earlier.

#1: The resort has been operating for over 20 years but don't worry about the room cause they just renovated it. 

Tastefully decorated with calm soft-colour, the room that we booked comes with a huge and comfortable King-sized bed, a flat screen satellite TV, coffee and tea making facilities. They even provide iron and board for those who need it - very thoughtful. As for the ensuite bathroom, it equipped with bathtub and shower with premium amenities. The best part of the room is the private balcony overlooking the South China Sea. You can even witness the amazing golden sunset from the balcony. 

#2: Our room equipped with a King-sized bed and a flat screen satellite TV.


#3: Ensuite bathroom with bathtub, shower and premium amenities.


#4: Love the design of their closet. Wish to customise like this for mine.


#5: Private balcony overlooking the South China Sea


#6: Romantic sunset view right from the balcony

THINGS TO DO IN THE RESORT AND MOSTLY ARE FREE FOR HOTEL GUESTS

There are plenty of reasons why we chosen to stay in this world-class luxury resort. Besides the complimentary breakfast which includes in the room rate, we are now allowed to utilise their swimming pool which just opened to public in the early of July. Not just that, there are wide array of activities for the hotel guests to do and mostly are free of charge. Yes, you heard it right - no extra surcharge for activities such as driving range of 25 balls, 1 bowling section, badminton, table tennis, tennis and snooker. The one that we enjoyed the most is the complimentary island boat ride where we purposely booked the slot at 6pm in order to enjoy sunset view. It's really spectacular and not to be missed.

#7: Complimentary breakfast. Still served in buffet style but only the chefs are allowed to scoop the food and place on your plate. 

#8: The swimming pool is open to public since early of July. Anyone love to swim?


#9: Free use of the driving range including 25 balls


#10: Free 1 session of bowling activity for each hotel guest


#11: The best activity we had - complimentary island boat ride


#12: It's wise to book the boat ride earlier and try to take 6pm slot


#13: And you will be rewarded with this - the amazing and marvellous sunset view


#14: The Magellan Sutera Resort view from the boat ride

OUR DINNER

Since the room rate doesn't include dinner, we then had steamboat at one of the resort restaurants, Al Fresco. They are having promotion too - steamboat for RM99 for two persons which I personally think not bad as it served prawns, mussels, beef, fresh chicken and fish slices but excluding the red wine (my friend ordered that, not me cause I don't drink). 

#15: Steamboat for dinner - RM99 nett for 2 persons

If you are looking for staycation in Kota Kinabalu, I would highly recommend to book and stay in The Magellan Sutera Resort because apart from the awesome and comfy room, you can spend your day basking in all the facilities provided by the resort. And did I tell you that you can check-out as late as 2pm? You don't have to go far just to search for the perfect short getaway cause everything is just under the roof.

HOW TO GET TO SUTERA HARBOUR RESORT: 
Sutera Harbour Resort is less than 10 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport. You can take Grab for roughly around RM10. In case you are driving with car, don't worry cause parking within the resort area is free of charge. 

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Cuti-Cuti Sabah BAH: Road Trip To Kudat

On the second weekend of June, we head for a road trip from Kota Kinabalu to Kudat, also known as "Tip of Borneo" due to its location poised on the northernmost tip of Borneo Island. Kudat is another popular short weekend getaway for the local, apart from the island hopping and road trip to Kundasang for the majestic Mount Kinabalu. It's not my first time to this slow-paced town but because I didn't get to explore much previously, hence I took this opportunity to stay for a night in order to discover more of this town.  

TRIP TO KUDAT

There is a small airport in Kudat and the only airline serving this airport is MAS Wings, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. There are three flights in a week from Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan with flying times for Kota Kinabalu are 40 minutes whereas for Sandakan are 50 minutes. 

The ideal option would most probably by self-driving from Kota Kinabalu which takes nearly 3 hours, or more depending the conditions of the road. I personally prefer this cause while on the way to Kudat, we came across the marvellous view of Mount Kinabalu on the right side of the vehicle. You even will passby few towns like Tamparuli, Tuaran, Kota Belud and can stopby at any village markets for food, fruits, flowers, plants and more. Planning to rent car in Kota Kinabalu? I would recommend Mirai Travel for the best car rental services. Lazy to drive? Then you can sign up for day trip with them too. 

THINGS TO DO & SEE IN KUDAT

Another reason why I would suggest to self-drive is because majority of the attractions in Kudat are quite spread out from each other. I'm not sure how convenient is the Grab in Kudat but what I know that the phone coverage, especially Internet connection is pretty bad there. I believe you don't want end up to risk it by climbing the tree in order to get Internet Connection so that you can book the Grab, right? Hence, it's wise to rent a car and do self-driving.

1) Sumangkap Gong Factory Village

This village is well-known for producing and making gongs, an important instrument for the Rungus tribe (one of the biggest ethnic group indigenous in Sabah). Here, you can watch the gong makers at work, try your hand at making or playing one yourself, and even, you can customise gong using your name and symbol as a memento. The Sultan of Brunei bought his gongs from here, so do make sure to dropby here when you are in Kudat. 

Entrance Fee: RM5 for adult and RM3 for children


2) Kampung Bavanggazo (Rungus Longhouse)

Traditionally, the Rungus ethnic tribe reside in longhouses built on stilts, but the shift to modern living has meant that the sight of such longhouses is getting more rare. The longhouse at Kg. Bavanggazo has been constructed entirely of traditional materials but with added modern comforts like toilets and showers. Here, you can get a taste of real Rungus traditional lifestyles through their food, daily rituals and music on a day trip. Last but not least, don't leave this place without supporting their handmade jewelry which crafted using antique beads.  

Entrance Fee: RM3 for Malaysian and RM5 for non-Malaysian


3) Honey Bee Farm

Apparently the famous one is Gombizau Honey Bee Farm but unfortunately it was closed when we're there. So we found another one which is the Borneo Honeybee Centre. This is where you get to see the traditional bee farming techniques and get a taste of pure rainforest honey. You can even take some home for a reasonable price. Rubber tapping is also done on site, as is the harvesting of traditional medicinal herbs, which can also be bought as a medicine.

Entrance Fee: RM5 for adult and RM3 for children


4) Kacang Kudat (Kudat Ground Nut)

Prepared in the unique traditional method, Kudat ground nut is one of the most popular local food that you must grab few packets before leaving the town. The ground nuts are being dried up under the sun prior to being fry-grilled and this make the nuts to be more crunchy and tastier. Trust me, it's so good that I almost finish the whole pack while watching the TV and pretty regret for not getting more packets. 

5) Tip of Borneo (Tanjung Simpang Mengayau)

Being the northernmost point of the third largest island in the world, Tip of Borneo is the meeting point of the Sulu and South China seas. Your trip to Kudat is incomplete if you didn't dropby this place cause this is the most visited attractions here. This is one of the local favourite places for sunset viewing and even the Sunset Music Fest which is Sabah's biggest open air concert which held annually was organised here. 

6) Beaches in Kudat

Kudat has few isolated beaches that you will make you jaw-dropping for its stunning crystal clear water and glittery white sand. One of them is Kelambu Beach, located at north-west of Kudat town and at the south of the Tip of Borneo is the local's most favourite beach to relax, picnic and enjoy the beauty of nature's best. Due to its location so close to Tip of Borneo, this is also one of the best spot to capture the perfect moment when the sun decide to give way for the night. There are even some resorts and hotels have their own private tranquil and quiet beaches - just like our stay in Hibiscus Beach Retreat (post here). 

ACCOMMODATIONS IN KUDAT

Don't rush your trip to Kudat and try to spend at least a night there. You don't have to worry about the accommodations cause there are plenty of options for you to choose from, such as: 

BorneoTip Beach Lodge & Tommy's Place which are very close to Tip of Borneo




If you are adventurous type, you can camp at Secret Place Cafe & Catering.

Have extra budget and don't mind to splurge for your stay? Hibiscus Beach Retreat is the one you're looking for. I stayed here before and I really fall in love with it. Wish to return for the second time. 
[My Post on Hibiscus Beach Retreat of Kudat, Sabah]

In case you are travelling with big group of families or friends, you can opt for Hibiscus Villa Borneo or Kudat Riviera. Prefer the city area, then you can consider Kudat Golf and Marina Resort which sits along the seafront of downtown Kudat; or Mozart Hotel which located in the center of Kudat town.

Food wise, we didn't manage to try any fresh and cheap seafood which they are famous for in Kudat. This is because our main focus was along the stretch of Tip of Borneo as our accommodation was nearby that area. We had our lunch at Tampat do Aman and Secret Place Cafe where both of them served both Western and local meals. I would highly recommend to try their pizza cause they are baked in the wood-fired oven. That's so cool, man!

Do you know that Kudat is well-known as one of the top spots in Sabah for stargazing. Here's another reason that you should overnight in Kudat instead of just doing a day trip there. However, it also depends on the weather conditions and little bit of luck. Too bad during our stay, it was raining and no sign of the milky way. Guess it's a sign that I need to return Kudat once again.

[Photo Credit to The Star] 

If you're heading to Sabah and thinking of diving or snorkeling, this Sabah diving guide (link here) is a solid reference — covers the top sites from Sipadan to Mantanani so you don't have to bounce between 10 different blogs.

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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 

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