Day 2 – A Cold Birthday Trip to Kota Kinabalu: Exploring Poring Hot Springs & Mt Kinabalu Park

It’s January 30 – Hurray! Happy birthday to me!

This travelogue is part of a travel series for my birthday trip to Kota Kinabalu & Brunei, if you haven’t read the first part, here’s the link https://adventuroj.com/2014/02/09/borneo-travel-itinerary-a-birthday-trip-to-kota-kinabalu-and-brunei/

Birthday Luck Continues..

Our day started early. I woke up with a drizzling rain outside, quite hoping for the sun to shine later, and worried for we haven’t brought any rain gears with us in case this weather will worsen.

Luckily at around 8am, Mr Sunshine already showed up and the rain stopped though the weather’s still cloudy with dark clouds hovering from a distance.

Kota Kinabalu Roads

Kota Kinabalu Roads

Guess my luck still’s with me, for we found out that the tour group we booked had already left and that perhaps there’s no more room for me and my buddy – so instead of joining us with them, we were offered a private tour – a small car with only the 2 of us (my travel buddy & I), and the tour guide, Nicolas, and his fiancé.

Sounds good to me for we could manage our own time, talk to the guide and have him all to ourselves without any other people joining the tour – for the price of a regular tour (more expensive to really opt for a private tour I guess).

So here’s our itinerary for today.

Mt. Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Tour

  • 8.00am: Pick up from hotel
  • 10.00am: Reach and explore Kinabalu Park.
  • 12.00pm: Lunch and head to Poring Hot Spring
  • 2.00pm: Canopy walk and leisure time in Poring Hot Spring
  • 4.00pm: Head back to Kota Kinabalu city

What to Bring:

  • – Camera
  • – Swimming Attire / Towels / Toiletries
  • – Extra Clothings
  • – Comfortable Walking Shoe
  • – Flip-flop
  • – Sun-Block Lotion / Insect Repellant / Hat / Binocular
  • **Temperature up in the mountain can dropped to 15c-25c during the day, so please bring some warm clothing to cover up.

Poring Hot Spring Tour Pictures

Poring Hot Spring Tour

Poring Hot Spring Tour

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Around Mt Kinabalu Park

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Birthday Gift

After the tour, Nicolas even gave me a gift from the travel agency knowing it’s my birthday today. So say hello to my newest pal, the Probosci Monkey – one of the popular species of monkeys known in Kota Kinabalu.

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Where to stay in Kota Kinabalu?

After our tour, we checked in at Stay Inn Hotel – Quality yet affordable hotel at the heart of the city

This one’s already a 4-star hotel complete with amenities and strategically located just near the Seafood Restaurant – for only 1,000Php per night for 2pax (so that’s like 500Php per person), value for money indeed!

Eating Around Kota Kinabalu

The rest of the evening was spent exploring the city, looking for places to eat.

Here’s what dinner looks like here at their Seafood Restaurant – where literally they have their foods ‘fresh’ as in fresh from water, alive and kicking pa nga in an aquarium. Just choose whichever you want and have it cooked.

Tried this Nasi (which means rice) Goreng (meaning beef) USA

Nasi Goreng USA (8MYR)

Some soto ayam..