Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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room in the Tanjung Wing, which is nestled amid S hangri-La's signature lush gar den
setting, or the Kinabalu Wing, which has panoramic views of the South China Sea. Every
room has a stunning vie w of either the sea or M ount Kinabalu, with a balcony for full
appreciation. Tropical touches include furnishings in cool colors and local fabrics with
wood details. Their tour desk can arrange everything from scuba to trekking and rafting.
Special activities for kids make this place a good choice for families.
Locked Bag 174, 88744 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
&
800/942-5050
in the U.S. and Canada, 800/222-448 in
Australia, 800/442-179 in New Z ealand, or 088/225-800. F ax 088/217-155. w ww.shangri-la.com. 499
units. RM700 ($203/£126) double; fr om RM1,250 ($363/£225) suit e. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restau-
rants; beach bar and lounge; 2 out door lagoon-style pools; 4 outdoor lighted tennis courts; health club
w/Jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and massage; concierge; airport transfers; room service; babysitting; smoke-free
rooms.
In room:
A/C, TV w/satellite programming and in-house movies, high-speed Internet, minibar, hair
dryer.
Where to Dine
One of the best local specialties,
hinava,
is a mouthwatering delicacy of raw fish mari-
nated in lime juice, ginger, shallots, herbs, and chilies—I highly r ecommend trying it.
Kota Kinabalu is kno wn for its fr esh seafood, and ther e are a lot of places to choose
from, but the locals and expatriates all agr ee that
Port View Seafood Restaurant,
Jalan
Haji Saman across from the old Customs Wharf, near the downtown area (
&
088/252-
813
), is best. Dishes are prepared primarily in Chinese and Malay styles, are moderately
priced (sold by weight), and are always succulent.
One of M alaysia's most ex citing dining outlets is
@tmosphere,
on the 18th floor of
Menara Tun Mustapha (
&
088/425-100;
www.atmosphererestaurant.com), south of the
city center. Arrive in style by helicopter to this revolving restaurant and dine on creative
Pacific Rim cuisine. It becomes a lively night spot after dinner.
Attractions
Sabah attracts
scuba
enthusiasts from around the world who come to dive at Sipadan, an
island resort off the east coast of the state.
Sipadan,
ranked as one of the top-10 dive sites
in the world, is actually a tall limestone “ tower” rising from the bed of the Celebes S ea,
supporting v ast numbers of marine species, some of which may still be unidentified.
Since 2004, the Malaysian government revoked the licenses of the five dive operators that
managed resorts on the tiny island, in an effor t to pr event environmental degradation.
The dive operators will move their base camps to surrounding islands, offering day trips
to the area or running live-aboard trips.
Borneo Divers
(9th floor, Menara Jubili, 53 Jalan Gaya;
&
088/222-226;
www.borneo
divers.info) was the first full-service dive operator in Borneo and the pioneering operator
to Sipadan. They house div ers at their r esort on M abul, along a gorgeous sandy beach
with easy access to div e sites ar ound the M abul island and S ipadan. F or RM664
($193/£120) per night per person, y ou'll get accommodations, meals, airpor t transfers,
and two div es a day. You'll have to pay extra for a r ound-trip flight into Tawau, which
costs about RM390 ($113/£70). Booking can be made thr ough Borneo Divers. Equip-
ment rentals come to RM89 ($26/£16) per day. Sipadan has good diving year-round, but
March through October has the best weather.
A newer spot,
Layang Layang,
located off the coast of northwest Borneo in the South
China S ea, is also making a splash as an under water bounty of marine life.
Layang
Layang Island Resort
(head office in KL at Blk. A, ground floor, A-0-3, Megan Ave. II,
12 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng;
&
03/2162-2877;
www.layanglayang.com) pioneered this area
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