Arriving in Kota Kinabalu

KK is a very cool city, and it knows it. Hard Rock Cafe, ads for Malaysia Total Wipeout, very modern architecture, waterfront bars, top spec malls, the lot - so why does it feel a bit dull? There's so much to do in Sanah, but it's main city is very much a passing point rather than a POI of itself. Most tours start in KK, there's awesome diving, island hopping, and water sports to be done just off the coast of KK, and of course there is the incredible Kinabalu National Park just 2 hours drive away. But none of that is KK. The main attraction in KK itself is definitely the central night market - a mile long stretch of fish literally just hauled out of the sea on the other side of the tents, being cooked however you fancy!

Central and night market

Being blonde and white definitely gets me more attention here than it did in Bangkok, and walking down the street every other person will either say "hello madam!" or shout "Australiaaaaah?" And occasionally "Hello! I love you!". It's all friendly and doesn't feel intrusive or intimidating as it did when I was in India, but that was a lot more aggressive, and here it's mainly the children trying to use their English. Tying my hair up completely changes the reception I get, much like When I was in Africa, as I'm then ever so slightly less of a neon sign saying "HELLO I'M WEIRD". When I was going around with an American guy he didn't like the interaction at all and having people staring made him uncomfortable, so he would completely ignore adults and children alike which I thought was a bit rude - a simple smile and a "hello!" in return keeps everyone happy! Likewise to the bar touts, it's reasonable for them to expect a little conversation or even just to exchange pleasantries rather than just blanking them like a Year 7 Ex. Smiling and replying nicely also brings down the White Person Tax at markets a little, too...

Being a girl exploring alone also brings a lot of attention and mainly shock from the Muslim women in KK as it's another strange concept - a lady at my hostel asked if it was because I was shopping for a husband along the way! She seemed a bit more confused when I said I already had a man at home, prompting a full discussion about independent travelling, and a lot of warnings for my safety alone. Having said this, I find walking around Kota Kinabalu by myself completely safe and comfortable, during the day and the early evening. There are a lot of looks and a fair number of comments, but it's mostly friendly and much more comfortable than those I have received when going around North Africa and Northern India. 

I've found being a solo woman travelling in KK has great advantages: the locals are incredibly friendly and there's a sense that they all just want to take care of you. I mean, that might just be because I confidently stroll around doing things wrong and they take pity, but small things really make a difference. Whilst writing this a local man walked past me on the beach and kept calling out "come see miss, come see!" Any other circumstance I would not be following a strange man in a foreign country into jungle at the back of a beach but this seemed different... And it was.

Can you see him?

I took a step and a young monitor lizard shot straight over my foot and into his hidey hole! I squealed, as per, and the local man nearly dislocated his jaw laughing at me, but then we kept searching for it and found it again! What a beauty. Sometimes common sense needs to take a backseat in order to find something extraordinary it seems!

WHOOMP - there it is!

Compared to Bangkok KK is incredibly Western, including the very simple grid system which makes navigation on foot the best way to get around. One minor problem here, though: there are no pedestrian crossings on the roads, so it's time to whack out your lucky grasshopper and dodge! Taxis are few and far between if you're not on the main drag, and busses wait until the entire minivan is full before taking off. Also regular cars will try to convince you that they are taxis "but haven't been painted red yet" - as legit as Donald Trump's toupee. One major difference is the comparative lack of motorbikes here - everybody loves an air conditioned 4x4 - and the daytime markets are incredibly quiet! No shouting, no pushing, no hard sales - everyone just chilling out and letting it all come and go. 

The best thing about KK though is the fine line it walks between urban city and wild jungle. From the front doors of Starbucks and the Aussie Steakhouse you can see the tropical rainforests surrounding the city, and within a maximum 40 minute walk from the airport you can be BTS in Jurassic Park. It's amazing! The wildlife is already really cool - butterflies the size of my fist in the city centre - but this also brings beefy looking rats and indestructible cockroaches. It's not a big deal though, as they mostly keep to themselves!

Whilst the water in KK is safe to brush your teeth with, it's still best to either buy water or have a hostel with a purifier already. "Water purifier", however, is still a pretty broad term - when I asked to refill my bottle for the day I was handed back 1.5 litres of freshly boiled water!

My plan for KK is to visit museums and markets before climbing Kinabalu, and then having a couple of days island hopping to recover! Hopefully then a bit of island hopping before moving deep into the jungle to explore Sepilok for some wildlife trekking!