Coral and Coconuts: Beach Hunting and Island Hopping in Kota Kinabalu

Before you even think about island hopping from KK, make sure you check out the divinely deserted Tanjung Aru beach is a long stretch located on the West side of the city. Gorgeously shady park and water which can genuinely be described as hot, Tanjung Aru is a lovely mainland alternative to jumping on a ferry. The downside to this beautifully quiet beach is that there are no food or drink sellers, so make sure you grab some food on the way. You'll want the number 16 bus from Marina Court if you're going local, and the fare is 5RM. If your visit is like mine, you'll only be sharing the beach with crabs and monitor lizards!

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If you're determined to leave the mainland, Kota Kinabalu has a group of 5 islands within a 15 minute ferry ride from Jessleton Point, which is 15 mins walk from the Centre Point Mall. First up is the ticket hall, in which 10 desks of tour agencies flog exactly the same tours at exactly the same prices! Some of these touts can get quite aggressive though, so just move along to the next one if you don't like the treatment. This is definitely one of those times where you haggle even though the price is written down. Touts end up adding on all sorts of "marine taxes" which are absolute pocket padders so argue it heartily! A 2 island trip should cost you 30RM at the desk, and then 10RM at the first island as "conservation tax" - if you're hopping, keep hold of the receipt for this one otherwise you'll be paying it at every island!