RSS Feed (xml)Foremost, it would be CENTER POINT, one of the oldest and yet favourite shopping malls in KK. Here, aside from the normal therapy treat you will also find other entertainment like bowling alley and cinema. The newly renovated Growball recreation center accomodates an 8 hall seating cinema, an alternative movie buzz aside from GSC and Cathay Cinema. Trust me, tickets here in KK is way cheaper compared to anywhere else in Malaysia. And about the Growball, it's located on 5th floor, just above Palm Square, offering gaming arcade and pool tables. Also, you will find Fun Square, another recreational center in Center Point itself. Occasionally, if you walk along the shoplots below Palm Square you will chance upon some cyber cafes too. The top floor of center Point (below Palm Square) generally house the IT shops selling computers and Eaton's Bookstore aside from other common stores. Just a bit of add on, the Eaton's was one of the most visited bookstore before Popular on Palm Square and Times Bookstore in Warisan came along. Yes, till the date of this post, you will not find MPH anywhere in Sabah yet.
img: Center Point, available from www.malaysia-students.com/
img: Tuah bakery @ Palm Square, available from strawberrygal.wordpress.com
img: Growball Cinemax @ Warisan Square, available from http://sabahbah.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/080324-004.jpg
A little bit about Center Point, it actually consists of three main shopping area, the Center Point itself (covering ground floor tilll 4th floor), Palm Square (4th floor) and City Parade (basement). the reason why there's such division is because Center Point was said to be built as a Hotel and Shopping mall together. The economy crisis years ago shatter down the hopes of Sabah development as the 4th floor onwards, initially thought to be build as hotel are forced to turned into office lots with the planned reception area transformed into a shopping area named as Palm Square. And as for the basement area, a planned kitchen and laundry area turned into City Parade, where you still can see the pipes adored the uncovered ceilings. You will find that Palm Square generally offers "more branded" goods compared to the rest of the shops in Center Point.
Warisan Square is located right in the middle of the city, across a street from Center Point. Here's a little bit of history that you wouldn't find in any of the tourism phamplet or flyers. This simple yet promising shopping arcade was build on a demolished bus stand that once been the center of all mini-buses travelling around Kota Kinabalu*. Within Warisan Square is where you find much of the branded goods and designer's labels. This includes PADINI, ESPRITS, ROXY & QUICKSILVER, etc. Famous cafes such as Starbucks and San Francisco can be found here. For those of you who prefer something more classical like roti kahwin, kopi O or telor rebus, you can pay a visit to Old Station coffee shop here (Yes, KK do have Old Town Kopitiam but it's not here). There's also Secret Recipe if you favor delicious cheese cakes. All in all, Warisan Square is capable of catering your retail needs just the way most shopping malls out of KK does.
img: Secret Recipe @ Warisan Square, available from naivety-me.blogspot.com
img: Warisan Square, available from http://www.warisansquare.com.my/public/default.asp
Across the street, you will find the WATERFRONT. Yes, it sits right in front of the sea. You will find a few clubs and cafes here which can keep you awake till dawn hours perhaps. Quite a happening area at night. Something that strike my sight when I first saw the place was the Irish Shamrock Bar and I'm telling you, it really looks like one, except the local ascent in replace for the Irish slang. Also, you will find Port View Restaurant, a well known sea food restaurant which offers you mouth watery seafood and other Chinese delicacies. Tell me, how can you not enjoy seafood when you come to Sabah? Personally I do find the place a bit pricy but if you're keen to get a good seafood dinner in town, this is the place to be! Along the waterfront also sits The Borneo Trading Post which sells locally produced good, from souvenir to stationaries.
img: Port View Seafood Village @ Waterfront, available from everythingasian.blogspot.com
Walk a bit further and you will reach the FILIPINO MARKET. It's probably one of the favorite tourist area as you will find the a lot of handicrafts (not to mention, souvenirs) and a whole lot of local heritage here. All locally made and at affordable prices. Sompoton keychains, gelang tangan kerang (shells made bracelets) are favourites. but here's the catch, be extra alert as there might be pick-pockets around, and I did say MIGHT.
img: Customers bargaining at Filipino Market, available from http://travel.webshots.com
Further on the road lies the central market, a typical wet market that you can find anywhere else in Malaysia. But something that's interesting is we have the PASAR IKAN MASIN. Yes, a whole market area just selling salted fish. But seriously, being a local here, if you can get to Tawau, you probably can find better ones of these.
Opposite the Central Market is KK PLAZA, another shopping mall in KK. Not so much of the elite and exclusive brands but you probably be able to find it a good shopping area. Oh yea, you would probably be surprise to find the prices of handphones here cheaper compared to the rest of the city.
Right across the street from KK Plaza is the SINSURAN AREA, and old town before these shopping malls started mushrooming in KK. You will find a bridge connecting KK Plaza and the Sinsuran shoplots. What's interesting lies underneath the bridge. You will find very nice kap piang (it's Hakka slang. It's basically pancake with peanuts and corn inside, but I find those sold here are way nicer compared to the rest that I tried in other places), ham jim piang (something like the Cinnamon bread but not so much of the Cinnamon taste~just give it a try). At night, you will also find durian stalls and it's a norm for the locals to sit around these lorries to indulge themselves in the tasty king of fruits. Oh yea, in case you might want to take note, these stalls only open from 5pm onwards untill late night. And you will find the town's best dried meat aptly known as ba kua or rou gan. Suprisingly, some locals find them better than some of the lao zhao pai (old brands) such as wo lai ye.
If you're willing to walk further on, you might find yourself landing at WISMA MERDEKA (you might need to ask around for location this time), one of the all time favourite shopping malls in KK. It's an old shopping mall but still offers modern shopping atmosphere. If you're looking for apparels, step into Tong's Enterprise. They offer a wide selection at reasonable prices. And there's a food court inside so you pretty much can stop worrying about your stomach. In between Wisma Merdeka and the Sinsuran Shoplots mentioned earlier is the 5-star Hyaat Hotel. It's by the seaside too and it along this seaside that once the ferries travelling the nearby island such as Labuan and Gaya Island is located. Now, the jetty has been shifted further on to the JESSELTON POINT.
img: Jesselton Point snap shots
In fact, Jesselton Point itself is another tourist spot aside from its function as jetty to neighbouring island. Inside Jesselton point is where you find the railway track dated back the british era. It's no longer in use but you can see the track running along the whole area uptill the seaside, offering the vista of a neighbouring island. There's also an indoor footsal court here, one of the very few in the city. Also, you may also find those red telephone booths, just like the ones you find in London here.
A stone throw from Jesselton point lies the old sea port which have been moved to Pantai Dalit. There used to be cruise ships and ships selling duty free liquors as well as books docking here at times but I hardly seen any these days. As of now, you would probably see the remainings of the sea port (don't have an idea of it was destroyed or ruined). It's mere an empty land (where they used to store containers) and the seaport buildings there.
As a note, I might have used a lot of terms like a stone throw, walk futher a bit or opposite, if you're at the sea port at this point, you're at least 20 mins walking distance away from Warisan Square. And in fact, if you have a car, from the old sea port, you will be able to drive along the highway all the way till the new hypermall ~ 1 Borneo. And to be frank with you, it is possible to travel around KK, if you're willing to walk. However, by just walking you would probably only get to the places I have mentioned where most of them are mere shopping malls. If you yern for really nice food or more adventurous travelling experience such as a trip to Kinabalu Park, I suggest you better rent a car. Yes, public transport are available, but trust me, you can't expect a tourist-friendlier bus system than the ones in Banting.
To journey on to 1Borneo would take another long post because not just 1 Borneo, there are also other interesting building around it such as Tun Mustapha foundation building and Malaysia Sabah University (UMS). That's it for now peeps. Q&A?
*why didn't I opt to be a tour guide?* haha
*Now the new Kota Kinabalu Bus Station (as what they known it, but being a KK citizen who have paid visits to KL Sentral, pudu raya, or at the very least Pasar Seni Station, I assure you, there's a perfect reason of why I refuse to acknowledge it as station. Anyhow, the bus system is well organised and capable of dropping you almost anywhere in town, at times, at the driver's courtesy, you may even stop the bus at places without bus stop ~ something which I prefer over the rigid bus system in KL) is shifted to a piece of land adjacent to SEDCO building, just minutes walk away from the original location. Oh yea, if you're interested of heading places like Ranau (it's where the Kinabalu National Park sets), Sandakan or Tawau (seafood heaven ~cheap and fresh), you would have take busses either opposite Padang Merdeka or the Sounthern Bus Station *name unconfirmed*
