Well what can we say but that we love KK! It's a wonderful city and we are having a great time here. The night we arrived we went for a wander around to get a feel for the place and on reccomendation from the staff at our hostel we went to a seafood market for dinner which was amazing! There are tanks of fish and other seafood all around the edge of a big stadium-like area and you can choose
what live seafood you want to be cooked for your me
al! We chose a big red snapper between us steamed in chilli and garlic and served with rice, it was soooo delicious and fresh! The next day we went over to Sapi Island by speed boat which was loads of fun, the island was beautiful and we really enjoyed our very first swim since being here in Asia! Also went snorkelling which was fabulous. At the end of the day on the island some monsoon rain arrived (the guy who sold us our tickets had warned us about the coming downpour and suggested we get picked up at 2pm but us tourists knew better and insisted on 4pm!) the rain was actually 
quite cool though as it 
brought some huge monitor lizards out of the jungle which was incredible to witness! On our trip back in the boat the rain was so hard that it stinged our skin but it was funny and not so bad in the heat! We had met some lovely people called Lisa and Jeff there and we ended up spending the evening with them. We went back to the same seafood place again because it was so good! This time we had prawns. YUM!
Sandakan
what live seafood you want to be cooked for your me
al! We chose a big red snapper between us steamed in chilli and garlic and served with rice, it was soooo delicious and fresh! The next day we went over to Sapi Island by speed boat which was loads of fun, the island was beautiful and we really enjoyed our very first swim since being here in Asia! Also went snorkelling which was fabulous. At the end of the day on the island some monsoon rain arrived (the guy who sold us our tickets had warned us about the coming downpour and suggested we get picked up at 2pm but us tourists knew better and insisted on 4pm!) the rain was actually 
quite cool though as it 
brought some huge monitor lizards out of the jungle which was incredible to witness! On our trip back in the boat the rain was so hard that it stinged our skin but it was funny and not so bad in the heat! We had met some lovely people called Lisa and Jeff there and we ended up spending the evening with them. We went back to the same seafood place again because it was so good! This time we had prawns. YUM!Sandakan
From Kota Kinabalu we flew to Sandakan on the Eastern side of Borneo. We found a nice little hotel that had Air condtioning once again and was nice and clean. :)
On the day we arrived we took a taxi up to a place called the English Tea House where we had a 3 course English meal (some of our first western food since arriving).
The view was spectacular and the food was delicious. Tama had a beef fillet and I had a snapper dish which were both divine! We did some flight booking that night as we decided not to go back to KL but rather head off to Penang on the Western Coast of the Malaysian Peninsular instead.
The next day we had a very busy day! We set off early in the morning to the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre where we had the privilege of seeing 15 or so Orangutans (people of the junlgle in Malay) being fed on one of the feeding platforms in the jungle. It was awesome! Usually only the babies come out to get something to eat but one of the guides told us that we were very lucky as the dominant male turned up also when we were there which was apparently very rare! He was HUGE and absolutely beautiful to see and watch moving amongst the trees!
Then we headed back to the centre to watch a video on the Sepilok centre and its work to rehabititate orphaned Orangutans.
After that we headed to a Crocodile Farm (on recommendation from Jeannie and Steve - CHUR! ) which was incredible to say the least! There were Crocs everywhere as well as other wildlife too! We had to walk on bridges over ponds full of Crocs up to 3-4 metres long! Scaaaaary!
We also got to feed some fish with pellets and Livs favourite .................. monkeys with bananas! This cost a WHOLE 1 ringit each time hehehe (about 40 cents) After looking around the park
some more Olivia , these two South African guys and I went back to the Monkeys and fed them the pellets which they dutifully took from our hands! Their hands are really soft and human like although sometimes they could be a bit snatchy!
After this we all decided to ask the keepers if we could buy a chicken to feed to the Crocs!
One of them took off and came back with a big bucket of fish heads which he then threw to them! Man it was scary, amazing and awesome all at the same time. One moment they are so still and then the food arrives and they move with lightning like speed!
From here we went to a memorial park in Sandakan which was the former site of a POW (Prisoner of War) camp in World War II. The Japanese held 2500 Australian and British soldiers here and it was the place from where the infamous Death Marches started (which ended 260 kms away in Ranau). It was an amazing place which was full of sadness and you could feel the very wairua (essence) of those prisoners who had been there once.
At the end of the Death Marches only 6 of the 2500 soldiers survived. These 6 Aussies had escaped and the rest died of starvation, disease or were killed by their Japanese captives. UNREAL! We have it so easy today aye! LEST WE FORGET!
We travelled by bus to the foot of Mt Kinabalu only to find that there was nowhere for us to stay the night! BOOHOO! Oh well thats what you get when you dont phone ahead aye! :) No worries though as we continued on to Kota Kinabalu where we will be for the next 2 days before flying off to Penang on the mainland!
Watch this space for pics soon!
Arohanui, lots of love
Olivia and Tama x
On the day we arrived we took a taxi up to a place called the English Tea House where we had a 3 course English meal (some of our first western food since arriving).
The view was spectacular and the food was delicious. Tama had a beef fillet and I had a snapper dish which were both divine! We did some flight booking that night as we decided not to go back to KL but rather head off to Penang on the Western Coast of the Malaysian Peninsular instead.The next day we had a very busy day! We set off early in the morning to the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre where we had the privilege of seeing 15 or so Orangutans (people of the junlgle in Malay) being fed on one of the feeding platforms in the jungle. It was awesome! Usually only the babies come out to get something to eat but one of the guides told us that we were very lucky as the dominant male turned up also when we were there which was apparently very rare! He was HUGE and absolutely beautiful to see and watch moving amongst the trees!
Then we headed back to the centre to watch a video on the Sepilok centre and its work to rehabititate orphaned Orangutans.
After that we headed to a Crocodile Farm (on recommendation from Jeannie and Steve - CHUR! ) which was incredible to say the least! There were Crocs everywhere as well as other wildlife too! We had to walk on bridges over ponds full of Crocs up to 3-4 metres long! Scaaaaary!
We also got to feed some fish with pellets and Livs favourite .................. monkeys with bananas! This cost a WHOLE 1 ringit each time hehehe (about 40 cents) After looking around the park
some more Olivia , these two South African guys and I went back to the Monkeys and fed them the pellets which they dutifully took from our hands! Their hands are really soft and human like although sometimes they could be a bit snatchy!After this we all decided to ask the keepers if we could buy a chicken to feed to the Crocs!
One of them took off and came back with a big bucket of fish heads which he then threw to them! Man it was scary, amazing and awesome all at the same time. One moment they are so still and then the food arrives and they move with lightning like speed!From here we went to a memorial park in Sandakan which was the former site of a POW (Prisoner of War) camp in World War II. The Japanese held 2500 Australian and British soldiers here and it was the place from where the infamous Death Marches started (which ended 260 kms away in Ranau). It was an amazing place which was full of sadness and you could feel the very wairua (essence) of those prisoners who had been there once.
At the end of the Death Marches only 6 of the 2500 soldiers survived. These 6 Aussies had escaped and the rest died of starvation, disease or were killed by their Japanese captives. UNREAL! We have it so easy today aye! LEST WE FORGET!
We travelled by bus to the foot of Mt Kinabalu only to find that there was nowhere for us to stay the night! BOOHOO! Oh well thats what you get when you dont phone ahead aye! :) No worries though as we continued on to Kota Kinabalu where we will be for the next 2 days before flying off to Penang on the mainland!
Watch this space for pics soon!
Arohanui, lots of love
Olivia and Tama x
