By Airil
Kota Kinabalu is one of the nearest tourist destinations that has always been an option for people in Brunei. Some prefer to travel by air while the more adventurous would travel by land along the scenic route for seven to nine hours depending on road and weather conditions as well as traffic.
Recently I flew to the Sabah's capital via AirAsia, a flight of 25 minutes. Then it's a 15-minute taxi hop to reach Kota Kinabalu city. Obvious is the rapid growth with shopping complexes, hotels and banks sprouting asunder. What grabs me most is the myriad of restaurants mostly serving fresh seafood such as prawn, lobster, fish and crabs. Sea-fronting Kota Kinabalu is famous for its fresh seafood.
As it was a weekend, I headed for the famed Gaya Street Market, a 15-minute walk from my hotel.
The market was jammed with visitors bargain-hunting. Starting from the junction of Mandarin Hotel to Jesselton Hotel, you can see a flotilla of large umbrellas lining the road where traders sell a variety of goods at cheap prices - clothing, accessories, home furnishing and much more. Kota Kinabalu is also famous for its pearls, pearl jewellery like rings, bracelets, key chains and earrings.
Rows of stalls selling pearls made it hard for us to choose, with so many options and we can bargain with the traders here. For tourists visiting Kota Kinabalu, the trip is not complete if they don't take home commemorative gifts for family and friends, souvenirs like t-shirts, shells, keychain, pictures and postcards.
Walking for one hour at Gaya Street is tiresome so we take a break ... with foot massage therapists from the Blind Association eager to serve you. The fee for a 30- minute massage is only RM20 and it is worthy treat for weary feet. Besides that, visitors are entertained with the singing of 70's, 80's and 90's songs from these street musicians.
After shopping for more than two hours at Gaya Street Market, my hands are soon full with shopping bags of items bought.
Soon its back to the hotel to pack up for the return flight to Brunei in the afternoon. But Gaya Street Market is not to be missed.
Kota Kinabalu is one of the nearest tourist destinations that has always been an option for people in Brunei. Some prefer to travel by air while the more adventurous would travel by land along the scenic route for seven to nine hours depending on road and weather conditions as well as traffic.
Recently I flew to the Sabah's capital via AirAsia, a flight of 25 minutes. Then it's a 15-minute taxi hop to reach Kota Kinabalu city. Obvious is the rapid growth with shopping complexes, hotels and banks sprouting asunder. What grabs me most is the myriad of restaurants mostly serving fresh seafood such as prawn, lobster, fish and crabs. Sea-fronting Kota Kinabalu is famous for its fresh seafood.
As it was a weekend, I headed for the famed Gaya Street Market, a 15-minute walk from my hotel.
The market was jammed with visitors bargain-hunting. Starting from the junction of Mandarin Hotel to Jesselton Hotel, you can see a flotilla of large umbrellas lining the road where traders sell a variety of goods at cheap prices - clothing, accessories, home furnishing and much more. Kota Kinabalu is also famous for its pearls, pearl jewellery like rings, bracelets, key chains and earrings.
Rows of stalls selling pearls made it hard for us to choose, with so many options and we can bargain with the traders here. For tourists visiting Kota Kinabalu, the trip is not complete if they don't take home commemorative gifts for family and friends, souvenirs like t-shirts, shells, keychain, pictures and postcards.
Walking for one hour at Gaya Street is tiresome so we take a break ... with foot massage therapists from the Blind Association eager to serve you. The fee for a 30- minute massage is only RM20 and it is worthy treat for weary feet. Besides that, visitors are entertained with the singing of 70's, 80's and 90's songs from these street musicians.
After shopping for more than two hours at Gaya Street Market, my hands are soon full with shopping bags of items bought.
Soon its back to the hotel to pack up for the return flight to Brunei in the afternoon. But Gaya Street Market is not to be missed.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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