Jesselton Mall to house Kota Kinabalu's exclusive outlets

Kota Kinabalu: Jesselton Mall is set to be the State Capital's premier exclusive retail outlets once completed in four years' time from now.

Integrated with the on-going Jesselton Residences development, the Jesselton Mall offers 123 retail lots for businesses.

"This development augurs well with the State Government's aspiration of making Sabah as the main shopping tourism destination in the region," said developer, Jesselton Waterfront Holding Sdn Bhd, General Manager, Kevin Thong.

The Jesselton Mall is designed to add greater value to Jesselton Residences, which is a high-end luxury condominium development, making it the city's premier address much like Orchard Road in Singapore.

Speaking to reporters here, Thong said the area where Jesselton Mall and its neighbour, Suria Sabah would be the new KK town.

Besides from walk-in customers and tourists, the business outlets in Jesselton Mall are also assured of customers from the occupants of the 333 condominium lots in Jesselton Residences, he said.

He said the Jesselton Residences project was selected as the only one from Sabah to participate in last year's investment forum in Shanghai, China in view of its high value as well as for the promotion of tourism.

Continue reading at: Jesselton Mall to house Kota Kinabalu's exclusive outlets

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MAS makes turnabout decision on using Boeing for KK-Sandakan route

SANDAKAN: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will continue using its Boeing aircraft to service the Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan route.

Speaking to reporters at his office here yesterday, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Khoo said he had obtained confirmation from MAS officials on the matter.

“I was informed of MAS’ turnabout decision by travel agents on Tuesday and subsequently contacted MAS for confirmation,” Khoo, who is also Sabah MCA Liasion chief, said.

Khoo had on Sunday disclosed that MAS would be withdrawing its two Boeing flights from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and vice-versa from December 8.

“These flights may be operated by MASwings which uses smaller aircraft which may not be suitable as there are many tourists as well as businesspeople flying in and out of Sandakan,” he said.

Khoo said he was relieved that MAS had decided against stopping using its Boeing aircraft for the Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan and vice-versa routes as it would save air travellers unnecessary disruptions.

He also expressed his gratitude to the federal government and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha for the good news for Sabahans, especially for the people in Sandakan.

“The remaining issue now however is the direct flight from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur and return which has been stopped by MAS,” Khoo said before stressing that he would continue to pursue to have the MAS direct flight reinstated.

“I am of the opinion that in order to be fair to air travellers, the Sandakan-KL route should not be monopolized by one airline. We also have to take into account that many passengers taking the Sandakan-Kuala Lumpur flights have connecting flights to international destinations. This will create great inconvenience to them as it will require them to rush from one airport to another to catch their flights,” he said.

Continue reading at: MAS makes turnabout decision on using Boeing for KK-Sandakan route

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Kota Kinabalu Southern City Hub in the making

KOTA KINABALU: Riverson, a RM590 million mix-integrated commercial development located along the coastal highway here and within the City’s Central Business District, is expected to be ready by 2014.

Developed on over 5.5 acres of prime commercial land, it would make its mark on the city as a vibrant proejct comprising four main pillars – The Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Medical Centre, three-storey retail shops (Riverson Walk), a tower of six-storey office suites with mezzanine floor (Riverson Suites) and a seven-storey tower of SoHo units with mezzanine floor (Riverson SoHo).

Riverson Corporation Sdn Bhd managing director Ben Kong Chung Vui said when completed, Riverson together with other existing notable landmarks within the central business district, namely the Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club, KK Times Square I & II, the upcoming transport-interchange station, Wawasan Plaza, Harbour City, and the newly completed Ming Garden Hotel would form the new KK Southern City Hub.

Ben, who has 15 years experience in the field, envisioned that within the next three to four years, the people shall see a shifting paradigm in the city, the lifestyle, as well as the advancement and growing business environment within Sabah.

“Riverson, being the upcoming new addition to the city, together with its immediate neighbours, will bring about substantial integration of activities and continuous crowd movements, served and generated by about 900 residences, over 600,000 square feet of commercial retail outlets, approximately 800,000 square feet of office space altogether, more than 6,000 car parks and more than 12 hotels in the vicinity; offering no less than 15,000 job opportunities into the market.

“This new integration of Southern Hub is also touted to be the ‘Orchard Road of Kota Kinabalu’, which will become KK’s latest modern and most walkable part offering a complete stretch from leisure to wellness all under one destination,” Ben disclosed to the media recently.

Recently, Danajamin Nasional Berhad granted Riverson a RM200 million five-year Private Debt Securities Bond.

The Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Medical Centre, said Ben, will be the main anchor for Riverson. It will be developed as a tertiary level hospital, bringing Sabah a healthcare facility of international standards that shall work towards enhancing care in the state.

He assured that Gleneagles KK shall be assimilated with regionally well-established premium Gleneagles brand inculcating a facility with five-star hotel amenities and comfort, service levels to match, be infused with cutting edge technology and have a highly trained team of consultants and staff.

With up to 250 beds, 180-seat auditorium, six large operating theaters, 24-hour accident and emergency department and trauma and intensive care centre, he said Gleneagles KK would be built to comply with the Joint Commission International (JCI) standards as well as all content of local and national regulations.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu Southern City Hub in the making
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Backpacking in Kota Kinabalu - Part 2

The Cebu Pacific Backpacker’s Challenge was perhaps the most adventure-packed and physically-draining three days that I’ve ever experienced in years. Nevertheless, it was also a fun and memorable experience.

The goal was to visit as many places and do as many activities as we could with the least amount of money spent. To win the challenge, we have to document (through photos and videos) the activities and keep all receipts. The team with the most interesting discoveries and activities with the least money spent, wins six round trip tickets to any Cebu Pacific international destination plus a three-night hotel accommodation in Kota Kinabalu.

For the first day of the challenge, we did the city tour. To save money, my team partner Jonel Uy (of letsgosago.net ) and I opted to walk around the city and find our way to the city museums and mosques using only maps as guide. If we were not certain of the route to take, we would flash our friendliest smiles and ask directions from the locals. Most of the time, they were very helpful but there were times we ended up getting more confused and lost so we were left with no choice but to familiarize [ourselves] with the maps. It turned out to be a good decision because by Day Two, we could almost name the major streets in the city. I would joke that the next time we visited KK, we could work as tour guides. But of course, there’s much more to see and learn in KK than what brochures and maps offer.

The long, adventure-packed three days

For lunch, Jonel suggested that we try the Tambayan at Kainan ng mga Filipino (bar and restaurant) downtown. Yes, it was owned by Filipinos and they serve 100 percent Filipino cuisine. We tried their rendition of Halo-halo, which was served in a big bowl. For someone who hadn’t had a decent meal that day, it was more satisfying than refreshing, although it could’ve tasted better had they used ingredients from the Philippines.

In the afternoon, we took the free shuttle from the city going to One Borneo Mall (the largest mall in KK), which was around 20-minute trip from the city. After window-shopping for about an hour, we decided to get on the next bus and go to Tanjung Aru Beach, which was near the airport and a bit far from the city. Our mistake. By the time we learned from a fellow passenger that we had to go back to the city to catch the bus going to the beach, we were already on board and we had no idea where it was heading so we asked the driver to stop the bus and we got off right away. We ended up going to Masjid Bandaraya Mosque, went inside to observe and then walked for a good one hour and a half to the Wisma Tun Mustapha, formerly known as Sabah Foundation Building. That was perhaps what my gay friends call as ‘monumental walk'. It was late afternoon when we reached the sparkling 30-storey tower, which is one of the few buildings in the world built using a single column structure.

Change of plans

It was almost dark and we were both tired and thirsty from a long day of walking and documenting (through photos and videos) the sites we’ve visited and activities we did, so we agreed to take a cab back to the city. I was only too glad to be able to rest en route to the city.

I was looking forward to stretching my legs, relaxing and perhaps enjoying coffee upon reaching the city when Jonel suddenly said that we had to visit the museums, mosques and temples around KK to maximize our time. We both wanted to win—I guess all the other teams as well—and I knew the four other groups were very competitive. So even if all I wanted was to call it a day, we still walked our way to the Sabah State Mosque, All Saints Cathedral, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sabah Museum, Museum of Islamic Civilization and Sikh Temple. We didn’t stay long in each of those places but by the time we decided to go back to the hostel, it was pitch dark... and raining.

We made it to Lucy’s Hostel in one-piece albeit soaked and really, really tired from several detours along the way (we stopped for a beer at a boulevard-bar and tried some local fares in some small restaurants). It was almost midnight when we reached the hostel and I was too tired and sleepy even to make myself some coffee though it was for free.

Trekking in Kinabalu Park

The plan was to dedicate half of the day to Kinabalu Park and the other half in Poring Hot Spring, both of which are too far from the city and the fare going there would definitely take a huge chunk from our fund. Turned out, we wouldn’t be able to do both on the same day since going to Kinabalu Park itself is around two-hour trip already then another hour going to Poring Hot Spring. We opted to go to Kinabalu Park.

The rainforest-clad Kinabalu Park is indeed beautiful, despite the fog and rain shower that seem to follow us wherever we go. Kinabalu Park is Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site and home to one of Southeast Asia’s tallest peak, Mount Kinabalu. And although I would love to do mountain climbing, there wasn’t just enough time for it. Plus we weren’t wearing the right outfit.

We chose one of the shortest trails for trekking and instead of joining a group trek—which would have required us to pay—we did it on our own using a trail map as guide. As expected, we weren’t able to finish the trek for lack of time. It was way past lunch when we reach the reception office of the park. We decided to take our lunch in a restaurant outside the park, since it was cheaper. To save money, we split taxi fares with two Korean foreigners who were also going back to the city from Kinabalu Park.

Later that day, we went to Tanjung Aru beach and although it was raining and my feet were hurting already, we did have a good time there. We later tried different satays in the hawker-style village in Tanjunbg Aru and then went to Kinablu Golf Club before deciding to call it a day. Unfortunately, it was way past 8 p.m. already and according to some locals, the last bus going back to the city left at 7 p.m. Good thing there was a kind-hearted tourist bus driver who stopped on us and let us hitched a ride back to the city. That moment was bliss.

Island-hopping on the last day

For the third and final day of the challenge, we decided to go island-hopping. A Filipino we met at the Seafood Market the day before has a friend at the Jesselton Port who gave us a good discount for a four island-visit. Instead of giving the usual amount of RM108 per head for two islands, she only charged RM35 for each of us. It was probably the greatest bargain we were able to haggle for the entire challenge.

It took 20-minute motorboat ride for us to reach our first stop—the Gaya Island or Pulau Gaya. There wasn’t much to do in the island except swim and have some Tom Yam noodles. Around 30 minutes after we arrived, the boat that would take us to the next island was already waiting for us.

Continue reading at: Backpacking in Kota Kinabalu - Part 2

Also see: Backpacking in Kota Kinabalu - Part 1
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Hunting for souvenirs at Gaya Street Market

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.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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MASwings’ Kota Kinabalu-Bandar Seri Begawan route takes off on Oct 1

KOTA KINABALU: MASwings’ expansion into the international scene is on track with the airline starting its Kota Kinabalu-Bandar Seri Begawan route on Oct 1.



MASwings regional vice-president (Sabah) Shauqi Ahmad said everything was progressing well, adding that the airline would fly the Kuching-Pontianak and Kuching-Bandar Seri Begawan routes thereafter.



“We are ready and will go international by Oct 1,” he said.



He said that after gauging the response to the new flights, which was expected to be encouraging, the wholly-owned subsidiary of national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will consider flying throughout Borneo and the Philippines.



“We will start with Tarakan (in East Kalimantan) and then the rest of Borneo,” he said after a prize presentation to MASwings’ and MAS’ self check-in kiosk promotion winners here yesterday.



Continue reading at: MASwings’ Kota Kinabalu-Bandar Seri Begawan route takes off on Oct 1

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Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival in June

Kota Kinabalu: The much-awaited Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival will take place in June with a week-long Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) curtain raiser from June 3.

"There is a lot of interest in Sabah about filmmaking and the potential of Sabah as a centre for the film industry in South East Asia," said KKIFF Project Leader, Jude Day here Friday.

"Our ultimate dream is not only to build up the local talents but to have our very own performing arts theatre," added Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPARKS) Adviser, Datuk Adeline Leong.

"A proper performing centre that we so badly need, to allow the creative potentials to grow.

"The State Government in collaboration with City Hall and Ministry of Tourism had allocated RM20 million to build a Performing Arts Centre in Sabah under the Ninth Malaysian Plan. However, we have yet to see it materialise," Leong added.

The Festival will be jointly organised by the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) and SPARKS and sponsored by SEDIA, Alliance Francaise, Japan Foundation, Goethe-Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Novotel.

There will be two other events in conjunction with this festival, namely, the BLINK5 Filmmaker's Competition and Workshop and Film Forum.

The forum theme is "Building a foundation for Sabahan Film/TV Community" that will be conducted by four acclaimed local film professionals, two of them Sabahans.

The forum will provide a platform for discussion among the different interested parties and allow for the sharing of expertise, as well as professional networking.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival in June
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MASwings to revive KK-Mulu sector

KUCHING: MASwings will revive the Kota Kinabalu-Mulu sector by introducing a direct non-stop Kota Kinabalu-Mulu-Kota Kinabalu service, effective March 27.

“With the increase of tourist arrival into Kota Kinabalu, after its introduction as Malaysia Airline’s Eastern Hub and the commencement of direct services from KK-Haneda and KK- Kaohsiung on 15 November 2010 as well as KK-Perth on 15 Jan 2011, we believe the route will be able to meet the demand of many tourist arrivals into Kota Kinabalu continuing their journey to Mulu” said head of commercials Azlan Awang Tanjong.

Over the past month, the traffic growth from Kota Kinabalu to Mulu via Miri has increased substantially.

The introduction of this direct service is a clear commitment to assist the Government of Sarawak to make Mulu more accessible and reachable to many tourists, he added.

MASwings has been active in promoting Sabah and Sarawak worldwide through our Malaysia Airlines offices and are working alongside both states’ tourism bodies.

In addition to that, MASwings has also organized various familiarization trips for several media bodies in Peninsular Malaysia to have a first hand stay and adventure experience in Mulu.

Prior to the introduction of the direct services, tourists have to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Miri before taking a connecting flight from Miri to Mulu, which took them almost one hour 50 minutes including transit time.

The direct service will take approximately 50 minutes and the reduction in time will allow tourists more time to explore Mulu to the fullest.

The non-stop flight from Kota Kinabalu to Mulu and vice versa will operate three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

The flight from Kota Kinabalu will depart at 12.30pm and arrive in Mulu at 1.20pm, whereas the flight from Mulu will depart at 1.45pm and arrive in Kota Kinabalu at 2.35pm.

In conjunction with the direct service, MASwings is offering special promotional fare which is on sale from now till March 21.

Continue reading at: MASwings to revive KK-Mulu sector
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Boost for KKIA as second aviation hub

Malaysia will intensify efforts to promote the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) in Sabah as its second aviation hub, especially after Japan agreed to open skies arrangement with the country.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said more flights to and from Tokyo to Malaysia through Kota Kinabalu were expected as many Japanese wanted to visit Sabah.

“We are currently working towards promoting Kota Kinabalu as a second hub. By this arrangement, it will allow more flights and airlines from Malaysia flying to Tokyo, and this is good for air travelling between the two countries,” he said.

Kong said that his officials met with counterparts from Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism Ministry here last Wednesday to finalise the arrangement.

Following the meeting, the Japanese ministry announced on Friday that the arrangement would, in principle, allow airlines to freely decide on the number of flights and routes they operate between the Narita International Airport in Tokyo and Malaysia from the summer of 2013.

This will take place when the maximum quota of landings and take-offs at Narita are raised to 270,000 per year.

Continue reading at: Boost for KKIA as second aviation hub
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Kota Kinabalu City Run 2011 on March 6

Kota Kinabalu: City Hall together with the Federal Youth and Sports Department in Sabah will stage a 4km City Run in conjunction with the Kota Kinabalu City 11th Anniversary celebrations.

According to Mayor Abidin Madingkir, "City Run 2011" will be held at Padang Merdeka on March 6 from 6.30am.

Assistant Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Jahid Jahim, is expected to flag off participants of the run, Madingkir said at a press conference Thursday.

Also present were City Hall Deputy Director-General (Corporate) Bahari Hassan, Youth and Sports Department (Federal) Sabah Branch Director Dahali Matsin and Youth and Sports Department (Federal) Sabah Branch Assistant Director (Sports) cum Co-Organising Chairman Stephen Andreas, Corporate Affairs Department cum 'City Run 2011' Organising Chairman Faradillah Abdul Rani and City Hall heads of department.

Madingkir explained that the run has been an annual event organised by City Hall since 2002.

"The run is open to all members of society of all ages and is suitable as a family event on the weekend and promotes a sporting culture as well as gives rise to healthy and active city folk.

"The run will be based on a 'touch and go' concept meaning that participants need not register nor have to pay any entry fees.

"Participants need only finish the 4 kilometer run within an hour for them to receive a lucky draw ticket," he said.

As such, Madingkir invited all residents of Kota Kinabalu and those residing in neighboring districts to participate in the City Run.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu City Run 2011 on March 6
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Perdana Park vital to a growing Kota Kinabalu city

The opening of a new public park by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today has been the talk of city folks in Kota Kinabalu for days now.

For the health conscious residents, the new Taman Perdana park, a stone’s throw away from the Tanjung Aru beach is set to be the latest recreational facility.

The park was built by local water concessionaire Timatch Sdn Bhd for free under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) to develop the 7ha site, the historically significant Hone’s Place that was initially earmarked for a low-cost housing project.

After the housing project was scrapped, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman mooted the idea of the park as he believed it was important to retain some of its ‘green space’.

Below is the question and answer on Perdana Park with the Chief Minister.

* Tell us briefly of the park’s uniqueness.

The park’s design pays homage to the identity of Sabah by incorporating architectural designs reminiscent of the old government quarters during the British administration complemented with soft landscapes.

Among its features are a musical fountain, free purified water, handicapped- friendly, a containerised stage that could be used for cultural shows, reflexology footpaths and exercise areas.

The entry to Perdana Park is free and will officially open to the public on Jan 30.

* What was the idea behind the park?

In 2010, the United Nations reported about 50% of the world’s population now live in cities. Asia has the largest share of cities, with at least 500 million inhabitants combined. Of those 500 million, Kota Kinabalu is home to 452,940 inhabitants.

The pace of work and life in cities is fast-moving. Kota Kinabalu may not be comparable to a city like New York or Tokyo but Sabah is a state rich with beautiful natural landscapes and has not yet entirely become a concrete jungle.

The state government strongly believes it is vital to take steps to mitigate issues that a rapidly urban population would face such as a cramped and stressed lifestyle.

To have some green space amidst the hustle and bustle, would be benefit Kota Kinabalu.

The state government believed establishing a park is a strategic way to conserve this area.

It is also to encourage better physical and emotional health for the city’s populace — by providing a public communal and recreational space that can be enjoyed for several generations.

On top of that, it will be an additional tourist attraction.

* Why was the Hone’s Place chosen as the site for the park?

MUSA: Hone’s Place was the site for government quarters in the ‘30s. I myself, spent my childhood in those fields.

The state government wanted the park to pay homage to that. The two directives for the design of the park was to resonate with the historical values found there and to evoke the feel of our rainforests.

The area was left neglected, overgrown with grass after the low-cost housing project was scrapped.

The present day government believes by having a park is a good safeguard against future commercial development.

Today, Perdana Park probably stands on the last piece of prime open space in Kota Kinabalu.

Continue reading (Incl.Pics) at: Perdana Park vital to a growing Kota Kinabalu city
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Firefly to have two KL-KK daily flights from Jan 15

Firefly, Malaysia’s first community airline, will begin its operations on Jan. 15, from the Main Terminal Building of KLIA to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching twice daily, and from Jan. 24, three times daily and four times daily respectively.

Firefly’s Managing Director, Dato’ Eddy Leong said this to reporters after unveiling its latest sales counter at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here yesterday.

Also present was Datuk Azmi Murad, senior general manager (operations services) of Malaysia Airports.

Leong said opening the ticketing counter at KLIA was a natural progression from the decision to base its new Boeing 737-800 operations at the award-winning airport.

“Firefly’s operation in KLIA will focus on offering unbeatable value at lowest fares.

“We will beat our competitors hands down with our low fares,” he said.

“This is made possible with our decision to use the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 189 seats, which has allowed us to achieve one of the lowest cost of available seat per kilometre (CASK) among our competitors,” Leong said.

“One of the key features of the B737-800 operations is that passengers can enjoy even greater savings with the Standard and Premium sets of services that let them buy several add-on services at low prices.

“For example, the Standard set comprises an in-flight-meal, bottle of mineral water, 15+5kg of checked baggage allowance and Preferred Seat selection, and costs RM38 only, which is 40 per cent lower than if the add-on services were bought individually,” he added.

Continue reading at: Firefly to have two KL-KK daily flights from Jan 15
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Kota Kinabalu proves popular holiday destination among Bruneians

By HAL

Kota Kinabalu in Sabah is one of the popular destinations among Bruneians during the holidays.

Based on observation made last Monday, throngs of Bruneians were seen headed to Kota Kinabalu using rental buses and private vehicles.

It was reported that more than 30 rental buses were ferrying passengers to Kota Kinabalu to usher in the New Year.

The queue would stretch up to two kilometres since early morning at the Kuala Lurah Immigration Control Post. What normally would take five hours then would now take seven to eight hours.

Hotel reservations would have to be made in advance, especially so during this time of the year.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Hop on, hop off bus tours plan for Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu: New tourism products are in the pipeline to make the city a preferred, tourist-friendly, hospitable and unique destination.

DBKK Advisory Board's Tourism, Culture and International Relations Committee Chairperson Datuk Nancy Ho said: "We want a 1Malaysia Tour of KK City that includes a heritage and cuisine tour, besides viewing and exploring KK on foot through a heritage walk, sightseeing on a bicycle and a Hop On, Hop Off bus tour.

"Perhaps them Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry can work with us to develop some brochures on a good 'walk map' for the city so that visitors can know KK City at a glance and visit heritage sites such as the Atkinson Clock Tower."

Asked on the progress of the bicycle route proposal from Tanjung Aru to Yayasan Sabah building, Ho said a presentation on bicycle lanes had been made to DBKK and to wait for the Mayor to announce the details.

Ho also spoke of the possibility of establishing an area where all the top restaurants and eateries are located to facilitate visitors' sampling of different varieties of local food and delicacies from the various communities.

Also in the pipeline are plans to introduce a fair price accreditation system for shops to ensure that tourists don't feel ripped off by unscrupulous traders.

"KK City Hall will be rating and accrediting shops that meet a certain standard so that tourists have complete confidence in shopping for their needs.

"We want tourists to feel that they have walked into a city that is conscientious about good and ethical service practices."

Ho said City Hall will determine the benchmark for fair price accreditation but setting the right standard takes time.

"We hope to make it happen within two years. First, we will have a team of inspectors to go round and look at some of the shops in terms of their layout, merchandising and service attitude. This is part and parcel of hospitality.

Continue reading at: Hop on, hop off bus tours plan for Kota Kinabalu
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Huge bash to mark KK City Square waterfront opening

KOTA KINABALU: The city waterfront project along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, which features among other public facilities a City Square and a 2.1km boardwalk, will change the facade of the state capital.

Work on the project is in progress and there is no truth in the claims that it has stopped, said Johnson Koh, the executive director of Waterfront Urban Development Sdn Bhd, which is undertaking the project.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun and Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim, who visited the project site yesterday, expressed satisfaction with the progress of work.

The 2.1 kilometre boardwalk from Anjung Senja to Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel is expected to be the main attraction among the public as it offers a great view of the sea and islands.

The City Square or Dataran Bandaraya will be officially opened on Dec 31, which is New Year’s Eve.

Masidi told reporters after the inspection that work on the project was on schedule and he was happy with the progress as it now only needs some touch-up and beautification of the area.

“Some of the components will have traditional motifs to reflect the rich heritage of Sabah,” he said, adding that the ultimate plan was to connect the boardwalk with the existing one behind Hyatt Regency Kinabalu.

Iliyas disclosed that City Hall is planning a huge bash to celebrate the official opening of the state capital’s very own City Square.

Continue reading at: Huge bash to mark KK City Square waterfront opening
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AirAsia axes Brunei-KK flights

By Azaraimy HH

AirAsia has started the refunding process for customers who have booked to fly between Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) and Kota Kinabalu (KK) after January 3, 2011 as the popular budget air carrier will discontinue the daily flight after the third day of the New Year.

Just barely over a year from its maiden direct flight from KK to BSB, AirAsia has decided to discontinue the service.

In a telephone interview, an AirAsia official in Kuala Lumpur confirmed the decision has been made purely because of "commercial reasons", and did not elaborate further.

Meanwhile, Brunei Tourism chief, Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohammed, said he is somewhat saddened to hear the news. He said the budget carrier's direct flight between Brunei and KK has been benefiting tourists who want to travel or make stopovers between Brunei and KK, especially tourists from Australia and others.

"Regardless of the airlines ... it is sad to hear that they are stopping ... I hope there is something that Brunei Tourism can do but there isn't.

"Maybe I should call Tony (Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia) to find out, I was the one who helped him with the logistics ... you know ...

"Well, when they say it is for 'commercial reasons' then there is not much one could do ... because at the end of the day it will come down to dollars and cents."

He said, (in developing the tourism industry) connectivity is the key, which brings in tourists to the country. "If you break this connectivity; you are cutting your potential," he added.

He said there has been good traffic from Australia; they come to Brunei and then go to Kota Kinabalu.

The Bulletin asked the AisAsia official whether the 'commercial reasons' included rerouting or was it to benefit other routes, or due to discouraging passenger load factor between KK and BSB, but the official did not want to elaborate further.

In September 2009, AirAsia boosted its East Malaysia connectivity by launching services from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei Darussalam.

The establishment of the direct flight was hoped to stimulate travel, enhance connectivity and also tap into the existing market from Brunei and feed the traffic to AirAsia's vast network in the region and beyond, including routes serviced by AirAsia's long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X.

Kota Kinabalu is AirAsia's second and biggest hub after Kuala Lumpur. It serves nine domestic routes that include Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Labuan, Tawau and Sandakan, while the international sectors are Macau, Shenzhen, Clark (Manila), Jakarta and Singapore.

Now with the discontinuation of AirAsia's BSB-KK flight, air passengers looking for budget travelling will have to look elsewhere as it will affect both local air travellers and foreign tourists, especially when Brunei is trying to promote itself as a gateway to Borneo.

However, AirAsia said its BSB-KL route remains strong, and as a result it had also added an additional flight recently.

AirAsia said it would continue to look for opportunities to expand the network and increase frequencies.

Only Royal Brunei Airlines will fly to KK from Brunei from January 4, 2011. RBA operates 14 flights a week to KK. It operates twice daily except on Wednesday (three flights) and Thursday and Saturday (one flight).

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Six Kota Kinabalu flights weekly to Seoul and Tokyo

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah can expect a 10 per cent increase in Korean tourist arrivals to the State Capital following the launching of Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) thrice-weekly direct flights from Seoul on Tuesday.

MAS Korea Area Manager, Lee Weng Chi said the airlines increased the direct flights from two a week to three, as it has seen an encouraging increase of 26 per cent in the number of Korean customers this year to Sabah.

He said the increase is also in conjunction with the launch of Kota Kinabalu as Malaysia Airlines' Eastern hub. Incidentally, the number of direct KK-Tokyo flights was also increased to three weekly effective Monday.

Lee said the airline would be deploying its new 160-seat B737-800 that will bring in 640 passengers per week during the peak season.

"These additional flights will only fly from Seoul, Korea to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa without going to Kuala Lumpur. Hence, it will bring in more Koreans to visit Sabah as the increase in services will provide greater accessibility.

"In the previous service that operated two times a week, the airline used the 290-seat Airbus 330 accounting for 580 passengers per week and had to fly over to Kuala Lumpur as some of the passengers wanted to go to the country's capital. That is why we forecast more Koreans to visit Sabah in the thrice weekly flights," he said to reporters during a press conference on the Korea Media Familiarisation Trip to Sabah, on Tuesday.

According to him, the airline has received great response to its thrice weekly direct flights with all seats sold out during the peak season.

"We have no more seats to sell to the Koreans especially during the holidays now. But these thrice weekly flights from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu is only running for two months.

"The reason is the airline would be increasing the direct services to four times per week that will boost Korean arrivals to Sabah by 68 per cent by January next year," Lee said.

He added the Koreans would also be able to enjoy the four times a week flights to Kuching via Kota Kinabalu beginning Jan 15.

Continue reading at: Six Kota Kinabalu flights weekly to Seoul and Tokyo
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MAS to develop KK Hub over three stages

Kota Kinabalu: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is gearing itself to be a household name among air travellers in the region with the establishment of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) as its Eastern Hub.

Acknowledging that competition was bound to come in as they further develop the potentially huge KK-to-other-regional cities market, MAS Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid said the national carrier wants to plant its feet firmly in this network so they could be head and shoulders above other competitors.

"We have developed the market (KK) before and now we make it into a hub to make it tough for people to compete with us É (when) the durian gets ripe everyone wants the durian, which is fair enough, that's business.

"(We're) using the hub to establish ourselves after spending so much money and time developing the market," he said, after the launching of the Eastern Hub here, Monday.

He said MAS' first goals from the Eastern Hub were to establish new routes, to Haneda and Perth, and from this they would use it as a base to either increase their flight frequencies (including to other existing routes) or add new destinations.

Emphasising that MAS' new Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s, equipped with the passenger-inspired Boeing Sky Interior, would be the ideal jumpstart to their endeavours, Munir said the technologically advanced plane has the ability give them better frequency, apart from range, meaning a well thought-out business plan.

"That's one of the reasons why we chose the 737-800s É with a capacity of 160 seats, it gives us a better opportunity to sell our seats.

"So we can attack the market that we have already identified, increase the frequency and look at new destinations as they become available," he said, adding MAS has ordered 35 new 737-800s from Boeing, with an option of another 20.

MAS Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin said the Eastern Hub makes good business sense since flying out their planes to major cities in the region from here would be more cost efficient compared to from Kuala Lumpur.

Continue reading at: MAS to develop KK Hub over three stages
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MAS Global sales offer great deals for all travelers

The Malaysia Airlines Global Sales is back with great offers to domestic and international destinations from Nov 8 to 15.

Promising to offer something for everyone, the sale will kick off with a pre-sale for Enrich members on Nov 7. Pre-sale tickets are only available at Malaysia Airlines tickets offices and call centre.

In a statement today, Malaysia Airlines Executive Vice President Datuk Bernard Francis said the Global Sale this time round covered all travel segments ranging from business to economy passengers.

“For the first time, the sale also includes destinations some of our code share partners fly to. This is an excellent opportunity for travelers to take advantage of our vast network connections to travel around the world.

“At the same time, we are rewarding our Enrich members with an exclusive preview a day earlier than the general public,” he said.

Business class passengers can enjoy fares from RM799 to Bangkok, Hanoi and Manila, RM999 to Taipei and Xiamen, RM3, 999 to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and RM2,199 to both Dubai and Jeddah.

Travel to London and Paris on business class from RM5, 999 and RM7,999 to Los Angeles and Buenos Aires.

“If you are looking for a getaway closer to home, look out for business class offers from RM299 to Penang and Langkawi, RM519 to Kuching and RM639 to Kota Kinabalu,” Malaysia Airlines said.

Those travelling on Economy class can fly to Asian destinations such as Jakarta and Bandung from only RM199 and RM339 to Bali, while fares from RM349 to Hong Kong, RM599 to Maldives and RM889 to Tokyo.

Continue reading at: MAS Global sales offer great deals for all travelers
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Kota Kinabalu needs new creative and quality products for Tourism

KOTA KINABALU: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun urges bakeries and the food industries to mould creativity and quality into their products as the lifestyle of people evolves.

He stressed the need for Kota Kinabalu, as a city and tourism destination, to create new products due to the changing profile of visitors from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Europe, as well as the more sophisticated lives that the people now lead.

“In the end it’s not about how much you pay, but the quality of the product.

“We need to factor into consideration the changing lifestyle of the population when doing businesses, and have the courage and heart to invest so as to come up with creative products.”

Masidi said this when officiating at the grand opening of ConsFood new outlet at Taman Yakim Jaya here yesterday.

The opening day also coincided with the birthday of ConsFood managing director Foo Woh Toong.

With more arrival of tourists and expatriats choosing Malaysia as their second homes, Masidi stressed the importance of the service and food industries in offering quality products.

He said there had been an increase of 27 percent in international tourist arrival to Sabah in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period last year, while Europeans constituted 60 per cent of outbound tourists.

“Over the years, we look at the trends where people put up a second home in Kota Kinabalu and Sabah. Those from England and more sophisticated society are indicators of the growing need for more sophisticated food products, bread and pastries.”

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kota Kinabalu needs new creative and quality products for Tourism
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