The main purpose of choosing Sabah as our once in a blue moon family vacation is to view the spectacular majestic Gunung Kinabalu (there are other more famous majestic mountains elsewhere but we don't have the luxury to go elsewhere) and of course to sample the equally famous much talk-about seafood of Sabah....
but alas... this is the view that greeted us on a wet early morning at Mount Kinabalu Heritage Resort & Spa in Kundasang, this hotel most possibly not a resort I presumed got lousy reviews from past guests.
and what to expect when our journey to Kundasang was in this kind of weather?????
We checked-in in the late afternoon at the hotel it was still drizzling and to my horror we have to climb flights of steps amid tall pine trees to reach the chalet. Beg-beg kena angkut sendiri naik ke atas padanlah hotel ni dapat lousy reviews from past guests such as one of the reviews below;
We booked a chalet and it was terrible. Very expensive but you don't get
anything for the money. There was no cabinet or shelf in the room. No
space to put your clothes. On top of that, there is no hot water at all.
Room was very run down and smelly. Chalets are very noisy. Staff is not
friendly or helpful.
Even the food and drinks are very expensive.
The only good thing is to be out in the nature and the nice view.
Even the food and drinks are very expensive.
The only good thing is to be out in the nature and the nice view.
Stayed September 2013, travelled as a couple
To reach the chalets we have to cross this swaying hanging bridge first before climbing the stairs.
The tall pine trees with the mist surrounding them made me recall the Twilight Saga movie...can just imagine the vampires fleeting among these pine trees.
The look-out balcony infront of the chalets...nothing interesting to view except for the foggy view
We stayed in two chalets and I was given the government rate at RM160.00 per chalet (kita kerja gomen satu masa dulu, baru saja pencen), anyway it was not the peak season. Menginap one night saja di sini, the hot shower was not working in the chalet I stayed and the water was ice cold! Mula-mula masuk bilik tu I noticed there was a kind of animal droppings on the floor below the window...apa kah! Nak telefon ke reception di bawah nun sana there is no telephone provided in the chalets, mujurnya masa check-in kita ambil extra bedding (kena caj lagi at RM70.00 per mattress) so when the staff came bearing the mattress complete with pillows and blankets we asked her to remove the droppings. Her reaction was like...oh tak ada apa itu hanya kepompong rama-rama. She came back later with a broom and dustpan and asked us to sweep it away....well so much for the hospitality haha...Memang sebijik macam review di atas...the chalets smelled musty and there's a lizard in the bathroom and I am so anti-lizards!!! Maintenance chalet di sini memang ke laut....
Beg-beg angkut sendiri naik dan turun tangga, chalet kami di paling atas sekali, kononnya tu get the best view of Mt. Kinabalu.
Sarapan sebelum tinggalkan resort ini, hendak sarapan di luar tak tau di mana kedai makan yang sesuai so isi perut di sini sajalah walaupun agak mahal.
The hotel rooms that got lousy reviews/complains.."funky smell, shower that doesnt quite work. dim lighting in the
bathroom, the list goes on. One of the crappiest hotels I've ever stayed
in. Surprised there wasn't any insects crawling around the room though!
The room was massive however, but aged and just overall in dispair.
Stayed June 2012, travelled with family"
The management should buck up and upgrade the facilities since the location is already superb with cool refreshing mountain air.
A snapshot of the cloudy mountains
On the way back to Kota Kinabalu we made several stops...
The natural fish spa and the fishes here are big. A lot of giggling from those in the water...memang geli sebab ikan-ikan tu slippery.
Cucu taking a dip too..
Kalu oghe Kelate kato...beghiok ikae ssini termasuk ado ikae keli saeko, mari manolah ikae keli tuh.
Bersih dan tenang Sungei Moroli
Singgah di Sabah Tea Garden sekejap
Not much going on here and I bought a book at the souvenir shop 'Land Below The Wind" by Agnes Newton Keith. Her husband H.G. Keith was the Conservator of Forests and Director of Agriculture of North Borneo in the 1930s and her book depicted her Borneo experience and impressions of that time. Makes good reading for me on the flight back.
It started to rain again when we reached Mount Kinabalu National Park. The road going uphill to reach Timpohon Gate reminds me of the road leading to Boh Plantation in Sg. Palas.
Walking in the rain...
