Regarding transportation tips🚗: Grab is incredibly convenient and budget-friendly, but make sure to link your Alipay before you travel abroad, and always carry some cash and change with you!!
(I once forgot to bind my Alipay and couldn’t pay for the ride to Shangri-La. My friend had to ask a kind stranger to exchange 20RM for me—what a facepalm moment!)
Regarding island hopping🏖: Before my trip, I read that window 8 offered the best deals, but this wasn’t the case on-site! You need to be bold and haggle at several windows. After some negotiation, we finally scored a great deal at window 9: 150RM for two people, including one island visit and parasailing 🪂.
Additionally, the island entry fee was 25RM per person (I suspect we might have overpaid).
The parasailing, which was supposed to last 10 minutes, only lasted about 5 minutes.
Make sure to apply plenty of sunscreen when snorkeling!! My friend thought a quick dip in a swimsuit wouldn’t be a problem, but they ended up with a severely sunburned back!
!!!
The jellyfish sea is a stunning shade of green, but there are limited shower stalls for changing. If it’s crowded, you might have to wait in line [facepalm].
ps: We also rented two life jackets and diving masks for 10RM each.
(Life jackets are provided on the boat, so we wasted 20RM.)
Regarding the hotel🏨: We stayed at Capital Hotel Kota Kinabalu for 4 nights, costing 732RM.
It’s conveniently located near Gaya Street, Suria Sabah, and Jesselton Point, all within walking distance.
A 100RM deposit is required upon check-in.
Note⚠️
There is a daily 10RM tourism tax.
When we checked in, the staff informed us that we needed to pay 40RM.
Make sure to verify if your booking includes this tax; otherwise, you might end up paying an extra 40RM unnecessarily!!!!
Regarding currency exchange💰: We exchanged money at an ATM near the hotel.
The exchange rate was 1:1.66, and there’s no need to exchange too much as many places in Malaysia accept Alipay, which offers a better rate of 1:1.55.
Regarding SIM cards☎: I highly recommend the Hotlink operator, which provided excellent coverage throughout our trip.
Even during island hopping, we had signal on the islands!
Good to know about linking Alipay before traveling! I also heard that getting a local SIM card can be super helpful for navigating and staying connected. And yeah, those island hopping deals sound tricky—definitely something to double-check ahead of time.