Kinabalu Itinerary
I promised a good friend I'd share my itinerary. So here goes :)
Day 1: SG - JB Kotaraya - Senai International Airport - Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Effectively, this day will be spent travelling. If you take an AirAsia flight which I did, it flies at 6.20pm. Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure time, so need to reach the airport by about 5.35pm.
SG- JB Kotaraya [1hour]
- Take train to Kranji MRT.
- At the bus-stop outside the MRT. Take Causeway Express (yellow bus). Cost SGD$1.
- Trip takes about an hour including custom clearance and traffic jam.
JB Kotaraya - SenaiIA [1 hour]
- From JB Kotaraya (which the Senai Airport positions as it's City Lounge), can take Airport Express.
- This will take another hour
- Cost RM$4
Senai IA - KK IA [2hours 30 minutes]
- Once the plane lands in Kota Kinabalu International Airport, clear the custom, collect barang. This is about 8.50pm
- Outside the Airport, there's a taxi service counter.
- At the counter, buy a ticket to board the cab to the hotel. Ticket costs about RM $13.60 for the trip to the hotel.
Taxi-service counter outside KK Terminal 2
Would recommend staying at City Park Inn situated at Jalan Pasar Baru @ KK.
It's near the long-distance bus station where you'd board the bus to Kinabalu National Park HQ.
Rooftop @ Citypark Inn
More information on the Inn here
Day 2: KK - Kinabalu National Park HQ (approx 1,700m a.s.l)
I'm not sure when the earliest bus departs from the long-distance bus-stop, but remembered there were 2 time-slots available to me - 10am or 2pm.
I booked the 2pm one.
Bus trip takes about 2 hours.
Checked into Menggilan Hostel. This is a dorm and costs RM$12.
I didn't book any accom in advance so this was the only one available.
Dorm at Kinabalu National Park
Twin-sharing Accom called Hill-Lodge
This is an alternative that you may like to consider. I stayed here the night I came down :)
Day3: The Ascent - Laban Rata Guest house (3,272m a.s.l)
7.30am: Gather at the HQ to meet the guide assigned.
Anxious climbers gathering in front of the Park HQ for the climb
See below for details of permits and costs involved
Laban Rata Guest house
Will reach here after 4-5 hours of climbing. This is where we take a break, have a shower and tuck in to a sumptous dinner before starting the ascend to the peak.
Day 4: Laban Rata - Peak - National Park HQ
2am: After catching some sleep, most people will start off at about 2am to reach the peak before dawn. The atmosphere is electrifying as everyone started getting ready at about 1am.
On my way down, I reached National Park HQ at about 6pm in the evening.
Walked very slowly because of the rain, so have to spend the night at the park.
If you want to go back to KK immediately upon descend, try to reach by about 1pm.
Day 5: National Park HQ - KK
Checked out of the accom at Park HQ and boarded long distance bus back to KK.
Took the bus from the same stop where it dropped us on the way here.
Day 6: KK - Senai IA - JB Kotaraya - SG
Flight back to SG is at 8.20pm, so spent the day exploring the place.
Plane will reach Senai IA at about 11.20pm. You can take Airport Express back to Kotaraya for RM4. Once at Kotaraya, we took a cab back. SGD$15 per person.
Boarded Comfort cab instead of the JB ones. (There are plenty of SG cabs at Kotaraya)
Note: It's best that all the accom arrangements are made before flying over. I learnt it the hard way. If Laban Rata resthouse is fully booked, they won't allow you to climb. So the most important thing is to book yourself a bed at Laban Rata before getting the flight. Can book accom from this site http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com/
Approximate BUDGET for this trip
Day 1: SG - JB Kotaraya - Senai International Airport - Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Transport Kranji MRT - Kotaraya : SGD$1
Transport Kotaraya - Senai IA : RM3
Transport KKIA - Hotel : RM13.60 (takes 4 per cab)
Accom @ CityParkInn : RM50 (Double)
Day 2: KK - Kinabalu National Park HQ (approx 1,700m a.s.l)
Transport KK to Park : RM10
Accom @ Park Hostel : RM12 (per bed)
Day3: The Ascent - Laban Rata Guest house (3,272m a.s.l)
Mountain Guide Fee : RM70 (1-3 climbers)
Climbing Permit : RM100 (per pax for non Malaysians)
Insurance : RM3.50 per pax
Transport to Timpohon Gate : RM12 per pax
Accom @ Laban Rata Resthouse : RM34 (per bed)
Day 4: Laban Rata - Peak - National Park HQ
Accom @ Park Hostel : RM12 (per bed)
Alternatively Hill Lodge : RM94 (twin-sharing)
Day 5: National Park HQ - KK
Transport : RM10 (per pax for long-distance bus)
Accom @ CityParkInn Double : RM 50
Day 6: KK - Senai IA - JB Kotaraya - SG
Transport to Airport : RM15
Transport from Senai IA - JB : RM4 (Airport Express)
Tranport from JB - SG : SGD$30
Total Expenditure : RM660 (approx SGD$300)
For AirAsia, the plane tix from JB to KK costs between RM69.99 - RM319.99, depending onwhich days you fly
Day 1: SG - JB Kotaraya - Senai International Airport - Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Effectively, this day will be spent travelling. If you take an AirAsia flight which I did, it flies at 6.20pm. Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure time, so need to reach the airport by about 5.35pm.
SG- JB Kotaraya [1hour]
- Take train to Kranji MRT.
- At the bus-stop outside the MRT. Take Causeway Express (yellow bus). Cost SGD$1.
- Trip takes about an hour including custom clearance and traffic jam.
JB Kotaraya - SenaiIA [1 hour]
- From JB Kotaraya (which the Senai Airport positions as it's City Lounge), can take Airport Express.
- This will take another hour
- Cost RM$4
Senai IA - KK IA [2hours 30 minutes]
- Once the plane lands in Kota Kinabalu International Airport, clear the custom, collect barang. This is about 8.50pm
- Outside the Airport, there's a taxi service counter.
- At the counter, buy a ticket to board the cab to the hotel. Ticket costs about RM $13.60 for the trip to the hotel.
Taxi-service counter outside KK Terminal 2
Would recommend staying at City Park Inn situated at Jalan Pasar Baru @ KK.
It's near the long-distance bus station where you'd board the bus to Kinabalu National Park HQ.
Rooftop @ Citypark Inn
More information on the Inn here
Day 2: KK - Kinabalu National Park HQ (approx 1,700m a.s.l)
I'm not sure when the earliest bus departs from the long-distance bus-stop, but remembered there were 2 time-slots available to me - 10am or 2pm.
I booked the 2pm one.
Bus trip takes about 2 hours.
Checked into Menggilan Hostel. This is a dorm and costs RM$12.
I didn't book any accom in advance so this was the only one available.
Dorm at Kinabalu National Park
Twin-sharing Accom called Hill-Lodge
This is an alternative that you may like to consider. I stayed here the night I came down :)
Day3: The Ascent - Laban Rata Guest house (3,272m a.s.l)
7.30am: Gather at the HQ to meet the guide assigned.
Anxious climbers gathering in front of the Park HQ for the climb
See below for details of permits and costs involved
Laban Rata Guest house
Will reach here after 4-5 hours of climbing. This is where we take a break, have a shower and tuck in to a sumptous dinner before starting the ascend to the peak.
Day 4: Laban Rata - Peak - National Park HQ
2am: After catching some sleep, most people will start off at about 2am to reach the peak before dawn. The atmosphere is electrifying as everyone started getting ready at about 1am.
On my way down, I reached National Park HQ at about 6pm in the evening.
Walked very slowly because of the rain, so have to spend the night at the park.
If you want to go back to KK immediately upon descend, try to reach by about 1pm.
Day 5: National Park HQ - KK
Checked out of the accom at Park HQ and boarded long distance bus back to KK.
Took the bus from the same stop where it dropped us on the way here.
Day 6: KK - Senai IA - JB Kotaraya - SG
Flight back to SG is at 8.20pm, so spent the day exploring the place.
Plane will reach Senai IA at about 11.20pm. You can take Airport Express back to Kotaraya for RM4. Once at Kotaraya, we took a cab back. SGD$15 per person.
Boarded Comfort cab instead of the JB ones. (There are plenty of SG cabs at Kotaraya)
Note: It's best that all the accom arrangements are made before flying over. I learnt it the hard way. If Laban Rata resthouse is fully booked, they won't allow you to climb. So the most important thing is to book yourself a bed at Laban Rata before getting the flight. Can book accom from this site http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com/
Approximate BUDGET for this trip
Day 1: SG - JB Kotaraya - Senai International Airport - Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Transport Kranji MRT - Kotaraya : SGD$1
Transport Kotaraya - Senai IA : RM3
Transport KKIA - Hotel : RM13.60 (takes 4 per cab)
Accom @ CityParkInn : RM50 (Double)
Day 2: KK - Kinabalu National Park HQ (approx 1,700m a.s.l)
Transport KK to Park : RM10
Accom @ Park Hostel : RM12 (per bed)
Day3: The Ascent - Laban Rata Guest house (3,272m a.s.l)
Mountain Guide Fee : RM70 (1-3 climbers)
Climbing Permit : RM100 (per pax for non Malaysians)
Insurance : RM3.50 per pax
Transport to Timpohon Gate : RM12 per pax
Accom @ Laban Rata Resthouse : RM34 (per bed)
Day 4: Laban Rata - Peak - National Park HQ
Accom @ Park Hostel : RM12 (per bed)
Alternatively Hill Lodge : RM94 (twin-sharing)
Day 5: National Park HQ - KK
Transport : RM10 (per pax for long-distance bus)
Accom @ CityParkInn Double : RM 50
Day 6: KK - Senai IA - JB Kotaraya - SG
Transport to Airport : RM15
Transport from Senai IA - JB : RM4 (Airport Express)
Tranport from JB - SG : SGD$30
Total Expenditure : RM660 (approx SGD$300)
For AirAsia, the plane tix from JB to KK costs between RM69.99 - RM319.99, depending onwhich days you fly
posted by turquoisebleu | 11:47 pm
