It has been a week since I came back from a wonderful holiday in Sabah together with 11 friends. Initially I didn't intend to update my blog about it, but I've been getting queries from some friends regarding my itinerary etc, so I guess I might as well update my blog so if anyone else asks, I'll just give them this link. Besides, I did the same thing for my last 3D2N Cuti-cuti Sabah in February last year. You can read that story here. This time, we headed to another part of Sabah. Instead of landing at KK Airport, this time we landed at Tawau Airport, enroute to Semporna. And unlike my previous Cuti-cuti Sabah (KK-Kundasang trip) where I had to deal with a few separate people to make all the arrangements, this time I booked direct with Lato-Lato Resort for a full 3D2N package inclusive of airport transfer, boat transfer, accommodation, food, and island exploration tour.
Saturday 8th September 2018 - We all booked the 7.40 am flight to Tawau. Unlike the rest in my group, my journey started from Ipoh, so I had to leave home just after 1am to catch the 2am direct bus from Ipoh to KLIA2. I decided to park my car at Terminal Aman Jaya, Ipoh, so it'll be easier for me when I come back, as I expect to arrive Ipoh also in the wee hours of the morning.
I arrived KLIA2 at 5.45 am, as expected, and headed straight to the baggage drop off counter. Saw the long queue and was wondering if that's the check-in queue or the baggage drop off queue, so I decided to ask one of the staff there, and since I had already printed both my boarding pass and bag tag, I was told to go to the the self-baggage drop area. First time for me! We had to attach the bag tag to our bags, place the bag on the belt, scan our boarding pass and bag tag with the hand scanner, and verify that no prohibited items are carried, and voila, we're all set! (yes, even this makcik "peghak" could do it)
After dropping off my baggage, headed over to the prayer room for my subuh prayer. After that there was another long queue getting in to the departure hall. Saw a few people heading over to the front of the line under the pretext of weighing their cabin luggage, and then simply jumping queue from there.
Our departure gate was J20, and with J22 being the last gate, that meant we had to walk quite a distance to get to our departure gate. But I shouldn't be complaining I guess, since my morning briskwalk is usually 5km and takes about an hour.
As soon as I switched on my handphone after landing at Tawau airport, before I could even step out of the plane, my phone rang. One lady who was doing the arrangement for our transport to Semporna, called to ask if we had landed. I told her I was just about to step out of the plane and would call her once we're out. That took quite some time, having to queue through immigrations, waiting for our baggage, and of course, our toilet stop on the way out.
By the time we left Tawau airport, it was close to 11.30 am. There were 12 of us, and since the vans could only take 10 pax each, we had to go in 2 separate vans. 10 of us in one van, while the other 2 joined another 5 tourists, also heading over to the same resort. One van sped far ahead of us (I was later told the guy was driving at 140km/hr at the maximum 90km/hr road), but when our van got to the jetty in Semporna, we didn't see the other 2 members of our group. When we called our 2 friends, they said they were also already at the jetty. So, why couldn't we see each other? Apparently, our van brought us to the wrong jetty! We had to get our bags back into the van so the driver could take us to the right jetty.
Wrong jetty
Finally at the right jetty
Our boat left the jetty around 1.20 pm, by which time, most of us were already hungry. It took another half an hour or so from the jetty to get to Lato Lato Resort. And what a sight it was when we first saw the resort. What a view! The water was crystal clear! The resort is in the middle of the sea, built on stilts in the shallow waters off the coast of Semporna. At that moment we knew it was going to be a wonderful relaxing holiday.
Since we were all already hungry, after checking in (by writing our names and particulars in the book provided), we had our lunch before getting our rooms assigned to us. Staying in resorts like this one, you don't have to worry about arranging for activities. You can snorkel/swim anytime you want! However, even though life jackets and snorkeling masks are provided without any extra charges, when the resort is full, there may not be enough for everyone to use at the same time. So if you can swim and can do without the life jackets, it may be advisable for you to bring your own snorkeling mask.
View from inside our room.
While some of our group members were having a good time snorkeling/swimming, we had freshly made doughnuts delivered to our rooms. They were still warm and oh so yummylicious. Another boost to our holiday... beautiful sea view, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, freshly cooked doughnuts delivered to our rooms... it was bliss!
I was planning to capture a time-lapse video of sunset, but it was quite cloudy, so no luck there. But the view was still spectacular anyway. After dinner, a few of us decided to borak-borak at the dining area (hot drinks are available 24/7) and it was close to midnight before we decided to head back to our rooms. Good thing we were already back in our own rooms, getting comfortable on our bed, when it started raining heavily.
Sunday 9th September 2018 - During breakfast, a group of boys who were staying at one end of the resort, told us that they saw a turtle from their room, but everything happened so quickly they didn't get the opportunity to snap a photo of the beautiful creature.
Today the plan was to explore a few islands, including Bohey Dulang. But
our boat was only due to pick us up at 10 am, and so after breakfast at
7 am, there was ample time for another round of snorkeling/swimming at
the resort for those who wanted to do so. Like I mentioned earlier, even
if you don't plan for any other activities, you can simply laze around
at the resort. There was no need to hire a boat to go snorkeling.
We finally left Lato Lato Resort at 10.30 am to start off our island exploration for the day. It took about half an hour to reach Bohey Dulang, the first of 3 islands in the planned itinerary. The main activity here is to hike 600m up a hill to witness the beautiful view from up there. There was also a Pusat Pembenihan Kima Gergasi there, but it was closed for maintenance, so if you aren't going to hike up the hill, there's not much to do there. No swimming allowed. Those who plan to hike up, make sure you bring shoes. The requirement is that you MUST wear shoes that cover your toes. I thought I was smart enough to wear my hiking sandals, which was suitable to wear even when wet (or so I thought), but no, there was no room for negotiations. There were however, some "adidas kampung" which you could rent from them at only RM5 per pair. Our guide managed to get one pair of adidas kampung from someone who just got down from the hill and offered the pair to me, and since hiking up the hill at Bohey Dulang was one of the main reasons I came, I relented. I don't really mind wearing the adidas kampung, but due to wear and tear (God knows how many hundreds of people had already worn it before me), the pair of shoes I got was so thin and already torn, but what could I say, those who had the authority to let us through would rather I wear those worn out shoes, than my hiking sandals which definitely had better grip, just because those sandals don't cover my toes.
In the end only 4 people from my group hiked up the hill. The rest (some of them didn't plan to hike, a few others because of the shoe requirement) had to wait at the jetty, with a big crowd of other tourists. The hill was quite steep, and on the way up, those coming down would encourage us by telling us "sikit lagi nak sampai" (you're almost there). I probably heard the same line every 2 or 3 minutes. Was earlier told by the guide that if you're fit enough, you could probably reach the top of the hill in about 25 minutes or so. I managed to do so in about 35 minutes, so I guess that's not too bad for a 55 year old makcik. And the view from up there was totally worth the hike, although I must say it wasn't really an easy task trying to get a good angle for a good photo shot with the crowd up there. That is especially so if you're planning to take a selfie of yourself or your group... somehow there's always someone's face or arms (or armpits) in the way, but then again, you can always crop your photos later to exclude those unwanted elements.
We didn't stay too long on top of the hill. It was crowded, and it also wasn't fair for the other 8 members of our group to wait too long at the jetty. As we headed down, it was our turn to say the magic "sikit lagi nak sampai" line to those who were on their way up. Revenge time!
By the time we got back down, we could see quite a huge crowd at the jetty. Some visitors had their lunch there. We headed back into our boats so that we could have lunch at the next island in the itinerary... Mantabuan Island. Am so glad we did, because it was more peaceful there. The water surrounding the island was so clear, and the sand was soft too.
We chose a shady spot under a tree to have our lunch. But the beautiful clear waters were too tempting to just let go, so despite the hot sun, after lunch some of us did decide to take a dip, especially since the place wasn't too crowded. It wasn't long before the guide called us back to the boat as it was time to head to the last island in the itinerary, Sibuan Island. Before leaving, we did give some goodies we brought along with us to a small group of Bajau Laut boys. We only saw 3 of them. Apparently a few families of Bajau Laut live on the opposite side of the island.
Upon reaching Sibuan Island, we could see that the the place was rather crowded. The island is a popular destination among tourists for snorkeling/swimming. Crowded or not, it didn't stop us from having a good time. The waters surrounding the island was so clear, taking a photo underwater was like taking a photo in a swimming pool!
We got back to Lato Lato Resort by about 4 pm or so. After solat jamak zohor/asar, some of us decided to go for another round of snorkeling/swimming and enjoy the day. We also had another round of freshly made yummy doughnuts. Seeing that it was also a cloudy day, I figured I wouldn't be able to get a good photo of the sunset, but just as I was heading back to my room for Maghrib, I managed to catch this...
Monday 10th September 2018 - Our last day at Lato Lato Resort. After this, we would no longer be waking up to this view.
A few members of our group did manage to catch a glimpse of a turtle sticking its head out of the water for some air.
While most of us decided not to jump into the water as we didn't want to have to pack wet clothes in our luggage, 2 of the gals thought that the early morning high tide was the right time to dive. The diving "platform" was the bench just outside one of the rooms.
We had to check out of our rooms by 9.30 am, and while waiting for the boat to come and fetch us, we spent the time taking more photos.
We left the resort around 10.30 am, heading back to the mainland. We were told that our vans would be fetching us in front of Dragon Inn at 3 pm, so there was more than ample time if we wanted to go shopping.
We didn't want to drag our luggage around until 3 pm, so we decided to share a room at Dragon Inn. Luckily there was one room available. They didn't have half day rates, so we had to pay the full daily rate. But it didn't come up to too much with the 12 of us sharing.
For lunch, we had seafood at Pearl City Restaurant, which was located at the same place. Shopping? I just decided to buy some small souvenir items from the same complex. Too lazy to go elsewhere.
We had a good time. The only negative comment I have about this trip is the lack of civic-mindedness in keeping the cleanliness of our waters. It was so frustrating to see plastic bottles and all sorts of rubbish being thrown into the sea. At Bohey Dulang jetty, we even saw diapers in the water. Nearing mainland Semporna, the amount of rubbish was even worse. If we don't do something now, our future generation may not get the chance to see the beauty of the places we visited.
Thank goodness we stayed in Lato Lato Resort instead of any resorts or hotels at the mainland. I miss the place already.
Our flight home was on time and landed at KLIA2 about 9.40 pm. I took the 11.10 pm bus from the KLIA2 Transportation Hub and reached Terminal Aman Jaya, Ipoh at 2.35 am. And guess what? Just as I got to the autopay machine to pay for 3 days worth of parking fee, there was a note there, "Boleh keluar terus. Tak perlu bayar parking hari ni." Woohoo! Lucky me!
We didn't stay too long on top of the hill. It was crowded, and it also wasn't fair for the other 8 members of our group to wait too long at the jetty. As we headed down, it was our turn to say the magic "sikit lagi nak sampai" line to those who were on their way up. Revenge time!
By the time we got back down, we could see quite a huge crowd at the jetty. Some visitors had their lunch there. We headed back into our boats so that we could have lunch at the next island in the itinerary... Mantabuan Island. Am so glad we did, because it was more peaceful there. The water surrounding the island was so clear, and the sand was soft too.
We chose a shady spot under a tree to have our lunch. But the beautiful clear waters were too tempting to just let go, so despite the hot sun, after lunch some of us did decide to take a dip, especially since the place wasn't too crowded. It wasn't long before the guide called us back to the boat as it was time to head to the last island in the itinerary, Sibuan Island. Before leaving, we did give some goodies we brought along with us to a small group of Bajau Laut boys. We only saw 3 of them. Apparently a few families of Bajau Laut live on the opposite side of the island.
Upon reaching Sibuan Island, we could see that the the place was rather crowded. The island is a popular destination among tourists for snorkeling/swimming. Crowded or not, it didn't stop us from having a good time. The waters surrounding the island was so clear, taking a photo underwater was like taking a photo in a swimming pool!
We got back to Lato Lato Resort by about 4 pm or so. After solat jamak zohor/asar, some of us decided to go for another round of snorkeling/swimming and enjoy the day. We also had another round of freshly made yummy doughnuts. Seeing that it was also a cloudy day, I figured I wouldn't be able to get a good photo of the sunset, but just as I was heading back to my room for Maghrib, I managed to catch this...
Monday 10th September 2018 - Our last day at Lato Lato Resort. After this, we would no longer be waking up to this view.
A few members of our group did manage to catch a glimpse of a turtle sticking its head out of the water for some air.
While most of us decided not to jump into the water as we didn't want to have to pack wet clothes in our luggage, 2 of the gals thought that the early morning high tide was the right time to dive. The diving "platform" was the bench just outside one of the rooms.
We had to check out of our rooms by 9.30 am, and while waiting for the boat to come and fetch us, we spent the time taking more photos.
We left the resort around 10.30 am, heading back to the mainland. We were told that our vans would be fetching us in front of Dragon Inn at 3 pm, so there was more than ample time if we wanted to go shopping.
We didn't want to drag our luggage around until 3 pm, so we decided to share a room at Dragon Inn. Luckily there was one room available. They didn't have half day rates, so we had to pay the full daily rate. But it didn't come up to too much with the 12 of us sharing.
For lunch, we had seafood at Pearl City Restaurant, which was located at the same place. Shopping? I just decided to buy some small souvenir items from the same complex. Too lazy to go elsewhere.
We had a good time. The only negative comment I have about this trip is the lack of civic-mindedness in keeping the cleanliness of our waters. It was so frustrating to see plastic bottles and all sorts of rubbish being thrown into the sea. At Bohey Dulang jetty, we even saw diapers in the water. Nearing mainland Semporna, the amount of rubbish was even worse. If we don't do something now, our future generation may not get the chance to see the beauty of the places we visited.
Thank goodness we stayed in Lato Lato Resort instead of any resorts or hotels at the mainland. I miss the place already.
Our flight home was on time and landed at KLIA2 about 9.40 pm. I took the 11.10 pm bus from the KLIA2 Transportation Hub and reached Terminal Aman Jaya, Ipoh at 2.35 am. And guess what? Just as I got to the autopay machine to pay for 3 days worth of parking fee, there was a note there, "Boleh keluar terus. Tak perlu bayar parking hari ni." Woohoo! Lucky me!
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