Poring Hot Spring & Nature Reserve Resort @ Sabah [East Malaysia, Borneo Island]

My experience with hot spring was limited to Taiwan and even then, i realised hot spring was just not my cup of tea. Hence, i wasn't expecting much when i stepped into the nature reserve as part of the Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Spring day tour. 

Gaining entry into the hot spring wasn't immediate and you would have to endure a short, leisure walk of less than 300 meters; which wasn't much considering that the Langanan waterfall was about 3,700 meters away!

We crossed the Mamut River via a modern walkway although i thought it would be more fun to go back to the basic; by using a rickety bridge that was likely used in the past when the crowd was thinner. 

This marker with its simple, classic message was still placed at the old bridge. Given that photography is way more common nowadays, it should be moved closer to the public to reinforce the message!

What does poring mean? I assumed it could have been the Malay translation of pouring which would have been suitable when you use it with water; i.e. pouring water.

Wrong assumption! Poring is actually the "Kadazandusun word for a bamboo species in the area"; i am assuming once again that it was the same species found in abundance at Poring Hot Spring. 

Rock Pool - featuring icy cold water from the mountains, this would be the right treatment on a cold day although i read somewhere you should not contemplate jumping in right after soaking in hot spring water.

Open-Air bath tubs - those who are shy (like me) and prefer to strip in private rather than in public can consider the little huts next to the rock pool, chargeable from RM 15 - 20 per hour. 

As i mentioned before, Poring hot spring was more than just the hot spring and you may venture towards other attractions in the reserve like the butterfly garden, canopy walkway, kipungit waterfall, bat cave and langanan waterfall; the two hours allocated to us were grossly insufficient!

Those who wish to spend more time in the reserve might consider an overnight stay in the nearby accommodation. From my understanding, those who attempt the climb up Mount Kinabalu would also spend a few hours in the hot spring to soothe their overworked muscles. 

Coming back to the open-air bath tubs, locals pay merely RM 3 (versus RM 15 for foreigners) for admission to the hot spring and our tour guide warned beforehand it might be hard to find an empty tub on weekends when locals thronged the recreation area.

I wouldn't say it was that bad on the Saturday afternoon i was there.

Originator of the spring water - the huge boulder was barricaded to prevent people from stepping in and i guess the temperature must be scalding hot judging from the steam rising from the water. Said to be rich in sulfuric minerals, i didn't particularly find the smell obnoxious though.

A spare change of clothes was brought along; just in case. However, the colour of the spring water wasn't exactly inviting; thought it should be green rather than yellow....? Maybe i should have drained the tub and put in fresh spring water although it still does feel kind of unhygienic. 

Frankly, this concept of usage should be adopted in Singapore to promote the pathetic hot spring at Sembawang! The airbase can make do with lesser land in my opinion. 

A full soak would not be possible but i would not stop myself from wetting my legs! Must try a bit mah; if not i would not do Poring Hot Spring any justice! 

Oh well, it was at the very least, less of the urine-like colour in the hot tubs. Pity i didn't have time and could only manage less than 3 minutes in the lukewarm spring water. 

Prefer a more "fun" experience? Check out the slide pools; separate fees apply!

A word of advice though; the water would only be changed once a week on Mondays and according to our guide, you would notice the water getting yellower towards the end of the week. Quite euuuwww if you ask me. 

Hurried back to the carpark compound where i am likely the last person to board the tour bus! By the way, the reserve was equipped with a restaurant, a souvenir shop and changing rooms. For more dining options, go out to the main road!

Have more time because your tour mate needs to use the washroom urgently (this did happen in my trip)? Check out the visitors centre at the entrance. 

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Admission Fees

As above. Basic admission and canopy walkway were included in the day package we purchased. 

Map

Please refer to the above.

For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here. 

Welcome Seafood Restaurant (大茄来海鲜餐厅) @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah, East Malaysia]

Sabah was renowned for both its mountain and seas and it would be a personal disgrace if i didn't even attempt to try out any seafood in my recent trip. 

Love the internet for its wide range of reviews and after much consideration, we decided to check out Welcome Seafood Restaurant which was said to be good yet not as exorbitantly priced as the so-called famous ones. 

Upon arrival, you would be greeted by the many glass tanks housing helpless preys that would eventually end up cooked (in various styles) and ready for your consumption. 

Indoor seating was available and i thought the only thing lacking was an appropriate ambience facing the great big ocean. I didn't show it here but the dining establishment was smacked within an ageing shopping centre that was quite a few hundred meters from the water.

With only the two of us, we were in a pretty mean dilemma on our selection as there were quite a few specialties! Crabs would be a must while Alex's would insist on having prawns.

Lime with Sour Plum Drink

Thirst quenching with a loving balance of sweetness and sourness! This was for Alex as i opted for a young coconut instead. I don't know why but coconut juice always seems extremely appropriate when i am having seafood. 

Steamed Prawns

Fresh, sweet and succulent; traits of its aliveness just a few moments ago. Alex begged to differ and felt that the ones in No Signboard Geylang were still a rung higher.

Special Fried Beancurd

If not for the spread of creamy sweet mayonnaise, this would not have been finished. In a nutshell, the insides were quite flavourful although the texture would have been off putting for those seeking a smoother texture. 

Butter Crab

Aside from the classic steamed and chilli crab, butter crab was the next favourite on my crab list until i tried the salted egg version a few years ago; hence, i had high expectations! 

From the look of the thin butter with streaks of oil, i had already half guessed my review for the dish. 

Thank goodness it wasn't half as bad and was in fact quite buttery. However, the flavour failed in imprinting an oomph factor which could have rendered this small crab insufficient in usual circumstances back in Singapore

Salted Egg Crab

I would have gone for the signature kam hiong style but Alex wasn't keen to share given its apparent spiciness. Therefore, it would be salted egg crab! 

One word; horrid! There wasn't a tinge of the amazing salted egg and caked on the crab was a layer of salty thick sauce with just a slight spiciness. My mouth had experiences with salted egg crabs from many places in Singapore and nowhere had it tasted this bad. 

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This is my personal opinion and i have spoken to a few tour mates who had a marvelous dining experience at Welcome Seafood. 

Location

Lot G 13, Ground Floor, Star City Mall, 
Kompleks Asia City Phase 2, Jalan Asia City,

88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Reservation
088-447-866

Operating Hours

2.30pm - 12midnight

Website

http://www.wsr.com.my/

Price List

As above 

Prices of What We Had

Steamed Prawns (300g) - RM 21

Special Fried Beancurd - RM 12

Butter Crab - RM 30

Salted Egg Crab - RM 30

[Inclusive of GST]

For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.

Kipungit Waterfall @ Sabah Poring Hot Spring [East Malaysia]

A decision must be made once we exited Canopy Walkway; turn right to the hot spring section where we can spend the rest of our time beautifying the largest human organ, or turn left.

With attractions like the bat cave and waterfalls, i guess our group decided it would be more exciting to venture beyond familiar ground and proceeded to snub the right and turn left.

Given that all my tour mates were younger than me, i wasn't surprised by their enthusiasm for the unknowns! Hey, i was young once before although age has not really quite mellowed my curiosity.

A sheltered hut where you can still decide to turn back; it's in fact a T-junction where you can continue ahead to the bat cave and waterfalls while the other two locked entrances led to prohibited areas for the rafflesia research centre.

Langanan Waterfall was about a 3-kilometer hike away and a few notices at the hut warned that for safety reason, visitors should not consider a visit after 2pm. Bet there have been incidents where one could not find their way back when night falls.

We were not that ambitious and doubt there was sufficient time anyway.

The hike was more like a stroll although the temperature was hardly any different from Singapore; I was sweating like a pig after a short while and sure wished i was at the cooler highlands!

It was the weekend but it sure didn't feel like it. Oh well, i generally hate crowded places as most photos i took would have too many heads bobbing around!

Exercise caution when you pass by this route and remember to rein in your hyperactive brats! This was the few moments i was thankful it had not been raining; if not, the ground would be muddy and extremely slipper!

Eight minutes across 400 meters (from Canopy Walkway) and you would find yourself at Kipungit Recreation Area; you could definitely make out the therapeutic sound of water in the not too far distance.

Looming right ahead of us was Kipungit Waterfall! 

The 10-12 meters tall water was a baby compared to the majestic Wulai Falls. However, whatever waterfall it might be, a natural fall would be better than all the man made waterfalls we have in Singapore! 

For a sweaty man, the one thing i should be looking forward to was to jump into the naturally cold water! I even brought along a spare change of clothes and towel for that purpose but i am shy lah!

Very inviting right?! Actually, aside from being shy about displaying my chubby body, i am hesitant when it comes to soaking in unknown freshwater... 

I did manage to soak my feet though when i lost my footing! The downstream was pretty good for photo taking; thanks to the few toppled trees which acted as natural props! 

Dozens of shots were taken, with blatant disregard for safety! And once we started, other visitors who turned up shortly also followed in our footsteps. 

Biding our goodbyes; there was supposed to be a washroom further down the stream which we didn't check out as we were worried it might take longer than expected and no one was in need of releasing any bodily waste. 

Pet peeve - why is there a need to carve words on trees?! My only hope for the carver was to have the same words inscribed on their most delicate skin, using a sharp blade. 

The walk back to the hot spring! 

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Location

Within Poring Hot Spring, 

Sabah, East Malaysia

For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.