Asian Countries' Rankings in MISS FRIENDSHIP INTERNATIONAL (2009 to 2021) by Runners-up & Winners

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Asian Countries' Rankings in MISTER UNITED CONTINENTS (2015 to 2018) by Runners-up & Winners

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Asian Countries' Rankings in MISTER TOURISM WORLD (2016 to 2019) by Runners-up & Winners

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Kota Kinabalu in the Eastern Portion of Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu is a resort city located at the eastern portion of the Malaysian archipelago. It is the capital of Sabah state which is located in the island of Borneo. Malaysia shares the island with Brunei and Indonesia. It is also very near the southermost part of the Philippines.

From Manila, Clark or Zamboanga, there are flights to Kota Kinabalu via Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia or Malaysian Airlines. Its new airport is tourist-friendly and can accommodate more passengers. The city can also be accessed from southern Philippines via Sandakan then, land trip to Kota Kinabalu.

Hotels and resorts offer cheaper than usual rates for everybody to choose from. There are the budgeted hotels, the mid-range ones up to the most expensive resorts. It is really up to the visitors what kind of accommodations they prefer.

For leisure activities, a visit to the Kinabalu Natural Park is a must. It is where the tallest peak of the island is located...the Mt. Kinabalu. Nature lovers will surely enjoy Kota Kinabalu. Island-hopping is another activity which will make you love nature more.

Of course, a visit to Kota Kinabalu will not be complete without the usual shopping and bargaining at flea markets for souvenir items and the dried sea products markets for those who go for dried fish and the like. They also have malls around the city.

Being in a predominantly Muslim country, the Kota Kinabalu state government as well as its religious leaders make it a point that Islamic laws and practices are respected by the locals and tourists alike.

The city is teeming with life. The usual daily business of its citizens is a mark that it is one important place in the country. Tourists flock Kota Kinabalu because of its beautiful scenery inside and outside the city.

Given a chance of revisit, I would gladly go back to Kota Kinabalu anytime. As a Filipino, I feel at home there because of the race we share with the Malaysians. Culture-wise, we are also almost the same.

Kota Kinabalu is a place which cannot be discounted in Malaysia. It is paradise in this part of the world.

Credit to the owners of some of the photos.

Eenie...MIRI...miney...moe!

Miri...one of my most unexpected travels to Malaysia. I just took advantage of the very cheap roundtrip airfare offered by Air Asia Zest. Good thing I did in March 2014 because the airline has ceased flying to the said city starting June 2014.

I, myself, asked...what will I see in Miri? What will it offer me? I brought along my staff for a much-needed rest and travel to this side of Asean. Miri is considerably small as compared to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Still, less sophisticated than Johor Bahru but I was able to appreciate the countryside of eastern Malaysia (Sarawak in Borneo Island). Though already teeming with hotels and malls, Miri cannot still be considered a priority place to visit in Malaysia.

Development in the said city is fast. Roads, villages, business establishments are being built. Personally, I felt Miri is ready for possible influx of tourists and establishment of more businesses. The hotel where we stayed is like a mini-Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Despite its distance to the shopping and other recreation places in the city, it was full-packed because there was an all-woman conference during that time. Miri is another good haven for shopping just like any other city in Malaysia. I found the prices of clothes, food and other stuff cheaper than neighboring Brunei or Singapore.

One thing that I observed, it does not have an efficient taxi system yet. You always have to haggle with the taxi drivers from one point to another. Besides, you just can't flag down a taxi anywhere in the city. We always had to ask the taxi drivers who brought us to shopping places to fetch us after certain number of hours. One time, we forgot to talk to our taxi driver to fetch us...we had to call the hotel reception to send a taxi to where we were. Good thing, our hotel had a shuttle service to and from city center but at specific times only. After the last trip at 9:00 p.m., we had to fend for ourselves in going back to the hotel.

I felt sad when Air Asia Zest discontinued its service to Miri. It is a city uniquely different from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu but still has the ambience which is truly Malaysia.