Which island n which hotel n which shopping centres?

Hi Guys! I%26#39;m planning to go KK for a couple of days with friends to juz chill n shop..

Juz wana ask for advice in which hotel to stay.. we r thinking of Jesselton Hotel or King Park KK. Which would b a better hotel in terms of location to city centre?

Also, there%26#39;s like 5 shopping centres so which r e ones tat we ';should'; shop at?

I%26#39;m into nature but sadly my frens aint so to compromise.. i wana squeeze in TARP.. which island is best for snorkeling for me? or to chill on e beach for them? Prefer those with toilet facilities + a restaurant for lunch..

I see quite a few doing 2 islands day trip.. can i juz check roughly e cost n wat time izzit from and to? can we juz hop on to a ferry to 1 island n juz chill there?

Lastly, any good restaurants to recommend for local fares?

Thx a million!!!

Which island n which hotel n which shopping centres?

Hi Cynthia - if you%26#39;re from Singapore, don%26#39;t hold your breath for the shopping. Centrepoint / Warisan Square is a good start. Wisma Merdeka has lots of clothing boutiques, and 1Borneo... well, they have a few labels out there.

Jessleton Hotel is not far from King Park, but is in a better location, right on Gaya Street which is in the thick of things. Bak Kuh Teh right across the road (very popular local pork dish) and the (in)famous Gaya Street Market starting right outside the door in Sundays. Loads of character and 50% at their Italian Restaurant, Bella Italia for lunch.

If you%26#39;re into Italian you must try Little Italy, excellent service, great food, very reasonable prices. On the other side of the same block you%26#39;ll find Ang%26#39;s Hotel restaurant - dont%26#39; miss the sweet oyster sauce chicken wings, the Sabah veggie and the fish-head curry.

A few doors down on the next block is Moonbell - Northern Chinese cuisine divine - Peking Duck, sandstorm chicken, and an aubergine-in-dark-soya-sauce dish that I can%26#39;t remember the name of. Yum! There%26#39;s so many places to eat in KK, you can spend your entire trip just doing that.

If you want beach and facilities then either Manukan or Sapi. Manukan has better facilities and is bigger and compared to Sapi the corals have been trampled less, so the snorkeling should be ok%26#39;ish. Mamutik is great for snokerling, but the beach is small and the facilities are very basic.

If you depart from the public jetty, called Jessleton Point, the boat is around RM28 for one island, slightly more for a 2-stop. Like a minibus, you wait until it%26#39;s full before you go - but it%26#39;s usually quite busy.

If you go from the upscale Sutera Harbour Marina, then it%26#39;s about RM45 for 1 island with a regular scheduled service from 8.30am until last boat back at 4.30. Up to you which one you use, they both go to the same islands.

Which island n which hotel n which shopping centres?

I just returned from KK three days ago, and it was very nice. I stayed at the King Park Hotel, and I can tell you the location, staff, price, etc. are great. Their web site makes it look a little ';newer';, but it really is very nice. And everyone on the staff from the reception desk to the bellboys and security were all ready to answer any questions.

Hint: although there are a LOT of places around to eat, I HIGHLY recommend the Peace Garden Cafe, right next to the King Park Hotel (across the side street). One wouldn%26#39;t think that by looking at the place, but trust me --- it%26#39;s great! Of course, you come from Singapore, which is a foodie%26#39;s heaven, so you might be a bit disappointed in the Sabah cuisine. I ate at the great seafood food court at Sedco (100 meters from the King Park), but the Peace Garden Cafe has just as great seafood at bargain prices.

Thx guys for such wonderful advices! Can%26#39;t wait to go to KK...seems like a hidden gem though! But i will b off to perhentian 1st...cheers!