Sabah Bah – Island Hopping at Tunku Abd Rahman Park

Another must do activities when you are in Kota Kinabalu is the island hopping at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. This time around, as time doesn’t permit us, we only managed to cover 2 islands which is Manukan and Mamutik Island for just half a day. The marine park is basically a cluster of 5 islands which is Pulau Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug and it is accessible via speedboat rides from Kota Kinabalu Town which will take about 15 to 20 minutes. One thing that you should now is that the departure and the arrival are located at Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal which is next to the Malaysia Royal Custom Department. There are numbers of tour agents around the terminal and just haggle like a pro to get the best deal of the day.

As for us, we managed to get a deal for a price of RM30 which includes 2 island hopping and a snorkelling gear. On top of that, we even haggled on the price of the parasailing package for RM120 (for 2 pax). Another tips, if you wanted to cover and visit at least 3 islands in the Marine Park, start your day as early as you can and be at the jetty by 9am as visitors are required to leave the island by 4pm on the same day. Besides, you might one to avoid the long lines of tourists looking for boats and packages especially over the weekend. Pulau Mamutik (Mamutik Island)
After 20 minutes, the boat then stopped at the first island which is Pulau Mamutik. We were so excited to see school of small fishes at the jetty and it gave us a wide smile on our face upon our arrival. 

With the white sandy beach and crystal clear waters beneath clear blue sky, we couldn’t asked for more.

We even walked to the end of the island and found this beautiful secluded area away from the crowds. We just love the place! We spent most of the times here appreciating the beautiful view. Don’t only stay where the tourists are. Go around the island!

One thing that we observed is that this island is calmer and quieter compared to the earlier island. You will find fewer crowds and you will get more privacy here. However, there is another setback where the variety of coral are isn’t that great and the sea can be quite rough too. We observed that due to the strong waves, it washed away many coral segments to the shore and this could create discomfort to the feet while stepping on the surface. Here come the moment of truth! The one that we’ve been waiting for! It’s time for PARASAILING! Been waiting for years to do this and we had so much fun!We left the 2nd largest island of the marine park and we then jumped back on the speedboat off to another island where the fun and relaxation continues for the day!

Pulau Manukan (Manukan Island)
The 2nd island in the list is definitely Pulau Manukan. This is another island that is available for tourist in the island hopping package. The island shaped are like a dolphin with a 1 and half km long of beach.Pulau Manukan had the most developed tourist facilities such as chalet, clubhouse, diving centre, changing area, toilets including a few restaurants too. We had our lunch here at the island. Oh ya, food and drinks can be soo expensive here. For those who do not want to join the exclusive kind of BBQ lunch package, there is an economy food outlet within the island. Another tips that we could share is that you can pack all your foods and drinks all the way from Kota Kinabalu Town if possible. Frankly, we’re completely immersed in the peace and tranquillity of the natural beauty of the tropical island. We hope that we could actually explore the other part of it too which is Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi and Pulau Sulug! Yes, we would definitely agreed that a trip to Sabah isn’t complete without a little fun in the sun.

Simply us,
Zara AB & FF
ZaraAB Travel #zaraabtravel
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