Hiking in Kota Kinabalu: You may not know this great hiking place near KK town!

Day 8 in Kota Kinabalu was almost perfect, with us starting the day at Gaya Street Sunday market and then feasting on delicious steamed crab for lunch. We also discovered a mountain that took just 30 minutes to get to the summit. 

You’ll be surprised at how a mountain can be planted with so many photo props along the way up. An absolutely fun climb indeed!

Read on and check out our delightful experience on Day 8 of our 10-day Kota Kinabalu trip.

Kota Kinabalu Bukit Botak

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Gaya Sunday Market in Kota Kinabalu

(10am)

Remember how we had a great time at Api Api Night Market the night before? Well, the party continued.

The next morning, the same street was similarly lined with numerous stalls at the Gaya Street Sunday Market. But it offered a different experience as compared to the night market. 

 

Instead of a strong focus on food, this Sunday market’s offering is a lot more varied and sold anything from animals, birds and plants to clothes, jewelries, souvenirs and whatnot. 

However, it was rather hot as we were directly under the scorching sun!

Gaya Street Sunday Market Kota Kinabalu
A variety of things on sale at Gaya Street Sunday Market
Gaya Street Sunday Market Kota Kinabalu
Hope there’s a fan within these costumes

 

Breakfast at Fook Yuen Kopitiam (Gaya Street)

Midway through street-shopping, we decided to pop into Fook Yuen Kopitiam for breakfast as it seemed well-patronized. To order, we would walk through a line and pick our food from a row of counters offering a variety of dishes or add-ons. 

Here’s what I picked – not exactly exciting hor? And food was cold.

Food in Kota Kinabalu

A nice tea break at Mizumizu Cafe (Gaya Street)

After our breakfast, we continued strolling along Gaya Sunday Market.

Gaya Street Sunday Market Kota Kinabalu

Soon, it was time to hide from the heat and we found ourselves having Japanese tea at Mizumizu Cafe. 

The man ordered matcha while I had a Hojicha latte. Both were great and we thought they tasted authentic.

Mizumizu Coffee cafe in Kota Kinabalu
Hojicha Latte and Green Matcha at Mizumizu

 


Enjoyed Seaview from Hyatt Regency Hotel (KK)

The great thing about staying at Hyatt Regency KK was how accessible it was from the vibrant Gaya street.

As the lunch place we’d decided upon (Chinese seafood restaurant) would only open at 2pm, we decided to retreat to our hotel.

There, we found ourselves captivated by the beautiful sea view and busy snapping photos to ensure we would bring back the memory. 

Sea view hotel in Kota Kinabalu

 


Crab feast at New Luyang Restaurant @ KK

At 2pm when the restaurant just opened its door for business, we found ourselves to be the only customers at New Luyang Restaurant.

Ordered a steam crab, garlic stim clam, grouper fish, pea shoots (dou miao) and bean sprout, which were really quite a lot of food for two pax. 

Seafood in Kota Kinabalu

After some disappointing seafood experiences on the first two days, we were absolutely pleased with our dining experience here.

Seafood in Kota Kinabalu

The crab was meaty, unlike the decomposed crab we had at the “Night Market” near Handicraft market. We also didn’t have to worry about being scammed as a tourist.

Total seafood meal came up to rm160. :)

 


Ice Cream indulgence at Mosaic Cafe

With so many days in Kota Kinabalu, we could really afford a relaxing and leisure itinerary. After grabbing back to Hyatt Regency KK, it was time for ice cream.

At Mosaic Cafe which is located at the hotel premises, we used the voucher given by the hotel to redeem a free scoop of ice cream.

Not exactly a food connoisseur, but could tell that the ice cream was of good quality.

KK City Tour: Limited time in KK and like a guide to bring you around? This KK city tour brings you to numerous popular landmarks in just half a day.

Kota Kinabalu trip

 


Discovering a great hiking spot in Kota Kinabalu

(5pm)

Bukit Botak is a place we “accidentally” discovered when driving to Kundasang a few days before. From afar, we saw a mountain that looked bare at the top. With the help of Google Map, we discovered that we could be looking at Mount Bukit Botak

The reviews also told us that this was a popular place to do a hike in under an hour (one-way) and to catch sunset. 

The grab ride to the Bukit Botak cost rm17, and we reached there around 5pm (trailhead location here). 

Nearby Attractions: If you rent a car like we did on the first few days, you can cover these few places too – Kokol Elf Hill, Mari Mari Cultural Village and Ulu Kionsom Waterfall.

Hiking in Kota Kinabalu
Where we alighted (Trailhead to Bukit Botak in Kota Kinabalu)
Hiking in Kota Kinabalu
Seems like Bukit Botak is also known as Bukit Bonduk

Steep and sandy route to Bukit Botak Summit

30 minutes were all it took for us to get to the summit. The climb was steep and made via sandy and rocky path. I highly recommend that you come with shoes that offer good grip.

What to do in Kota Kinabalu
The steep climb up Bukit Botak

What’s great about this mountain and hike is the numerous photo props planted along the way, making for an interesting and memorable hike.

But let’s not be tempted and get to the summit first so that we wouldn’t miss the sunset.

What to do in Kota Kinabalu
Had to remind myself not to be temped by the photo props!
Hiking in Kota Kinabalu
Panoramic view on the way up

Sunset viewing at Kota Kinabalu (Bukit Botak)

If you are looking for a great place to catch sunset at Kota Kinabalu, I highly recommend Bukit Botak, provided you love hiking. Check out the view! 

How many days in Kota Kinabalu

 

Sunset in Kota Kinabalu
At 5.30pm when sun is setting at Bukit Botak

Based on compass orientation, I believe that’s Mount Kota Kinabalu, shrouded behind the clouds and faintly visible (photo below).

Hiking in Kota Kinabalu

What to do in Kota Kinabalu
Believe the faint tip is Mount Kota Kinabalu located 2 hours’ drive away

Well, we didn’t wait for the sun to touch the horizon for safety reasons. Not being familiar with the mountain and knowing that the path is slippery, it might be dangerous to hike down in the dark.

Where to watch Mount Kinabalu
Starting the descend and still facing Mount Kota Kinabalu

Therefore, the very logical and rational us started heading down earlier than others. 

TIP: Check time of sunset. During the time of our visit, the sun set quite early, at 6.20pm.

But it was not a bad decision, as we got to pose with some of the props on the way down while there’s still daylight. This really made for a very memorable experience.

Hiking in Kota Kinabalu
One of the many photo props at Bukit Botak

And to prove the point, I have this image as my WhatsApp profile image. Cool right? “Biking up the mountain.” LOL!

By 6.12pm, we were at the base of mountain. Let’s head back to our hotel to freshen up. 

 


Dinner at Kota Kinabalu 

The man craved for Chinese food and decided to have Peking duck at Gam Tong restaurant – an outlet along Gaya street that specializes in HK cuisine. 

Peking Duck in Kota Kinabalu
This Peking duck dish on its own was a substantial dish (in portion)

The food was not bad and I enjoyed the Peking duck. Just that that the man ordered too much and I struggled since I was actually quite full. See what other things he ordered for a total of two pax!

As you can tell by now, we really were eating non-stop in Kota Kinabalu. Haha!  

Food in Kota Kinabalu (Gam Tong Gaya Street)
Steamed lotus leaf rice with ginger onion beef, and soup that came with the Peking Duck
Food in Kota Kinabalu (Gam Tong Gaya Street)
Season beans and BBQ Piggy Bun

Map Location For Day 8 (Kota Kinabalu Itinerary)

Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu >> Gaya Street Sunday Market >> Fook Yuen Kopitiam >> Mizumizu Coffee >> New Luyang Restaurant >> Mosaic Cafe >>Bukit Botak (trailhead here) >> Gam Tong Restaurant (Gaya Street)


And that’s it for Day 8 which was a day I really enjoyed. Tomorrow would be our last full day in Kota Kinabalu and we would tour the offshore islands. Stay tuned! 

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Essential Info:

  • Accommodation: Hyatt Regency KK
  • Month of Travel: Sep 2023
  • Transport: Grab & Walk

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