MY HOME KOTA KINABALU : LOK KAWI WILDLIFE PARK

Olla Travel Enthusiasts!

What a great! weekend I had with a fruitful visit to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, Kota Kinabalu. Dedicated to the conservation and education of wildlife for locals and tourists, the park has an amazing array of animals from all over Malaysia. It was officially opened by the Sabah Wildlife Department under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment.

Located at the old Penampang-Papar road, approximately 40minutes from Kota Kinabalu City. If you are not a local and wish to travel there from the city, just call a taxi to take you to 'Lok Kawi Wildlife Park' trust they would know where to go and please enquire about the price before departing. Also a reminder to mention to the Taxi driver to wait for you until your done with the visit (additional charges apply).

The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park is opened daily including public holidays from 9.30am to 5.30pm (last entry at 4.30pm). Entrance fees are Malaysian (RM10per adult - 18years and above; RM5per child - below 18years) and Non-Malaysian (RM20per adult - 18years and above; RM10per child - below 18years). Free Entry for Senior Citizens 60years and above and people with special needs. Entrance fees are inclusive a park map for easy navigation.

I woke up bright and early on a Sunday with my HD Handicam at the ready to shoot some superb shots and arrived at around 9.40am. I'll let my pictures tell conclude the day:-

Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Entrance

Park Tram

Ticket Counter (Open: 9.30am-4.30pm)

Eagle

A Juvenile Male Peacock

Hornbill "National Bird"

Deers

Sumatran Rhino

Rhea "Cuzzie to the Ostrich"

Pygmy Elephants

Flora

Daily Events

Parrots

Orang Utans

Brent with a Braminy Kite Eagle

King Cobra

Crocodiles

Tortoises

Tigers

Lemurs

Proboscis Monkeys

Dwarf Ponies

Otters

Souvenir Shop

"Thank You Come Again"

Since my last visit in 2008, the park has undergone many amazing changes and is still in the midst of improving. Thus, I am looking forward to my next visit!

Thanks for visiting!
TMJ

HOME BOY BY MTJ

Once there was a girl in her early teens, lonely and hungry for a chance to be noticed. She was never really liked by her peers in her high school class. They were always picking on her and calling her names because she was different and never really fitted in. Surrounded by peer-pressure and a constant voice telling her that she will never amount to anything. At times, as much as she tried to deny, great hurt and pain that came from a place core deep unknown to her was felt almost everyday...

Will no one help her??

To fill her loneliness during recess, she would sit at a silent corner making up magical stories in her little head of adventures, mystic legends and song. Looking over at her classmates laughing with endless gossip, she tried to convince herself that this for now is enough. Til eventually it became a part of her, living and breathing. Embedded forever in her soul... She knew by then she only had herself to rely on for confidence and praise.

One day in her classroom during an absent teacher's subject, as her peers grouped together into empty talk mode, she sat alone at her corner. She gravely took to the comforts of a humble paper and pen to express her feelings in ways of art, story and poetry. All of which gave her a feeling of accomplishment with every finished work... Helping her to survive and be strong each day...

That High School girl was ME...

I would love to share with you, although amateurish, a poetry I wrote in my lonely high school days when I was 14years old... This one is called HOME BOY...

Harsh pointing fingers showed
A boy screaming saying "No!"
He took the life of a girl I was told
And cast away from here, HOME...

I could not keep my silence anymore
As I knew this brave boy
Once called friend maybe foe
Who was dragged away from here, HOME...

I crawled up to tell his family
That no one had seen it but me
That brutal murder in the valley
And that poor girl who lost her virginity

They would not believe me
Neither did my own family
I pleaded to save this boy from death so wrong
And uttered the words "Boy, Hold On!"

I knew he was innocent
And prayed when time came
His justice would be met
And when he was no longer seen as a threat

In court a morbid vision
Of a crying boy who knew all too little
He wished that it was all fiction
His body so weak and brittle

When the jury came in
I heard a hard tone
My eyes looked up as I made a wish within
Today, "Boy, return to the place you call HOME."

By MTJ

Thanks for visiting!
MTJ

TRAVEL DESTINATION : SINGAPORE 2008 II

(Continue from post Singapore 2008)

Howdy Travel Enthusiasts!

Day 2 (Continue)
After our visit to the SC and Snow World, I had a surprising call from my Cuzzie Don which I had not met in 4years to meet at Orchard Road! So we boarded the MRT from Jurong East Station to Orchard Station at 5pm. The best thing about Singapore is that it is so so very convenient to get around, hopping on station to station with just an MRT. There is no need to blow large cash on Taxis! Upon reaching Ngee Ann City Mall and meeting Don, we headed for our late lunch at MOS BURGER (Note: Remember this name as it has the BEST Teriyaki Burger I have ever tasted!! Succulent Moist Grilled Boneless Chicken Sandwiched between 2 Soft Burger Buns and Lettuce Topped with Mayo and Ketchup, Side Served with Larger Finger Sized Fries and Refreshing Iced Lemon Tea... Arrrggg!!! MOS MOS BURGER COME TO SABAH PLEASE!!!)

After catching up, Don had an evening plan to visit the Singapore Esplanade 'Durian shaped Dome' and Clark Quay night spots. Lastly, our favorite Satay 'Meat on a Stick' Stalls for Dinner!

After we visited the Esplanade, we had started to walk to Clark Quay. Wishing Don had warned me earlier that the walk to the Satay Square was going to be a whooping 2hours trek through the suburbs, understandable as Singaporean's walk everywhere and at a fast pace that we had a hard time keeping up. Luckily, we had pit stop refreshments of 'Sandwiched Ice Cream' costing S$2nett while we walked. Sadly, my Digi Cam battery failed me after visiting the Esplanade and I was unable to take any pictures of the Harbour Front and Singapore Night Life. I was 'Bamboozled' by the amount of clubs, pubs and nightspots Singapore possesses, such as, The Clinic with its Wheelchair seats and Test Tube shots, Hooters and the Ministry of Sound with its many rooms with different shades of Music catering to any genre of music for different individuals!

Allow me to present my shots for the day... until my battery ran out that is...

Ngee Ann City Mall

Singapore Esplanade 'D' Durian'

View from the Esplanade

After filling our tummies with Satay Kambing (Lamb), Ayam (Chicken) and Daging (Mutton) we headed back via MRT to Khatib. Upon reaching back to Khatib, I had to soak my feet in a tub full of warm water to prepare for our trip to Jurong Bird Park on Day 3. Trust Tim would love the large aviary, I thought, as I had been there 3years before and I knew Tim loved birds!

Day 3 (13th Sept 2008)
Cearp, Cearp.... Good Morning to a Birdie Bird Day!
Weather was great as we prepared for our trip to Jurong Bird Park. At 9am, we headed down via MRT to Boon Lay Station and took Bus No. 251 (One can also use Bus No.194) to Jurong Bird Park. (Note: Your Smartcard which is used at the MRT Station can also be used on the bus, instead of paying cents. Just remember to Tap in when you enter and out when you disembark). The bus ride took approximately 15minutes passing through the Boon Lay area. We did not worry on where to get off as the bus driver will say 'Jurong Bird Park!' + there was a huge signboard facing the road which makes it impossible for anyone to get lost.

Before our trip to Singapore, I did some data collecting through the Internet (A Must) and discovered that Singapore was having a promotion for 3in1 packages which visits the Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari on a discounted rate. The different parks can be visited once on any day in a 1month validity. As we had plans to visit all these three places we booked the Entrance Fee Promotion Package for S$45per person which saved us S$13! (Note: The parks also promotes 2in1 packages of any 2parks, check out www.birdpark.com.sg)

Before entering the park, we entertained our tummies for late breakfast at Bongo Burger Cafe' which can only be found at the Jurong Bird Park and Singapore Zoo! I was 'sakai' by the drinking glasses served at this pit-stop as they were in the shape of a honey jars...Tehee... After breakfast, we made our way to the ticketing counter and purchased our tickets for all three parks. We grabbed, as well, a map as a handy tool which helped us navigate through all different sectors of the park by foot. Jurong Bird Park houses hundreds of bird species, we saw among others the Pelicans, Eagles, Flamingos, Egrets, Parrots, Penguins, Owls and many more... Moreover, it hosts a number of different shows each day! We caught the Birds & Buddies Show @ 11am, Pelican Chitchat @ 2pm and King of the Skies (Birds of Prey Show) @ 4pm. As the park is really huge and the venue for shows are on different areas, we made sure that we watched all the most recommended ones corresponding with our walkabout route on the map. In the middle of all of this frantic bird watching, I received a surprising call from Henry (my friend from Sabah who is currently working in Singapore). We had promised to meet the coming Sunday to catch up and a run around Sentosa Island...Yahoo! The highlight of our trip was the large aviary with many different types of small birds waiting for a handout from visitors (Cameras at the ready!). We purchased a cup of mixed rice in honey water at S$2 (additional contributions are most appreciated) at the side counter and had a frenzied welcome much to Tim's delight! So happy he had a blast! I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story...
FACT: Interesting enough, Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu adopted the Bird of Paradise at this park!

BONGO BURGER

Birds...Birds... & Look More Birds...

At the Large Aviary

A Large Eagle

Emu... I Think

On the way to the Pelican Show

Fuji Hawk Walk for the Birds of Prey Show

~The End~

At the end of a very fulfilling day, we headed back to Khatib and prepared for the next day.

(Day 4 + to be continued...)

Thanks for visiting!
MTJ