BORNEO - SABAH 2008

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The Sabah is very expensive, difficult to turn and people is not very nice. In addition los Tanno devastating, destroying the jungle to plant avalanche to produce palm oil (for cosmetics and food .... see Nestle chocolate). The major parks are nationalized and run by "private", then you must go through agencies that you hang. If you want to go in this area will summarize what it is worth making:
1) Kinabalu park (if you're sporting the ascent to the 4000m is not too difficult). 2) SUKAU and park Kinabantangan (try to get in contact time with Uncle Tan's, is one that has better prices and is well organized), 3) CROCKER Park (better if you contact Sabah Park to organize a guide the trecking), 4) Diving in Sipadan (where you can get in touch with Uncle Chang to stay in and avoid the MABUL Scuba Junkie that are also found on the Lonely Planet but are poorly organized, you need a passport as a guarantee and you frieze with the Auditors, in addition to housing in SJ MABUL is sick).
Try to avoid going to the park of the Orange to SEPILOK is a cheat for tourists, most beautiful adventure in the jungle where the animals are truly free and not taught as in a zoo.
To better organize the trip to get to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah contacting Park if you want to spend a day at the Kinabalu Park, take a taxi and save a great deal of money. If you booked with Uncle Tan's, go to SEPILOK (where the starting point), where spend a night and take you into the jungle to SUKAU, where it is worth staying 2 nights and experience the jungle. From here you can go to SEMPORNA for diving in Sipadan. One important warning: disgusting SEMPORNA, MABUL is a sewer (not you trust the publicity photo, 3 / 4 of the island are inhabited by local barracks of the suit thrown garbage on the island and the sea), and then applies the penalty move from here just to stay up to 4 or 3 nights at Uncle Chang MABUL and then diving at Sipadan, if you look for change paradisiacal beaches area.
If you can avoid TAWAU, at most use it as a passage for the airport, the rest has only an avalanche of super mega toponi and cockroaches that fill the streets dusk. If you publicizzano the Danum Valley ... eye ... is a national park gesitto by individuals and it is dear. Another adventure is possible in CROCKER Park, where it is worthwhile to go after organized Sabah Park with a guide who points to 3.4 or 5 days of trekking. Leeches to the eye. Do not you trust what you say, as far as excursions, tours and so on ... let put everything in writing. The marine park in front of Kota Kinabalu sucks, the coral is dying and the water is sporchissima. A KK: it is worth going in the evening at the beach (near the Meridien) in the various clubs with a terrace, the Philippine market to buy pearls, to the Chinese market on Sunday, massage and spa and as a basis for the different trip in Sabah. There are 3 restaurants run by Italians: Little Italy by a Ivrea (ok restaurant), Bella Italia (I think that is Venetian, but is more expensive and the quality is pretty low), Luna Rossa (have the wood oven) . If you want to go eat fish close to the taxi stop, there is an area full of restaurants with fresh fish tanks and a good price, while in 2 or 3 restaurants for tourists with show (one is opposite the Meridien) prices are significantly more high.
For diving: a Sipadan c'e'mal time if there is good visibility, it is a fortune, so it is better to stay 3 or 4 nights at MABUL and organize various diving in Sipadan, MABUL no vale la pena, é sporchissima . The problem is that there is a patinaver dastra of about 3 meters and does not switch the light and all the coral is dying. Sipadan A depends on the sea, where the spurs of the coast visibility decreases significantly. Frankly I visited Sabah, but we will provide more. There are countless places in the world with better seats, better prices and more people friendly.