Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (2. Relax on the North Borneo Sunset Cruise)

North Borneo Sunset Cruise

The first of our series of blogs “20 fun activities to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu!” featured the Sabah Tourism Board’s excellent ‘Heritage Walk’, a great way to orientate yourself around KK’s city. So, it felt logical as the coast and shoreline is such a fundamental part of KK’s history, character and atmosphere that for the second blog we move offshore to enjoy a Dinner Cruise on the South China Sea.

The Sutera Harbour Resort is an exclusive and luxurious resort located just 2km south of Kota Kinabalu’s city centre. Set in its own 384 acre private grounds, there are two separate hotels: Pacific Sutera Hotel and Magellan Sutera Resort. The private jetty that is our departure point for the cruise is located adjacent to the Pacific Sutera.

Check-In for North Borneo Sunset Cruise

Check-in at 4:30 p.m. and it’s a very short distance to the North Borneo Cruises boat. We’re greeted on board with welcome drinks and at 4:55 p.m. all guests are called to the lounge for a safety briefing that’s professional and similar to an airline safety briefing.

Just after 5:00 p.m. we set sail and are able to tuck-in and enjoy the hot International Buffet that’s served. The cuisine includes local delicacies and there’s a varied choice including Western, Chinese, Korean, Japanese the desserts look and taste wonderful!

As we’re enjoying early dinner, the live band starts to play. They are local Dusan people and very friendly great musicians. They seamlessly work through a set-list including Western, Hong Kong, Japanese, Korean and local classic songs so there’s really ‘something for everybody!’.

Enjoying the North Borneo Sunset Cruise

After dinner it’s time to explore the boat and enjoy the view in the open air. The boat and all the fittings feel fresh and new. The Lounge Area is on the lower of the three decks, so upstairs on the ‘middle’ deck there’s a VIP room for private parties but there’s also an open area accessible to all that’s good for photos. The highest of the three floors is the ‘Sundeck’ that is accessed by a flight of stairs and contains a smaller covered area that’s restricted to twenty guests at one time. The views are great, particularly as we cruise close to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park that comprises of five pulau (islands) that will be the subject of a future blog. We spend time enjoying the leisurely pace of the cruise, and this is a wonderful location to view (fingers crossed) one of Kota Kinabalu’s spectacular sunsets.

As it gets dark we return to the lounge and the group are in the midst of their second set and they engage really well with the audience, inviting members to participate in impromptu karoke! The best compliment I can pay is that if they have sung these songs many, many times you’d never know…If one of your party has a birthday let the band know and they’ll make the day even more special.

The time has gone far too quickly but with night descending we’re near the shoreline and on our way back to the jetty arriving at 7:00 p.m. after two fabulous hours on the South China Sea.

Top Tip:

Ensure you leave plenty of time to travel to Sutera Harbour – remember you’re most likely be travelling in the midst of Kota Kinabalu’s rush-hour and the boat won’t wait for you!

How to book North Borneo Sunset Cruise

https://www.bluekinabalu.com/sabah-tours

About Martin

Martin is a British expat living in Kota Kinabalu who arranges tailored tours within Sabah primarily for British and Western tourists on behalf of Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency.