Travel
Travel Note
Where to fly into!
Please note: The wedding is being held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia! You will want to fly in to Kota Kinabalu International Airport , airport code BKI. You will most likely need to change/layover on the way! There are several options for this! We have recommended a few airlines and there is a travel note at the bottom of this page with more airline & flight information!
Travel Note
The wedding venue!
The wedding is being held at Kokol Haven Resort, a small resort in the hills that is around a 1hr drive from downtown KK, depending on traffic! Please note, we have booked out the whole resort for the night of the wedding (the 19th) , so that guests can stay the night if they like! We encourage you to stay the night of the wedding and join us for breakfast the following day! * *Normal room charges apply. Rooms start at RM 230 and include breakfast. Please see resort website for more details or request a price list from us. Since we have booked out the whole resort for that night, you will not be able to book on the resort website. Please let us know if you'd like to stay, and we'll arrange a room, or you can telephone or email the resort directly and let them know you're a guest of Serena & Aaron's wedding! More info on the resort can be found further down this page, along with info on other hotel options. We would not recommend that you stay at Kokol Haven for your whole trip, as it is a bit out of the way and has no pool etc.
Flight
Singapore airlines
Our favourite airline (and airport! Changi is amazing) to use! Their Regional & Budget wing, Scoot, is perfectly fine and you can find good deals with them!
Flight
Malaysia airlines
MAS is a good airline that goes through KLIA to get to BKI (Kota Kinabalu International airport). MASwings, their regional arm, can be a good choice for getting around the region
Flight
Air Asia
The best bet for inexpensive flights around Sabah and the rest of Asia. Be warned that for longer haul flights, they don't all have entertainment systems and everything is added costs. But for cheap regional flights it's difficult to beat their price points.
Hotel
Kokol Haven Resort
Our wedding venue! A lovely, smaller, resort, in the hills! We have booked out the entire resort for the night of the wedding (the 19th) and encourage you to stay that night if you'd like! Please either contact us to reserve a room for you, or phone or email the resort directly and say you're booking for Aaron & Serena's wedding! * Kokol is a quiet, peaceful place, with beautiful views, however there is not much to do in the immediate area and it is a bit out of the way, so we don't recommend staying there for your entire trip! *Normal room rates apply and start at RM 230, including breakfast.
Hotel
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
A relaxed resort with a private beach & great pool. This is located just a short walk from where we will be holding our out of towner’s welcome dinner at the Kinabalu Yacht Club! It is only short distance from Serena's Parent's place and you can take a grab (car service, like Uber) into town in about 10 minutes. If you get sick of resort food there is an excellent Korean resteraunt within walking distance as well.
Hotel
Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
A centrally located 5 star hotel, with a pool and sea views! Right next to Wisma Merdeka Shopping Mall and within easy walking distance of shops and other amenities, as well as Gaya St. Very comfortable, with an excellent buffet!
Hotel
Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu
A new hotel, and the second Hyatt in KK! Located almost directly opposite the Hotel Grandis and Suria Sabah Shopping Mall. There is a starbucks, a supermarket, banks , and many shops and eateries within easy walking distance. It is only a short walk to Gaya st and to Jesselton Point, where boats depart for the islands
Hotel
Sutera Harbour
A resort comprising of two hotels, a golf club & a marina. Close to downtown KK, you can get most places in the downtown area within 10 minutes by Grab ( Car Service like Uber). The two hotels, the Pacific Sutera and the Magellan both have nice pools and some rooms will have sea views!
Hotel
Hotel Grandis
Centrally located in downtown KK, inside one of KK's modern shopping malls, Suria Sabah. It is right next to a starbucks, and just across the street from Tong Hing Supermarket and HSBC Bank. Buah-Buahan Yong is a fruit shop just a few minutes walk away that is a good place to get fresh local juices! It is also only a few minutes down the road from Jesselton Point, where boats depart for island excursions. It is within easy walking distance of Gaya St, Australia Place with its cafes and eateries and many resteraunts, including KK favorite, Little Italy.
Hotel
The LUMA Hotel
A new, boutique hotel, located near shops and resteraunts and across the road from Imago shopping mall. They are said to have an excellent coffee bar and comfortable rooms. They offer a Gym but no pool.
Hotel
The Jesselton Hotel
KK's oldest hotel. located in the heart of downtown KK on Gaya St. The hotel has a lot of history and is only steps away from many shops, cafes and eateries. A short walk from bustling Australia Place (also known as Lorong Dewan) and it's popular cafes, as well as a supermarket, banks and Suria Sabah Shopping Mall
Hotel
Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort & Spa
Rasa Ria is an amazing resort located about a 45 minute drive out of the city. They have their own private beach & nature reserve as well as a golf course, spa & multiple pools. It's a excellent place to spend a few days relaxing if you have time on your trip! Take a sunrise hike to the top of a hill in the nature reserve for amazing views, go horse back riding on the beach or hire a golf buggy to look for otters and birds on the golf course! (Serena's favourite thing to do here!)
House Or Rental
House & Apartment rental
Air BnB is another option for those who don't want to stay at a hotel. If you are interested in staying in an AirBnB or renting an apartment please let us know and we can help you with arrangements. We can also help arrange something for those guests who may wish to share an apartment and split costs. Please email Serena at serena_lamb@hotmail.com to get in touch about this!
Travel Note
Hotels to avoid
We would reccomend staying away from The Mecure as when Serena last stayed there it wasn't very clean.
Travel Note
Other hotels
There are many other hotels in KK, we have just listed a few as recommendations, if you have any questions or concerns about a place to stay, please get in touch!
Travel Note
Getting around KK
The easiest way to get around town is by Grab. ( The local version of Uber) The app is easy to download and use and rides are cheap, however you must be able to access the internet to use it. There is free WiFi available in many of the malls & cafes, or you can buy a local sim card with data if your phone is unlocked :) We do not suggest taking public transport as it is unreliable at the best of times. The central part of down town KK is fairly walkable :) Feel free to get in touch with either of us anytime with any questions or concerns!
Shuttle
Shuttle from KK to wedding Venue
July 19, 2023 2:30 pm - 11:00 pm
A shuttle will be running to & from the venue from a hotel (TBD, it will depend where most guests choose to stay) in the downtown area. It will pick guests up at 2:30pm and return from the venue at 11pm
Rental Car
HERTZ Car Rental Kota Kinabalu Airport
If you would like to rent a car there are several rental car companies available at the airport. We recommend that you are a confident driver if you are thinking about driving yourself in KK. Most hotels will have onsite parking for a small fee. Please let us know if we can help you with getting a car! Please note that Malaysia follows the UK system and drives on the left.
Travel Note
Further Flight information
There are quite a few airlines you can use to get to KK, but almost all will require a layover/plane change. These airlines include: Emirates, Etihad, Turkish, Royal Brunei, Qatar, Asiana, Korean Airways, Eva Air &Philippine airlines. All of these are fine! Please note you will probably have a code share flight. These are perfectly fine as well.
Travel Note
Excursions
We would like to organize several excursions and day trips for interested visitors. These are still in the planning stage and details are to be confirmed, but they include: Climbing Mt.Kinabalu (Most likely after the wedding) , A trip to the islands for snorkelling and watersports (half to full day), A trip to Sandakan to the see the Orang Utan & Sunbear rescue centers at Sepilok or to see Proboscis Monkey's at Labuk Bay, and others!