Lahad Datu - Day 1 (Lahad Datu Town)

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I had never heard of Danum Valley until my partner mentioned it, and he suggested we should plan a trip there to explore the rainforest. Danum Valley is a protected rainforest reserve about 80km from Lahad Datu. On this trip, we also planned to visit the Turtle Islands Park near Sandakan, known for its green and hawksbill turtles. He booked our return flights with MASwings using 3,400 points plus RM 61, instead of the actual fare of RM 172 per person.

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) around 11.50am, and check-in was smooth and fast. After that, we went to the Travel Club Lounge for lunch. Honestly, the food was disappointing. The fried rice was cold, the potato wedges were undercooked, and the tofu was hard. The honeydew didn't look very fresh; the mushroom soup was watery and salty. Apart from that, the marble cake was dry, and the kuih pinjaram was hard and chewy. Not to mention, the chocolate muffin was a bit too sweet for my liking. The only dish that we enjoyed was the chicken masak merah.

The flight departed at 1.40pm and arrived at Lahad Datu Airport at 2.35pm. The journey took about 55 minutes on a propeller aircraft with two seats on each side. During the flight, we were served a slice of chocolate cake, a packet of peanuts, and a choice of apple or orange juice.



Travel Club Lounge


Travel Club Lounge


Travel Club Lounge


Sweet & sour tofu with vegetable and roasted potato wedges


Local vegetable dalca and steam mixed vegetables


Pinasakan sada and chicken masak merah


Nasi hujan panas and penne pesto


Croutons and sweet corn soup


Fruits and salad section


Malay kuih


Sandwiches and drinks


Baguette, sourdough bread and focaccia bread


My lunch


Honeydew, tomato cucumber sandwich and egg salad sandwich


Kuih pinjaram, chocolate muffin and marble cake


Departure gate to Lahad Datu


MASwings


MASwings


Lahad Datu Airport was very small, with no air conditioning and no luggage conveyor belt at the baggage claim area. We had to wait quite a while for a Grab car. When we finally got one to go to My Inn Hotel, the car broke down because the air conditioning wasn't working. The Grab driver dropped us at the roadside near CIMB bank and asked us to get another Grab car. So we booked another ride, which cost RM 9, and finally reached the hotel at 3.40pm.



Lahad Datu Airport


Lahad Datu Airport


Lahad Datu baggage claim area


Lahad Datu baggage claim area


Lahad Datu Airport


Lahad Datu Airport


After we checked in, we dropped our luggage in the room and went out to explore the area. We walked to Servay and wandered further until we came across Que's Cafe. We ordered a tuna croissant and mango sago. Drinking water was provided free of charge. The mango was sweet, and the sago was nicely chilled, but my partner didn't like the texture after it was chilled. The dessert was creamy and tasty. We spoke with the lady boss, who told us that the shop used to be a bakery and had only recently opened. However, the croissant was a bit of a letdown. It wasn't flaky enough and was a bit salty for me, but the cafe had a nice, relaxing vibe.



Que's Cafe


Cafe ambience


Drinking water


Mango sago - RM11.90


Tuna croissant - RM 12


Address:
Que's Cafe
MDLD 8703, Lot 103,
Phase 5, Bandar Sri Perdana,
91100 Lahad Datu,
Sabah
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm
Tel: +6011 - 5362 6378


We strolled around a bit more before heading back to the hotel to rest before dinner. Along the way, we saw Pasar Sri Perdana and noticed Dataran Selera Sri Perdana right in front of it. There was also a Medan Selera next to our hotel, where people were singing loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.



Pasar Sri Perdana


Pasar Sri Perdana


Dataran Selera Sri Perdana


Medan Selera Sri Perdana

    
We went down at 6.30pm to meet Jlo and his wife for dinner at Goodview Seafood Restaurant. We took a Grab ride there (Grab fare - RM 7). We ordered a variety of dishes, including steamed fish, which was fresh and enjoyable. The butter prawns were average, as they didn't taste particularly fresh, and the salted egg squid was very chewy. We also had scrambled eggs with pakis, which turned out to be really nice. However, the mee basah (noodles) had a strong lye taste. Overall, the standout dishes were the steamed fish and scrambled eggs with pakis. After dinner, we took a Grab back to the hotel (Grab fare - RM 9) and reached around 8.30pm. That marked the end of our first night in Lahad Datu.

(Total bill - RM 168.50)



Goodview Seafood Restaurant


Warm water - RM 0.50


Steamed grouper - RM 77


Mee basah - RM 9


Butter prawns - RM 36


Scrambled eggs with pakis - RM 20


Salted egg squid - RM 20


Address:
Goodview Seafood Restaurant
MDLD 0742, Jalan Bahagia 3,
Taman Bahagia,
91100 Lahad Datu,
Sabah
Opening hours: 10am to 2pm / 5pm to 9.30pm
Tel: +6089 - 881 408

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