Solo Travel to Kota Kinabalu for Less Than $200

Kota Kinabalu offers its own unique wonders. Being a budget traveler, it is possible to enjoy a 4-day tour of KK on a shoestring budget coming from Manila to Kota Kinabalu. 

Book a sale airline ticket. You can get one from Air Asia for a little over $32, or depending on any ticket sale available during your online shopping time.  Same goes with the accommodation, which can be purchased via Agoda or Airbnb. If you still haven't signed up for Airbnb yet, you're missing out on a lot of benefits. Get your $75 gift here. There’s this fairly new in named Sakot Hostel with clean facilities and is located within the city. The staff and receptionists were very accommodating as well. There are other hostels near the area, where you can get a lodging for around $10 per night for dorm type accommodations. Solo rooms are also available. 

Taxi at Kota Kinabalu is quite expensive as compared to the taxi rates in Manila. If on a budget, better go for Uber or Grab services instead. Just be sure that you have wi-fi access, or better yet, get a local sim with data good for the duration of your stay. Wi-fi is not  readily available on the streets unlike in South Korea, so be sure to purchase a data sim particularly if you need to access Google Maps, Waze, and other travel apps and social media sites on the go. The local sims are available at the airport. Choose between Celcom or Digi, but better ask them the best signal strength with regards to the location you are headed. A sim good for 4 days would set you back around $5 which contains 1.4 GB of data.

From the airport (don’t forget to grab a map), you can take the bus to Kota Kinabalu City. The fare would be 5 rinngit (just a little over a dollar). You can purchase the ticket from a booth in the airport. Just let the ticket attendant know where you are headed so you can get directions. 

Island Hopping

 Start off by heading to Jesselton Point. It’s a 10-15 minute walk from the city. You will see various counters tended by different boat companies. Locals suggest choosing between counters 8 to counters 10 for more affordable rates. Choose how many islands you would want to visit. There are around 5 islands you can visit. But if you want to relax and lounge by the beach a little longer, you may just go for an island or two. 

  

If you are unsure of where to go, the boatmen can always give you good suggestions depending on your taste.  I would always go for a more peaceful island with least number of people, so Mamutik is the choice for me. You can even set up a hammock if you like.

Expenses:

Airfare and travel tax – $65.49

Accommodation - $40

Food, snacks, and drinks - $31

Bus, taxi, Grab, and Uber - $710

Island hopping fee - $10

Environmental fee - $3

Total Expenses for 4 days:  Roughly around $166

Hassle-Free and Budget Check in Luggage Service from Seoul to Incheon

Travelers leaving South Korea through Incheon Airport can easily have their luggage taken cared of at the Seoul Station. This is great for those who have not yet made any airport transfer reservations and those who are traveling in South Korea on a shoestring budget.

 A hotel airport service would normally cost 80,000 – 130,000KW. An airport bus from Seoul would cost around 15,000KW. If you would like to save money on airport commute, you may take the express train via AREX (Airport Express). The fare only costs 8,000KW. 

You may also conveniently check –in your luggage at the Seoul Station terminal.

Just like at the airport, the airline staff will assist you with the departure procedures including flight check-in and immigration routines. 

Travel time is about an hour, so, be sure to buy your tickets early because the seats are reserved. When we travelled to South Korea, our departure flight was scheduled at 8:15 pm. We bought our tickets at around 3:30 pm and proceeded with the luggage check-in procedures.  It was a Sunday and there were lots of passengers that time. We were able to catch the 4:35 train schedule. 

The AREX site recommends to check-in at least 3 hours prior to airline departure time. I suggest you go earlier, especially during weekends and holidays to ensure that you will get seats and arrive at the airport on schedule.