Seaside Travellers Inn

The ambience and the view were great, but the meal was a letdown. Although the restaurant wasn’t busy, our food took over 30 minutes to arrive. It tasted very plain, and the price felt far too high for the quality. If the food had been amazing, I’d have been fine with the cost, but it wasn’t enjoyable. Please work on the portions, speed of service, and taste.

The kids’ swimming pool was the part I liked most. I stayed one weekend night, but the room hadn’t been prepared well. There was lizard poop all over the floor, especially in the bathroom, and on the toilet bowl too. Breakfast was included, though it was a simple buffet of fried noodles, bread, and coffee. There were too many mosquitoes and sandflies, and I got bitten. Maybe management should put mosquito repellent in every room. Would I go back? Maybe, but I’d have to bring lots of repellent.

It’s been years since my last review, which was in 2006, but I keep thinking about the good times my friends and I had at Seaside Traveller's Inn (STI). In the early 2000s, almost every time we climbed Mt Kinabalu or visited Kota Kinabalu, our trip didn’t feel complete without staying there. Mr Richard Ong and his family ran STI then. He was very accommodating and friendly, and his family was lovely. His son James was just as friendly. Whether I visited alone or with friends, the staff made us feel like family. I still miss their superb Chicken Adobo with garlic rice, served on the raised balcony outside room 6, especially with a can or two of beer while looking out at the calm sea. Room 6 was my favorite, with its bunk bed and two single beds. Even on a solo four-night visit, I asked specifically for that room. I have so many memories. The family room had a piano, and one time someone in my group played it, which was such a joyful moment. Around Chinese New Year, jars of CNY cookies were set out in the outdoor living area for guests to enjoy free of charge. Once, our group bought fresh seafood in KK and used the BBQ facilities at STI. We finished all their canned beer and had to switch to coconut water. Breakfast was simple, just jam like strawberry or pineapple, but I always looked forward to the mornings. It was the atmosphere that mattered, not the spread. I’m getting older, and traveling to Sabah isn’t possible for me at the moment. But if STI and the Ong family are still running the place, I hope I or my family can find time to return. It’s one of my best memories, and it’s on my bucket list. I also remember the photos in the living room, especially the visit by Morten Harket from the A-Ha Group. And I can’t forget the yellow pickup truck Mr Richard Ong used to take us to the KK airport when we were running late. He got us there on time. All the best to STI.

We had a good stay, and the food was good as well. I hope the owner protects the beachfront, since there’s potential for coral to make it their home.