The Two Towers

On my 3rd day in Kota Kinabalu (KK), I went for the Klias Wetland Cruise to see the proboscis monkeys as you all already knew if you have read my last post.

Since the tour only started at 1pm, I had the whole morning free! Determined not to waste that few hours time, I decided to visit some of the more famous landmarks in KK.

So which landmarks did I visit? Well, I visited the two Towers.

One was the famous Signal Hill Observatory Tower and the other was the historical Atkinson Clock Tower.

I started out early with a map in hand. And since the sun was hot, I put on this cap which I bought at a souvenir shop.



After a 15 minutes walk, I reached Jalan Istana which according to the map, would lead to the Clock Tower and the Observatory Tower. Walking along Jalan Istana reminded me of that quiet road in KL leading up to KL Tower. Same kind of ambience.



To my right, I could see the KK's famous Padang Merdeka (Town Field).



This is the site where the declaration of Sabah's independence and the formation of Malaysia took place in 1963. Today, Padang Merdeka is used to host the annual City Day celebration on 2nd February and Merdeka (Independence) celebration on 31st August.

Reaching a junction, I took a left turn into Jalan Bukit Bendera.



There were many cars that zoomed past me as I walked up the road. I think I must have passed the Atkinson Clock Tower on my way up because according to the map, it should not be too far from where I was.

Anyway, I snapped a photo of the Bukit Bendera (or Signal Hill) road going up the hill.



After walking for about 15 minutes, I saw two UFO-shaped structures. I must have reached the Signal Hill Observatory Tower.



Reading the words on top of the entrance gate confirmed that I was correct. Although, they should have placed English words there too, don't you think?



There was no one around! No tourists, no locals. So much for being known as one of KK's famous landmarks and tourist attractions! Or maybe because it was an early weekday morning. Perhaps there would be people coming here during weekends.

Standing under one of the UFO shelters, I snapped these photos.





From this Observatory Tower, I had quite a good bird's eye view of the town of KK and even the South China Sea!







You could see the Gaya Centre building from here with the sea and the Gaya Island (if I am not mistaken) behind it.



At the other side of the Observatory Tower were views of green forests covering part of Bukit Bendera.



After seeing enough, I decided to make my move. As I left, I could not help wondering where the road uphill leads to.



But I did not intend to walk up the road to find out as I was more interested in the Atkinson Clock Tower.

Walking back the way I came, I soon reached the Clock Tower. This time, I made sure I did not miss it. It was quite difficult to see the clock tower from the road where I walked as it faces the main road, but luckily, I managed to spot it.



It seems that there is quite an interesting history behind this clock. You may read about it from this signboard that was placed there. Click onto this photo to enlarge it for easier reading.



Interestingly, this Clock Tower was previously used as a navigation aid for ships for many decades until taller buidings started sprouting around and blocking the view of the clock tower from the sea. Having survived the air raids in World War 2, it remains the oldest standing structure in KK.

I am glad I was able to visit these two landmarks in KK. No doubt, they were not on the priority list of places to visit among tourists, and you may even skip them if you have a very tight schedule. However, as a first timer to KK, I really think it is worth-while visiting these two places.

As I walked down the road leaving the Atkinson Clock Tower, it seemed to bade me farewell with the sound of its chime. I counted. It chimed 9 times. I was leaving Signal Hill at exactly 9am.

Coming up next - My Elusive Search For Tarap Fruit

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