During your travels, you encounter and experience things that you never imagined will happen. From the people you meet to the food you eat, there is always something in store for you. When you travel you get dope for a million stories and you become the official storyteller. It’s an inevitable thing to happen because people expect you to live and indulge like they never did. There is always a first time for everything and yours should be whatever your heart desires – which is during a travel; experiencing new things.
People oh, people
For me the people I meet elevate the experience of a place, to a whole lot more than expected. In Sabah, when we were received at the airport – Humphrey, Bernedette, and Hazel spoke to us like we were already family. Their tradition and culture poured out, and their genuine love for new people was clear from the way they spoke and researched about each one of us. Through the course of my entire trip there, it felt like being from India didn’t matter – our connections were human. From laughs to commonalities, we were hitting it off as one big world of curious cats.
Place oh, place
How does one judge a place? Is it the shopping? Is it the food? Is it the traffic? Is it how it reminds you of home? Is it the markets? Is it the buildings? – You can never actually judge a place by something. The factors are numerous and the subjectivity is beyond comparison. So let me tell you, according to me Sabah is one of the places that subjectivity doesn’t come into question. Unanimously, it can and will forever be a place that was universally accepted at first glance – because the place represents itself as a reflection of what you want your holiday to be.
Animals oh, animals
When I say this place is a sanctuary to animals, you should understand how undiscovered this place is. As humans, we haven’t plunged into the heart of this island and ruined it for commercial gain. Home to conservation parks for green sea turtles and orangutans – this says a lot about their connection to mother nature. Some of the world’s most exotic animals live here and are protected strongly. When in Sabah, I recommend the boat rides that show you Proboscis monkey up close and personal. With marine life equally diverse, Sabah is Haven for them and the ideal heaven for us.
Things oh, things
Since tradition is rooted in the air, everything in Sabah is somewhere connected to Mother Nature. From arts and crafts to the balance of the food chain, the things you get in Sabah are all amazing. The open market was so busy that I felt at home, but it was organized chaos that made it very personal. All my senses were engaged and this tour of the market kept things grounded. I have never been to a place where I was surprised beyond a point – but this was something new everyday single day.
Win oh, win
Considering the world has many places, there are some that leave you spellbound. Sabah checks every single box on the holiday checklist and is forever going to be one of my favorite places.
