The spacious bus drove off for Brunei Waterfront Bus Stand with less then 10 passengers.
The route went through Brunei, cross into Sarawak, re-entered Brunei, then re-entered Sarawak and finally crossed in Sabah. At each border crossing, passport was stamped. So a total of 7 stops and 8 stamps on the passport in one day. The last immigration stop between Sarawak and Sabah was co-located as the Sarawak immigration officer sat next to Sabah officer but each has his own counter. So after Sarawak officer stamped the passport, handed the passport to the Sabah officer to have it stamped. It’s a unique experience to show how territorial principle is guided judiciously.
The bus made a few stops along the route. It pick up passengers at Limbang, Lawas and Sipitang. At Lawas it was 2 hours lunch stop. I arrived at time the weekend market was still opened, bustling with so many roadside stalls. Even fish, meat, vegetables and local produces and delights were sold. There are also many Chinese businesses in this small town. I had a very palatable plate of Singapore Chicken Rice.
The bus left Lawas and drove through secondary forest, punctuated by occasional farmers settlers, palm oil plantations or some plots holding construction material. Thick power cables on concrete poles lined the roads. Road are generally good with single lane traffic on mainly flat terrain.
The bus enter the city of Kota Kinabalu and the landscape transforms immediately, like entering a new world especially after 8 hours on the road. The roads are wider, lampposts with beautiful lightings, swath of private landed properties. Towards the city centre, tall buildings break the skyline. I was expecting a small city but to my surprise, it was really modern and bustling.
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