Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the State of Sabah and is located on the coast bordering the South China See.  I flew in to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lampur (after having spent 2 nights there) while the rest of the group arrived from Los Angeles via Taipei.  We spent two nights at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, just out side of Kota Kinabalu proper.

Birds' nest soup anyone?  Just in case you didn't know birds' nest soup is indeed made of birds' nests!  When we visited the Gomantang Caves near the Kinabatangan Wildlife Reserve, they were harvesting swifts' nests which are worth their own weight in gold. We were told that they harvest them three times a year and that we were fortunate to be able to see harvesting.  Apparently it's a multi-million dollar industry because the Chinese consider them a delicacy!

If you have a broadband connection, here is a video clip