As promised, party planner Renaissance of Borneo delivered one of Kota Kinabalu’s most high-profile parties on Thursday, 17 December.

With subtle lighting, the KK Waterfront’s biggest night club, B.E.D. (Best Entertainment Destination) was transformed into a pastel-coloured playground, which accentuated the size of the venue and gave impact to the theme, Elegance in White.

Chivas, as one of the main sponsors, had a Welcome Drink Station set up at the entrance and party goers were greeted with a shot of Chivas and a mixer of their choosing.

True to Sabah’s party spirit, those who attended Elegance in White stayed true to the theme of white and the venue slowly filled with beautiful people wearing a manner of all-white and partly-white outfits.

DJ Ash got the crowd going with some bopping tunes before DJ Fine China took over the reigns to put his own particular spin on the party.

Although Elegance in White perhaps fell a little short of the descriptions in the press releases, it was an overall success and Borneo looks forward to future events organised by Renaissance of Borneo.

Ice Bar is Sabah’s current notable nightlife, because honestly, have you seen their daily drinks specials? It’s insane!

To put that in perspective, consider that KK’liens ® also think the fridge is too far from the living room. In fact, if we could, we’d drive to the kitchen to get a beer and then circle the fridge until we found parking right in front of the door.

Ice Bar 1Borneo – Not that far, really

So when I tell you that Ice Bar is in fact only 7km from the city centre, a 15 minute drive after rush-hour traffic, you might realise just how not-far it is. Nevertheless, to entice those folk who do consider 7km is bit of a trek, Ice Bar has all these crazy daily promos going on.

There’s several promos every day, but below’s a few of my favourites. Keep in mind, I’m a beer drinker, but there’s cocktail promos for all you posers too.

Happy Hour Smappy Hour – How’s This for Happy?

Nobody goes out on Sundays because everyone’s repenting, but here’s a reason to skip church, you sinner! At Ice Bar you pay RM25 for your first mug of Becks, and then every refill after that is only RM1. This is from 6pm – 9pm. If you’re still standing after 9pm, you can get Happy Hour prices all night long on a bunch of drinks, including a mug of Hoegaarden or Leffe for just RM12 each.

Feeling floored by Monday? Go hang off the ceiling at Ice Bar, and wear something blue while you’re at it; just for that you get a free Blue Lagoon Cocktail (for wearing blue, not for hanging off the ceiling).

Tuesday is hands down my favourite. Guys pay RM75 and girls pay RM50, and then from 6pm – 11pm it’s an open bar buffet! What does that mean? It means you drink whatever you like (except signature cocktails and flaming drinks), as much as you like, just make sure you don’t drink more than you can keep down – you’ll have to mop up your own schlop. Just kidding! But what a waste, so know when to stop, ya?

Then on Wednesday it’s Ladies Night, and check this out, if 4 ladies show up together, Ice Bar will give them a bottle of Absolute on the house; free; gratis; for nothing! It’s true. What do guys get? Well, they get to pay for their drinks, but ogle the hotties that Ice Bar attracts.

One of the promos on Thursdays is the Chivas Lucky 7s offer. Every 7th bottle of Chivas sold will get 1 free. So if 6 other people in the bar buy a bottle of Chivas and you’re No.7, chi-ching, plus 1 free bottle for you.

Kota Kinabalu’s Nightlife at Ice Bar is just so chilled

And every other day of the week? Well, there’s always Happy Hour from 6pm – 9pm with discount Becks (1 glass = RM8, 1 jug = RM26, 1 tower = RM78), and Hoegaarden at RM12 per pint or RM22 for 2 pints.

Don’t forget the bottle promos, like the more bottles of Chivas you buy the cheaper it gets – how about 5 bottles for RM1,050? Cheap as chips!

The above are just some of Ice Bar’s promos, so get yourself on over to the Ice Bar main page and check out everything that’s on offer.

How do you like them apples? Think you’ll be saving a little drinking money for the petrol to fuel that mammoth 7km trek to 1Borneo? You bet ya!

Now I’m thirsty, what day is it?

Making his first appearance on the 2nd of May, is DJ Zaskar.  His source of inspiration is evident as he admits to his admiration of Djs Richie Hawtin, Sven vath, Sasha and John Digweed.  All for educating his countrymen about the borders beyond house and trance, DJ Zaskar’s originals are regarded by those who like Gabriel Ananda and Sebastian Ingrosso.

DJ Ben Katana is captain of the decks on Saturday, 3 May as introduces Kota Kinabalu to his passion; electro-clash.  Having honed his skills alongside DJs Derrick May, Ben Sims, Jeff Mills, Takkyu Ishino, DJ Taska, Ken Ishii and Richie Hawtin, DJ Ben Katana also worked with producers and remixers the likes of Deep Dish, Erick Morillo and Sister Bliss.

DJ Khai, also known as BananaRpublik, will set the tone for the weekend starting May 9.  With a collection of dance music and an addiction to electro and techno from greats such as Steve Angello, Carl Cox and Sven Vath, DJ Khai knows how to rile the crowds.

Saturday, 10 May sees DJ Van descending upon Blue Note to uplift the crowd with new beats, new rhythms and new desires.  This he converges in urban vernaculars to bring a new style, story and identity to global dance culture.

Back by popular demand, DJ Terence C graces Blue Note with his presence once again, when on 16 & 17 May he wields the party.  With numerous performances in South East Asia, alongside internationally acclaimed DJs, DJ Terence C is no stranger to Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Chicane, Omid16B, Anthony Pappa, John Digweed and Hernan Cattaneo.

On 23 May, DJ Hooi, better known as C-Master, follows in the footsteps of progressive vibe DJs John Digweed, DJ Moshic and Chris Micali with progressive vibes at Blue Note.  A semi-finalist in the Pioneer Digital Battles in 2006, DJ Hooi reached th semi-finals of The Juice DJ Quest in 2007 and is reaching for greater heights in 2008.

Saturday 24 May sees international DJ Mike Ho hotting up the dance floor.  Semi-finalist in Thirsts Heineken DJ Battle, second runner-up in The Juice DJ Quest and also Pioneer Digital Battle, DJ Mike Ho has a thirst for beat.  With a funky break-beat vs. post Rock ‘n Roll, Indie and hip-hop, in the blender with electro beats and bass with Eltro Disco as garnish, DJ Mike Ho is bound to deliver a dancing sensation.

May’s Generation Y concludes with an old favourte.  DJ Bryan Burger is back at Blue Note in KK on 30 and 31 May.  Having rubbed shoulders with BT, Dave Seaman, Steve Lawler, John Digwed and Paul Van Dyke, DJ Bryan Burger is a virtual legend by association.  Not to be preceded by his reputation, DJ Bryan Burger will demonstrate his ability to move the dance floor to an orgasmic crescendo at Blue Note at the end of May.

Blue Note at Shang-ri La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa in Kota Kinabalu continues to bring well-known international DJs to KK’s night club dancing scene and promises more of the same in June.

Cocoon Restaurant and Bar is a vibey bar and eatery located in the vicinity of Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo

At only a couple of years old, Cocoon is one of the must-visit watering holes in Kota Kinabalu. Featuring contemporary décor inside the bar, a more casual atmosphere is to be found in the outside seating area for meals, snacks and drinking, where conversation is more important than live music.

The drinks prices at Cocoon is reasonable for this part of town, and they feature the usual range of beers, spirits and wine. The elongated bar features a stage from where the local DJ does his thing, alongside where live bands perform.

Currently playing at Cocoon Restaurant and Bar is Earth Rising, a Filipino band which is hotter on looks than sound. This 7-piece band, who only arrived last week, features 4 gents, one of which is a lead singer, as well as 2 ladies guaranteed to hold your attention.

The usual repertoire of cover-songs leans heavily towards hits in the grungy, angry-girl spectrum, but provides sufficient variety to cater a little something for everybody. Earth Rising performs live at Cocoon every night except Sundays.

Any pub-crawl or party night in Kota Kinabalu should include a stop at Borneo’s Cocoon Restaurant and Bar.