Kota Belud

Introducing Kota Belud

You might think Kota Belud isn’t much to look at, but every Sunday a huge tamu takes place on the outskirts of this small, sleepy town. The market is a congested, colourful and dusty melee of vendors, hagglers, browsers, gawpers and hawkers, all brought together by a slew of everyday goods in a bustle that consumes the whole town each and every week. A smaller version takes place on Wednesday.

A tamu is not simply a market where villagers gather to sell their farm produce and to buy manufactured goods from traders; it’s also a social occasion where news and stories are exchanged. Sadly, tourists now often outnumber buffalo, and the fascinating local Bajau horsemen have mostly moved away from the car park, though some do put on a show for visitors.

Visitors looking for tribal handicrafts and traditional clothing will be disappointed, but the market is certainly lively and you can enjoy a good breakfast here after looking around. The hilly views from the padang may also tempt you to stay a while and do some walking away from the Sunday crowds.

Offshore, Pulau Mantanani offers good reef and wreck diving away from the busier east-coast sites, with regular sightings of dugong; packages can be arranged through Scuba Paradise (266695; www.scubaparadiseborneo.com.my; Wisma Sabah, Jln Haji Saman, Kota Kinabalu), starting at RM560.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009