Must-see attractions in Sabah

  • Rungus longhouse, KK, Sabah, Malaysia

    Sabah Museum

    Kota Kinabalu

    About 2km south of the city centre, this museum provides an introduction to Sabah's indigenous cultures, with displays focusing on the traditional attire,…

  • Monsopiad woman shows tourists around traditional house at Kadazan-Dusun Monsopiad Cultural Village.

    Monsopiad Cultural Village

    Kota Kinabalu

    Monsopiad is named after a legendary warrior and headhunter. The highlight of this tacky but fun place is the House of Skulls, which supposedly contains…

  • Bukit Belanda

    Sabah

    Bukit Belanda – Dutch Hill – is a 420m hill located behind the village of Bilit. The land is owned by the citizens of Bilit, who, despite pressures from…

  • Sandakan Heritage Museum

    Sandakan

    This small museum near the beginning of the Heritage Walk is a bit neglected but worth a look for the old photos and memorabilia of Sandakan's tumultuous…

  • Museum of Islamic Civilisation

    Kota Kinabalu

    This collection of historical objects from all over the Islamic world is very engaging. Look out for replica mosques from Melaka and Sandakan, ornate…

  • Kampong Buli Sim Sim

    Sandakan

    This traditional Malay stilt village, located about 3km east of the city centre, is the original settlement Sandakan grew from back in 1879. It's still an…

  • Rumah Terbalik & the 3D Wonders Museum

    Sabah

    Sabah has few 'quirky' sights… Enter 'Rumah Terbalik' – the Upside Down House – a modern, tastefully decorated house, but…upside down! Even the furniture…

  • Tanjung Aru

    Kota Kinabalu

    This pretty sweep of sand begins around the Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and stretches south to the airport. Tanjung Aru is a locals' beach, full of…

  • Puh Toh Tze Buddhist Temple

    Kota Kinabalu

    This impressive temple features a stone staircase-pavilion flanked by 10 Chinese deities leading up to a main temple complex dominated by Kwan Yin,…

  • Tampat Do Aman Nature Reserve

    Sabah

    Part of the 2.4-hectare property of Tampat Do Aman, this small nature reserve, across the road from the eponymous jungle camp, has several walking trails…

  • Chimney

    Sabah

    Formerly part of an old coal-mining station, this is the only historic monument of its kind in Malaysia, and has good views along the coast. Next to it is…

  • Atkinson Clock Tower

    Kota Kinabalu

    The modest timepiece at the foot of Signal Hill is one of the only structures to survive the Allied bombing of Jesselton in 1945. It's a square, 15.7m…

  • Sam Sing Kung

    Sandakan

    The Sam Sing Kung temple (also pronounced 'Sam Sing Gong') dates from 1887, making it the oldest building in Sandakan. The temple itself is a smallish, if…

  • Chinese Temple

    Sabah

    Built by the Hokkien people and also known as the 'eighth' temple, this temple conducts a colourful ceremony of the ninth emperor, a deity in Chinese…

  • Mosque

    Semporna

    Dominating the waterfront with its elegant golden cupola and soaring minarets, this sky-blue mosque is probably the best-looking thing in Semporna,…

  • Central Market

    Kota Kinabalu

    The Central Market is a bustling spot for people watching, with locals going about their daily business as they shop for fresh produce.

  • Stilt village and State Mosque in Kota Kinabalu, Asia's fastest growing city and capital of Sabah, northern tip of Borneo, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

    State Mosque

    Kota Kinabalu

    Sabah's State Mosque is a perfect example of contemporary Malay Muslim architecture: all modernist facade and geometric angles. The building is south of…

  • Che Sui Khor Moral Uplifting Society

    Kota Kinabalu

    About four minutes' drive northeast of KK, this complex has an 11-storey pagoda that shimmers in orange and green. The society espouses believing in the…

  • Malaysia Fountain

    Sandakan

    The fountain commemorates the independence of Sabah on 16 September 1963 with the departure of the last Governor of British North Borneo.