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Kota Kinabalu

In busy Kota Kinabalu (KK) you’ll soon notice the breathtaking fiery sunsets, blossoming arts-and-music scene and a rich culinary spectrum spanning street food to high-end dining. Alongside swanky new malls and expensive condos, old KK happily endures, through markets brimming with sea creatures and fresh produce, and busy fishers shuttling about the waterfront. This may be a city on the move with the 21st century, but its old-world charm and history are very much alive.

The compact city centre is easy to get around, but most of the city's attractions lie further out. KK is an ideal base for booking your Sabah adventure, whether it be diving, wildlife watching or Mt Kinabalu trekking (though if you have your heart set on a particular experience, book ahead). Believe us, KK will soon grow on you once you get to know it.

Explore Kota Kinabalu

Mari Mari Cultural Village
With its three-hour tours, Mari Mari showcases various traditional homes of Sabahan ethnic communities – the Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun –…
City Mosque
Built in classical style, this mosque is far more attractive than the State Mosque in both setting and design. Completed in 2000 it can hold up to 12,000…
Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre
This centre features 1.4km of wooden walkways passing through a 24-hectare mangrove swamp, where you can expect to see scuttling fiddler and mangrove…
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Signal Hill Observatory Platform
Up on Signal Hill, among the art deco mansions at the city-centre's eastern edge, there's an unmissable UFO-like observation pavilion. Come here to make…
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Night Market
KK's Night Market is an unmissable immersion into local culture. It's authentic, bustling, aromatic and noisy. At the southwest end you will find stalls…
O
Orchid De Villa
If you're crazy about flora, head to this farm, located about 20km from central KK, along the road to Penampang. The farm specialises in rare Bornean…
S
Sunday Market
On Sundays a lively Chinese street fair takes over a section of Jln Gaya. It's vividly chaotic, with stalls cheek by jowl hawking batik sarongs, puppies…
S
Sabah Art Gallery
The first 'green' building in Sabah has outdoor sculpture displays and hosts contemporary art exhibitions by the likes of Francis Cheong and Awang Fadilah…
Sabah Museum
About 2km south of the city centre, this museum provides an introduction to Sabah's indigenous cultures, with displays focusing on the traditional attire,…

Mari Mari Cultural Village
With its three-hour tours, Mari Mari showcases various traditional homes of Sabahan ethnic communities – the Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun –…
City Mosque
Built in classical style, this mosque is far more attractive than the State Mosque in both setting and design. Completed in 2000 it can hold up to 12,000…
Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre
This centre features 1.4km of wooden walkways passing through a 24-hectare mangrove swamp, where you can expect to see scuttling fiddler and mangrove…
S
Signal Hill Observatory Platform
Up on Signal Hill, among the art deco mansions at the city-centre's eastern edge, there's an unmissable UFO-like observation pavilion. Come here to make…
N
Night Market
KK's Night Market is an unmissable immersion into local culture. It's authentic, bustling, aromatic and noisy. At the southwest end you will find stalls…
O
Orchid De Villa
If you're crazy about flora, head to this farm, located about 20km from central KK, along the road to Penampang. The farm specialises in rare Bornean…
S
Sunday Market
On Sundays a lively Chinese street fair takes over a section of Jln Gaya. It's vividly chaotic, with stalls cheek by jowl hawking batik sarongs, puppies…
S
Sabah Art Gallery
The first 'green' building in Sabah has outdoor sculpture displays and hosts contemporary art exhibitions by the likes of Francis Cheong and Awang Fadilah…
Sabah Museum
About 2km south of the city centre, this museum provides an introduction to Sabah's indigenous cultures, with displays focusing on the traditional attire,…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kota Kinabalu.

See
Mari Mari Cultural Village
With its three-hour tours, Mari Mari showcases various traditional homes of Sabahan ethnic communities – the Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun –…
See
City Mosque
Built in classical style, this mosque is far more attractive than the State Mosque in both setting and design. Completed in 2000 it can hold up to 12,000…
See
Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre
This centre features 1.4km of wooden walkways passing through a 24-hectare mangrove swamp, where you can expect to see scuttling fiddler and mangrove…
See
Signal Hill Observatory Platform
Up on Signal Hill, among the art deco mansions at the city-centre's eastern edge, there's an unmissable UFO-like observation pavilion. Come here to make…
See
Night Market
KK's Night Market is an unmissable immersion into local culture. It's authentic, bustling, aromatic and noisy. At the southwest end you will find stalls…
See
Orchid De Villa
If you're crazy about flora, head to this farm, located about 20km from central KK, along the road to Penampang. The farm specialises in rare Bornean…
See
Sunday Market
On Sundays a lively Chinese street fair takes over a section of Jln Gaya. It's vividly chaotic, with stalls cheek by jowl hawking batik sarongs, puppies…
See
Sabah Art Gallery
The first 'green' building in Sabah has outdoor sculpture displays and hosts contemporary art exhibitions by the likes of Francis Cheong and Awang Fadilah…
See
Sabah Museum
About 2km south of the city centre, this museum provides an introduction to Sabah's indigenous cultures, with displays focusing on the traditional attire,…

Guidebooks

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