Kota Kinabalu Halal Explorer Kota Kinabalu Halal Restaurants (2024)

KKCity4 - City centre overlooking the sea.

The capital of the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, this Malaysian city is a growing resort destination due to its proximity to tropical islands, sandy beaches, lush rainforest and Mount Kinabalu. Constantly referred to as KK, it is on the west coast of Sabah within the West Coast Division. KK is one of the smallest neighborhoods in Sabah but has the largest population and is the largest city in the state.

KK lies by the coast overlooking the South China Sea on a narrow flatland and occasional hills bordered by the Crocker Range which hosts Mount Kinabalu. Hence the urban sprawl is concentrated along the coast towards the north and south of the city.

Demonstration for Palestine and Gaza in Kota Kinabalu

Dear Supporters of the Palestinian Cause in Kota Kinabalu,

We are excited to announce a peaceful demonstration in support of the People of Palestine, set to take place in Kota Kinabalu over the next three days. This event is an opportunity for us to come together and raise our voices and the Palestinian Flag for a just and peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.

We want to emphasize that this demonstration is intended to be a peaceful and respectful gathering. Our goal is to show solidarity with the people of Palestine and call for a peaceful solution to the conflict. It is crucial that we maintain a peaceful and respectful atmosphere throughout the event.

Important Guidelines:

To ensure the success of our demonstration and to maintain a peaceful environment, we kindly ask all participants to adhere to the following guidelines:

Peaceful Protest: This is a non-violent demonstration. We do not condone any form of violence or vandalism.

Respect for Law Enforcement: Please treat law enforcement officers in Kota Kinabalu with respect and follow their instructions. Do not engage in confrontations with them.

Leave No Trace: Dispose of any trash responsibly and leave the demonstration area clean.

Thank you for your commitment to our peaceful demonstration in Kota Kinabalu, and let us stand together for a better future for all.

In solidarity,eHalal Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu Halal Travel Guide

Kota Kinabalu is a growing city of around 500,000 inhabitants. Economic growth has resulted in urbanisation of the city reaching adjacent neighborhoods of Penampang and Putatan with a total population of almost 800,000. Its growth and importance is due to being the administrative capital, a major transportation hub, growing port, manufacturing hub, growing tourism and because it is the major gateway into Sabah and East Malaysia. Kota Kinabalu was granted city status in 2000, becoming the sixth city. It is the sixth largest urban/metropolitan area in Malaysia.

Kota Kinabalu was known as Jesselton while under British Empire|British colonial rule from the late 1800s until 1963 when the British left and after Sabah became part of Malaysia. Most of the town was destroyed due to bombings during World War II hence there are not many pre-war historical sites around the city. Before the British arrived and the area was also known by a number of other names such as Deasoka (below the coconut tree), Singgah Mata (pleasing to the eye), Api-Api (fire!) and Gaya Bay.

The people of Kota Kinabalu are Chinese, Kadazandusun, Bajau, Brunei Malays, and there is significant migrant population from Indonesia and Philippines, many of whom are naturalised citizens. There are also many migrant/expat population from India and a growing number from South Korea|Korea.

Central Kota Kinabalu is often referred to as Kota Kinabalu Downtown or the Central Business neighborhood (CBD) or simply Downtown KK and is on the narrow coast overlooking a Island. This is where most hotels, travel agents, transportation bases and most of the action are found. Most of the downtown lies on reclaimed land due to a shortage of land in the area, as it is blocked in by Bukit Bendera (Signal Hill).

District areas which lie within the downtown include Sadong Jaya, Api-Api, Asia City, Bandaran Berjaya, Sinsuran, Kampung Air, Segama, Pantai Street, a Street, Jesselton Point. Just outside the City centre are the Districts towards the South and East are Karamunsing, Sembulan, Tanjung Aru and Sutera Harbour, Kepayan, Penampang, Putatan, Donggongon.

Due to lack of land in the downtown, other important commercial areas have sprouted outside CBD. Some of these areas have been long in existence as small townships (pekan) such as Luyang, Inanam and Menggatal and in adjacent neighborhoods of Penampang (Donggongon) and Putatan while some are recently developed residential-commercial areas such as Alam Mesra, Kingfisher and 1Borneo near Menggatal; Lintas, Penampang Baru and Bundusan.

The climate in KK is characterised by uniform year-round temperature of 32°C (avg. high) and 22°C (avg. low). Rain falls quite often with occasional dry periods. Low rainfall begins in January till April, increasing in May till August, intensifying in September till November and slows down in December. The weather in KK and the immediate area can vary throughout the day/night bringing rainfall for short periods to heavy evening rain. The position of KK is protected by the shape of the coast and harbour and from behind by the Crocker Range of nearby hills. Occasionally the weather rolls in directly from the sea over the city, but mostly the heavy weather blows around and past KK providing some beautiful skies and cloud formations making for stunning sunsets. Away from the on shore breeze travelling further in land by as little as 16 kilometers it can be extremely humid, and rain at this point is very welcome. The weather is a major factor in road/driving accidents and care should be taken, with mobile devices and the internet you can now get weather updates to the spot you are visiting hour by hour.

Visitor information

• Kota Kinabalu Tourism Board - Sabah Tourism Board - Jalan a 5.985383, 116.078167

Travel as a Muslim to Kota Kinabalu

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Kota Kinabalu

There are direct international flights from these destinations to Kota Kinabalu: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei ( Royal Brunei Airlines]), Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia ( AirAsia]), Hong Kong ( Dragonair, Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia]), Jakarta, Indonesia (AirAsia), Manila, Philippines ( AirAsia and Cebu Pacific airlines]), Perth, Australia ( Malaysian Airlines]), Shenzhen, China ( AirAsia]), Seoul Incheon, Busan South Korea ( Asiana Airlines, EastarJet, Jin Air, Korean-Air and Malaysia Airlines]), Singapore ( AirAsia, Silkair and Jet Star Asia]), Taipei, Taiwan ( Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Mandarin Airlines), Tarakan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia ( MASWings]).

Domestic fights from the following cities: Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lawas, Limbang, Miri, Mulu, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau. Operated by MASWings, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.

• Kota Kinabalu International Airport IATA Flight Code: BKI, abbreviated to KKIA - 5.944722, 116.053056 - Kota Kinabalu International Airport KKIA T1 - Malaysia's second busiest airport and the main gateway to Sabah and around 8 kilometers from the downtown. There are two terminals in the airport. Terminal 1 serves full-service airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Asiana Airlines, while Terminal 2 serves air cargo, a tourist helicopter service, and tourist flights. Additional direct flight destinations include (Japan) Tokyo, (China) Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, (Australia) Perth. The State government has foreseen maximum capacity is fast approaching and plans are under way to move some of the traffic directly to Sandakan once Sandakan airport has been lengthened.
  Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are on different sides of the runway. Terminal 1 is accessible from Jalan Kepayan near Kepayan and Terminal 2 is accessible from Jalan Mat Salleh in Tanjung Aru.
  There are ATMs and a currency exchange in Terminal 1 but if you're arriving late it will almost certainly be closed and the ATMs are not always working. Make sure you've got some Malaysian ringgit before you arrive as you'll need it for the taxi or the bus. If you find yourself having just arrived and without any ringgit, you can obtain a taxi take you to an ATM on the way to wherever you're staying.
  There is free Wi-Fi within the departure zone of the airport.

Airport to downtown

• Coach Bus - RM5 Leaves roughly every hour and has 4 stops within KK including the city park stop. Departs from the airport from 8AM - 7PM. Buy tickets inside the arrival area.

• Minibus/City bus - RM1-3 The city buses in KK are shuttle vanes that operate similarly to route taxis or jeepneys. They are available along the primary street away from the airport.

• Taxi - RM30 These are hired by buying a ticket from the window on the Arrivals level and then presenting the ticket to the driver (they are waiting outside on the right).

• On foot Walking into town from the airport is feasible if you like walking and have 1-2 hours to spare. Pick up a city map in the airport terminal, and you won't have any problem finding your way.

By car

All primary streets in Sabah radiate out from Kota Kinabalu; they have to for geographical reasons.

The primary street to the Sarawak border at Sindumin heads south from the city through the neighborhoods of Kepayan, Tanjung Aru, Papar, Kimanis, Beaufort (Sabah) | Beaufort and Sipitang.From Sindumin (border crossing into Sarawak) and the road continues to Lawas and on to Brunei and it is feasible to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land. The journey is a minimum five hours to Brunei. Passports/ID have to be shown at each crossing prolonging the travel duration. Brunei is a country made up of two enclaves and surrounded by Sarawak this involves five border crossings/checks, each way.In Sabah a primary street north via Tuaran, Kota Belud, Matunggong then on to Kudat known as the tip of Borneo, this is a 3-3½ hours journey each way with heavy traffic and rain storms it can be longer,the road is a metalled/tarmac road all the way.From Kudat it is feasible to drive all the way over to Sandakan. Leaving Kudat, Matunggong, turn left towards Kota Maruda and then up towards Pitas the road heads South and East around the far side of the Gunung Kinabalu (Mt. Kinabalu) and joins up at Pamol turn left and continue towards Sandakan. Before reaching Sandakan you can turn South And East towards Kinabantangan, Sukau reserves and on towards Lahad Datu. The road continues to Kunak, Semp*rna, Tawau Hills reserve and Tawau. As of November 2017 the road commonly called the Trans Borneo Highway is open from Tawau to connect it to Keningau to complete the loop back into KK via Tambunan over the Crocker Range into Penampang and KK city. It is expected to reduce the 10 hour drive by three hours. Completion date not yet set.The primary street to the East Coast (Sandakan and Lahad Datu) branches off from this road at Tamparuli and then via Kundasang, Ranau, Telupid, Pamol, Sepilok and into Sandakan.

Another primary street heading southeast leaves the suburbs of Penampang and Donggongon towards Tambunan, Keningau and Tenom. Travel by private vehicle to KK is quite popular with Muslim visitors from around Sabah including Sandakan and Tawau, Labuan, Miri and Brunei.

Travel on a Bus in Kota Kinabalu

There are two long-distance bus terminals.

• South Bus Terminal Wawasan Bus Terminal - Jalan K.K. Bypass 5.9724, 116.0675 across the road from Wisma Wawasan

2022-00 Serves destinations south of Kota Kinabalu: Beaufort, Sipitang and Lawas. It's also the main depot for buses and shuttle vanes from the downtown to the suburbs such as Putatan, Tanjung Aru, Kepayan, Luyang, Penampang, Likas, Inanam and Menggatal. All buses coming in from the suburbs can only stop in this depot to avoid congestion in the downtown, bus fare is around RM0.50 to RM2 depending on the distance. Wawasan Bus terminal also serves as a depot for long-distance buses towards south of Kota Kinabalu. A new southbound long-distance bus terminal has been planned for construction near Terminal 1, KKIA in Kepayan. For travel to Labuan it is quicker to take the Express Coaches than the Labuan ferry.

• North Bus Terminal - Inanam Bus Station Terminal - Inanam town 5.994176, 116.128844 10 kilometers to the northeast of the downtown This terminal serves buses going north and east of Kota Kinabalu, including Mount Kinabalu, Sandakan, Semp*rna and Tawau. Shuttle from Kota Kinabalu city to Inanam is RM1.50, 20 min, departs from bus station on Jalan Padang.

From east and north of Sabah

• Sandakan, it takes 5-6 hr, RM43.50. Several express bus companies operate buses between the Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal and Sandakan.
• Semp*rna, is very far so it takes 9-10 hours to reach. Dyana Bus leaves twice daily from Inanam station around 7:30AM and 7:30PM.
• Tawau, ~9 hr, RM55. Several express bus companies operate between North Bus Terminal and Tawau. Tung Ma Express ☎ +60 198827334, Andisba Express ☎ +60 881 3879 7779, Alitopan Express ☎ +60 881 3886 2348, +60 881 9863 4797, +60 888 976 7858. Buses depart Kota Kinabalu at 7AM, 8AM, 10AM, noon, 2PM.
• Mount Kinabalu and Ranau 1½-2 hr, RM25-35. All the above buses pass by the entrance of the Mount Kinabalu National Park, Kundasang and Ranau (for Poring Hot Spring). You can get off or board at these locations. You can also catch buses/shuttle vanes doing the shorter run to Ranau.

From south

• Brunei. There is one bus per day from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kota Kinabalu. It leaves from the waterfront in BSB at 8AM, but get there a half hour early to buy the ticket. It takes 6–8 hours and costs 45 Brunei dollars (2022). See also Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land.
• Lawas. Sipitang Express Bus Sdn Bhd ☎ +60 88213722 or +60 168149332 runs one bus at 7AM daily from the Downtown bus hub to Lawas in Sarawak. From Lawas, buses depart at 12:30PM The journey takes about 4 hours and costs RM20 one way. Lawas Bus Company also operates an express bus daily to Lawas, departing Lawas at about 8AM and returning from Kota Kinabalu Downtown terminal at 1PM. Both buses go through Beaufort (Sabah) | Beaufort and Sipitang. You can also make the journey by minivans but you may have to switch at Beaufort (Sabah) | Beaufort or even at Papar and Sipitang. Catch them from the minivan station opposite Wawasan Plaza.
• Beaufort and Sipitang. Sipitang Express Bus departs the Downtown Terminal for Beaufort (Sabah) | Beaufort (1 hours 45 min, RM9) and Sipitang (2 hours 45 min, RM14) at 8:30AM, 12PM and 2:30PM. The 7:30AM bus to Lawas also goes through Beaufort and Sipitang. From Sipitang, buses depart at 8AM, 12PM, 1:30PM (bus comes through from Lawas) and 4:30PM and 1 hours later from Beaufort. Lawas Bus Company's express bus between Kota Kinabalu and Lawas. Again, you can do this do this by minivans throughout the day, although they are more frequent in the morning. You may also have to switch at Papar if you cannot get a direct minivan.
• Menumbok. Multiple bus companies operate express buses between KK and Menumbok where there are ferries to Labuan. They depart frequently in the morning since 6AM from KK Downtown terminal next to the City town hall. From Menumbok, buses depart at 10:15AM and 3:15PM. One way tickets cost is RM18. Minivans also do the journey although you may have to switch at Papar and Beaufort.
• Papar. Regular minivans run to this coastal town 38 kilometers south of Kota Kinabalu.

From south-west interior

• Tambunan, Keningau and Tenom. Most public transport to this part of Sabah is by shuttle vanes and vans which leave from the shuttle van station opposite Wawasan Plaza. Again, it's best to get started early 7AM. You should be able to catch a direct shuttle van from Kota Kinabalu to Keningau, change there for Tenom. Tenom can also be reached by train read that section below, it may be an idea to consider using train, and bus to meet your needs otherwise it may involve staying in Tenom. In 2017 the road construction is complete making progress between Keningau towards Tawau feasible taking nearly 8 hours. This Sabah route is known as the Trans Borneo Highway and cuts the travel durations form West to Eastern Sabah by more than three hours so it will be a very important Bus transport route.

By sea

The only regular access to Kota Kinabalu by sea is from Labuan. The ferry service takes about 3.5 hours and costs about RM40 (2022). There are two services from Labuan to KK every day: 8:30AM and 1PM. From KK to Labuan and the ferries depart at 08:00 and 13:30. From Labuan, you can continue on to Bandar Seri Begawan in one day if you get an early start. See the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land page for details. Ferries from Labuan dock at - GPS: 5.9901, 116.0790 Web: * Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal on the northern edge of the downtown. There's a currency exchange outside the ferry terminal, but beware that the posted exchange rates are only for large bills; smaller bills have a worse exchange rate.

Kota Kinabalu is a port of call for many cruise ships passing through east Asia such as Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2, Diamond Princess, MV Arcadia and SuperStar Virgo via cruise lines such as Cunard, Star Cruises, Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises]. Cruise ships will usually dock at Kota Kinabalu Port north of Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal.

Muslim Friendly Rail Holidays in Kota Kinabalu

Sabah State Railway uses air-conditioned trains on a single 134-km route from Tanjung Aru south of the downtown to Tenom in the interior via Beaufort (Sabah) | Beaufort. Four trains operate Monday to Saturday, while on Sunday there are two trains, running between GPS 5.9467, 116.0591 Tanjung Aru station ☎ +60 88254611 and Beaufort, where you change trains if you want to continue your journey to Tenom. Journey time between Kota Kinabalu and Beaufort is about 2 hr, making it more attractive for Muslim travellers to take the bus for part of the journey. The train stops the following places: Kota Kinabalu (Tanjung Aru), Putatan, Kinarut, Kawang, Papar, Kimanis, Bongawan, Membakut, Beaufort, Saliwangan, Halogilat, Rayoh, Pangi and Tenom.

The route between Halogilat to Tenom is to be upgraded works are due to start in 2018.

Trains for Tenom run from Beaufort once a day at 7:45AM so to take the train to Tenom, you will have to stay over night in Beaufort. Full details on the refurbished train schedule are available online:

A leisure train service known as North Borneo Railway caters to tourists and uses an old steam train and designed to resemble trains in the colonial era. This is a joint venture project between Sabah State Railway and Sutera Harbour Resort. Trains only travel up to Papar. Tickets cost RM270 and RM170 for children and includes breakfast and lunch. Official website with information: [https://emid=64 There is road access to the Station entrance and the steam train and the diesel services operate here from the new platforms. There is an escalator to the upper levels which includes a café and a cinema.

Get around

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By foot

KotaKinabalu-JalanHajiSaman - Central KK

The downtown is quite small, and you can walk from one end to the other in less than 30 min. The city is set out along a grid system with the long primary streets running parallel to the nearby waterfront with intersecting roads forming the local neighborhoods within the city. As K.K. has grown there are dual carriageways that weave around the city on the land available and the new buildings/malls, hospitals etc. Further from the old downtown do not conform to the original grid planners used. In June 2017 the rush hours are very busy and the road junctions are controlled/blocked by police to assist/ speed up the process of clearing the city of traffic.

Safely crossing the street can be an issue, but most streets are at least equipped with sidewalks. The sidewalks in places are very uneven and the rain/storm gutters are easy to trip or fall into. You can also walk to and from the airport (1-2 hours each way). Even the highways outside of town usually have a walking path or a wide grassy shoulder to walk on.

Best way to travel in Kota Kinabalu by a Taxi

Short fares are around RM10, longer trips around RM20. A whole day shouldn't cost more than RM300. Haggling is absolutely vital in order to get a fair price. Many taxi drivers in Malaysia are infamous for raising their fare prices, even after a price has already been determined by thorough prior negotiation. They frequently attempt to manipulate and deceive unknowing tourists by feigning ignorance and delivering tourists to the wrong hotels, which sometimes provide kickbacks to the drivers. Mentioning a call to the authorities may resolve the situation quickly.

Uber and Grab Car operate, with rides costing RM4 for the first 3 kilometers and RM1.2 for each sequential km.

By bus and shuttle van

To travel within the downtown and the City Bus is used. The green and yellow City Bus departs from Wawasan Bus Terminal and circles the downtown using 4 routes: Route 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B. City Bus fare cost RM0.50 and are quite frequent. However the conductor and driver often encourages more people to get on the bus until totally crowded before it leaves.

• Route 1A: travels along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens until Jesselton Point and returns along Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Coastal.
• Route 1B: travels along Jalan Coastal and Jalan Tun Razak and returns along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens.
• Route 2A: travels along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman via Karamunsing and Jalan KK Bypass all the way to Sabah Trade Centre in Likas and returns the same way.
• Route 2B: travels along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman until the roundabout near Australia Place and returns the same way.

For the full list of routes, you can check the Kota Kinabalu City Bus

By car

Road signs in Malay|Some road signs does not have English translations. Here are some of the important ones:

• Awas - Beware or Danger
• Kawasan Kemalangan - Accident-prone Area
• Kurangkan Laju - Reduce Speed
• Beri Laluan - Give Way

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Cars can easily be hired on the spot from the hire vehicle counters in the arrivals hall in the airport. Rates can be negotiated so compare the offers. Rental companies do not offer hand-controls for the disabled. Child seats, booster seats are not provided and there is no requirement to wear rear seat belts, you will see children unbelted in the front and rear seats of vehicles. There are also many automobile rental services in the city:

• JoyDrive KK - Car Rental Kota Kinabalu - Lintas Plaza, Kota Kinabalu☎ +60 138810882 - Budget vehicle rental. Online booking available.

• Kinabalu Rent A Car - Wisma Sabah, Jln. Tun Razak☎ +60 88-232602
• Kings Car Rental Services - Jln Murni, Tanjung Aru☎ +60 88-878282

Road signs are prevalent throughout KK and Sabah. So driving within KK and towards other parts of Sabah is not difficult. There are however some signages which are only in Malay. Most signs are coloured the same to make your route planning easier. Watch out for local low down cardboard drawn signs if you are looking for flowering Rafflesia or local produce like Durian sometimes there are road side stalls but not always. Signboards in brown colour indicates recreation/places of interest. The KK city has had too build dual carriageway roads, flyovers etc. These are very busy and congested at peak times of the day. However highways leading towards other towns are for a short way dual carriageway roads then into single carriageways which might put your overtaking skills to the test especially in hilly areas. Because many roads are steep when traversing mountainous areas the roads have sudden bends along with the mist/rain and the wet roads fast driving and overtaking at the wrong point results in a lot of accidents. Be very careful when overtaking and no overtaking over double lines. You may be on holiday in a small car, but, all of Sabah's roads carry traffic for the cities and communities of Sabah from trucks and coaches to mopeds so be careful. More information on Malaysian road signs: w:Road_signs_in_Malaysia or check out the Malay phrasebook.

Highways are sometimes marked according to their numbers. The following are some of the major highways from Kota Kinabalu:

• Highway 1 (formerly A2): Highway heading south of KK towards Putatan, Kinarut, Papar, Kimanis, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu, Sipitang, Lawas, Brunei and Sarawak.
• Highway 1 (formerly A1): Highway heading north of KK towards Telipok, Tuaran, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Pitas and Kudat.
• Highway 22 (formerly A4): Highway heading east (from Berungis Roundabout, Tuaran) towards Tamparuli, Kundasang, Ranau, Telupid, Beluran, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau and Semp*rna.
• Highway 500 (formerly SA3): Highway heading east of KK towards Penampang, Tambunan, Keningau and Tenom

Motorbike rental

• GG Rent A Motorbike Provides scooters and semi automatic motorbikes for tourists at a price of RM20 (5 hours) and RM40 (whole day). They provide maps and plan your itinerary with you to maximise your schedule and minimise the time.

Book a Halal Cruise or Boat Tour in Kota Kinabalu

There are speedboat services from Kota Kinabalu to the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu from Jesselton Point Jetty with regular departures to Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sapi, Pulau a and Pulau Sulug. There are also public departures from the Sabah Parks Jetty behind Wisma Merdeka. Two resorts, Tanjung Aru and Sutera Harbour resort have their own marine excursion shops and also run a service to the islands but it is for paying guests staying at the respective resorts. There are also speedboats for charter where travellers can obtain the flexibility of time and destination, There are tour operator shops in Kota Kinabalu centre or you can book via the internet. You can also visit Pulau Tiga which is south of KK and not within the marine park and the TV series Survivor was made here. There are other islands further along the coast and out to sea but the above are the easiest to visit as a tourist.

Local Language in Kota Kinabalu

Like most other Malaysian cities, Kota Kinabalu is a melting pot of various cultures. Almost all local residents are able to understand and speak at least basic English. There is an emerging community of educated local residents who are able to converse in fluent English and, in fact, speak English as their first language. As almost 50% of Kota Kinabalu's residents are of Chinese descent, visitors who speak Chinese will not encounter any language problems. The main dialect spoken by Kota Kinabalu's Chinese community is Hakka, but Mandarin and Cantonese are also widely understood and spoken. Unlike many other Malaysian cities with substantial Chinese communities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang and the Hokkien dialect is not in common use among Kota Kinabalu's Chinese residents. In addition to English and Chinese dialects, Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is also widely spoken, albeit with a distinct Sabahan flavour. Some residents also speak the languages of native Sabahan tribes/villages. Dialects such as Kadazandusun, Bajau and Murut etc. These dialects are not commonly used in daily conversation outside of rural communities.KDCA (KadazanDusan Cultural Association) has successfully lobbied (to local Government) that the Kadazandusun language be used in schools and at meetings and in 2017, teachers arecpreparing to teach Kadazandusun in schools and work places this will be taking place during 2019 with a longer expansion into 2025. They have created a tri-lexicon of Kadasandusan- Malay and English words and this is being distributed in limited numbers. Sabah's first Language in schools is Melayu, English and now Kadazandusun. Sabah is the only Malaysian state to celebrate Pesta Kemataan(harvest festival) this is a Kadazandusun cultural festival held in May and June each year. The New Sabah Times daily newspaper has a complete Kadazandusan language section where it reports local news it is also available to readers online.

Additionally, a few of the younger generation speak limited Korean and Japanese. There has been since the 1970s a large influx of Philippinos, and they speak their own languages and little English so you may have to resort to sign language to buy what you want.

Bahasa Melayu is a language that you can quickly pick up, and the local Malay/KK residents when they hear you talking will join in and help you.

The other language spoken often is "Bazzar Melayu" due to the mixture of cultures and tribal/village background and the introduction of English. When buying something in the market the language can easily be five words all from a different language.

What to see in Kota Kinabalu

AtkinsonClockTower-KotaKinabalu - Atkinson Clock Tower

Central part

• Atkinson Tower 5.982186, 116.077333 on a hill beside Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, a few min away from the downtown - Atkinson Clock Tower - AtkinsonClockTower-KotaKinabalu Built in 1902 in memory of Francis George Atkinson and the first neighborhood officer of Jesselton, as Kota Kinabalu was then called. He died of a tropical disease in the same year at the young age of only 28.The clock tower is one of only two buildings/structures to survive the World War II destruction of Jesselton (renamed Kota Kinabalu in 1963) the other being the Post Office building, which is now the Sabah Tourism Board building on Jalan Balai Polis. Not to be confused with the general Post Office building on Jalan Tun Razak in Segama neighborhood of KK city.

• Signal Hill Observatory 5.985801, 116.079724 15 min walk up hill from the Atkinson Clock Tower - Signal Hill Observatory, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.JPG Offers a good view of the downtown. There is a small drinks shop, it can be very busy as can the public road as it approaches sunset (around 6PM depending on the time of year).

City Park, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - City Park and the only park within the downtown.

• City Park 5.981511, 116.074647 - City Park, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.JPG A small park and the only park in the downtown opposite the court complex. It contains the British North Borneo Memorial which commemorates the soldiers who fought and died defending the British Empire during World War I. The memorial was built in 1923.

• Chinatown - a Street - 5.98431, 116.07742 - Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu KotaKinabalu Sabah a-Street-Sunday-Market-12 A Located in the downtown surrounding a Street and Pantai (Beach) Street. There is a Sunday market here the Market starts early 6:30AM Monday - 1PM, arrive late you will miss it. Some Chinese coffee shops, breakfast shops and restaurants. This area together with the adjacent area around Australia Place near the city police station has the highest concentration of budget hostels in KK. The name "Chinatown" is mainly a tourism gimmick after the arch gate was erected not more than after 2005, so many local residents would not know what Chinatown is. Use instead "Gaya Street".

Southern neighborhoods

• Stilt villages, are houses found along the coast of ethnic Bajau, Suluk, Iranun, Malays, and Ubian people. Some villages are made up of people who have been here since 15th -18th century from Sulu Archipelago (now southern Philippines) who are considered natives under Sabah law. However massive influx if new migrants from this same region beginning 1970s have occupied these same villages mostly due to similar legacy and ethnicity as these local inhabitants. Some new migrants are illegal with no proper documentation. Illegal migrants would normally occupy deeper parts of these stilt villages in slums. These slums are significantly dirtier and dangerous since the people and their homes are illegal. Stilt villages can be found in Kampung Tanjung Aru, Kampung Sembulan, Kampung Kasuapan (Pulau a) and Kampung Pondo (Pulau a). Since there is no real boundary between a traditional stilt village and the slum, visiting these places is considered dangerous and very dirty and not recommended even for local residents unless accompanied by tour guides. There may be stilt villages further out of the city such as in Mengkabong which are safer and cleaner. If you are interested in slums, perhaps some speedboat drivers in Jesselton Point Jetty who live in Pulau a would be pleased to show you around their stilt village/slum for a little extra fee.

Sembulan & Karamunsing areas

Areas adjacent to the central part but slightly south of it.

• Sembulan Riverfront 5.968663, 116.070941 around the confluence of Sembulan and Karamunsing Rivers behind Sadong Jaya Tiny pedestrian strip running along the river. Partly abandoned and thus doubtfully a high destination.

- Double Six Monument Grace Point, Sembulan 5.962233, 116.061776 - A memorial site on the location of the 1976 plane crash which killed the state chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens and other state cabinet members. There is a nice new food court on site called Grace Point Food Court offering local Sabah, Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Thai and other cuisine.

KotaKinabalu Sabah CityMosque-08 - Kota Kinabalu City Mosque

• Sabah State Museum - Jalan Kebajikan 5.960407, 116.071524 ☎ +60 88-225 033 Opening Hours: 9AM–5PM RM15 Has 3 storeys of exhibits. A good place to understand the history of Kota Kinabalu and Sabah. The museum complex also features the Science and Technology Museum, Sabah Art Gallery and a legacy village. Sabah Art Gallery contains artworks by local artists and they also have a very well stock book shop covering everything about Sabah.

• Islamic Civilization Museum Jalan Menteri 5.963235, 116.073959 behind Sacred Heart Gothic Church and nearby the State Museum ☎ +60 88-253 199 - Has a history of Islamic civilization in Sabah.

KotaKinabalu Sabah SabahStateMosque-02 - Sabah State Mosque

• Sacred Heart Gothic Church - Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman 5.964654, 116.072318 Roman Catholic church. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu and the cathedral is one of the largest in Sabah.

• Sabah State Mosque Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sembulan 5.959859, 116.067202 ☎ +60 13-869 3148 - The largest mosque in Sabah. Its dome and minaret is decorated with real gold.

• Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple Jalan Mat Salleh near Sembulan 5.956589, 116.065397 - The only Sikh Gurdwara in Kota Kinabalu.

Tanjung Aru

Tanjung Aru is "the headland", land that projects out into the sea. Tanjung Aru is a Southern District of Kota Kinabalu city. It is 8 kilometers from the centre of KK, a 15-20 minutes taxi ride (RM30 in November 2022) between Tanjung Aru and the KK centre. The hotel resort is completely separate. The only eating area available now is the food court near the Kota Kinabalu golf club, in the coconut grove.

• Perdana Park Jalan Mat Salleh 5.949546, 116.04854 - An acre 18 park in Tanjung Aru featuring a light and musical water fountain, greenery, children's playground and jogging tracks. The park was built on the land formerly known as Hone Place where British government quarters stood. Fountain show starts at 7PM. Running/walking track some small food and drink outlets, free entry and water and light fountain display each evening. The vehicle park is small and there is also a small fee to park here. Within the coconut grove between the road and the beach is a small toilet block and a very small drinks shop next to it.

• Tanjung Aru Beach - Pertama Pantai, which means "First Beach" in Malay - 5.947264, 116.045917 - A 20-minutes drive from the downtown is the most popular public beach in the city. Usually quiet during the daytime on weekdays, at the weekend it is frequented by local residents for picnics, BBQ's meetings watching the sunset and to play sports, tug of war, hand ball, kite flying and bathing. The Tanjung Aru public beach starts just behind the Tanjung Aru resort hotel and extends in a long shallow curve to the Terminal 2 of the KKIA. The curve of the beach means this part fills quickly when the tide returns and that means you will be cut off. The waters are shallow but can be ft 5 deep. Just behind the beach is a grass area with palms and BBQ stations, further along is Prince Philip park, which is just a grass area with a few pop up food/drinks stalls at the entrance. The shops and bars near the main vehicle park just off Jalan Mat Salleh were knocked down in 2016: all that remains is a food court and a toilet block. Beyond that is the KK sailing club.

• Petagas War Memorial No.1, Jalan Bandaran 5.921189, 116.054632 about 15 minutes outside the downtown off Jalan Kepayan a taxi there and back with a 30 minutes wait is RM80, less with Uber/Grab taxi ☎ +60 88-521 800 - Dedicated to the 176 members of the Kinabalu Guerrillas who attacked the Japanese occupying forces during World War II, in what was known as the "Double Tenth Revolt" (10/10/1943), who were subsequently detained and executed in Petagas. It is a small memorial and is easily viewed with 30 minutes.

Likas

Likas — a historic village, now a huge sub-section of the modern city slightly north of central Kota Kinabalu. Partly occupied by mangrove wetlands - Likas Bay promenade - 5.992993, 116.101007 along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens A huge several kilometers promenade, used mostly by joggers and cyclists, that run along almost all the Likas bay. It starts about 1 kilometers north from Jesselton point and runs up to the huge building of Malaysia Sabah University on the northern end of the bay. There are plenty of food courts and several beaches on the way. One of the beaches is Likas Bay beach which is smaller and maybe a bit less pretty beach than Tanjung Aru's one. An interesting sight where the beach is surrounded by the city with a view of anchored ships off Sepanggar Port. The jogging/cycling path along the bay has been extended back into KK as far as the Imago Mall, although in parts of the city waterfront areas, it's not obvious where the path is. The path continues past the Imago Mall, as far as Jalan Mat Salleh (Dec 2017). Once out beyond Jesselton Point the path is easy to use. The areas behind the shallow waters and beach are grassed areas with palms, fitness stations and BBQ stations. In May the beach and the bay is used to hold the annual "Dragon Boat" races, it can be busy especially at the weekend more so if the weather is good. It is a good area for photography with the sweeping bay and the Floating Masjid and sunset views.

• Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre - formerly known as Kota Kinabalu Bird Sanctuary - 5.987296, 116.089134 ☎ +60 88-246955 - A 24-hectare mangrove conservation area used for recreation, education and research. It is located in Likas along Jalan Bukit Bendera Upper just 5 minutes drive from downtown (15 minutes walk from Signal Hill Observatory). The area is managed by the Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society.

• The Green Connection Aquarium - 5.976952, 116.087671 located 10 min outside the downtown area by taxi ☎ +60 88-263326+60 88-263327 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30AM Monday - 5PM - The best place to see the aquatic wildlife of Borneo without leaving the city. Help conserve Sabah wildlife by visiting here. Lots of things to see and do - touch a shark, stroke a snake, watch a turtle. Opportunities for interns & volunteers or simply to dive in the giant tank and feed the fish.

• Kota Kinabalu City Mosque Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens 5.995495, 116.107608 A 'floating' mosque overlooking Likas Bay is another major mosque in the city with interesting contemporary Islamic architecture. As of June 2018 and the mosque's chairman is /news/world-asia-44607991 not allowing public transport to bring tourists to the mosque compound. Getting there: by public bus, take the 8C or 8D from Platform Wisma Bandaraya (opposite of the Shell Gas Station and there are many mini-buses parked there). by Grab taxi, RM8.

• Che Sui Khor Chinese Temple - Jalan Tuaran at Mile 2 5.971708, 116.082851 Contains an interesting 12-tier pagoda and is part of the Moral Uplifting Society.

• Puh Toh Tze Chinese Temple Jalan Tuaran near Kolombong 5.991967, 116.116523

Much further to the east of Likas located the following sights:

• Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Hindu Temple No. 4, Jalan Khidmat, Off Jalan Kolam, Bukit Padang 5.976111, 116.115691 about 20 minutes drive from the city One of two Hindu temple in the city.

• Tun Fuad Park - 5.949369, 116.107567 located on the eastern edge of the city, 15 minutes drive from downtown - Where the city meets the hilly jungles of Crocker Range. The park contains 2 restaurants, hawker centers and the Water World theme park, a lake and jogging track.

• Tzer Ying Buddhist Temple Kampung Minintod Off Jalan Kolam-Minintod, 88200, Penampang, 5.941873, 116.117212 ☎ +60 88-724 725 - A pure Buddhist temple with adjacent Tzer Ying Buddhism Research Society.

Further afield

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park - 6.005394, 116.049325 A collection of 5 islands (Gaya, Manukan, Sapi, Sulug and Mamutik) just off the coast of KK city. Travel by speedboat takes about 15-20 minutes depending on the island and departs from the Sabah Parks jetty behind Wisma Merdeka or from Jesselton Point Waterfront jetty. Pulau a is the largest of the islands with two resorts on the far side and the eastern end has a Kampong Laut with 6000 villagers. Pulau Sapi is the closest island to a and has a zip wire ride called the Coral Flyer from a over to Sapi. Pulau Manukan is the second largest, 10 minutes ride away from Sapi. It has a smaller overnight lodging and has the parks office to collect fees. Pulau Mamutik is smaller and offers the same facilities as the others.Pulau Sulug is the smallest of the five. Special permission from the park authorities is required to stay overnight on Palau Tiga, made famous from the TV series Survivor and has a mud pool, it is not within the Marine park and not visited on a regular basis, so the conditions are very sparse.

• Mari Mari Cultural Village - near the jungles in Kianson, Inanam about 25 minutes northwest of the downtown 5.9733813, 116.20053 ☎ +60 13-881 4921 Opening Hours: Shows last for about 3 hours and start at 10AM, 2PM and 6PM RM 90, including quite basic buffet at the end of a show They showcase the culture/lifestyle of various indigenous groups of Sabah. The tour offers visitors the opportunity to see and experience the culture/lifestyle of how the indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah used to live in the past.The village features five different ethnic tribes: the Kadazandusun rice farmers and the longhouse resident Rungus tribe and the Bajau hunters and fisherman and the Kayan tribe, and the famously feared headhunting Murut tribe.
  The buffet was a choice of 16 meals with one being fish. There is a small cold drinks/coconut milk seller and a small gift from your country shop.
  Getting there: taxi costs around RM 50 one way, Uber/Grab cost RM 20 (however, it's not feasible to order one in the opposite direction from the park as all the drivers are based in KK. Besides, Cultural Village offers bus pick up and drop off for RM 30 per person one way.

• Kokol Hills Menggatal 5.988294, 116.212914 - Offers a very nice view of Kota Kinabalu and the coasts and the sea from about 30 kilometers away. The hills are pretty undeveloped but the road is good and new. As of January 2012 and there is only one resort and restaurant called Kasih Sayang Resort. Kokol is also fast becoming a hotspot for paragliding. Info on paragliding in Sabah.

• St. Michael's Church Donggongon, Penampang 5.907405, 116.109706 Was completed after 1945-1948 the large granite block were dragged to the site by buffalo and then dressed on site. Which still retains its old-style architecture. This church has stained glass window that commemorate the lives lost during World War II.

KgKuaiKandazon Sabah Monsopiad-House-of-Skulls-01 - Hall of Skulls at Monsopiad Cultural Village

• Monsopiad Cultural Village - Kampung Kuai Kandazon, Peti Surat 740 Malaysia, Penampang 5.88884, 116.0796 ☎ +60 11-1419 6488 Opening Hours: 9AM–5PM Entrance fee is RM50 for non-Malaysian adults, RM10 for non-Malaysian children Located about a 30 miunite drive from KK city in the neighborhood of Panampang, near to Lok Kawi Zoo, this small park shows the traditional way of life of the Kadazan ethnic groups and tells the story of Monsopiad, a Murut warrior who lived some 300 years ago, who killed 42 men who attacked his village. The 42 skulls can be viewed in the Hall of Skulls.
  Getting there: hire a taxi from Kota Kinabalu and arrange to be picked up. The rate varies, ask and agree a price before travelling. - Lok Kawi Wildlife Park near the small town of Lok Kawi 5.851215, 116.070218 about 30 minutes south of Kota Kinabalu ☎ +60 88-765 793 Opening Hours: 9:30AM Monday - 5:30PM Entrance fee: RM30 for adults, RM10 for children, half-price for Malaysians It features five female Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, one female Gibbons, a Sumatran Rhinoceros, two tigers, local deer, various birds in a large aviary the Hornbills are impressive up close and in flight, eight elephants, and two sun bears. A reptile section will be opened soon. An alternative to visiting the nature reserves around Sabah for those on a tight schedule, as well as giving you the chance to see the animals much more up close than you would in the jungle.
  The overall appearance of the zoo is very poor and nowhere near the standards of the Singapore zoo, this is due to funding, visitor numbers and the weather. The shop/café has closed, so there are pop up stalls in the main vehicle park. Feeding time is at 2PM so try to arrive early to see that, you will not need more than two hours to walk around the zoo.
  Getting there: it is a little difficult to get to as there is no public transportation that goes right to the park, and it is about 10 min drive outside of Lok Kawi (and about half an hour outside of Kota Kinabalu). Take a 17B or 17C bus to Lok Kawi town at RM3 a head and then a local taxi for around RM12-15 to the park. It is advisable to get the phone number of the taxi driver or arrange pickup from the park at a set time to go back to Lok Kawi as there are no taxis or buses at the park. Alternatively pay some RM100-120 to have a taxi take you from Kota Kinabalu and back.

• Crocker Range National Park - 5.398384, 116.100426 ☎ +60 87-330 924 Opening Hours: 8AM Monday - 5PM| price=Admission fee: RM10, Malaysian RM3 The park is 75 kilometers long and 15km wide, with elevation ranging between 100m to 2050m at the peak of Mt. Alab. Most of the park is covered with forest. Getting there: take a bus to Keningau from the long distance bus station near Merdeka Field, depart 7AM, 8AM, 10AM, noon, 1PM, 2PM and 5PM, fare is RM16. Taxi to Keningau costs RM120. After reaching Keningau take another taxi to the Crocker Range station, it costs about RM40.

• The northern coast of Kota Kinabalu is contains undisturbed scenic geographical features including GPS 6.122559,116.116245 Karambunai and Dalit Beach and behind these beaches is a lagoon-type estuary containing Mengkabong and Salut rivers. {{marker|type= see GPS 6.133780 ,116.136545The Lagoon Park = in Karambunai could be a good place to start in order to explore this area as there are boat rides or jet-skis for rent. {{marker|type= see GPS 6.136256 ,116.212188The Mengkabong water village is also an interesting sight to explore. Salut contains two popular seafood reastaurants by the lagoon/lake in Salut called Salut Seafood and ang Seafood. Nearby {{marker|type= see GPS 6.166537 ,116.159164Borneo Kellybays offers various watersports and camping activities around mangrove forest, river and beach.

• Tambalang Racecourse - 6.191543, 116.191144 ☎ +60 88-25 2705 Ahorse-racing track operated by Royal Sabah Turf Club in Tuaran.

What to do in Kota Kinabalu

Scuba diving & snorkelling

Try dives, leisure diving, technical diving and snorkelling are all available from Kota Kinabalu.

Several interesting dive sites can be enjoyed as day trips from Kota Kinabalu with nearby World War II wrecks accessible for scuba diving. Some are in the 24-45 m depth range whilst other wrecks are only suitable for technical diving. Advanced and basic diver training courses are run from Kota Kinabalu by several dive centre operators.

Dive destinations

• Usukan Bay near Pulau Mantanani, suitable for recreational diving. Located near the fishing port of Kota Belud 30 nautical miles north of Kota Kinabal these dive sites are ideal day trips from Kota Kinabalu. Boat trips north from Kota Kinabalu normally depart from Sutera Harbour Marina or Jesselton Point and take roughly 2 hr. These dives are only suitable for divers that already have PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or similar certification and some previous wreck diving experience is advised. There are three popular wrecks spread over a distance of about one kilometre lying 7 n.m offshore.
• Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park offers many snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities between 20 and 30 min from Kota Kinabalu by boat. Dive operators depart from the Jesselton Point Jetty and Sutera Harbour Marina. Islands and beaches are beautiful, even though the water color is very green and not transparent. Underwater visibility can be an issue around the entire park: It sometimes drops below 3m due to dirty river water from Mt. Kinabalu by everyday-pouring rain. If you are used to snorkelling or diving in good visibility, you may be disappointed.
• The a wreck lies in 50m of water within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and is a 30 min boat ride from Kota Kinabalu. The wreck is thought to be that of the Japanese ship Nittetsu Maru.
• Mayne Rock has large white boulders rising 7 m-15 m from the ocean floor and is surrounded by a coral reef.
• Palau Tiga offers coral reef dives.

Dive operators

Manukan Island Beach - Pulau Manukan beach overlooking Pulau Mamutik is an ideal place for snorkelling and other beach activities

• Scuba Junkie KK - G23a, Ground Floor, Wisma Sabah☎ +60 88 255816, +60 145618947 +60 88 255816 Opening Hours: 8AM Monday - 6PM daily 5 Star Gold Palm IDC PADI Licensed Dive Operator. Arranges daily dive and snorkel trips to over 15 islands in the Kota Kinabalu (KK) area including the world famous KK Marine Park (Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park) which features 5 amazing islands including a Island and Sapi Island. Whale Shark Dives in the blue and wreck diving also available. PADI dive courses from Discover Scuba Diver up to Instructor.

• Borneo Dream - F-G-1 Plaza Tanjung Aru, Jl. Mat Salleh☎ +60 17 811 8149 +60 88 244 931 - A boat transfer service is available to Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park for snorkelling or diving trips. Over 20 sites for diving and protected areas for snorkelling. Suitable for day trips. Goes to four of the main wreck dive sites on a regular basis. PADI Dive Boat, 10mx4m catamaran and a 9mx3m RIB, SDI resort dive centre, BSAC diver training centre, TDI resort dive centre and IANTD facility. Also offer SCR courses and training certified via the PADI with both a semi closed rebreather diver speciality course and closed circuit rebreather (CCR) training courses.

• Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures - Lot B-3-12, Kota Kinabalu Times Plaza, Jl. Coastal☎ +60 12 866 1935 +60 88 485 300 - PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre is based on a Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The dive centre offers learn to dive courses, advanced courses from PADI Advanced Open Water Diver up to PADI Master Instructor & PADI Course Director, snorkelling, sea kayaking and jungle trekking. 1 on multi-day diving in the TAR Park and diving Pulau Tiga. Island facilities caters to individuals, groups and corporate events. High staff-to-diver ratios with professional, highly trained & experienced staff and quality, regularly serviced gear and equipment.

• Sabah Divers - sabahdivers2@ G27, Ground Floor, Wisma Sabah☎ +60 88 256483, +6 12 8339901 +60 88 255482 Opening Hours: 8:30AM Monday - 5:30PM daily Provide SDI courses in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Diving tours to popular dive destinations all over Borneo, such as Sipadan and Layang Layang. Tunku Abdul Rahman fun dive packages available departing Jesselton Point Jetty including equipment, boat transfers and 2-3 dives. No shower facility. Guests will be left alone to walk back to the office after TAR fun diving. Beware - they ask credit card numbers including cvc for advanced booking. Notorious for arrogant office staff.

• Sensi Borneo Diving Resort & Tours - Diving Live-Aboard ‘Orient Explorer’ - ☎ +60 88 788 111, +60 17 402063 - Provide scuba diving trips and PADI courses. Also operate the 796 ton, 56.6m motor yacht Orient Explorer as a live aboard and floating hotel off shore from Kota Kinabalu. Originally launched in 1943 it has a dive deck, passenger cabins including family cabins, luxury and economy cabins, a restaurant, bar, lounge and a sick bay. The dive services offer a full range of PADI scuba diving courses from open water, divemaster, technical diving and rebreather courses. Trips to the Usukan Bay wreck dives and many other dive sites are available.

Deep sea fishing

Kota Kinabalu is also one of the best and affordableest places in Malaysia for exciting deep sea fishing trips. Boats depart from the makeshift jetty next to the Kota Kinabalu Central Market and the boats are to be found behind the small night market/parking lot.

Trips of all kinds can be arranged with the charter operators. Popular options include day trips that go for prices that start from around RM 2,000/boat and 2D/1N or 3D/2N trips (you sleep on the boat) that go from RM 3,000/boat. Most boats take around 10 persons per trip. Locals usually head to the Mengalum and Mantanani islands or near some oil rigs that are all a few hours away from Kota Kinabalu. Beginners can also opt for shorter trips to fish in a shipwreck off a Island. For the very adventurous and advanced anglers and there are also several fishing competition held annually. The most popular one is the Labuan IGFA Competition which is usually held around the Layang Layang island (Swallow Reef) area. The trips for this competition last for almost 1 week and cost at least RM 15,000/boat.

The boats are mostly pretty rudimentary medium sized wooden fishing vessels, don't expect any luxury or too much comfort for those prices. Basic toilets are available on board, but you won't be able to shower for the duration of the trip. Basic meals are also usually available and included in the hire price. Rental of fishing equipment can also be arranged by most of the boat charter providers. Do ensure that life vests are provided for all occupants well before setting out.

If you want to check out the boats before you head out, just drop by the open air parking lot near the Central Market and Hyatt Hotel, most of the for hire fishing boats are parked there. You can also see some of the catch for yourself when the boats return from their trips at around 2PM. You will probably see more boats coming and going on Sunday or Monday.

• Borneo Crystal Sdn. Bhd. - Borneo Crystal - ☎ +60 17 860 32 05 Offering private charters, diving trips , island / sunset cruises as well as deep-sea fishing tours on a 60ft American Sport Fishing Yacht. The boat is berthed in one of the most beautiful marinas in South-East Asia - Sutera Harbour Marina.

• 7 star fishing - A more expensive option but the website has some nice pictures and videos to give you a glimpse of what you can expect from a fishing trip in Kota Kinabalu

• Mr. K.K. Law - elhh82@ ☎ +60 16 826 4588 From RM2,000 A budget friendly option popular with the local residents. The boat owner himself will be happy to come on the trip himself or help you arrange for more people to fill up the boat if your group doesn't have enough people.

White water rafting

The nearest place for rafting would be on Kiulu River, Tamparuli, about 1 hour away from KK in the neighborhood of Tuaran. The white water is classified Grade 1-2 which is suitable for beginners and children. A more adventurous rafting experience is Padas River near Tenom which is about 2-3 hours south from Kota Kinabalu. Padas is classified as Grade 3-4. There are many tour companies offering day packages for rafting in Kiulu and Padas and would normally include return transfer and meals.

Wetland river cruise

Klias River is located within the Klias Wetland Mangrove Forest Reserve which is located on the Kuala Penyu neighborhood headland made up of riverine mangrove about 2-2.5 hours away from KK. The cruise offers visitors a chance to see various wildlife including the proboscis monkeys, crocodile, monitor lizards, Kingfishers and fireflies once it is dark.The "New Sabah Times" (Sabah's newspaper)reported in May 2017 that the Klias river tours were in steep decline from a lack of tourists and were requesting assistance from local government for continued support. Although this decline is affecting tourist numbers the local guides also benefit less. This maybe the ideal time to visit and enjoy the wetlands while it is quiet.There are also other river safaris nearby Klias in Garama and Weston which are also interesting in their own right albeit slightly further away from KK.

Sailing and yachting

The main starting point for sailing or boating is in [https://emid=97 Sutera Harbour Marina which has 104 berths. Yacht charter is offered by North Borneo Yachting. ☎ +60 88-318888 Kinabalu Yacht Club in Tanjung Aru offer various boating activities, ☎ +60 88 240070

Sports

Likas Sports Complex is the main sporting venue in Kota Kinabalu and Sabah. The complex includes a soccer stadium and fields, hockey fields, badminton courts, tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pool, gymnasium, and many more. The complex also play host many local, regional and international sports event.

There are also many golf courses in Kota Kinabalu including the Sabah Golf and Country Club (18-hole) in Bukit Padang, Kinabalu Golf Club (11-hole) in Tanjung Aru, Sutera Harbour Golf Club (27-hole), Karambunai Golf and Country Club (18-hole) and Shangri-La Rasa Ria resort Dalit Bay Golf and Country Club (18-hole). Driving range available in Lintas and Likas.

• Golf Academy Borneo - 1st Floor, Likas Golf Driving Range, Jl. Istiadad ☎ +60 14 334 3565 - Private golf lessons with British PGA-accredited professional golf tutors, short game clinics, kids golf clinics and a Junior Programmes.

• b3 - bike, blade, and board - Skateboarding, Inline Skating and BMX stunts with extreme sports community group in Kota Kinabalu.

• Trinity Self-Defence, Lot 12 1st Floor Likas Plaza, Phase 1, Mile 4 1/2 Jl. Tuaran 8. Learn some self-defence skills at a Kota Kinabalu Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Gym classes include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, CMB, Judo and Shootfighting. Experienced trainers. (@).

• Ultimate - Frisbee - Tuesday & Thu: Pertama Pantai (1st Beach) Tanjung Aru neighborhood. Tanjung Aru Rugby Field 5.94806, 116.04941 On the beach and field near KKIA Terminal 2 in Tanjung Aru ☎ +60 12 829 7881 Opening Hours: Tuesday & Thu: 6:30PM Monday - 8PM, Sunday 4PM Monday - 6PM Free

Frisbee for all ages and abilities. Show up with enthausiasm and a basic knowledge of Ultimate rules and enjoy a game with the Ultimate players of Sabah.

Festival and events

• Harvest Festival, a festival celebrating the harvesting of the rice paddy fields by the Kadazandusun people, called in Bahasa Kadazandusan (Language of Kadazan & Dusun people, accepted as Kadazandusan by KDCA in Malaysia) and accepted in the Malay/Kadazandusun press as Pesta Kemataan. Typically Pesta Kemataan is held during the end of May into early June every year. It is the only harvest festival/pesta kemataan held in Malaysia. One of the most popular venues to witness the celebration is in KK city at the KDCA centre,(KadazanDusun Cultural Association)in Penampang neighborhood of KK city.The festival is held to celebrate the sacrifice of their goddess Saviour Hurninodun who by her actions saved them from famine.They also thank their creator Deities Kinoingan and Sumundo for giving them their sacred rice crop.Events include "Unduk Ngadau" beauty pageant, cultural dances, food, and drinking tapai a (traditional rice alcoholic) drink made from rice. The event is widely covered within the press and radio programms, local malls have "Display teams " performing traditional dance, also they are seen performing within the larger hotels/resorts.The girls/young women wear various traditional clothes from their local neighborhoods within Sabah with coloured beaded and metal adornments to denote their status single/married men wear a similar dress code for each separate Sabahan tribe/culture they are from.
• City Run, annual marathon held around March or April.

• Likas Bay , Taman Awam Teluk Likas - Dragon Boat Racing/Meeting in May. - Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Kota Kinabalu

City Parade, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Centre Point Sabah

Popular souvenirs include coffee and all sorts of foods made from durian.

• Philippino Market Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen 5.9812496, 116.071733086099 Next to the waterfront

| Known as=Handicraft Market Synonymous with pearls, local handicrafts, home decorations and lately crystals. Don't forget to bargain for good prices. You can also find souvenirs such as keychains, t-shirts with Sabah themes, carved wooden statues, batiks and sarongs, rattan handicraft and floor mats, Islamic calligraphy and broaches. Some of the items are imported from Australia and others from neighbouring Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea, and there is little actual Sabah handicraft available, but it is a very colourful place that will stay in your memory as a 'souvenir' from Sabah.

• Sunday market Jalan a from Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen to Jalan Bandaran 5.984817, 116.077602 - Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu . With everything from Malaysian delicacies, ground coffee, t-shirts, handicrafts, hardware to anything in between at bargain prices. A particular focus on clothing and jewelry. Held every Sunday morning, 6AM Monday - 1PM, along Jl. a right in the heart of town.

• Borneo Art Gallery - 5.978537, 116.07206 ☎ +60 88-280707 - Located in Asia City Complex, contain art works by local and regional artists. Art works are for sale.

Visit a Muslim Friendly Mall in Kota Kinabalu

• 1Borneo Hypermall Jalan Sulaman 6.0352131, 116.127022 ☎ +60 88-448 089 Opening Hours: 10am–10pm No longer the largest mall in Sabah 2011 the Suria Sabah mall near Jesselton Point opened, 2015 Oceanus Mall along the waterfront opened, 2016 Imago Mall opened at KK Times Plaza all of these malls are within KK where as, strangely, One Borneo mall and apartments are 30 minutes north of Kota Kinabalu downtown. Within the One Borneo complex are apartments and the following hotels, Tune Hotel, Novotel hotel, Mercure hotel, Best Western hotel and Courtyard Hotel.

• Suria Sabah - 1, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens 5.9867979, 116.0750539 ☎ +60 88-485 468 Opening Hours: 10am–10pm - One of the cleanest and modern mall in Sabah located between Wisma Merdeka and Jesselton Point, it is now six years old. The food court, located on the 4th floor, has indoor and outdoor seating, meals are affordable and tasty also offers a nice view of the sea and Pulau a. Shops consist of mainly branded goods compared to other malls in KK. On the 7th floor is the "Glass" restaurant with a large outdoor seating/drinking deck over looking the city, it can be extremely hot on the deck during the day. Food and service very good and reasonable prices, it is very busy in the early evening. They also have a cinema on level eight.

• IMAGO Shopping Mall | Off Coastal Highway 5.9707132, 116.0658547 ☎ +60 88-275 888 Opening Hours: 10am–10pm Huge new shopping mall with 54 food outlets, most on the ground level.The "Heritage" food court is on the 4th or 5th level and not very clean compared to the rest of the stunning mall. There is a large vehicle park with overhead red/green lighting showing if spaces are vacant, this leads in to the Mall and the Gleneagles hospital. There are hotels, shops, apartments and a police station all attached to the main KK Times complex with the Imago mall in the centre. On the ground floor displays and seasonal events are held in the foyers, winter wonderland, and in May Pesta Kemataan, Festival dance displays. There is a cinema on the upper level.

• Wisma Merdeka Jalan Tun Razak 5.9856, 116.07578 One of the oldest and smallest malls but still very popular. Ideal shopping centre for cheaper goods over five floors, a fraction of the price of Suria Sabah shops.Travel shops and a good cultural shop on the ground floor.

• Kompleks Karamunsing Jalan Karamunsing 5.97064, 116.07529

An older but large mall specialises in computers and electronics.

• Centre Point Sabah 1, Jalan Centre Point 5.97824, 116.07184 A large mall adjacent to Asia City, Api-Api, Warisan Plaza and Sinsuran. Easy parking within the centre with access to all floors. Two money exchange kiosks and a international food court and a large choice of shops selling all you would need but very little for tourists.

• Oceanus Mall Jln. Tun Fuad Stephens Kota KInabalu Sabah. Waterfront Kota Kinabalu A new modern clean Mall. Opened in 2016.It has few shops for a mall and some are not filled, it has a foyer for festival displays. Most shops are low end. Several food outlets on the lower levels. A Hard Rock Café on the 1st floor with a outdoor seating area provides an eating outlet and live music entertainment in the evenings. At the rear of the Mall is a large decking area that links the Mall to the waterfront food outlets.

Muslim Friendly Food & Restaurants in Kota Kinabalu

Kedai Kopi Daily(2), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - A 24 hours 'kedai kopi' with free WiFi

Kota Kinablu is a cultural melting pot. Here Chinese meet Malays and Bruneis, Javanese, Filipinos and even a couple of Europeans, all of whom have brought along their own cuisine. Try out the many specialties offered at the various kedai kopi (often in buffet form making it easy to order) and shun fast food chains.

For meals, head to the outdoor food stalls fronting the sea or coffee shops along the streets. The less adventurous could make a beeline for fast food outlets in the Centrepoint shopping centre while those with deeper pockets could try the pier-side restaurants just after the open air fish market. The promenade restaurants between the Filipino Craft Market and the fish market are poor value and only frequented by tourists. Try SEDCO Plaza in the evening for top value.

• f*ck Yuen, a nice, clean, modern looking kopitiam with self-service concept offering various types of food such as dim sum, pick-yourself dishes, nasi lemak, roti kahwin (bread, butter and kaya), etc. They have branches in a Street, Karamunsing Capital and Damai (original branch). All branches serve food except Damai branch.
• Kah Hiong, specialises in "ngau chap" Noodles ( beef soup noodles). Offers a variety of beef parts such as beef brisket, stomach, stew, omasum, tongue, etc. The main branch is in Kolam Center (Hilltop) in Lintas.
• Kak Nong, serves Malay/Malaysian food located in Harbour City opposite Sutera Harbour. The restaurant won the Sabah Tourism Award 2007 for the category Best Kopi Tiam.
• Man Tai Restaurant - Located in Likas, Dah Yeh Villa. Beaufort-style Fried Noodles. They serve Chinese style a-la carte dishes as well.
• Peppermint, a fast-food concept restaurant serving Vietnamese food. Try the spicy chicken rice and beef stew. They have 3 branches: a Street, Asia City and Karamunsing Capital.
• Pete's Corner, Located in Asia City in the heart of Kota Kinabalu. A breakfast place which specialises in steaks and other western dishes for RM10-18.
• Indo Food, located on 2nd Floor, Wisma Merdeka (near food court), is a nice small restaurant serving spicy Indonesian food. Popular dishes include nasi penyet, ikan asam pedas and soto bakso. A little bit expensive, but not exactly mid-range.
• Salim Lintas Plaza. (Approximately 20 min drive from the city) Supper spot specialising in many local "mamak" foods and delicacies including the Malaysian roti styled bread, cooked over an open flat iron skillet which is bathed in oil. The meal along with a cup of Teh Tarik Madras would range at around RM5-8.
• Restoran Taufik, located in Kampung Air (opposite Shell), serves affordable Javanese/Malay food such as soto ( beef soup), bakso and rojak. More branches in Inanam and Putatan.
• Yu Kee's Bak Kut Teh, Located along the famous a Street, its a Chinese operated restaurant that serves Beef dishes for dinner time only (usually opens after 4PM until night time). A small single dish costs about RM4, soup top up is free. All types of Beef hala meat and organs served with special Chinese herb soup.
• Wah Juan, is popular for their "chu chap" Noodles (noodles served with Beef and Beef innards). Located in Pekan Tanjung Aru facing the primary street (Jalan Mat Salleh). Served only in the morning and finishes by 11AM. The small restaurant is always crowded and patrons may need to wait for an empty table.

• Yuit Cheong Coffee Shop - 昌悅, 50, Jl. Pantai. Satay and cosy environment.

• Badben a Street Opening Hours: 7:00 till late A small clean café that serves a mix of Asian and some International food, cold drinks and soft-drinks at 10:00 with breakfast. Friendly, helpful staff.

• Night Market Jalan a 5.982029, 116.076179 Opening Hours: Friday and Saturday 6PM–2AM An outdoor street market with street food and music.

• Anjappar - ☎ +60 88 227969 - Asia City Complex (facing Api Api centre, diagonally across the street from CentrePoint). Chettinad (North and South Indian) cuisine. Serves authentic Indian food such as banana leaf meals, biriyani, naan and roti, tandoori dishes, and dosai. Prices range from RM3.50-RM10.00. Hours 10:30AM Monday - 3:30PM and 5:30PM Monday - 10PM. Anjappar is an Indian franchise with branches in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka and Canada.

• Borneo 1945 Museum Kopitiam - ☎ +60 19 883 3829 - No. 24, Jl. Dewan. (Under Borneo Backpackers). They serve the best coffee in town. Malaysian food is available. Great price for bike rentals to tour around city. It is also has a museum with a focus on the Second World War on Sandakan Death March. Contains many pictures and antiques.

• Choice, serving mainly Indian Muslim food as well as other Malaysian food. Their briyani rice is quite popular. Branches in Taman Millenium, Kepayan and in the downtown opposite Wisma Merdeka.

• El Centro - 32 Jalan Haji Saman 5.98456, 116.07636 Opposite Wisma Merdeka Opening Hours: 12pm-12am Popular cafe restaurant with tourists and expats. Has regular themed nights such as Mexican Monday, Tequilla/Taco Tuesday and Wednesday’s Pub Quiz.

• Grazie Ristorante - ☎ +60 19 821 6936 - Wawasan Plaza Complex, (Next to Tang Dynasty Hotel). An Italian restaurant. Serves no Beef.

• Jeff De Corner Grd Flr, Luyang Ph 6, Shophouse, roughly 15 min from the city. Dishes include lamb and beef steak, oxtail soup, lamb shank, BBQ lamb and the exclusive Wagyu beef steak. Please call for reservation. ☎ +60 19 8818427
• Hi Seoul, pretty good Korean restaurant in Likas Plaza near Sabah Trade Center.
• Jothy's Fish Head Curry and Banana Leaf Restaurant, Api Api Centre. An eat with your hands restaurant. A chicken dish RM8, a mango lassie RM4. Fish head curry, fish cutlets, fried fish pieces, chicken nasi biryani, assam soup and dried bitter gourd. They'll bring you a spoon and fork if you wish. Ask for a banana leaf (for additional 50 cents) and eat with your hands. English menu.

• Little Italy opposite Wisma Merdeka ☎ +60 88 232231 - The most popular Italian restaurant in Kota Kinabalu. Usually crowded during lunch and dinner by local residents and foreigners. Operated by an Italian man.

• Kohinoor - ☎ +60 88 235160 - North Indian food by the waterfront. Claims to have invented the "Chicken Cheese Tandoori Tikka". Indoor and alfresco seating.

• Mario's Pizza - 1 Borneo Hypermall, Jl. UMS. Mario's Pizza at 1 Borneo C-702 Lower Ground. Serve Italian pizza slice or Pizza al Taglio.

• Nok Thai - ☎ +60 88-538055 - Located in Damai Plaza in Luyang, is perhaps the best Thai restaurant in Kota Kinabalu.

• Pirates Rib Shack Diner - In Asia City. Pork and lamb ribs, halal-food/steaks/ steaks, burgers and seafood, on Sunday they hold a weekly BBQ Pork roast.

• Old Town White Coffee a modern kopitiam franchise from Ipoh with branches in Menara Jubili on a Street, Karamunsing Capital and others. Popular for their 'hor fun' noodle soup, nasi lemak and, of course and their white coffee. The biggest kopitiam chain in Malaysia.
• The Stonebridge Galley Provides all day English Breakfast.
• Charles Cafe Halal food and drink.
• Sushi Tei, a Singaporean-based sushi franchise with branches throughout Asia Pacific. Reasonably good food and price. Located in Ground Floor, Suria Sabah.

• Tambayan at Kainang Filipino - ☎ +60 16-8182008 - A Filipino restaurant offering typical Filipino dishes such as lechon kawali, sisig, crispy pata, etc. Located in Block 3, Api-Api Centre.

• Tavern Kitchen & Cafe - Lot G-93, Imago Shopping Mall, KK Times Plaza Phase 2, Jalan Coastal 5.9708, 116.0666 Opposite Soho Bar, same row as Starbucks (Please do not support Starbucks as Starbucks supports Israel. Shun this coffee and go for alternative brands and if possible for a Muslim owned brand.) on ground floor of Imago Mall ☎ +60 12 586 0093 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thurs: 10am - 12am. Fri, Saturday & Holiday Eve: 10am - 2am RM20 and above for main course Fusion restaurant utilising Sabahan ingredients such as tuhau, buah tarap, bambangan, Sabah seaweed and salted fish as a twist to classic Western and local cuisine. No Beef served. Daily shows include live band featuring celebrity singer Esther Applunius, belly dancing, traditional Sumazau and Magunatip bamboo dance, blowpipe performance, Argentine Tango and fire juggling flair bartenders. Recommended to make a reservation as it is often fully booked.

• Souled Out KK Times Plaza Imago Mall rear ground floor. If you are driving in to the Imago KK Times Plaza there is a one way system that takes you around the whole complex, just as your exiting , going down the OUT ramp the "Souled Out" restaurant is on your left. It is best to drive in park up and then walk through the mall on the ground floor to the restaurant. It can get very busy early evening so you may have too wait for a table, prices are reasonable, menu is Sabahan/Chinese/fish based so do not expect International food the menu is a picture menu so if you are not sure ask. The service is polite and very good, Malay/English and Chinese spoken by staff. A pleasant lively location, just run in doors when it rains

• a Vegetarian Lot 53, Ground Floor, Jalan a 5.987087, 116.078838 Vegetarian Chinese restaurant with large portions, especially the soups.

• - ☎ +60 88 425100 - Menara Tun Mustapha. Revolving restaurant in Borneo's tallest building serving predictably generic "Pacific Rim" cuisine. Open throughout the day and for drinks at night.

• Bella Italia - ☎ +60 88313366 - 69 Jl. a. (Under the Jesselton Hotel in Kota Kinabalu's business area). Italian restaurant serving pizzas and pastas and if you get there early there are discounts.

• Ferdinand`s Italian restaurant - At the Magellan Sutera Harbour Hotel - ☎ +60 88 303900 - Italian restaurant an Sutera Harbour hotel, next to the international airport.

• Nagisa, a Japanese restaurant in Hyatt Regency.

Seafood

Seri Selera Kg. Air, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Seri Selera seafood foodcourt in SEDCO, Kampung Air

Seafood in Kota Kinabalu is very popular, so getting a dose of it is a must. Here are some places to try:

• Kampung Nelayan Floating Seafood Market Restaurant - ☎ +60 88 8823 1003 - 10 min drive away from Kota Kinabalu city, this seafood restaurant is built within a botanical park/lake using Malay architecture. There is a nightly cultural performance with a fire show performed during the weekends.

• New a Seafood Restaurant, ☎ +60 88 8838 5020. One of the most visited seafood restaurant by local residents. Prices are fixed and maybe 20%-30% cheaper than some city seafood restaurants. Deep fried crabs with egg yolk & butter prawn. Its located next to a Sports Recreation Centre. ☎ +60 88 88426075, Inanam. 20 min by taxi, highly recommended for visitors who have spare time.
• Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Right next to the Promenade Hotel and Parkson Grand. The restaurant faces the coastline. You can take a pick on your seafood orders by the fishtanks, or if you prefer, you can let the waiters recommend at your table.
• Portview Seafood Restaurant, There are 2 branches of this in Kota Kinabalu. One of them is opposite Centrepoint Shopping Centre, called The Waterfront. This one is quite new, a very popular place for tourists and orders can be taken either way similar to Ocean Restaurant. This restaurant is nestled amongst other popular nightlife hangouts, mostly bars and clubs, but also cafes like CoffeeBean. The other older one is in front of a pier.
• Salut Seafood Restaurant, It takes about 20 min vehicle journey from the downtown to Salut where the restaurant is located near the Sepanggar Bay and Telipok. It is a famous place for cheaper seafood dishes as the prawns are bred by the restaurant owner.
• Sutera Rimba, 7PM Monday - 12 midnight.

• Welcome Seafood - ☎ +60 88 447 866 - A popular new seafood restaurant with 2 branches in Asia City Complex and in the deep suburbs in Bundusan. Usually packed due to affordable price and decent food. (Asia City)

Drink

Bars and Cafes on the waterfront, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Bar and cafes in KK Waterfront

The main entertainment areas in Kota Kinabalu can be found in KK Waterfront (opposite Warisan Plaza) and Times Plaza. Other areas include Pantai Street, Jalan Datuk Salleh Sulong. There are also smaller bars concentrated in the areas of Inanam, Likas, Donggongon and Penampang Baru and these areas are out of the KK city and are not within walking distance of KK downtown they are more local neighborhood centres.Types of soft-drinking places popular in Kota Kinabalu are café/coffee shops for breakfast, open air bars, karaoke joints and a few late night restaurants. Nightclubs and bars have live bands performing almost everyday except Mondays. Some karaoke joints have superior Muslim friendly rooms for big groups who prefer some privacy. Some late night restaurants and karaoke bars have hostesses especially for male clients in exchange for buying them 'ladies drink'. Intuition would be needed if you need to look for or avoid these establishments as they are not explicit.

• Pirates Cafe - Located in Asia City in the 3 colour T food Court across the road from Centrepoint behind the Mercedes Benz Dealer. Features the largest outdoor bar in Kota Kinabalu with prices from RM 25+ for 5 cans of house beer. Live sport including AFL, NRL, Rugby, Cricket. Live music at weekends

• co*ck & Bull Bistro - Winner of Best Entertainment Outlet awards for Night Spot Experience 3 times (2005, 2007, 2009). Located on the waterfront facing the South China sea with cool sea breezes and a beautiful view of the sunset. Featuring a live band, 2 projector screens and an swimmingpool table.

• Shenanigan Fun Pub, Located at ground floor of the Kinabalu Hyatt Regency.

• Shamrock Irish Cafe The Waterfront Lot 6 5.9786805, 116.0697704 - Range of beers and very good food. The usual warm welcome from the staff, varied English/Western menu including typical Sunday lunch menu. Outdoor seating area under the shade is small and the unshaded deck area is larger but can be extremely hot, A/con in doors. Pleasant polite attentive staff, food and fruit drinks arrive promptly, clean toilets, a good atmosphere, taxi rank across the street, staff wave and taxis come to the bar door to collect you.

• Sunset Bar, at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort (STAR), one of the best places to drink and catch the sunset. An expensive MR30 per small 300ml beer. This bar area since 2016 has been strictly controlled access and for the hotel guests only. There is a minimum current spend per client of RM60 and seating has to be pre-booked this also applies to the hotel guests. There are 495 room at the resort so the Sunset bar gets very busy around 1800hrs to view the sunset. Security is present and they have good cctv security for those who try to visit without permission. Generally a pleasant experience with the flying fish and the occasional dolphin passing the bar area, overall a good atmosphere.Non residents are allowed in but have to report to the front desk to sign in.
• Chocolate Factory, a funky new club in Times Plaza with live band. Popular with younger crowds.
• Cocoon Restaurant & Bar, One of Kota Kinabalu's most notable nightspots. It is a relaxed bar in the day and a lively bar/club by night, with the action carrying on into the small hours.
• Bee Kim KTV, Sadong Jaya around Karamunsing area.
• Strawberry KTV, Segama and Central market.
• Razz-Ma-Tazz, Just outside the central business neighborhood along Jl. Tuaran, it is one of the largest and most popular late night restaurants in the city. Features two rooms and the larger one, Z'Razz, features a live band rotated with DJ spinning mainly hip-hop tracks. The smaller room, Zuave, plays mainly house, trance, and other dance tracks.
• Bed. Located on the Promenade near the night markets. One room with a cover band, swimmingpool table and DJ.
• BB Cafe, at Jalan Pantai (Beach Street) has an interesting setting under a huge canopy with occasional events.
• Firefly Grill, Live band in Kota Kinabalu Times Plaza. Hot place to hang out, dance and chill.

• Upperstar 5.9842687, 116.07537 a popular local dining and drinking joint with branches near Hyatt (see map), Suria Sabah, Damai and Likas.

• White Room, perhaps the hippest and glamorous club in KK where people go to be seen. Prices are slightly expensive. Located in Times Plaza.

• October coffee house 5.98365, 116.0782 Nice espresso coffees, smoothies and cakes in pleasant air-con environment.

• Santan Waterfront Kota Kinabalu Next to Oceanus Mall, jalan Tun Fuad Stephens Santan is a new restaurant outlet taking over from the Aussie Cafe that closed in 2016.
  The Irish/Shamrock bar and the Santan have the same owners.
  The Santan has super quick service and the food is superb and hot tasty and quick. Tuaran Noodles is beautiful, a cold organic juice and the view make for a perfect visit The waterfront has a policy among the outlets. You can sit where you like, order food from any of the food outlets. But you order and pay for your organic juice from one outlet or pay up and move next door.

• Hard Rock Cafe - Oceanus Mall - Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens Inside the newly completed Oceanus Mall(2023) on the first floor. The ground /entrance floor brings you in to the rock shop. Go up the stairs to the restaurant sit indoors or keluar dodok and enjoy the food , drinks, atmosphere and the view, oh yeah the music!
  It is A/C cool indoors and they have an external balcony with views across the harbour and sunset views at about 1800hrs. The Service from all levels of staff is fantastic. really good food ,service, drinks, views. Oh yeah the toilets are very clean. They have live bands so, maybe research your visit to match a band you want too see?

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Ramadan 2024 in Kota Kinabalu

Ramadan in Kota Kinabalu

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Monday, 11 Mar 2024 to Wednesday, 10 April 2024

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Sunday, 16 June 2024

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Monday, 19 July 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu has lodging from expensive to cheap. This is such a changing price market the best way to check prices is the internet pages such as Sabahbah.com, MySabah.com Sabah tourism.com, or Trip Advisor searches until you find the price you want.

• Akinabalu Youth Hostel - Lot 133, Jalan a 5.982097, 116.076298 ☎ +60 88-272188 Dorm RM20-30, double RM70-80 Akinabalu Youth Hostel in Kota Kinabalu . Rundown budget hostel. Two computers with free internet access, TV and DVD, and free breakfast. A/C costs extra and is only from 5PM to 10AM.

• Asia Adventure Lodge 112, Jalan a 5.983250, 116.076713 ☎ +60 88255422 Fan dorm RM17, A/C RM22, single RM40, double RM58 Smaller hostel with a friendly family feel located right in the heart of town next to Internet cafe, banks, travel agents, supermarkets and Haram nightlife, plus the colourful and deliciously diversified Sunday Market. Free Wi-Fi.

• Borneo Adventure Center and Lodge ☎ +60 88 241515 Dorm RM21, twin or dbl room RM55 Double, triple as well as backpackers dormitory beds. All rooms have fan, A/C at night and either a common or an ensuite shower room with hot water shower. Self service kitchen equipped with refrigerator, microwave oven, stove, toaster, coffee making facilities, CCTV security, electronic card access system, in-house laundry service, cable TV at the lobby, Wi-Fi. Rates inclusive of simple breakfast (toast with coffee/tea).

• Borneo Backpackers - 24 Lorong Dewan 5.983443, 116.077617 In central Kota Kinabalu, not far from a street ☎ +60 88234009 Dorm RM35, single RM60, double RM80 Clean bathroom, toilets, pantry area, internet, laundry, cosy lounge area, roof garden deck, 24-hr security, and a tour information counter. Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable local staff. A/C or fan rooms. Large dormitory with 10 beds, medium dormitory 4-6 beds and superior Muslim friendly rooms. Each room has small storage compartment for personal items.

• Borneo BeacHouse Backpackers - 122 Lorong Ikan Lais, Jalan Mat Salleh, Tanjung Aru 5.948602, 116.047898 Now that all flights go to Terminal 1 you will be forced to go to the bus station and from there you can take buses 16A-B-C (ask to be drop near Tanjung Aru beach and then you walk). ☎ +60 88 218331 Fan dorm RM29, A/C dorm RM39 (after tax) Fairly good backpackers hostel. Located far outside the city next to Tanjung Aru Beach(good for sunset). Staff are friendly. Good wifi, hot water. Located near some hawker stalls where you can get affordable Malay food for RM5-6. During the day the beach is empty and you can enjoy free.

Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Sunday Market in a Street (Chinatown). Many good lodgings in this area

• Borneo a Lodge - 78 Jalan a 5.984630, 116.077457 Nearby to Sunday street-market in central of Kota Kinabalu. ☎ +60 88 242477 A/C dorm RM25, double room RM69 First opened 2008. Bed sheet and towel, free hot & cold drinking water, complimentary breakfast. Spacious carpeted living area with LCD TV (AstroChannel) but without window, free WiFi, books and a small kitchen with refrigerator. No curfew and 24 hours security with CCTV and computerised door lock. Friendly staff. Tour information available.

• Borneo Global Backpackers - Lorong Karamunsing C 5.966039, 116.071451 ☎ +60 88270976 Dorm RM15, double room RM60 Fan dorm with outside hot-water bathrooms. Free breakfast and slow internet. The bus from the KK Airport goes right past the hostel. Has to be the most low cost dorm bed in KK but is far from the downtown. There are a few restaurants around.

• Century Hotel Inanam - ☎ +60 88 380222 - Located next to the Inanam Bus Terminal (North) Inanam. Spacious rooms, with TV and hot shower provided. 15 min drive from the downtown. Varieties of food and beverage nearby the hotel.

• Globetrotters Lodge - Formerly New Horizon - ☎ +60 88272796 - Small, opposite British Council, just off a St, street market every Sunday morning, lots of affordable restaurants, banks nearby.

• Hamin Lodge - ☎ +60 88 272008 - Boutique budget hotel in the heart of Kota Kinabalu City. Borneo tour packages, traditional massage, spa, restaurant. Full A/C. Budget hostel rooms suitable for backpackers to deluxe rooms with ensuite.

• Hotel Holiday - City centre ☎ +60 88 213116 - 1Mb WiFi, laundry, friendly staff. Room with A/C and private bathroom. Standard RM95, deluxe RM105, family room RM130.

• Hotel Sadong 88 - Lot 4, 5&6, 1st-3rd Floor, Block A, Sadong Jaya,Karamunsing☎ +60 88 268699 Single RM55, twin RM77, family room RM98
• Kinabalu Backpackers - 2 Lorong Dewan 5.984295, 116.078183 ☎ +60 88 253385 A/C dorm RM20, double room RM65 Centrally located in Australian Place. All rooms have A/C. Free breakfast, free coffee or tea all day and free Wi-Fi, airport pickup service.

• Lavender Lodge - In the CBD ☎ +60 88 217119 +60 88 218077 - Clean and comfortable rooms, friendly staff

• Lucy's Homestay - Lucy Backpackers - Lot No.25, Lorong Dewan, Australia Place 5.983213, 116.077833 ☎ +60 88 261495 Dorm RM30, single RM48/double: RM58 Look behind a stamp-makers shop for this nice little house with two dorm rooms available at a competitive rate. B&B. Friendly owner, friendly cat. Free, secure Wi-Fi. Nice and central. Safe lockers available.

• Megah D’Aru Hotel - mdaru2@ No. 2, Jl. Kinabalu, Tanjung Aru township In the heart of Tanjung Aru Township ☎ +60 88 239666 RM128-RM188 Check-in: 2PM / Check-out: 12 noon Less than 5 min drive south of Kota Kinabalu downtown, and north of the Kota Kinabalu International airport. 72 rooms.

• Stay In Lodge - ☎ +60 88 272986 a St., where the famous street market is held every Sun. Clean and comfortable.

• Step-in Lodge - ☎ +60 88 233519 From RM25 per person for a dorm, A/C double RM80, including a simple continental breakfast - Painted in a zany combination of purple and bright green, this is a cosy little hostel in the middle of the city, with very friendly staff. Toilets and shower stalls are immaculate.

• Summer Lodge - RM22/night mixed dorm; RM28/night male or female only, plus superior Muslim friendly rooms - Convenient central location with a nice lobby, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, and very helpful staff. Clean, decent bathrooms, however dorm rooms leave a bit to be desired (cramped, bed frames falling apart). All rooms have A/C.

• Travellers' Light Backpackers Lodge - RM24 for dorm room with fan and shared bathroom - Two computers with free Wi-Fi, TV and DVD. Safe and clean with friendly staff. CCTV, large free lockers, open 24 hr.

• Tune Hotel - 1Borneo, Kota Kinabalu - No-frills hotel located within 1 Borneo, East Malaysia's largest shopping complex. Far from city but free shuttle bus is available daily. Online booking only. Rate might as affordable as RM1++, but understand that all requirements provided are likely to be charged as extra costs.

• X-plorer Backpackers - 1st Floor, 106/108, Jl. a☎ +60 88 538780 +60 88 538781 From RM25 Check-in: 2PM / Check-out: 1PM Near a Sunday morning street market. Reservations can be made by phone, online or by SMS text message to mobile phone ☎ +60 128399328. Complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, all rooms are A/C. Dormitories, superior Muslim friendly rooms, family rooms available. Some ensuite rooms with attached bathrooms were recently upgraded.

• Hotel Kotajaya and Back Packers - ☎ +60 88 222715 (Sinsuran Complex), Short distance to Centre Point, Api-Api Centre, Kompleks Asia City and waterfront bars. Budget rooms with private bathroom are available. Friendly host.

• Impiana Mutiara Hotel - No.12, Jl. Perpaduan, Kampung Air☎ +60 88 231991 Promotional rates from RM65 Budget hotel with 27 rooms. Every room comes with an attached bathroom with hot and cold shower, individual A/C and TV with cable channels. Reservations can be made online.

• King Park Hotel - Jl. Masjid Lama, Bandaran Berjaya☎ +60 88 270500 RM128-RM198 Check-in: 2PM / Check-out: 12 noon Clean, 14-storey 3 star hotel. Panoramic views of the city and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park from the upper floors. Online reservations available.

• Myne Hotel - Lot 21, 1st Floor, Block A, Warisan Plaza, Jl. Tun Fuad Stephens Hotel reception is on the 1st floor of Warisan Plaza shopping paradise ☎ +60 88 448787 RM150-RM480 New 5-storey boutique hotel with 72 rooms. Online reservations. Waterside location. LCD TV, AstroTV, IDD phone, free WiFi, tea and coffee making facilities, room safe.

• Promenade Hotel - ☎ +60 88 265555 +60 88 246666 - Sdn Bhd. 451 rooms, swimming pool, gym, beauty salon and health spa. 2 restaurants specialising in local and Asian cuisine, 2 cafes, lobby lounge, promenade floor lounge and a karaoke bar.

• Grand Borneo Hotel - Formerly Mercure Kota Kinabalu - ☎ +60 88 526888 - Grand Borneo Hotel. 325 rooms. Part of a mall 20-30 minutes out of KK centre, 1 Borneo mall; an entertainment complex with over 400 stores of leisure, entertainment and culinary delights.

• Novotel Kota Kinabalu 1Borneo - @orneo.com ☎ +60 88 529888 - 1Borneo Hypermall, Jl. UMS. Part of 1 Borneo Hypermall and the largest mall in Sabah. 263 rooms, an outdoor swimmingpool and jacuzzi on the 7th floor and a business centre.

• The Palace Hotel - formerly Berjaya Palace Hotel - 1 Jl. Tangki Karamunsing☎ +60 88 211911 Blends old architecture with modern facilities. Hilltop location, 15 min drive from the airport.

• Jesselton Hotel - ☎ +60 88 223333 +60 88 240401 - Www.jesseltonhotel.com 69, a Street., ) Jesselton was the initial name for Kota Kinabalu during the British colony. Boutique hotel built in the early 1920s. Hotel has their own limousine, a imported British cab.

• Kasih Sayang Health Resort - Kokol Hill, Menggatal☎ +60 88 246 404 RM130-RM250 Located 45 minutes east of the downtown at 2,400ft above sea level offering nice view of the city and Mount Kinabalu. There is a spa and conference facility but nothing much in the vicinity but jungle and some houses. Nearest town is Menggatal 15 minutes drive downhill.

Luxury

• Hyatt Regency Kinabalu - Jl. Datuk Salleh Sulong In the downtown ☎ +60 88221234 From around US$100 Recently renovated 5-star resort hotel. Good for business people who just want to eat, sleep and work. This hotel has an impressive choice of restaurants and a coffee shop serving Malaysian food, a Chinese restaurant with 'dim sum' or 'yum cha', a Japanese restaurant with teppanyaki and a fresh bakery. Close to shopping centres, fast food outlets and cafes.

• Bunga Raya Resort - ☎ +60 88 380390 - Located in Pulau a facing away from the city, is one of the few luxury resorts in Malaysia. Rates range from RM1,700.00 to RM8,000.00 per day.

• Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu Jl. Tun Fuad Stephens☎ +60 88 322222 - 306 rooms. Gym, seaview pool. Next to Centrepoint shopping complex.

• Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort 5 star hotel located on a 3 kilometers Dalit beach. 18 hole golf course, excellent kid's club and has an small wildlife exhibit. There were some orangutans, which were removed to Sepilok in April 2016. A resort suitable for families, pools with small but good water slide equipment, watersports activities. Coast restaurant is beachside. RM120 taxi ride of about one hour from the airport. There is a shuttle bus between the two Shangri-La hotel resorts stopping at One Borneo Mall, KK downtown and Imago Mall.

• Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort - ☎ +60 88 225800 | price= An older, grand and comfortable 5 star hotel. It has its own jetty and marine sports shop, also provides excursions out to the marine park. There is a small row of shops in the resort, one of which takes bookings for excursions all across Sabah. The rooms in the Tanjung Aru wing are confined inside the building and look out to the pitch-and-putt golf course. A small flora area, with a shallow pool, is in between the corridors of the quadrangle with wings leading towards the rooms of the Tanjung Aru wing it has large suites on each level. Tanjung Aru wing has been renovated, completion was in April 2017. Tanjung Aru has a 100 m man-made good sandy beach, with a sunset bar, ideal to view the sunsets over the South China Sea. The resort has a good water park/slides area and shallow pools, for parents and children, and a larger, deeper swimmingpool for adults only. The 2017 completion of the renovations included extending the breakfast dinning area known as Café Tatu now with access from outside pool/garden areas. It has a large open aspect, very smart with sky lights letting more light in. The side walls are made from transparent rolling screens for flexibility with the weather during the daytime into evening. The Kinabalu wing overlooks the sea with views of the marine park. The rear of the Kinabalu wing on the upper floors have a mountain view of Gunung Kinabalu and the nearer slopes of the Crocker range. The lower floor has the view blocked by trees and a carpark. A taxi ride from the KKIA Terminal 1 to Tanjung Aru, or from the resort into Kota Kinabalu downtown, is RM30. Transfers from the airport to the hotel are available upon request.

• Sutera Harbour Resort - Includes the 5* Pacific Sutera hotel and the 5* Magellan Sutera resort hotel (formerly Pan Pacific) - Sutera Harbour BlvdA RM10 taxi ride to town, or a 20 min walk (if you're in good shape) ☎ +60 88 318888 +60 88 317777 From RM 400 27-hole golf course, fully equipped marina, 2 spas, squash, badminton and tennis courts and various other sport and leisure activities. The rooms are of a high quality with either a sea view, a golf course or a Mount Kinabalu view at the Pacific Sutera. The Magellan Sutera has views of the garden or a sea-view. You can easily book trips to the islands, starting at RM35. The Magellan has an awesome buffet style breakfast included in the room rate. Enjoy freshly made roti and omlettes. The resort has a free shuttle bus going to town every hour until 9PM. Cross-signing facilities mean that if you stay in one hotel, you have access to the entire resort. An internal shuttle takes guests between the properties and the marina and the golf club.

• Meridian Hotel Recently (2023) refurbished dinning area with outside balcony overlooking the city. Open to non- residents. Not cheap. Worth for the outdoor experience/views.

Stay safe as a Muslim in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is a safe city by Malaysian standards. The crime rate is lower than in the Western states of Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru, or any city of similar size in Peninsular Malaysia. Violent crime is especially rare, and it's generally safe to roam the streets at night, though of course it's still best to remain alert as you would in any other city.Sadly and the moped/scooter ride by crime has arrived in KK. It is another aspect that you need too be aware of if you are out and about walking.Research this; read on the internet so you know what to avoid and stay safe.

Telecommunications in Kota Kinabalu

The telephone country code for Malaysia is +60 and the area code for fixed-line telephones in Kota Kinabalu and for most neighborhoods in the west coast of Sabah (including Papar, Kota Belud, Ranau and Kudat) is 088. Mobile phone numbers normally begins with 01x throughout the nation. If a telephone number is not displayed in international format, such as "088-222222" or "012-222222", simply add "+6" before the number, e.g.: "+60 88-222222" and "+60 12-222222". The zero need not be repeated.

Free wifi is available at various points in the city. There are some restrictions: you can use the wifi for free in public areas, i.e. streets. It is deliberately not powerful enough to penetrate shopping malls etc.

WiFi is available in most hotels and hostels across KK. There are also internet cafes in some parts of the city.

• Sabah State Library - ☎ +60 88 214828 - Manages and operates most public libraries in Sabah. In Kota Kinabalu, SSL has a library between City Hall and the court (KK Regional Library), Suria Sabah (@Suria; Level 4) and the State Library along Jalan Penampang near Luyang (biggest; SSL HQ; 10 minutes drive from downtown).

Consulates

The following countries have set up consulates in Kota Kinabalu. For other countries, you may need to contact the respective embassy in Kuala Lumpur or nearer consulates in Sarawak. There are British and Chinese Consulate offices in Kuching and British and Dutch Consulates in Miri.

• Australian Consulate - Suite 10.1, Level 10, Wisma Great Eastern Life, 65 Jl. a☎ +60 88267151

{{flag|Brunei

• Bruneian Consulate - Grace Plaza☎ +60 88 236 113 - Moved from Menara MAA in the city to Grace Plaza next to Grace Park in Sembulan.

{{flag|Finland

• Finnish Consulate - c/o Uli Motors SDN BHD, Jl. Miniyak, Off Mile 5.5, Jl. Tuaran☎ +60 88 431336, +60 88 431337

{{flag|France}

• French Honorary Consul - Mrs Feona Jinu☎ +60 15 484 02 797

Consulate General of Indonesia - Lorong Kemajuan, Karamunsing☎ +60 88218600, +60 88218258, +60 88 218518, +60 88 219110 * Consulate General of Japan - Wisma Perindustrian 18F, Jl. Istiadat, Likas☎ +60 88 254169 {{flag|Sweden

• Honorary Consulate of Sweden - Jl. Minyak off Jl. Tuaran, Mile 5 1/2, Inanam☎ +60 88 431336
• United Kingdom Honorary Consul - Mr Robert New☎ +60 88 251 775 +60 88 237 214

Where to go next after Kota Kinabalu

• Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park – a collection of islands with beaches, jungle, snorkeling, and scuba diving, easy to visit as a day trip
• Labuan — duty free paradise, fairly decent karaoke nightlife and offshore banking.
• Mount Kinabalu — is just 80 kilometers east of Kota Kinabalu, where it's feasible to do a 9 kilometers hike to the mountain summit.
• Kundasang — a cool place with various markets, plantations, farms, resorts nearby Mount Kinabalu. Popular with local residents from all around Sabah during weekends and public holidays.
• Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Semp*rna cities on the Eastern Coast with rich wildlife and a world-class diving.
• Layang Layang|Layang Layang Island in the disputed Spratly Islands is famous for diving.
• Kuala Penyu — neighborhood, located about 2 hours southwest along the coast, contains Klias River, Pulau Tiga (site of the first series of TV show "Survivor") and Menumbok jetty (to get to Labuan by vehicle or boat).
• Kinarut — a small town 40 minutes south of KK contains quiet beaches, Pulau Dinawan and the 'sininggazanak' statues and still existing wooden shophouses, built around 1930s to 1960s.
• Maliau Basin — Sabah's "Lost World", located in the middle of Sabah somewhere between Kota Kinabalu and Tawau. Said to be one of the oldest undisturbed rainforest in the world.
• Experience rural lifestyle around Kudat, Tambunan, Tenom, Kota Belud, all along the west coast of Sabah and within 2-4 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu.
• Gunung Mulu National Park — a World Heritage Site in Mulu, Sarawak, is 20 minutes away by plane.

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