11 Must do’s in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is a large city in western Malaysian Borneo. It is located in the state of Sabah and has more than 244,000 inhabitants. Kota Kinabalu is used by many tourists as a base to see more of Malaysian Borneo. From here you can fly in no time to Sandakan (for orangutans), to Tawau (for diving), or to Bako National Park (for the proboscis monkeys).

Kota Kinabalu is a big city. The activities and sights however are easily done in two days. So two nights and two days is more than enough for Kota Kinabalu. There is one exception: if you are going to climb Mount Kinabalu, you will need more time. Then count on an overnight stay on the mountain and an extra day to recover from this tough climb.

1/ Go island hopping to one of the five islands nearby Kota Kinabalu

The number one thing to do in Kota Kinabalu is to visit the islands off the coast. The five islands in front of the coast are a national reserve called Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. A beautiful area that is popular with tourists and Malaysian people themselves. All five islands are different, some are known for the jungle hikes you can take here, others for the beaches or the beautiful underwater life during diving or snorkeling.

Note: don’t expect empty beaches. On the weekends the beaches are very busy because the locals will then also visit the islands, during the week you will also find more than enough tourists here. 

The islands are beautiful, but certainly not the most beautiful islands I have ever seen. In addition, the islands are very commercialized and attract a lot of tourists. So try not to go on the weekend and otherwise visit the quietest island. The islands are great for cooling off or spending an afternoon in the sun. You also find waste on every island. Plastic bags in the ocean, between the corals, in the sand. Such a shame. 

How to get to the islands

Go to the passenger dock (Jesselton Point) and book your boat trip. You can choose from the number of islands you want to visit and whether you want to rent a snorkel set. Prices are the same everywhere, the only things that differ are departure times and a possible free life jacket that you get.

Boat price: depending on the number of islands you visit. For two islands you pay MYR 33 pp, and for three islands you pay MYR 43 pp.

Terminal fee: MYR 7 pp

Conservation fee: MYR 20 pp.

1) Pulau Gaya

This is the largest island of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. You will find a lot of jungle here that you can walk through. Resorts on the island: Bunga Raya Island Resort, Gaya Island Resort, and Gayana Marine Resort. The many houses around the island are settlement areas of illegal Filipino migrants.

2) Pulau Sapi

This small island is located near Pulau Gaya, it is even connected by a zipline. We saw this island from the boat.

3) Pulau Manutik

We thought this island was the most beautiful one and it is also the smallest island. You have a long beach here, clear water and lots of coral. The coral however is unfortunately in bad condition because tourists step on it (never touch coral, it is a living organism!). Pulau Manutik does not attract many tourists, so we found it much nicer here. We also saw a

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4) Pulau Manukan

This relatively large island has a beautiful beach and a rich underwater world. This place is most popular with snorkelers and divers. It seems that with a bit of luck, you can even see small sharks here. There is one hotel here, the Manukan Island Resort.

5) Pulau Sulug

This island is the quietest and furthest from KK. The snorkeling is not so good due to the murky water and the amount of waste that washes up here. Not all boats sail to Pulau Sulug. We saw this island from afar.

2) Floating City Mosque: Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu

We saw this mosque while driving past it. The Masjid Bandaraya mosque is surrounded by water. This makes the building, which is very beautiful in itself, sometimes seem to float.

3) Atkinson Clock Tower and the Signal Hill Observatory Platform

On the edge of the center, you will find Signal Hill, a good location to view the city, harbor, and surrounding islands from a distance. An observation platform has been built where you can enjoy the view for free. At the bottom of the hill, you will find Atkinson Clock Tower. Dating back to 1905, the tower is one of the few historic sites to survive the great bombing of 1945. The observatory platform was unfortunately closed when we were there so we didn’t do this.

4) Todak Waterfront Hawker Center Kota Kinabalu

Huge shipments of fresh fish are delivered to the Todak Waterfront Hawker Center every day. This is the perfect place to go shopping for fresh fish, to choose your own fish or seafood and it will be prepared on the grill on the spot. As I don’t eat anything from the sea and I get sick from the smell – We didn’t do this 😉 

5) Filipino Night Market Kota Kinabalu

Walk south for a bit and you will arrive at the Filipino Night Market. Everything is sold here, from fresh fruit and vegetables to cheap meals and clothing.

6) Watch the sunset on Tanjung Aru beach

Tanjung Aru is the beach near Kota Kinabalu. The beach itself is not very special, just fine to relax for an afternoon for locals.

7) Climb Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is located 60 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu. This more than 4000 meters high mountain, the highest mountain in Borneo, can even be seen towering over the city on a clear day. If you are up for a physical challenge, you can conquer Mount Kinabalu in two to three days. Unfortunately not a cheap exercise, only for the guide and sleeping place you already pay $300 per person.

We visited the national park on Mount Kinabalu. 

8) Do a Quat bike tour

After my Thailand fiasco with the quat, I wanted a redo. I was victorious and enjoyed the lovely views on our way!

9) Tamparuli Suspension Bridge

According to the folktales, the construction of the Tamparuli Low Bridge was led by a British engineer. The bridge kept on collapsing, no matter what. A medium told the engineer that he had to sacrifice his true love in order for the bridge to withstand. He did and the bridge never broke down again. After finishing the bridge, the engineer threw himself off the bridge as he was in pain from sacrificing his true love.

10) Taste some local fruits

Try and taste some local fruits! Kota Kinabalu is known to also have its own pineapple kind.

11) Rooftop bar

Enjoy some rooftop bars in Kota Kinabalu! We went to Tamu Rooftop Bar.

Life of a Passion