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Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah on the island of Borneo, often referred to by locals as just KK. This Malaysian city is a growing resort destination due to its proximity to tropical islands, sandy beaches, lush rainforest and Mount Kinabalu. KK is one of the smallest districts in Sabah but has the largest population and is the largest city in the state.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Built in 1902 in memory of Francis George Atkinson, the first district 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 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 district of KK city.
A small park and the only park in the city center 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.
Gaya Street
Located in the city centre surrounding Gaya Street and Pantai (Beach) Street. There is a Sunday market here the Market starts early 6:30AM-1PM, arrive late you will miss it. There is also a night market every Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 2AM. The area is home to Chinese shops and restaurants and 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 locals would not know what Chinatown is. Use instead "Gaya Street".
Tiny pedestrian strip running along the river. Partly abandoned and thus doubtfully a high destination.
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.
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, railway gallery and a heritage village. Sabah Art Gallery contains artworks by local artists, they also have a very well stock book shop covering everything about Sabah. The main museum building is closed as of January 2025 with no opening date announced.
Has a history of Islamic civilization in Sabah.
Roman Catholic church. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu and the cathedral is one of the largest in Sabah.
The second largest mosque in Sabah, able to hold up to 5,000 worshippers. Designed an Italian architect, its dome and minaret is decorated with real gold.
The only Sikh Gurdwara in Kota Kinabalu. To enter you’ll need to cover your head, either with a hat, or a headscarf from one of the friendly volunteers at the temple.
An 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 and walking track some small food and drink outlets, free entry and water and light fountain display each evening. The car 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.
Pertama Pantai, which means "First Beach" in Malay
A 20-minute drive from the city centre is the most popular public beach in the city. Usually quiet during the daytime on weekdays, at the weekend it is frequented by locals 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 5 ft 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 and drinks stalls at the entrance. The shops and bars near the main car 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.
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.
A huge several kilometres promenade, used mostly by joggers and cyclists, that run along almost all the Likas bay. It starts about 1 km 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, the Floating Masjid and sunset views.
formerly known as Kota Kinabalu Bird Sanctuary
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 city centre (15 minutes walk from Signal Hill Observatory). The area is managed by the Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society.
This 'floating' mosque overlooking Likas Bay is the largest mosque in the city with interesting contemporary Islamic architecture. As of June 2018, the mosque's chairman is 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, there are many mini-buses parked there) or pay RM8 by Grab taxi.
Contains an interesting 12-tier pagoda and is part of the Moral Uplifting Society.
One of two Hindu temple in the city.
Where the city meets the hilly jungles of Crocker Range. The park has 2 restaurants, hawker centers, the Water World theme park, a lake and jogging track.
A pure Buddhist temple with adjacent Tzer Ying Buddhism Research Society.
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 Gaya is the largest of the islands with two resorts on the far side, the eastern end has a Kampong Laut with 6000 villagers. Pulau Sapi is the closest island to Gaya and has a zip wire ride called the Coral Flyer from Gaya over to Sapi. Pulau Manukan is the second largest, 10-minute ride away from Sapi. It has a smaller overnight accommodation 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.
Showcases the historic culture, lifestyle, and homes of some of the 32 indigenous groups of Sabah. The village features five different ethnic tribes: the Kadazandusun rice farmers, the longhouse resident Rungus tribe, the Bajau hunters and fisherman, the Kayan tribe, and the famously feared headhunting Murut tribe. After visiting the five tribal areas there is a song and dance cultural performance, followed by standard buffet meal included, with soft drinks extra, Getting there: taxi costs around RM 50 one way, Uber/Grab cost RM 20 (you will want to prebook your return via the app, as otherwise it will take upwards of an hour to get a ride back to KK). It’s easier to book online or through your hotel a package of entry and transport for around RM180.
Offers a very nice view of Kota Kinabalu, the coasts and the sea from about 30 km away. The hills are pretty undeveloped but the road is good and new. As of January 2012, 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.
It was completed after 1945-1948 the large granite block were dragged to the site by buffalo and then dressed on site. It retains its old-style architecture. This church has stained glass window that commemorate the lives lost during World War II.
It's about a 30-miunite drive from KK city in the district of Panampang, near 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.
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 car 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, 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 there from Kota Kinabalu and back.
The park is 75 km long and 15 km wide, with elevation ranging between 100 m and 2050 m 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.
Ahorse-racing track operated by Royal Sabah Turf Club in Tuaran.
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 Gaya 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.
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.
PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre is based on Gaya 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.
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.
Diving Live-Aboard ‘Orient Explorer’
Provide scuba diving trips and PADI courses. Also operate the 796 ton, 56.6-m motor yacht Orient Explorer as a live aboard and floating hotel off shore from Kota Kinabalu. It was launched in 1943 and 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.
Borneo Crystal
Offering private charters, diving trips, island and sunset cruises as well as deep-sea fishing tours on a 60-ft American Sport Fishing Yacht. The boat is berthed in one of the most beautiful marinas in South-East Asia - Sutera Harbour Marina.
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
A budget-friendly option popular with the locals. 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.
Private golf lessons with British PGA-accredited professional golf tutors, short game clinics, kids golf clinics and a Junior Programmes.
bike, blade, and board
Skateboarding, Inline Skating and BMX stunts with extreme sports community group in Kota Kinabalu.
Frisbee
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.
Dragon Boat Racing/Meeting in May.
Moved from Menara MAA in the city to Grace Square next to Grace Park in Sembulan.
昌悅, 50, Jl. Pantai. Satay and cosy environment.
A small clean café that serves a mix of Asian and some Western food, cold drinks and beer at 10AM with breakfast. Friendly, helpful staff.
Satay Legend Lok Kawi 1
An outdoor street market with street food and music.
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. Anjappar is an Indian franchise with branches in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka and Canada.
Popular cafe restaurant with tourists and expats. Has regular themed nights such as Mexican Monday, Tequila/Taco Tuesday and Wednesday’s Pub Quiz.
Wawasan Plaza Complex, (Next to Tang Dynasty Hotel). An Italian restaurant. Serves no pork.
Dishes include lamb and beef steak, oxtail soup, lamb shank, BBQ lamb and the exclusive Wagyu beef steak.
The most popular Italian restaurant in Kota Kinabalu. Usually crowded during lunch and dinner by locals and foreigners. Operated by an Italian man.
North Indian food by the waterfront. Claims to have invented the "Chicken Cheese Tandoori Tikka". Indoor and alfresco seating.
Located in Damai Plaza in Luyang, is perhaps the best Thai restaurant in Kota Kinabalu.
A Filipino restaurant offering typical Filipino dishes such as lechon kawali, sisig, crispy pata, etc. Located in Block 3, Api-Api Centre.
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 pork 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.
If you are driving in to the Imago KK Times Square there is a one way system that takes you around the whole complex, just as you're 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, and fish-based so do not expect Western 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.
Vegetarian Chinese restaurant with large portions, especially the soups.
69 Jl. Gaya. (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.
At the Magellan Sutera Harbour Hotel
Italian restaurant in Sutera Harbour hotel, next to the international airport.
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.
A popular seafood restaurant with 2 branches in Asia City Complex and in the deep suburbs in Bundusan. Usually packed due to cheap price and decent food. (Asia City)
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 a pool table.
Good and relatively inexpensive (happy hour 5-8pm) roof top bar from which to watch the sunset, with great views over the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Entry though Hotel Grandis and take lift to R (13th floor)
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, the unshaded deck area is larger but can be extremely hot, A/con in doors. Pleasant polite attentive staff, food and 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.
One of the best places to drink and catch the sunset. An expensive RM30 per small 300ml beer. The Sunset bar gets very busy around 6PM to view the sunset. 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.
A funky club in Times Square with live band. Popular with younger crowds.
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.
Just outside the central business district along Jl. Tuaran, it is one of the largest and most popular nightclubs in the city. Features two rooms, 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.
One room with a cover band, pool table and DJ.
Has an interesting setting under a huge canopy with occasional events.
Live band in Kota Kinabalu Times Square. Hot place to hang out, dance and chill.
A popular local dining and drinking joint with branches near Hyatt (see map), Suria Sabah, Damai and Likas.
Perhaps the hippest and glamorous club in KK where people go to be seen. Prices are slightly expensive.
Nice espresso coffees, smoothies and cakes in pleasant air-con environment.
The Irish/Shamrock bar and the Santan have the same owners. The Santan has super quick service and the food is hot and tasty. Tuaran noodles is beautiful, a cold beer 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 beer from one outlet or pay up and move next door.
Oceanus Mall
Inside the Oceanus Mall on the first floor. The ground 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, they have an external balcony with views across the harbour and sunset views at about 6PM. Really good food, service, drinks, views. Oh yeah the toilets are very clean. They have live bands.
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.
Smaller hostel with a friendly family feel located right in the heart of town next to Internet cafe, banks, travel agents, supermarkets and nightlife, plus the colourful and deliciously diversified Sunday Market. Free Wi-Fi.
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).
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 private rooms. Each room has small storage compartment for personal items.
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 cheap Malay food for RM5-6. During the day the beach is empty and you can enjoy free.
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 hr security with CCTV and computerised door lock. Friendly staff. Tour information available.
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 city center. There are a few restaurants around.
Located next to the Inanam Bus Terminal (North) Inanam. Spacious rooms, with TV and hot shower provided. 15 min drive from the city centre. Varieties of food and beverage nearby the hotel.
Formerly New Horizon
Small, opposite British Council, just off Gaya St, street market every Sun morning, lots of cheap restaurants, banks nearby.
Boutique budget hotel in the heart of Kota Kinabalu City. Borneo tour packages, traditional massage, spa, restaurant and bar. Full A/C. Budget hostel rooms suitable for backpackers to deluxe rooms with ensuite.
1Mb WiFi, laundry, friendly staff. Room with A/C and private bathroom. Standard RM95, deluxe RM105, family room RM130.
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.
Clean and comfortable rooms, friendly staff
Lucy Backpackers
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.
Less than 5 min drive south of Kota Kinabalu city centre, and north of the Kota Kinabalu International airport. 72 rooms.
Gaya St., where the famous street market is held every Sun. Clean and comfortable.
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.
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.
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 cheap as RM1++, but understand that all requirements provided are likely to be charged as extra costs.
Near Gaya 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, private rooms, family rooms available. There are some en suite rooms with attached bathrooms.
(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.
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.
Clean, 14-storey, 3-star hotel. Panoramic views of the city and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park from the upper floors. Online reservations available.
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.
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.
Formerly Mercure Kota Kinabalu
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.
1Borneo Hypermall, Jl. UMS. Part of 1 Borneo Hypermall, the largest mall in Sabah. 263 rooms, an outdoor pool and jacuzzi on the 7th floor and a business centre.
formerly Berjaya Palace Hotel
Blends old architecture with modern facilities. Hilltop location, 15 min drive from the airport.
Jesselton was the name for Kota Kinabalu during the British colony. Boutique hotel built in the early 1920s. Hotel has its own limousine, an imported British cab.
45 minutes east of the city center 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.
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.
In Pulau Gaya facing away from the city. It is one of the few luxury resorts in Malaysia.
306 rooms. Gym, seaview pool. Next to Centrepoint shopping complex.
5-star hotel on a 3-km Dalit beach. 18-hole golf course, excellent kid's club and has a 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 city centre and Imago Mall.
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 was renovated in 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 and slides area and shallow pools, for parents and children, and a larger, deeper pool for adults only. The 2017 completion of the renovations included extending the breakfast dining area known as Café Tatu now with access from outside pool and 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 city centre, is RM30. Transfers from the airport to the hotel are available upon request.
Includes the 5-star Pacific Sutera hotel and the 5-star Magellan Sutera resort hotel (formerly Pan Pacific). 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. If you stay in one hotel, you have access to the entire resort. An internal shuttle takes guests between the properties, the marina and the golf club.
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 neighboring Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea, and there is little actual Sabah handicraft available; however, it is a very colorful place that will stay in your memory as a 'souvenir' from Sabah.
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-1PM, along Jl. Gaya right in the heart of town.
Located in Asia City Complex, contain art works by local and regional artists. Art works are for sale.
Maybe think twice before going overboard on ordering some of the food items here due to the hygiene and smell, but this is an interesting wet market with a wide variety of fruit and seafood and other food selections. A very high energy place. Prepare to be approached by touts.
30 minutes north of Kota Kinabalu city centre. The following hotels: Tune Hotel, Novotel hotel, Mercure hotel, Best Western Hotel and Courtyard Hotel are here.
One of the cleanest and modern malls in Sabah, it is between Wisma Merdeka and Jesselton Point. The food court has indoor and outdoor seating, cheap and tasty meals, and views of the sea and Pulau Gaya. 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 overlooking the city. It can be extremely hot on the deck during the day, and very busy in the early evening. But food and service are very good and the prices reasonable. They also have a cinema on level eight.
Huge 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 car park with overhead red/green lighting showing if spaces are vacant, for access 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, be privy to displays and seasonal events including a winter wonderland and dance routines related to the Pesta Kemataan festival in May. There is a cinema on the upper level.
One of the oldest and smallest malls but still very popular. Ideal shopping centre for cheaper goods over five floors, at a fraction of the price of Suria Sabah shops. Travel shops and a good cultural shop on the ground floor.
An older but large mall that specializes in computers and electronics.
A large mall adjacent to Asia City, Api-Api, Warisan Square and Sinsuran. Easy parking within the centre with access to all floors. Two money exchange kiosks and a western food court and a large choice of shops selling all you would need but very little for tourists.
A modern clean mall opened in 2016. 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 an 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.
One of the most visited seafood restaurant by locals. Prices are fixed and maybe 20%-30% cheaper than some city seafood restaurants. Deep fried crabs with egg yolk & butter prawn. Highly recommended for visitors who have spare time.
By car
All main roads in Sabah radiate out from Kota Kinabalu; they have to for geographical reasons.
By bus
There are two long-distance bus terminals.
By ferry
There used to be regular ferries to Kota Kinabalu from Labuan but it has stopped after 2019.
By train
By 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.
By bus and minibus
To travel within the city centre, the City Bus is used. The green and yellow City Bus departs from Wawasan Bus Terminal and circles the city center using 4 routes: Route 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B.
By car
Some road signs does not have English translations. Here are some of the important ones:
By boat
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…
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