Kota Kinabalu
Discover Kota Kinabalu
The capital 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 districts 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.
What to Experience in Kota Kinabalu
Taste of Kota Kinabalu...
Kota Kinabalu 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 Square in the evening for top value. Seafood in Kota Kinabalu is very popular, so getting a dose of it is a must. Here are some places to try: The main entertainment areas in Kota Kinabalu can be found in KK Waterfront (opposite Warisan Square) and Times Square. 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, these areas are out of the KK city and are not within walking distance of KK city centre they are more local district centres. Types of drinking places popular in Kota Kinabalu are café/coffee shops for breakfast, open air bars, karaoke joints and a few nightclubs.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere are direct international flights from these destinations to Kota Kinabalu: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (Royal Brunei Airlines), Hong Kong (Air Asia), Manila, Philippines (Cebu Pacific & Philippines AirAsia), Seoul Incheon & Busan South Korea (Air Busan, Air Seoul, Jeju Air & Jin Air), Singapore (AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines & Scoot), Taipei, Taiwan (Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia), Domestic fights from the following cities: Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lawas, Limbang, Miri, Mulu, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau. Operated by MASWings, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, and AirAsia. All main roads in Sabah radiate out from Kota Kinabalu; they have to for geographical reasons. The main road to the Sarawak border at Sindumin heads south from the city through the districts of Kepayan, Tanjung Aru, Papar, Kimanis, Beaufort and Sipitang....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The city centre 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 main roads running parallel to the nearby waterfront with intersecting roads forming the local districts within the city. As KK 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 city centre the roads do not conform to the original grid planners used. Safely crossing the street can be an issue, but most streets are at least equipped with sidewalks and there are pedestrian crossings on the main roads. The sidewalks in places can be uneven and the storm gutters are easy to trip or fall into. You can also walk to and from the airport (1-2 hr each way). Even the highways outside of town usually have a walking path or a wide grassy shoulder to walk on. Short fares are around RM10, longer trips around RM20.
Where to Stay
Kota Kinabalu has accommodation 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. 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. The telephone country code for Malaysia is +60 and the area code for fixed-line telephones in Kota Kinabalu and for most districts in the west coast of Sabah (including Papar, Kota Belud, Ranau and Kudat) is 088. Mobile phone numbers normally begins with 01x throughout the country.
Money & Budget
Popular souvenirs include coffee and all sorts of foods made from durian. Kota Kinabalu 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.
Language & Talk
Like most other Malaysian cities, Kota Kinabalu is a melting pot of various cultures. Malay is the lingua franca, albeit with a distinctive Sabahan dialect, and better-educated locals are usually able to speak English as well. The ethnic Chinese, who form about half of the city's population, mainly speak Hakka, though many are also able to speak Cantonese and Mandarin. Some residents also speak the languages of native Sabahan ethnic groups, the most common ones being Kadazan and Bajau. These languages are not commonly used in daily conversation outside of rural communities. There has been since the 1970s a large influx of Filipinos. Most of these people speak their own languages and Malay, but little English so you may have to resort to sign language to buy what you want.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
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. The telephone country code for Malaysia is +60 and the area code for fixed-line telephones in Kota Kinabalu and for most districts in the west coast of Sabah (including Papar, Kota Belud, Ranau and Kudat) is 088. Mobile phone numbers normally begins with 01x throughout the country. 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.
Glimpses of Kota Kinabalu
landscape of a mosque
a view of a mountain range with clouds in the foreground
a view of the top of a mountain with clouds below
a man standing on top of a rocky mountain
a body of water with boats in it and a sunset in the background
people climbing mountain
Pillars of Sabah mural.
silhouette photo of sea during golden hour
mosque sunset
Sama-Bajau
landscape of a mosque
a view of a mountain range with clouds in the foreground
a view of the top of a mountain with clouds below