Amazing Kota Kinabalu – the heart of Sabah

Article and photos:Dam Duc Vu

City of colors

Welcoming those eager to conquer the peak is the city of Kota.

Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. Affectionately known as KK by the locals, Kota Kinabalu is home to many tourist attractions both within and outside the city and is one of the important commercial hubs of East Malaysia.

The city has many cultural attractions: Sabah Museum - the main museum in Sabah - is located near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital; Sabah Art Gallery and Ethno Botanical Gardens. Wisma Budaya Art Gallery in the city centre hosts national and regional exhibitions. Hongkod Koisaan in Penampang is the headquarters of the Kadazan-Dusun Cultural Association. Every March, the association hosts the Harvest Festival and the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant. But the most interesting spot is the open-air night market along the beachfront.

The market opens at sunset, when visitors from far away are enthralled by the enchanting splendor as the sunlight dances with the winds, creating a spectacular display of colors. The hot colors run from blue, yellow, metallic, from bright pink to romantic and mysterious purple; and the water surface is a mirror, occasionally disturbed by the innocent boys jumping into the water from the bridge railing.

KK Waterfront is a waterfront entertainment area in the city centre, home to restaurants, cafes, pubs and nightclubs. Along this 4.5km stretch are the Royal Sabah Jockey Club, the Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club, which is located on reclaimed land with a golf course, a marina, two hotels and numerous shopping malls, including Kompleks Karamunsing, Centre Point, Wisma Merdeka, Warisan Square, Plaza Wawasan, Kompleks Asia City, City Mall, KK Plaza, Suria Sabah and 1Borneo, the city's largest shopping mall. Some of the newer shopping malls include Suria Sabah Mall and Megalong Shopping Centre. Gaya Street Sunday Market is a weekly gathering of hawkers selling everything from traditional ethnic souvenirs to pets and flowers.

On the other side of the road, just 6km from the city centre, Tanjung Aru Beach stretches along the West Coast; the beach gets its name from the rows of casuarinas (Aru) that grow along the shore. Along the 2km stretch of the beach are numerous eateries, restaurants and nightlife clubs. Near Tanjung Aru are the Prince Philip Botanical Gardens, KK Yacht Club and Shangri-la Resort. Tanjung Aru is famous for its sunset views.

Kinabalu National Park

If you like the mysteries of the jungle, Kinabalu National Park in Sabah is the ideal destination. This is Malaysia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to more than half of the world's known plant species, including the strange and unique Rafflesia flower. Girls, don't ask your boyfriend to find this flower. It's not difficult or easy. The flower is up to 1.5m in diameter, weighs up to 12kg, and Hollywood has portrayed it in movies as an extremely rare but very dangerous treasure: it can hunt! (this is fiction) and when it blooms, it gives off a not-so-pleasant scent (this is reality).

TAR Marine Park

The eco-park complex is located in Gaya Bay, approximately two nautical miles from Kota Kinabalu, and consists of five islands, all of which are mountainous and covered with tropical forests, interspersed with reefs and white sand beaches. The park was named after Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1974 and is Sabah's second national park. TAR Marine Park can be reached by speedboat (approximately 30-45 minutes depending on the tide) from Jesselton Jetty north of Kota Kinabalu.

The boats depart from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, every hour. To travel between islands, you can take a “water taxi” with a round trip price of about 17RM (equivalent to 110,000 VND) for each island. Each trip takes about 10-15 minutes depending on the route.

Sapi Island is 10 hectares wide, famous for the most beautiful beaches in this marine park with popular tourist activities such as scuba diving or free diving. Visitors can rent some equipment on the island such as tents, camps, sleeping bags, tables and chairs, BBQ cooking equipment.

As the second largest island in the group of 5 islands, Manukan has many beautiful beaches on the south coast, however the most beautiful beach is on the east coast of this island. Offshore are colorful coral reefs, ideal for diving. Of the 5 islands, Mandakan is the island with the most investment in infrastructure and tourism equipment.

Adopt a sea creature

The Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) started its operations in 2007 as an educational centre, and later developed into an ecological research and restoration facility. MERC really became famous after the centre was recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records for successfully cultivating 7 types of giant clams in Malaysian waters. Not only is it a research and educational centre, it has also become a famous eco-tourism attraction, winning a conservation award from the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia.

Visitors can reach the center by speedboat, yacht or helicopter. The most popular activity at MERC is adopting a branch of coral, which after two weeks of cultivation at the center will be officially transferred to the Coral Garden in the sea. The "foster parents" of these coral clusters can monitor their development through an online website. This activity aims to raise awareness and responsibility of everyone in protecting marine life in general and the environment in particular.

Mari-Mari Cultural Village

Mari-Mari Cultural Village was established in December 2008, 45 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu city center. It was established as a living museum to preserve the culture of ethnic minorities in Borneo island through introducing knowledge, history, culture, and traditions of the ethnic groups in Borneo. Visitors can explore and experience the culture and life of five ethnic minorities: Kadazan-Dusun, Rungus, Lundayeh, Bajau and Murut to understand more about the history and culture of the indigenous people.

The price of each tour is 160RM/adult (1,000,000 VND) and 140RM/child (900,000 VND).

The Thanh