Kota Kinabalu Travel Guide
Travel guide to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Kota Kinabalu sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Kota Kinabalu Overview
The Malaysian island of Borneo has two main parts, Sabah and Sarawak. They occupy the northern half of the island (the rest is in Indonesia) and surround the tiny state of Brunei.
Most tourists visit Sabah, in the east half of the territory, where you can find the resorts of Kota Kinabalu, and Sandakan. Aside from spectacular beaches and great diving off the northern coast, Sabah boasts vast tracts of virgin rainforest to explore where you can see a huge variety of animals including the beautiful orang-utans, and not-so-beautiful bearded pigs.
Sabah's territory also includes the myriad tiny islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, where you can enjoy some of the best beaches and diving in the whole of Asia.
The west of Borneo, Sarawak is more "developed", intensive logging and rampant farming have eroded the natural rainforest habitat of the exotic species, causing great concern for environmentalists world wide. Sarawak does manage to retain many sights and attractions though, including the city of Kuching, the famous Niah caves, and many forest dwelling tribes.
Borneo has been a popular holiday destination for many years, with particular appeal to eco tourists, and is now becoming a place where you can relax in luxury hotels and be pampered in spas before heading into the jungle or mountains. Borneo also offers some good value shopping and a variety of action sports such as white water rafting on the rivers that flow through it.
Top Kota Kinabalu Attractions
Aside from the beaches, the main reason for visiting Borneo is to head into the rainforest in order to get close to the many amazing species that live there. The one animal that every visitor wants to see of course is the enigmatic orang-utan, and if you are lucky, on a day long trek through the stifling jungle, you might catch sight of one of these amazing creatures as they move through the trees. A far simpler way of seeing the orang-utans is on a visit to the famous Sepilok sanctuary, where injured or homeless animals are rehabilitated into the wild, and visitors can get closer to them than practically anywhere else.
Other sites of interest include the famous Poring Hot Springs, and the island's highest mountain - Mount Kinabalu. From the peak of this mountain at 4095m above sea level, you can enjoy magnificent views over the rainforest and the ocean.
Shopping in Kota Kinabalu
As far as shopping goes, the best places on the island of Borneo to stock up on your holiday essentials is in Kota Kinabalu. You can explore a few small markets and wander through the main shopping mall in search of a few bargains.
The best buys on the island tend to be anything that is locally made, including woodcarvings and jungle themed jewellery. For some reason, cuddly orang-utans with amusing slogans on their tummies are particularly popular.
Kota Kinabalu Sporting Events
Borneo is a great place for anyone who wants to spend their holiday exploring or taking part in as many activities as possible. Aside from water sports and scuba diving on the coral reefs and wrecks that surround the coast, you can try your hand at jungle trekking, rock climbing on Mount Kinabalu, white water rafting on the churning rivers of Borneo, and mountain biking.
Around Kota Kinabalu, there are a number of golf courses attached to the larger hotels where you can enjoy a round of golf in Borneo quite cheaply.
