Kota Kinabalu - A Summary

I have been a regular visitor to Kota Kinabalu for the past 7 years now, and each subsequent visit has provided me with a new experience, a new "Wow", and another reason to keep coming back to this small city located in the Malaysian state of Sabah, in North Borneo.

There is far too much to write about Kota Kinabalu for me to mention everything in one Hub, so this will be the first part of a series of pieces, and I shall use this opportunity to whet your appetite and give you a precis of all that Kota Kinabalu has to offer, to keep you coming back for more!

KK, as it is affectionately known, was once part of the British North Borneo Company and remained under colonial rule until 1963. During that time, KK was called Jesselton, and between 1942 and 1946, it was occupied by the Japanese (which is another story in itself). Its history is as rich, varied and colourful as its landscape.

As you can see in the photo's above, if you love being outdoors, KK is the place for you. Rainforests, rivers, reefs and rural towns aplenty. It's impossible to get bored!

Of course, Mount Kinabalu is the biggest draw to this area, with people from all over the world literally queuing up to climb it. In October every year, they even race up it in the Mountain Climbathon. There are alternatives (though not quite that high), much nearer to KK than the Kinabalu Park (about 2 hours drive from KK), which I will cover during this series.

Scuba divers among you who have not been to Sipadan have surely heard about it. Though it is not located in KK, it isn't far away.  A 45 minute flight from KK to Tawau, followed by an hours drive to Semporna, and another hour later you can be a few metres under water amongst more fish than you can shake a stick at. Literally, you have to get out of the way of some of the turtles who are more careless in the water than taxi drivers on Asian roads. I never believed the hype until I saw it for myself. It IS as good as they say. These days, what with backpacker style accommodation springing up in both Semporna and Mabul (you cannot stay on Sipadan Island itself), it is open to all budgets.

Aside from Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan, the other thing that is famous, or rather, infamous in this part of the world are the Orang Utans at Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. Again, like Sipadan, Sepilok is not located in KK, though it is another reason why people come to KK. A 1 hour flight to Sandakan, and a 30 minute drive will see you viewing these amazing creatures. BUT, KK has some Orang Utans all of its own at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, just 30 minutes out of town. More on this in another part of this series.

I never leave home without my camera for fear of missing out on capturing the huge Rajah Brook Birdwing butterfly, or a stunning Green Crested Lizard, or one of the many dazzling dragonflies which can be readily seen here. Whether you love mammals, birds, reptiles or insects, KK will not disappoint.

KK has its fair share of luxury resorts and hotels, be it the Magellan Sutera Harbour, or the Hyatt. But for those of you that either don't have the budget or the need for such luxuries there are a plethora of mid range and budget hotels and hostels to choose from.

With so many incredible things to do and see, I can't think of a reason NOT to come to KK. You can be as thrifty or as frugal as your purse or wallet (or credit card) dictates. I haven't even begun to tell you about the food on offer - suffice to say that your taste buds will have never been treated to such a phantasmagoric array of flavours!

Want to know more about KK?

The make sure you come back again to read the rest of the series over the coming weeks which will divulge much more information about places to see in and around KK, accommodation, car rental, etc.

Thanks for dropping by and see you again soon!

This Hub is Part One of my Kota Kinabalu Series. To view my other Hubs, look here:

Kota Kinabalu - Food - Bah Kut Teh

Kota Kinabalu - Bukit Padang

There are some more hubs about Kota Kinabalu and Borneo - so don't just take my word for it... See what other say:

Kota Kinabalu and Borneo

Mount Kinabalu: The world's strangest mountain?

Travelling to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

World Biggest Pitcher Plant