A few days in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 16-20 September 2025 - Part 3

 "Travelling gives you a home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land." - Ibn Batuta

A four hour tour in a Grab Taxi, with an affable driver, took me around some of the must see sights of the northern and southern parts of the city.

1. The Likas Bay has a 7 km promenade with jogging and cycling track and stretches from the city port to the iconic Tun Mustapha Tower. The international dragon boat race is held every year in the bay. The necklace like promenade is studded by several prominent buildings and landmarks.

2. The Sabah International Convention Centre or SICC is the largest convention, exhibition, and entertainment facility in East Malaysia. Spanning five levels, with over 153,000 sqm of function space, SICC's well-designed floor plan allows for interference free multiple events.

3. Almost diagonally opposite the convention centre is studded the state motto: Sabah Maju Jaya, which translates to Sabah prospers. A couple of cab drivers sneered while translating the motto! This indicated that reality was at variance according to them.

4. The Tun Mustapha Tower is a 30-storey, 122-metre-tall glass tower built in 1976. The building, formerly named Yayasan Sabah Tower, housed a state-sponsored foundation to promote education and economic development in the state. In 2001, the tower was renamed to honour Tun Datu Mustapha, a former Sabah chief minister and state governor. There is a revolving floor on the 18th floor, which slowly spins to give a complete view of the Likas Bay. It makes one 360-degree rotation per hour.

5. The Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is popularly known as the Floating Mosque thanks to the manmade lagoon surrounding it. As I could make out there are three levels of entry regulations to the mosque. Non- Muslims are not permitted into the mosque. One can enter the second level if you wear an abaya. For those who only buy an entry ticket of RM 5, one can only walk around the walls of the lagoon and marvel at the white mosque with a striking blue dome.

6. Kinabalu Tower, also known as Sabah State Administrative Centre, is a 33-storey, 182-meter-tall, government office complex building, which houses the office of the Chief Minister of the state and other cabinet ministers. This is the second tallest building in Borneo, with the Jessleton twin towers being the tallest.

7. The Pink Mosque is within the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) campus, the sprawling university campus. To enter the campus one must take a entry ticket costing RM 10 per person. Its beautiful architecture in pink is stunning, to say the least. Again, one has to rent an abaya to gain entrance to the mosque.

8. The Pinakol Staircase, or De Pinakol Steps, is a unique feature of the UMS, characterized by 138 steps adorned with decorations. It's a known landmark on the campus, attracting visitors with its distinctive design.

9. Standing at a height of 9 meters, the clock tower is situated at the heart of the UMS roundabout. The symbolic significance of the UMS clock tower is that  it represents the value of time for intellectuals and scholars.

10. The Signal Hill Observatory Platform is a high-roofed platform, shaped in the form of a UFO, located at the edge of Signal Hill overlooking Kota Kinabalu and the South China Sea. The observatory is said to afford visitors panoramic views of the Likas Bay and the Tanjung Aru areas; it is considered to be one of the most scenic viewpoints of Kota Kinabalu. I was disappointed when I reached there, hoping to catch the sights described in travel sites. The entrance to the viewpoint was closed and seemed so for some time. Nearby were also a few places where minor landslides had occurred due to the heavy rains during the past week.

11. Sutera Harbor Resort overlooks the tranquil South China Sea with views of tropical islands and the majestic Mount Kinabalu. It is a sprawling 384-acre grand expanse of spectacular array of resort facilities, from a choice of luxurious five-star hotels, an award-winning 27-hole Graham Marsh-designed golf course, a 110-berth marina and exhilarating recreational services. The resort ambiance of The Magellan Sutera Resort, offering a combined total of 956 guestrooms and suites, is to be seen to be believed.

12. The Tanjung Aru beach derives its name from casuarina trees,or Aru trees, that fringe the fine sandy beach. The beach is to Sabah what Bondi is to Sydney or Copacabana is to Rio. It is popular for kite flying, surfing, picnics and feasting on local food.

13. Petagas war memorial is dedicated to the Second World War victims in Sabah, particularly the 324 resistance movement members, who were executed on 21 January 1944 at the site by the Japanese occupying forces of North Borneo for their involvement in the Jesselton Revolt.

14. The early catholic community of Kota Kinabalu comprised of immigrant workers and some Europeans. The Parish was founded in 1911 and the first church was also established then. The current Sacred Heart Church is the fourth built on the same hallowed grounds. It was consecrated in 1981.

15. The most interesting interaction in the island happened with taxi drivers, Yap, Michael, Irene and Firoze. None of them seemed impressed by those in power. All of them were friendly and open to conversation. Fortunately, they were not directly impacted by the fury of the weather over the past two weeks, even though more than a dozen people had lost their lives and properties were destroyed by landslides and flooding. Irene asked me why I was 'white', while she found most Indians 'black'! I told her that her observations steamed from a combination of lack of exposure to Indians and colour blindness.

A few days in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 16-20 September 2025 - Part 2

"When you stop doing things for fun, you might as well be dead." - Ernest Hemmingway

Gaya Street is often touted as the most visited place in Kota Kinabalu. It was established in 1902, during the period of the British Crown, after the construction of shop houses. Originally it served as a railway track for transportation of rubber from the estates in Tenom to the Jessleton wharf. Since then, farmers and ordinary folks from the rural areas and fishermen from the coastal areas would make their trip to sell their produce in the market; these included the Chinese immigrants as well Filipino and Indonesian traders.

Aside from agricultural products, local food, souvenirs, arts and craft, footwear, antiques and even pets are sold in the market. Gaya Street is known as the Chinatown of Sabah due to many Chinese coffee shops, retail and souvenir shops and restaurants situated there. An arch gate was also erected in 2005 lending credence to its name.

The market street is where the old Jesselton Post Office and the iconic Jessleton Hotel are located. The Api-Api Night Food Market in Gaya Street is a must-visit food fair that happens every Friday and Saturday night. The night market was inaugurated in December 2018.

By 6 pm on Friday, the vehicle parking bays along the street are vacated and vendors take over the street setting up their tents and stalls. The entire Gaya Street is closed for the Api-Api Night Food Market from 6 pm to 12 midnight, thereby enabling visitors to walk freely along the road and enjoy the food fiesta.

It’s a food display unlike seen elsewhere, from one end of the street to the other showcasing multiracial vendors selling a wide variety of food and beverages. Aside from cash payment, most vendors nowadays accept e-wallet payment. Credit or debit cards are a no-go.

I couldn't resist the wafting smells of food and succumbed to a portion of prawn noodles. The food and beverages are extremely cheap and wholesome. Besides the food stalls, there were local artisans showcasing their talent for music, painting, etc. Large crowds throng the area, including in front of the Malaysian monument. No litter, no noise pollution, no nuisance.

Every Sunday morning the Gaya Street fair starts as early as 6.00am and ends at 1.00pm. I was fascinated by the various items and goods sold at this fair. From arts and crafts, batik sarongs, footwear, fruits and flowers, local snacks and cakes, antiques and souvenirs, to even pets and herbs, this is the best place to experience the culture and lifestyle of the locals.

"You buy, I cook" should be the tag line of the Kota Kinabalu waterfront seafood market. It is a lively and vibrant open-air market renowned for its selection of fresh seafood and the hawker fare. There are numerous stalls and vendors who solicit customers and explain the various types of seafood on display. They also take you through the various laminated recipe sheets you could choose from.

Depending on the number and preferences of guests you can select from the live lobsters, crabs and such like or the freshly landed catch. While the entire place is neat and clean, first timers, especially vegetarians, will find the place nauseating. When you are on a short trip, food and drink are not things that you should take a chance with.

Beyond the seafood market are jetties where the fishing boats land their catch and the Filipino market, which is quite known for its Borneo pearls shops.

Another thing that is 'in your face' in Kota Kinabalu are the massage centres. Prominently advertised as reflexology centres, they attract tourists and locals alike. I pared into one of the massage centres which operates across the street from Hyatt Regency. The array of services provided in the massage centre is prominently displayed outside the large hall which houses the massage facility.

I was curious about the normal rate and the promotional rates for the various services. The normal rates apply after 9.30 pm. The discount during the promotion times is about 20 percent. I must confess that I got hooked on to the 60-minute foot massage sessions. I found the engagement a relaxation after getting back from the day's work. The place was neat and clean, and the masseurs were thoroughly professional.

A few days in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 16-20 September 2025 - Part 1

 “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” — Dolly Parton

An opportunity arose at work that took me to Kota Kinabulu, the capital city of the State of Sabah, Malaysia. Hopping from Bhuj, Gujarat to Delhi and via Kuala Lumpur I arrived at the immigration desk of Kota Kinabalu on 16 September 2025. The first thing that surprised me about the trip was the need to clear immigration in Kuala Lumpur and again in Kota Kinabalu.

Both the international airports being in Malaysia, the dual immigration stamps on my passport bewildered me. My enquiries to find a reason for this elicited an unverified response that Sabah and Sarawak, having got independence and joined the Malaysian federation a few years later, have their own immigration requirement. In fact, there are many restrictions for movement and work between East and West Malaysia or, in other words, between the states in the Borneo Island and the mainland of Malaysia.

The stern looking immigration officer told me that I had arrived at a 'not-so-good' time for sightseeing in Kota Kinabalu. He told me of the foul weather they had been having over the past week. He told me that besides flooding and landslides, 13 lives had been lost in the aftermath of the mayhem caused by it. Later I came to know that the National Day celebrations, which fell on 16 September, was cancelled as a mark of respect for those who had lost their lives. I prepared for the worst and expected to spend most of the spare time indoors in the Hyatt Regency, a waterfront property. But, HE had other plans. Except for an overcast sky on the day I got into the city, I found time and good weather to walk around to see the sights in the immediate vicinity of the hotel and on another day to visit other sights in the outskirts of the city centre.

The Marlin Statue is literally a stone's throw from the Hyatt Regency, at an extremely busy roundabout in the heart of the town. This statue was put up in the year 2000 to celebrate the coming of age, as it were, of the city of Kota Kinabalu. There are many types of marlins - the common feature is their speed; they can swim 100 metres in 4 seconds. This makes the marlins a challenging game fish.

I walked along the theme painted wall of Hyatt Regency that fronted the street leading to the Jessleton ferry point. The waterfront walkway was forded off due to seafront reclamation and beautification projects, evidently a Chinese initiative. On the way to the Jessleton ferry point, almost bang across the massive Wisma Merdeka Mall, is a large new ferry terminal with floating jetties. I could make out these jetties are used for fishing tours and Borneo Wonders tours.

Beyond the imposing Suria Sabah Mall, the Jessleton Duty Free Mall and the Customs building is situated the quaintly scenic Jessleton Ferry Point that has an unmistakable historical feel to it. A large arch welcomes the visitors to the ferry point, and the commodious booking hall is replete with snapshots of a bygone era, those of Kota Kinabalu city (Jesselton). As if to remind one of the historicity of the place there are vintage red English phone booths. Not far from it is the ubiquitous "I ❤️ KK" signage for selfies.

The busy Jesselton Point Waterfront serves as the only ferry terminal for Labuan-bound passengers as well as the main boat terminal for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and the resorts at Gaya Island. Jesselton Point Waterfront also offers casual dining, leisure and retail experiences with its array of F&B outlets, handicraft stalls, and a four-court futsal centre. As was to be expected, the waterfront was busy, it being a National Holiday.

The massive Suria Sabah, opened in 2009, is the most modern Mall in Kota Kinabalu. Spread over 11 acres, it houses premium and mid-range retail brands, food courts and a hotel. A good place to spend time in comfort, window shopping and grabbing a drink or sinking one's teeth into something delicious.

Just across the street from Suria Sabah to its right, is the awesome and colourful mural on Wisma Sabah. Across the street from Suria Sabah, in front of it, are brightly coloured blue columns without a ceiling, which are the ruins of the old Land and Survey Department in Kota Kinabalu. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1992. The ruins are now used by local artists and used to be the location for the Pillars of Sabah project, which featured pillars painted by local artists.

The Atkinson Clock Tower was built in 1905 in memory of Francis George Atkinson, the first district officer of Jessleton, who died of malaria - then known as Borneo fever - in 1902. Ships calling port at the Jessleton wharf used the Atkinson Clock Tower as their navigation landmark, as it could be seen from the sea. The clock tower was illuminated at night and was used as a shipping landmark right up to the 1950s. Extensive reclamation and tall buildings diminished the navigational importance of the Tower.

The Merdeka Square was the site where sporting events and parades were organised, during the British Crown period. It was here that the then Chief Minister announced the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. I was visiting there exactly 62 years after the event, on the very same day, the National Day. I could not explore the park any further as the grounds had become slushy due to the excessive rainfall the past few days.