MALAYSIA
MALAYSIAN BORNEO – SABAH •• Kota Kinabalu Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotelsBorneo Net (Jln Haji Saman; h9am-midnight; per hr
RM3) Twenty terminals, fast connections and loud head-
banger music wafting through the air.
HSBC (%088-212622; 56 Jln Gaya; h9am-4.30pm
Mon-Thu, to 4pm Fri) Has a 24-hour ATM.
Immigration office (%088-488700; Kompleks
Persekutuan Pentadbiran Kerajaan, Jln UMS; h8am-1pm
& 2-5pm Mon-Thu, 8-11.30am & 2-5pm Fri)
Main post office (%088-210855; Jln Tun Razak;
h8am-5pm Mon-Fri) Western Union cheques and money
orders can be cashed here. Has an efficient poste restante
counter.
Maybank (%088-254295; 9 Jln Pantai; h9am-
4.30pm Mon-Thu, to 4pm Fri) Has a 24-hour ATM.
Mega Laundry (%088-238970; Ruang Sinsuran 2;
h8am-8pm; per kilo RM6) This fast and efficient laundry
place is one of the few in KK open on Sunday. Ask them
not to write your name on your laundry.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (%088-218166; Jln
Penampang) Past the Sabah Museum.
Sabah Parks Office (%088-211881; Lot 1-3, ground
fl, Block K, Kompleks Sinsuran, Jln Tun Fuad Stephens;
h8am-1pm & 2-4.30pm Mon-Thu, 8-11.30am & 2-4.30pm
Fri, 8am-12.50pm Sat) Good source of information.
Sabah Tourism Board (%088-212121; http://www.sabah
tourism.com; 51 Jln Gaya; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-
4pm Sat, 9am-4pm Sun) Housed in the historic post office
building, KK’s main tourist office has helpful staff and a
wide range of brochures, pamphlets and other information
covering every aspect of independent and tour travel in
Sabah. Ask about its homestay program.Sights
CITY CENTRE
The main building of the Sabah Museum
(%253199; Jln Muzium; admission RM15; h9am-5pm
Sat-Thu) is modelled on a Rungus longhouse
and is a true ethnographic treat, exhibiting
traditional items such as ceramics and colour-
ful wedding costumes from many of Sabah’s
30 indigenous groups. In a separate building
a little further along is the Sabah Art Gallery,
which shows works by local artists, including
oil paintings and sculptural works. A road
connects the main complex to the small but
interesting Museum of Islamic Civilisation (a 10-
minute walk from the main hall). Bus 13 can
drop you on Jln Penampang, where there’s a
footbridge and a path leading uphill to the
museum, saving you a long walk around the
corner – the footbridge gate is often locked for
some reason, but it’s easy to climb around.
Southwest of here is the State Mosque, which
is a fine example of contemporary Islamic
architecture.KK’s Central Market (Jln Tun Fuad Stephens;
h8.30am-6pm) is in two sections: the water-
front area sells fish and the area bordering
Jln Tun Fuad Stephens sells fruit and vegeta-
bles. Next door is the Handicraft Centre (Jln Tun
Fuad Stephens; h8.30am-6pm), jammed with craft,
textile and jewellery stalls. A section of Jln
Gaya is closed to traffic on Sunday morning
to accommodate the stalls of KK’s popular
Gaya St Fair (h7am-1pm Sun).BEYOND CITY CENTRE
Just west of KK, the five islands of Manukan,
Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik and Sulug and the
reefs in between make up Tunku Abdul Rahman
National Park (admission RM10), covering a total
area of just over 49 sq km. Only a short boat
ride from the city centre’s Jesselton Pier, they
have some nice beaches and the water in the
outer areas is usually clear, offering ideal day-
trip material for anyone wanting to escape the
city and unwind.
Also located beyond the city centre are the
Mari Mari Cultural Village (%019 820 4921; www
.traversetours.com, Jln Kiansom; adult/child RM150/130), the
Monsopiad Cultural Village (%088-761336; http://www.mon
sopiad.com; admission RM65; h8.30am-5pm), and the
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park (%088-765710; Jln Penampang,
Papar Lama; adult/child RM20/10; h9.30am-5.30pm),
where you can see a few orang-utans.Sleeping
While Kuching’s backpacker scene is a bit
more design-oriented, KK delivers with sheer
volume. If you wanna window-shop before
dropping your rucksack, head to ‘Australia
Place’ when you arrive in town. This area,
orbiting the Sabah Tourism Board, has tonnes
of budget options.
Recently, a group of budget hotel and hostel
owners have banded together to form the Sabah
Backpackers Operators Association (SBA; http://www.sabahback
packers.com) in an effort to help shoestring trav-
ellers in the region. Check out its website for
discount deals on accommodation and tours.
Lucy’s Homestay (Backpacker’s Lodge; %088-261495;
Lot 25 Lg Dewan, Australia Place; dm/s/d incl breakfast
RM18/45/50) We have a soft spot for lovely Lucy
and her homey homestay in Australia Place.
There’s loads of charm here, with wooden
walls smothered in stickers, business cards
and crinkled photographs. If you’re looking
for a quaint home away from home, you’ll
find it here. Laundry service starts at RM15
per load.494