City: Sabah
Top Things to do in Sabah
Top Hotels in Sabah
- 1. Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu
- 2. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu
- 3. Hotel Grandis
- 4. The Pacific Sutera Hotel - Sutera Harbor Resort
- 5. Hilton Kota Kinabalu
- 6. Cititel Express Kota Kinabalu
- 7. Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
- 8. Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
- 9. The Magellan Sutera Resort
- 10. Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabulu
10 Free Things to do in Sabah That You Shouldn't Miss
Sabah (Malay pronunciation: [saˈbah]) is a state of Malaysia located on the northern portion of Borneo Island. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest, and Indonesia's Kalimantan region to the south. The Federal Territory of Labuan is an island just off the Sabah coast. Sabah shares maritime borders with Vietnam in the west and the Philippines to the north and east. Kota Kinabalu is the capital city, the economic centre of the state and the seat of the Sabah state government. Other major towns in Sabah include Sandakan and Tawau. As of the 2015 census in Malaysia, the state's population is 3,543,500. Sabah has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests and abundant animal and plant species. The state has long mountain ranges on the west side which form part of the Crocker Range National Park. Kinabatangan River, second longest river in Malaysia runs through Sabah and Mount Kinabalu is the highest point of Sabah as well as of Malaysia.
Restaurants in Sabah
1. Sandakan Memorial Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 775 reviews
Reviewed By OrderintheHouse
In September and October 2017 my wife and I visited delightful Malaysian Borneo visiting attractions in both Sarawak and Sabah. Included in the Sabah section was a visit to Sandakan Memorial Park. A visit to the Sandakan Memorial Park is a reflective and very solemn experience for any visitor to Sandakan. It dedicates the memory of 1793 Australian and 641 British members of the armed forces whilst prisoners of war (POWs) in Borneo during World War II. It highlights the terrible atrocities inflicted upon those POWs who lost their lives on the infamous Death Marches from Sandakan to Ranau, around 220 kilometres inland and close to Kinabalu Park. Only 6 prisoners, all Australians, survived. To my mind it is an essential visit for any Australian traveller to Malaysian Borneo to gain an insight into this important aspect of Australian war history. The Park is adjacent to the site of the original Sandakan POW camp. There are several memorial and interpretive stations around the park for visitors to explore at their own pace via an impressive walking track. The landscaping of the Park including the lake, gardens and trees is very beautifully maintained. The Commemorative Pavilion is also an important aspect of the Park displaying photographic exhibits that tell countless stories of the atrocities inflicted upon these brave POWs by their Japanese captors. A feature in this Pavilion is the decorative gates depicting flowers representing people of the three nations who suffered at Sandakan during the Second World War. Above all, the Park is a chilling reminder to all that in learning to forgive the wrongs of the past we must maintain Memorials such as Sandakan Memorial Park to make sure we never allow these wrongs to be repeated. It’s this reminder that makes this Park so essential to include in any Borneo visit. Equally impressive are the memorial stain glass windows installed since 2005 in St Michael’s Church, Sandakan in memory of the POWs imprisoned in Borneo. I would recommend a visit here also. You need to make arrangements with the Church Office to gain access inside the Church, for a small fee. Another must for travellers interested in this chapter of World War II history is the Sabah Tea Plantation at Ranau. The Plantation is on the very site where the Death Marches ended and viewing further impressive POW memorials is an added bonus to simply buying Sabah tea or enjoying lunch in the Plantation Restaurant. We were deeply moved by all three experiences. .
2. Tip of Borneo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 430 reviews
Reviewed By Jasonpangpang
Visited this place for the 2nd time while traveling to Kudat. It seems to be a must-go-to-place if you're ever in Kudat, Sabah. Scenery is as always expected, beautiful sunset as the sun goes down. The sea waves was a little rough, probably due to the Nov-Feb wind from South China Sea, but also a good time for surfers to strut on their surfing board! Would recommend travelers to visit this place in the month of June/July as annually there will be a Sunset Music Fest at the Tip of Borneo takes place in June at the northern most tip of Borneo (check local calendars for confirmation). Cafe's and restaurant has definitely improved a little better during my visit, however would hope that the community there would introduced more coconut flavors to their menu as Kudat is well known for their coconut tree (hence their landmark - which is shaped as a coconut). Accommodation wise, pretty decent. Well priced and comfortable. There's stretch of hotels, chalets, rentals for a night experience. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this place and will definitely come back again! :)
3. Labuan War Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery which contains a total number of 3,900 burials. The cemetery lies on the Jalan Tanjong Batu road which leads from the airport to the town. It is less than a kilometre from the airport and about 3 kilometres from the Island's town; Victoria. Within the Cemetery will be found the Labuan Memorial and the Labuan Cremation Memorial.
Reviewed By njwithers - Labuan Island, Malaysia
This memorial to those who died in WW2 is very well maintained and the cemetery is quiet and peaceful. The Remembrance Day ceremonies are held here every year. The staff who maintain the memorial park are to be commended. Also thanks to the Malaysian government and the Malaysian Armed services for their help. A special thanks to the U.K. war graves commission for their support.
4. Kokol Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 130 reviews
Reviewed By padala12
The mountain is so nice with a beautiful view. Best time to go is about 4 to 5pm and have a coffee or tea while waiting for sunset. The place is cool. The is a small hotel name Kokol Heaven. The cafe provide a good view of the mountain and sunset. The sunset view is worth waiting.
5. Sri Pasupathinath Alayam
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By BharatP718 - London, United Kingdom
This is a very beautiful Temple in Kota Kinabalu which is very well kept and very clean. It has beautiful gardens with a lotus pond and it is so peaceful. I visited this beautiful Temple with my wife during our tour of Borneo in October 2017 and we will cherish the beautiful memories of this beautiful Temple and Borneo always and forever. ????????????????????????
6. Pillars of Sabah
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By Jimcheng222 - Singapore, Singapore
On day 1 of passing by KK, we have seen the pillars of Sabah and we wanted to go down and see what was there. We finally found the time to visit and on our time of visit there were paintings, different type of art showing the endangered species of borneo. nice for taking photos and nice to learn about sabah's endangered animals as well
7. Kota Kinabalu City Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,171 reviews
Reviewed By Delhifundos - New Delhi, India
Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, the City Mosque is the most famous tourist attraction in Sabah. This is a white and blue structure spread in acres and is a great example of modern Islamic architecture. The mosque is surrounded by water on all sides and hence called the Floating Mosque as well. Quite popular with tourists, it’s a great place to click selfies when you are on a city trip to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. If you want to go inside, you are supposed to change into coverall clothes provided by the mosque (valid for men as well as women). Entry charge for international visitors is RM 5.0. Entry is free for Malaysians.
8. Borneo Trading Post
9. Gaya Street Sunday Market
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 595 reviews
Reviewed By yapyy - Singapore, Singapore
Go early if you want to avoid the hot sun. This is a must-go place for tourists, because you can get everything tourists want: souvenirs, key-chains, t-shirt, Tenom Coffee, handicrafts, local foods..... my wife's favourite? Sabah pearls!! Sabah does produce pearls. my wife bought tons of pearl bracelets for all her friends, and she got a good bargain. My favourite is the water melon juice sold in whole-fruit. Since this is a tourist place, bargain is a must (for souvenirs). If you want taste of local food, there are plenty of restaurants here, but those famous one are always crowded. This is a very short street, but If you like shopping, this place can consume half your day. Unfortunately this place only open on Sunday.
10. Suria Sabah
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 451 reviews
Reviewed By Baby008 - Perth, Australia
I went to Suria Sabah shopping mall for my lunch. This shopping mall have many ATMs that you can withdraw money from which is a convenience to shoppers. Plus there are a variety of restaurants like Penang Teochew Cendol restaurant, the Chicken Rice Shop, plus KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut etc to choose from to have your lunch or dinner here. There is also the Multi Bake shop and I bought a butter fruit cakes and 2 jars of chicken floss from this shop. I recommend this Suria Sabah shopping mall for your meals and convenience shopping.
