Luxury hotels in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu guide

Kota Kinabalu: Mount Kinabalu and Borneo's islands

Southeast Asia's great peak, coral islands offshore and orangutans in Sabah's rainforest.

Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to Mount Kinabalu, one of the highest peaks in Southeast Asia, is the most cited excursion from Kota Kinabalu; the climb takes two days with a night on the mountain and requires permits booked well ahead, while the park's gardens and trails suit a day visit.

Offshore, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park's islands are ideal for snorkelling, and the city's sunsets over the South China Sea are famous. The orangutans of Sepilok and the wildlife of the Kinabatangan River are a short flight away on Sabah's east coast.

Sepilok and the orangutans of Borneo

The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, near Sandakan on Sabah's east coast, is the most cited wildlife experience in Malaysian Borneo: orphaned orangutans learn to live in the forest and often come to the feeding platforms in the morning and afternoon. It is a short flight from Kota Kinabalu.

Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre's canopy walkway complete the visit. Many travellers continue to the Kinabatangan River for proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants and hornbills.

The Klias wetlands and the fireflies

The Klias Peninsula, about two hours south of Kota Kinabalu, is the most cited half-day nature trip from the city: a river cruise through the mangroves at dusk to see proboscis monkeys, endemic to Borneo, gathering in the trees for the night.

After dark, the boats return past trees lit by fireflies. The tour usually includes dinner, and insect repellent is essential. Sunsets over the South China Sea from Tanjung Aru beach, closer to the city, are another local ritual.