If in the last issue, we visited Phuket, Thailand, this time around, lets visit somewhere nearer shall we? Sabah is a state in the East side of Malaysia. It is most frequently called the “land below the wind” and the “land of sacred mountains”. Sabah may be part of Malaysia, but when I visited there, it was like I¡¯m stepping out to a different country altogether! First, we had to go through customs to get past the airport and we even had a visa stating how long we can stay there. Now, isn¡¯t that bizarre, considering that we are in the same country (well, almost!). Here are a few interesting thing about Kota Kinabalu (KK).

Images:
Skyline at dawn:

A Church at KK:

Carolers:

Shopping:
Kota Kinabalu city is not Kuala Lumpur at all, but it is a pretty nice city. There are a number of sky scrappers and a lot of little bazaars and markets. There¡¯s this one famous stationary market that everyone should visit, it is called the Phillipino Market. It is called that because the vendors there are mainly from the Philippines. That market sells many arts and crafts and pearls! That place is heaven for any girl who loves fresh water pearls. But, beware of price hikes, once they know that you¡¯re not local, they hike up the price to nearly 400% more! Right beside the market is the fish market. The smell travels from afar, you cannot miss it. Another famous street that one must visit is the Gaya Street. Gaya Street may look like your average morning markets, but in this market, they sell many other things such as animals, ant hills and (fake) butterflies. It is a street bustling with activities almost everyday, especially if visited during the Christmas season. The transportation system is quite good, albeit a bit pricey. The “busses” there are actually vans and everyone has to cram in one van if they wanted to get around.

Images:
Movie billboard (hand drawn!):

Philipino Market:

Dock near the fish market:

Gaya Street:

Food:
If you love seafood, KK is the place to be. Seafood in KK is super cheap and it is very fresh. KK is situated by the seaside; fishes and other seafood come sin fresh daily to all restaurants. Here are some food we ate while we were there.
Images:

Culture :
Sabah has about 30 different ethnic groups. Most of them comprises of native tribes of Sabah. These 30 tribes speak a hole load of different language. We visited a cultural center at KK. It is called the Monsopiad Cultural Village. There, we were introduced to the culture and how they developed until who they are today. They are mostly animistic in their beliefs those days but according to the tour guide, most of them now are Christians. They do still practice some of their rituals and beliefs. The Kadazan Dusun people are mostly rice farmers and legend says that they are also head hunters. Monsopiad was a famous head hunter in KK. This whole village was built to commemorate his success and also to show how the Kadazan Dusun people lived back in the day.? It costs RM30 per person for an entrance fee. With that, you will also get a free cultural show, a complimentary drink and a guided tour.

Images:
Monsopiad Cultural Village:

History of the village:

Cultural Dance by the Kadazan Dusun Tribe:

Some paddy field:

At the village:

Kitchen at a typical Kadazan Dusun House:

Toilets at a typical Kadazan Dusun House:

Monsopiad is a Head Hunter:

For more information, please visit the Sabah Tourism Board

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