Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 492

cooperative, with some families renting out rooms to
guests, and others providing meals. Provides excellent
immersion i n Kelab it culture. Transport from airport can
be arranged. RM65 per person
Junglebluesdream T 019 8849892, W junglebluesdream
.weebly.com. Combined lodge and art gallery run by local
artist Stephen and his Danish wife Tine, with excellent
home-cooked food and individually decorated rooms.
Trekking maps available and k ayakin g excursions possible.
Airport pickup can be arranged. RM70 per person per day
Libal Paradise T 019 8071640. Run by a Canadian-
Kelabit couple, this rural farm is a wonderfully laidback
place to stay. Stu runs kayaking trips and the fa rm is a
short walk e astwards from the airport strip. Dorm RM30 ,
room RM65

As in Sarawak, travel is more expensive
in Sabah than in Peninsular Malaysia.
While there are plenty of tour operators,
independent travel is completely
achievable and a breeze compared to
other parts of Borneo.

6

KOTA KINABALU
Settled on the South China Sea,
KOTA KINABALU is the thoroughly
modern capital of Sabah and the main
entry point to the region. Stretching
along the waterfront and sporting several
large shopping malls, KK offers a range of
budget accommodation and plenty of
restaurants and bars. Lacking in
architectural charm, it's nevertheless
pleasant enough to amble around on
foot, exploring the various markets,
trying local delicacies and soaking up the
waterfront atmosphere. KK is also the
gateway to the ultra-popular Kinabalu
National Park , and there's good
snorkelling and diving to be had off the
Tunku Abdul Rahman Islands , a short hop
by speedboat from KK's jetty.

Sabah
Bordering Sarawak on the northeastern
flank of Borneo, SABAH 's beauty lies in
its wealth of natural resources and
abundant wildlife. You can watch turtles
hatch on Libaran Turtle Island , see
orang-utans at the Sepilok Orang-utan
Rehabilitation Centre , observe the antics
of sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear
Conservation Centre and marvel at
forest-dwelling proboscis monkeys,
macaques and wild orang-utans along
the lower reaches of the Kinabatangan
River . he diving is incredible: Pulau
Sipadan is rated one of the world's top
dive destinations. Sabah's other major
attraction is climbing the granite shelves
of 4095m-high Mount Kinabalu : it's
certainly challenging, but the rewards
are spectacular.
As well as its natural beauty, Sabah also
has a diverse ethnic heritage. Until
European powers gained a foothold here
in the nineteenth century, the northern
tip of this remote land mass was
inhabited by tribal groups who had only
minimal contact with the outside world.
he peoples of the Kadazan and Dusun
tribes constitute the largest indigenous
racial group, along with the Murut of the
southwest and Sabah's so-called “sea
gypsies”, the Bajau. Recently economic
migrants from the Philippines and
neighbouring Kalimantan have added to
the state's rich ethnic mix.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Downtown KK was almost obliterated by
World War II bombs, and only in the
northeastern corner of the city centre - an
area known as KK Lama, or old KK - are
there even the faintest remains of its
colonial past, with three notable old
buildings: the old General Post O ce ,
Atkinson's Clock Tower and the Lands and
Surveys building , now home to the Sabah
Tourism Board. Jalan Gaya is the most
attractive of the central streets, lined with
colourful and popular Chinese kedai kopis .

The markets
On Sundays, the length of Jalan Gaya
comes alive with the Gaya street market
(6am-2pm) - a great place to buy
anything from souvenirs to jungle
produce. Along the waterfront you'll find
three markets. he Filipino market (daily
10am-6pm) on Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens
is the best place to buy Sabahan ethnic
wares, such as textiles, cultured pearls,
bamboo goods and more, as well as
Filipino baskets, kampong-wood salad