Kota Kinabalu Local Customs

I'm from sarawak..Marina court is a good place to stay if going holiday with a large group of family member e.g 4 and above..the apartment/condo has 3 bedroom and we can cook if we want.Been here several time with my family of 5 pupils. For me its cheaper than rent a hotel rooms. i suggested this to my all virtual friend. last month i rent 3 unit with this guy..mitch his name if i not mistaken u can call him at (zero one six 84 zero 70 six 9)..his price very affordable..

3 more images

The Central Market is located near the waterfront, just to the north of the Filipino market and doubles as an outdoor food court. The market sells fruit and vegetables along with meat and fish. We visited it at night after having a pizza at Little Italy.

Just be aware of this. It is commonplace for people to spit freely in the streets. Many buildings and some areas actually have no spitting signs up.

It can be a bit of a suprise if you are not aware of this.

This I just could not believe.

My hotel was not far from the Royal Sabah Turf Club, and on my last full day in KK there was a race meeting there.

In the early evening I wandered down to a group of shops that happened to be opposite the entrance to the race course.

I could not believe my eyes as out drove a Ute, with a race horse and handlers standing on the open ute tray. I was too late to get a photo of that one but did manage to snap this photo of 2 horses being loaded onto a ute tray.

Remember these are race horses??

I heard from my moutain guide and the local staff from my hotel that Mt. Kinabalu is a mountain with great tradition.
It is believed that while climbing up this mountain, do so with respect and silence.
Don't climb up the moutain noisely. It is not auspicious.

As amatuer trekkers, we went up the moutain silently complained how tough the journey was. Of the 4 of us who went up, 3 of us came down with gastric flu and vomitted while coming down.

Not sure how true that belief was, but just for your info.

The various local ethnic groups take pride in displaying their own forms of dances for tourists and during festivals and rituals. The biggest festival celebrated in Sabah is the "Hari Gawai" or Harvest Festival. During the 3-day Gawai festival, there is continuous dancing and performances taking place and an air of festivity fills the air. Tuak, a type of home brewed rice wine is drunk in large quantities, and sometimes offered to visitors and tourists. I am not sure what this tuak tastes like, but I believe that it is not drunk with taste in mind! Rather it is drunk more with the intention of relaxing after the hard work of the rice harvest...if you get my drift. (hehe)

At other times of the year, dances are performed by various dance troupes at hotels and cultural villages and shopping malls. The most famous dance troup is the Sabah Tourism Board Dancers. At the end of the show, an unsuspecting tourist is usually roped in to complete the dance (see pics). It is really fun to try to join in or to watch!

The mountain Kinabalu is treated as sacred and resting place of their ancestors. Pay full respect to the mountain by avoiding make noice while you are climbing. Do not take anything from the mountain, including the stones.

Keep spare change in your pockets to pay for use of toilets.you need to pay between MR$0.20 to $0.30 for the use of toilets in shopping centres.