Kota
Kinabalu is the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state in the northern part of the
island of Borneo. Often referred to as KK, it’s a coastal city partly
surrounded by rain forest. It's known for its bustling markets, modern
boardwalk, beaches and waterfront Kota Kinabalu City Mosque. It is also a
gateway to Kinabalu National Park, the home of 4,095m-high Mount Kinabalu.
Kota
Kinabalu was formerly known as Jesselton, named after Sir Charles Jessel, one
of the Directors of the British North Borneo Chartered Company, or BNBCC. Kota Kinabalu was bombed by the
British in the second world war. There’s only one building left that’s older
than 20 years and that’s a clock tower on a hill, which was built in 1905.
Emerging from the War, the BNBCC discovered it was too costly to rebuild, so in
1946, Sabah became a British Crown Colony - until 1963, when Sabah was granted
Independence within the Federation of Malaysia. On 30th September 1967,
Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu. 23 years later, on 2 February, 2000 she
was proclaimed a city. As the capital of the State of Sabah, KK is also the
gateway to other major towns and districts and has a population of around
300,000
In the
vicinity of the city, there are various places of interest. Many can be
explored on foot while others may be reached by bus or taxi. Kota Kinabalu is
known for its islands. Manukan, which you can get to on a little boat, is quite
a small island but you can sit on the beach, eat and go snorkeling and see the
fish.
There are a
number of exciting things to do like From historical sites to
cultural attractions, Events and Festivals in Kota Kinabalu, explore the exhaustive list of all other local attractions . Discover new places to see and unique things to do nearby Kota
Kinabalu. Here are some of these amazing sights at Kota Kinabalu.
