Visa-Free Island Getaway: Ultimate Eat, Stay, and Play Guide to Kota Kinabalu 🏝

Kota Kinabalu, also known as KK, is located in the more naturally beautiful East Malaysia. It’s not a pure island but a coastal city.
🔹Visa-free and direct flights available
🔹Offshore, you can find glassy seas comparable to the Maldives
🔹Breathtaking sunsets that are world-famous
🔹The land attractions are equally impressive, with proboscis monkeys in the mangroves and a “green galaxy” woven by fireflies
🔹Chinese-friendly, suitable for Chinese palates
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🗺️5 Days 4 Nights Itinerary🗺️
▪️Day1: Visit the mangroves to see monkeys and fireflies
▪️Day2: Island hopping
The coastline of Kota Kinabalu itself isn’t particularly stunning, so going offshore is a must.

The classic island hopping destination is Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a marine national park in Malaysia, consisting of five islands: Sapi, Manukan, Gaya, Mamutik, and Sulug.
For a day trip, most people visit Manukan, Sapi, and Mamutik, where the scenery is quite similar. Mengalum Island, which is further from the city, is also a good choice for a day trip, though it’s a bit far, but the sea water is truly impressive.

If staying overnight, you can go to Gaya Island, where you need to stay at resorts like SLH Gaya Island Resort, Bunga Raya Island Resort, or Gayana Marine Resort to access the island. Another option is Mantanani Island, which is even further from the city, so the sea water is even better.
▪️Day3: City cultural tour (Water Mosque + Sabah University) + Sunset watching (Tanjung Aru Beach)
▪️Day4: Explore and eat in the city
✔️Gaya Street: A cluster of popular shops run by Chinese, such as Yee Fong Tea Room, Fu Yuan Cha Can Ting, Good Taste Coffee Shop, Sin Kee Bak Kut Teh, and You Kee Bak Kut Teh.

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✔️Durian Street under the flyover: Not only sells durians, but also other local fruits and various hardcore snacks, opens in the evening
✔️Welcome Seafood & Sasa Seafood: Two seafood restaurants favored by Chinese tourists, prices are slightly higher, but at least they won’t overcharge
✔️Sing Hing Tea Restaurant: The Tom Yum Mee is absolutely addictive
▪️Day5: Buy souvenirs (Imago Mall) + Return
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If you’re a hiking enthusiast, you can also visit Mount Kinabalu, which is far from the city and requires a full day to explore.

There are also paragliding and photo opportunities at a ranch. The scenery is outstanding in Southeast Asia, but compared to Xinjiang and western Sichuan in China, it’s somewhat less impressive. If you don’t have a particular attachment to mountains, you can skip this.
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🏷️Tips
▫️Local transportation: Using the app “Grab” for taxis is very convenient, and it’s easy to get a pickup truck
▫️Local currency: 1 Malaysian Ringgit (RM) ≈ 1.

5491 Chinese Yuan (CNY)
▫️Hotels: Shangri-La at Tanjung Aru has a great location. Otherwise, it’s recommended to stay near Gaya Street for easy access to food
▫️Other: Please make sure to bring a UK plug adapter and prepare mosquito repellent