Saturday, September 29, 2012

Kota Kinabalu: The Jewel of Borneo Malaysia


Malaysia, referred to as a golden country for tourism, welcomes visitors with the bright beauty of its capital Kuala Lumpur, and its coastal jewel on Borneo Island, the city of Kota Kinabalu. In Borneo Malaysia’s Sabah State, this is where this island lives up to its exotic reputation, with peaceful beaches and pristine, lush primary forests.

This lively city is a base for adventures of all sorts, such as hiking, conquering waterfalls and discovering caves. You can take on Mount Kinabalu of the Crocker Range which rises to a height of 4,095 meters, the highest in the Malay Archipelago. Mount Kinabalu, within the Kinabalu National Park and recognized as a World Heritage Site, stands dramatically above the surrounding terrain to be rated among the most prominent mountains in the world. Today, the challenge of the Crocker Range attracts trekkers from far and wide. Enclosing 754 square kilometres, Kinabalu National Park is a natural paradise and home to a remarkable variety of plants and animals, including rafflesia – the largest flower in the world.

In addition to these adventures, visitors are attracted by the local produce, fine arts, foods and forestry products sold at the city’s many markets – ideal places to learn about the lives and customs of local people.

Kinabalu’s busy markets are available both day and night. Fruit markets and those selling handcrafted items are usually open all day, closing around 7pm. A wide variety of interesting souvenirs are available, such as masks, puppets and the colourful shawls worn by Muslim women here. After 7pm the night markets open, where you can enjoy hot seafood and other local cuisine specialties. The night markets peter out by 12am and the city becomes quiet.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Kota Kinabalu: The Jewel of Borneo Malaysia
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