Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (1. Take the 'Heritage Walk')
Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (1. Take the 'Heritage Walk')
‘The Heritage Walk’
Today, we start with our first blog in a series of twenty fun activities to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu, or should I say ‘KK’ as locals and visitors alike refer to the city. Where better to start than in the heart of Kota Kinabalu’s bustling city centre at the historic building that’s home to STB (Sabah Tourism Board). STB organise on a thrice weekly basis (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday) a ‘Heritage Walk’ around KK and it’s a great opportunity for any visitor to view and learn about Kota Kinaba’s’s and Sabah’s history, heritage and rich culture.
Sabah Tourism Board - the starting point for ‘The Heritage Walk’
Meeting up for The Heritage Walk
We meet just before 9 a.m. and are greeted warmly by Roger, who’s our Tour Guide for the morning. First we learn a little about the Sabah Tourism Board HQ. Initially built in 1916 as the main Kota Kinabalu Post Office in what was then Jesselton, the wooden building was rebuilt in brick in 1936 and is very historic as one of only three buildings to survive World War II. The Post Office vacated the building in 1986 and STB subsequently took possession in 1991 and remain custodian of the building. This is ‘0 KM’, and the start of the Heritage Walk and many of us learn that distances between towns are measured from the central post office and hence ‘0 KM’.
Former Treasury Building
Next, we take a short walk to the old treasury. Built in the 1920s the treasury also survived allied bombing inflicted on the Japanese occupying forces in WWII. Post-War the Welfare Department took over the building, but the predominantly wooden building was burnt down in a catastrophic fire on New Year’s Eve in 1992. However, the thick brick walls and steel doors that once protected North Borneo’s money and other important valuables survived the fire along with thirty concrete supporting columns. The columns were known as “The Pillars of Sabah” and contained examples of pop-art by local artists however this has been recently replaced by pictures with accompanying details of thirty examples of wildlife, maritime life and flora / fauna that are endangered in Sabah.
Jesselton Hotel
We stroll to the northern end of Jalan Gaya (Gaya Street), home of the Sunday Morning Market (refer our separate blog) and take a look at the Jesselton Hotel. Established in 1954, it was Kota Kinabalu’s original boutique hotel with a British colonial theme. We learn that probably the most famous guest was Muhammad Ali who stayed here in 1975 on his way to the Philippines to fight Joe Frazier in what was famously known as “The thriller in Manilla”.
Signal Hill Observatory Tower
Next it’s time for some exercise and time to climb the 267 steps to Signal Hill Observatory Tower. Roger has this paced out beautifully and we stop four or five times en route and Roger talks about various subjects including rainforest, conservation, wildlife, history and the different ethnic peoples of Sabah. As a result, we reach the top not ‘out of breath’! There’s some excitement here as a semi-feral long-tailed macaque scavenged for discarded food! You can read more about the Signal Hill Observatory Tower in our separate blog and we learn that in olden times the hill acted as a beacon to protect local shipping using fire / smoke at night when the atmosphere was calm, and flags in daytime and locals still refer to the hill as Bukit Bendera (Flag Hill).
Australia Place
After some photos at Signal Hill we walked down to pretty much the oldest part of Kota Kinabalu known as ‘Australia Place’, so-called because the Australian troops celebrated the Allied liberation here in 1945 at the end of WWII. This is an area popular with backpackers we’re very lucky to meet the charming Madam Lucy who opened the first backpacker’s lodge in 1995 and her laundry continues to do good business from customers who’ve been out jungle trekking!
Atkinson Clock Tower
Next, and another subject of a previous Blue Kinabalu blog is the Atkinson Clock Tower built in memory of Frances George Atkinson who died tragically young at the age of 28. The clock tower remains the oldest building in Kota Kinabalu and we learn that it was built using an interlocking system developed by the British Royal Navy that means that the tower was built without the need for either screws or nails.
Atkinson Clock Tower
Padang Merdeka
On the edge of Signal Hill is Padang Merdeka (Independence Field) where locals celebrated the announcement of independence from British rule in 1963. There’s a grandstand here and open grounds that are in good repair.
Australian War Memorial
We’re now at the southern end of Jalan Gaya where there’s an interesting display of photos of Jesselton / Kota Kinabalu over the last 100 years. Nearby is the Australian War Memorial. This is a poignant reminder of what became known in WWII as the ‘Sandakan Death March’ when Australian POW soldiers were marched by Japanese forces from Sandakan to the town of Ranau (near Mount Kinabalu). Of the approximately 2,500 men who commenced the walk, only six escapees survived. To this day, each ANZAC Day (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) in April, local and Australian dignitaries commemorate the sacrifice these men made in a ceremony here.
Wet & Dry Market
It’s getting hotter as the morning progresses and our penultimate stop is the ‘Wet & Dry’ Market, or tamu that’s on Kota Kinabalu’s waterfront. Here’s there’s lots of local fruits to tempt us including both the ‘King & Queen’ of fruits (Durian and Mangosteen respectively) and Rambutan. This is followed by a brief visit to a local handicrafts shop ‘Kadaiku’ and our tour is complete!
This is a great opportunity to experience Kota Kinabalu and Roger is a fantastic ambassador for Sabah / STB who brought the whole tour to life with his enthusiasm, passion and knowledge. Thoroughly recommended.
Top Tip:
Book early as there’s only 15 slots per tour which is free of charge. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring water…but if you forget water there’s an ‘Orange’ convenience store opposite the starting point at 0 KM!
How to book The Heritage Walk
http://freewalk.sabahtourism.com/
About Martin
Martin is a British expat living in Kota Kinabalu who arranges tailored tours within Sabah primarily for British and Western tourists on behalf of Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency.
