Welcome to Kota Kinabalu – commonly called KK!
We meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel, where you can rest before starting to explore the interesting streets around your hotel and the coffee shops, food stalls, restaurants and cafes on the waterfront.

This morning you have time to familiarise yourself with KK and find out what the markets and shops offer!
The afternoon starts with an introduction to the peoples of Sabah.
Then you make your first foray into a ‘kampung’ or village.  You go to a Kadazandusun kampung where you visit a family, look at community development projects (including the pre-school) and experience traditional hospitality and culture over dinner.  The Kadazandusun are Sabah’s largest indigenous group.

You travel north from KK today, visiting Kota Belud (a Bajau town) and travelling across the Tempasuk Plain (where padi is grown by the Kadazandusun who live here) to a Rungus longhouse.  The Rungus are the most traditional of the indigenous peoples here.
You go to a number of villages that are part of the ‘One Village One Industry’ Project, learning about how their various traditional products are made, such as honey, gongs (an iconic musical instrument of Borneo), beadwork and weaving.

The Chinese people have been in Sabah since the 19th century and form the largest non-indigenous population in Sabah. This morning you meet a Chinese historian at the Puh Toh Sze Temple to find out more about where they came from, why they came to Sabah and the impact they have had here. And then you visit a Chinese school. This is followed by ‘dim sum’, the Chinese version of brunch. You also learn about local Chinese traditions with a focus on weddings. To finish the day, you sample Malaysian-Chinese snacks for afternoon tea in a Chinese home.

You start the day by putting together lots of pieces about the people of Sabah with a visit to the Sabah State Museum.  You look at the Enthnography Section and the wonderful traditional houses, built by each particular ethnic group themselves.
After that, you go to Linangkit Cultural Village.  This has been set up privately by a group of Lotud people to preserve and show people their culture and customs.  You see traditional dances, eat Lotud food, drink local brew, talk to the people and learn about their traditions.  The evening group will also take part in a mock traditional wedding.

There are many unique and interesting animals and birds in Sabah, including the orangutan and the proboscis monkey – as well as the hornbills.  You see these this morning (and many other Borneo animals) at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.
To end the day – and your tour – you visit a spa in which you will be introduced to traditional forms of massage practised in Sabah and the plants used in the oils and powders.  You then have the opportunity of experiencing one of the treatments yourself.

This is the day on which you leave KK – or you may decide to stay longer!
We take you to the airport for your flight.
Safe journey!