[Kota Kinabalu] 3-Day, 2-Night Sightseeing Guide: Day 3 – Recommended Sunday Market and Zoo for Families!
Hi there! I’m Aya, a Japanese wife in Malaysia. Continuing from Day 1 and Day 2, I’m excited to share more of my top recommended sightseeing spots in Kota Kinabalu!
Day 3 (Sunday): Sunday Market → Lok Kawi Wildlife Park → Kuala Lumpur Airport
Breakfast: There are various stalls on the first floor of the buildings along Gaya Street, where the Sunday Market is held, so grab a bite there before heading to the Sunday Market! The noodle dish in the photo is called “Sheng Rou Mian” (生肉面), which literally means noodles with fresh pork. It’s a noodle dish that originated in Sabah. You don’t often find this kind of budget-friendly comfort food at hawker centers in KL. It has a light, refreshing taste and is delicious. It contains pork, liver, intestines, and more. Hawker noodles often come in either soup or dry styles, and in this photo, the one in the foreground is the soup-style Sheng Rou Mian, while the one in the background is the dry version. Personally, I prefer the soup version.
～Sunday Market～
The Sunday Market is held every Sunday morning on Gaya Street. The street becomes a pedestrian-only zone only when the market is open, and you can find a wide variety of goods, including Sabah souvenirs, plants, vegetables, old stamps, honey, rabbits (for purposes unknown), food, toys, and more. It’s essentially a massive flea market. It seems that locals also come here to shop, not just tourists.
While Kota Kinabalu has three main markets—the Night Market, the Handicraft Market (also known as the Filipino Market), and the Sunday Market—the Sunday Market is by far the most interesting! Therefore, I highly recommend planning your trip to Kota Kinabalu so that you can visit the Sunday Market on a Sunday morning.
Operating Hours: 6:00 AM – around 1:00 PM (as of July 2018)
Location: Gaya Street
This is homemade pumpkin juice! It’s rich, incredibly delicious, and only RM2.5 per cup!!! Such a steal! It’s so thick that it feels more like a soup than a juice. Ayako, the Japanese wife, gives it her highest recommendation! I definitely want to drink this pumpkin juice again when I visit Kota Kinabalu!
There’s also a popular open-air foot massage run by visually impaired practitioners!! It’s super popular!! By day three, travel fatigue tends to set in, so we highly recommend giving it a try (#^^#) 30 minutes for RM20 (fee as of July 2018; please note that prices may be subject to change).
There were also these adorable coconut-themed souvenirs. They were just too cute, so I had to bring them home! (≧◇≦) So incredibly creative!!! Please head to the Sunday Market on foot or via Grab. Since it’s a popular market, parking spots might be full. Be careful not to park illegally, as you could get a fine.
～ Lok Kawi Wildlife Park ～
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park is a zoo operated by the Sabah Wildlife Department, located about a 40-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu city center. Over 100 species of animals and birds are housed across its vast grounds. Although we missed it this time and were quite disappointed, the park also features animal shows, which are said to be quite entertaining. Since they are held twice a day, we highly recommend adjusting your schedule to catch one.
Admission Fee: RM20 per foreign adult. (Fees were as of July 2018. Please note that prices may be subject to change.)
Animal Show Times: 11:00 AM and 3:15 PM
Closed: Fridays
In addition to the animal shows, there are also feeding sessions.
Bornean Elephants: 10:20 AM
Malayan Sun Bears: 2:00 PM
Malayan Tigers: 2:05 PM
Orangutans: 2:15 PM
Long-tailed Macaques & Otters: 2:25 PM
Proboscis Monkeys: 2:35 PM
I even got to see orangutans! They are kept in an environment that closely mimics nature. In Malay, “orangutan” literally means “person of the forest”—“orang” means person, and “utan” means forest. They sat, moved, and ate just like humans, which was truly fascinating. Since I rarely get the chance to see them in Japan, just getting to watch them left me completely satisfied! It was absolutely worth the trip!
At the zoo, you can spot the Long-tailed Macaque quite up close. We recommend seeing them in the zoo for a close encounter, and then observing their wild counterparts along the mangrove river. The Long-tailed Macaque is a rare species found only on the island of Borneo. Males are characterized by their large, drooping noses, while females have pointed noses. They live in a polygynous group structure, with only one male per group.
While you won’t be able to spot wild crested macaques up close, they do perch in the mangrove trees, and their movements differ from those in zoos—so watching wild crested macaques is also highly recommended.
Behind the cute mural, animal shows are held from 11:00 AM to 3:15 PM! Highly recommended for families with children. If you’re planning to visit specifically for this show, please be sure to confirm with the zoo beforehand, as schedules may change. Even if you check in advance, last-minute changes can occur, so it’s a good idea to verify again on the day of your visit. Changes are quite common in Malaysia.
Must-Know Money-Saving Tips
- Since the tourist spots in Kota Kinabalu are spread out, avoid over-scheduling and move at a relaxed pace.
Recommended Sunday Markets and Zoos for Families with Kids – Key Selling Points
“The Sunday Market is fun, with all sorts of unique items for sale.” + “At the zoo, you can meet Malaysia’s native animals, including orangutans and langurs.”
