Our first full day in KK started with a sleep in.  I have discovered that I am still an early bird – after all, there are blog posts to write and travel research to be undertaken – but the rest of the family don’t seem to have any difficulty dozing for a long as possible.  Eventually we caught a Grab in to the Sabah Tourism Board, right in the centre of the main part of town.  I like to start off by gathering information and familiarising myself with the overall layout.  So a street and waterfront wander was in order. There’s always something interesting to see.

Kota Kinabalu was formerly known as Jesselton. In the 15th century, the area of Kota Kinabalu was under the influence of Bruneian Empire. In the 19th century, the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) first set up a settlement near the Gaya Island. However, it was destroyed by fire in 1897 by a local leader named Mat Salleh. In July 1899, the place located opposite to the Gaya Island was identified as a suitable place for settlements. Development in the area was started soon after that; and the place was named “Api-api” before it was renamed after the vice-chairman of BNBC as “Jesselton”. Jesselton became a major trading port in the area, and was connected to the North Borneo Railway. Jesselton was largely destroyed during World War II. The Japanese occupation of Jesselton provoked several local uprisings notably the Jesselton Revolt but they were eventually defeated by the Japanese. After the war, BNBC was unable to finance the high cost of reconstructions and the place was ceded to the British Crown Colony. The British Crown declared Jesselton as the new capital of North Borneo in 1946 and started to rebuild the town. After the formation of Malaysia, North Borneo was renamed as Sabah. In 1967, Jesselton was renamed as Kota Kinabalu, Kota being the Malay word for Fort and Kinabalu after the nearby Mount Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu was granted city status in 2000.

Kota Kinabalu is often known as KK both in Malaysia and internationally. It is a major tourist destination and a gateway for travellers visiting Sabah and Borneo.^[4][7] Kinabalu Park is located about 90 kilometres from the city and there are many other tourist attractions in and around the city. Kota Kinabalu is also one of the major industrial and commercial centres of East Malaysia. These two factors combine to make Kota Kinabalu one of the fastest growing cities in Malaysia.^[8]

Waterfront open air markets always have loads to see.  We were wandering around in the middle of the day, and I have to say that it was bloody hot and incredibly humid.  Other than the stall vendors, most people had headed in to the nearby airconditioned shopping malls.

There were many sewing machines set up outside the handcrafts market.  Those that were actually in use were all being operated by men.  None are powered by electricity.  I love seeing those old machines just keeping on keeping on!

Once we escaped the heat and found some lunch, I jumped online and discovered a wildlife cruise on the Klias River that we could do that afternoon/evening.  Thank goodness for the internet and hotspotting to a local sim card!  Less than an hour later we were on a comfortable bus heading out of the city toward the Klias River.  Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us plenty of information about the river and the wildlife that we might be able to spot.  Located on the Klias Peninsula is the Klias Wetland, a Mangrove Forest Reserve. With the bizarre-looking proboscis monkey gaining as much popularity with the tourists as the orang utan, the Klias Wetland with its large proboscis population is fast becoming the latest ecotourism destination in Sabah.

The tour overview: Journey 112km from Kota Kinabalu City to the pristine Klias wetlands. Cruise your way down Klias River in an open boat in search of the endemic proboscis monkeys, long tailed macaques, the rare silver languor, and other wildlife along the river bank. Get your cameras and binoculars on stand-by and keep your eyes peeled for the shy creatures chilling on the branches. As dusk settles in with a sunset, enjoy the sights and sounds in a natural setting as you have a sumptuous village style dinner.  The show’s not over yet though, as there is one more trip through the mangrove swamp.  This time, it is graced by the secret rhythm of fireflies and their flickering lights. 

And spot the wildlife we did!  Firstly some monitor lizards, and then proboscis monkeys.  Plenty of them!  They were easiest to see once they’d moved – otherwise they blended in to the surrounding trees.  They come to the riverbanks to eat leaves in the late afternoon, then climb higher up in the trees to rest for the night.  I couldn’t really capture just how amazing it was to see them in the wild with my phone camera; just take it from me that it was incredibly cool!

Proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), nicknamed “Monyet Belanda” or “Dutchman”, are endangered mammals that are endemic to Borneo. Their key characteristics are the huge pendulous noses used to attract mates, big bellies, their striking colours fur coats for adults, and a permanently erect bright red penis seen in mature males. They live in organized harem groups consisting of a dominant male and up to 24 females with their offspring. They have webbed feet and hands to help them outpace the crocodiles, one of their main predators. Proboscis monkeys survive mainly on a diet of leaves, seeds, and unripe fruits but will occasionally consume insects as well. The only fruit they will eat are unripe fruits, as the sugars in ripe fruits can ferment in their stomachs and cause fatal bloating. 

After dinner, we went back onto the boats in the dark to spot fireflies.  Many of the trees lining the river are festooned with the tiny glowing beetles.  It honestly looked as though twinkling Christmas lights had been slung along the branches.  They often blinked in synchronised patterns, and every now and then a few would take to the air and circle our boat.  It was absolutely magical.