Kota Kinabalu, bless its slow beating heart, is a city of constants. Although tourism is a corner stone of the economy here, in case of a dip in tourism things like local shops and eateries would survive, because it caters for locals as well, who ultimately floats most businesses.

Although that probably points to an inherent problem with the city and state’s approach to tourism, the nett effect of this is just one season year round.

Hotels aside, prices rarely fluctuate across seasons here in Sabah, and what is true for food, transportation and drinking costs in the low season, remain true in the high season.

Bali High (Prices)

Inflation or the return of tourists? Whatever the reason, Bali is not as cheap as it was a year ago. Large Bintangs varied from 20,000rp in the convience stores, to 45,000rp in slightly more expensive restaurants.

That’s the equivalent of RM7 – RM15 per big bottle of beer. Large bottles of beer in Sabah vary between RM8 and RM15. Suddenly Sabah’s alcohol doesn’t seem as expensive as you thought.

Where’s the local food

In Sabah, a wide variety of cheap local food is available, in plain sight, right next to more expensive, western restaurants. A basic, local meal in Kota Kinabalu, arguably more expensive than what rural Sabah is, would cost anywhere from RM5 – RM10 including a drink. Locals and non locals alike pay the same price.

In Bali you have to know somebody to point out a truly local eatery where perhaps you will get a meal at the same price as a local. Otherwise you’ll only find local-food-for-tourists everywhere, where tourists pay tourist prices and locals pay local prices.

The cheapest meal on this trip was a great bowl of Bakso soup off the back of a motorbike stall at a temple for 5,000rp (bargained down from the for-tourists price of 10,000rp), which is less than RM2. Also had was the famous Babi Guling (Suckling Pig) in Ubud, at the for-tourists price of 35,000rp (RM12). I heard locals can get the same for a low as 10,000rp.

In Sabah it’s 1 item, 1 price. This excludes tourist attractions and national parks where locals usually pay less.

Haggle Me Silly – Not in Sabah

Something almost ominously absent from Sabah’s tourism scene are touts and hagglers. Markets, restaurants, tailors, souvenir shops – you can walk past any of these in Kota Kinabalu, and the rest of Sabah, without anybody saying anything more than “hi, how are you?”.

From an economic point of view this is possibly a flawed approach, but ask any tourist about how much they like touts or being haggled everywhere they go, and I’m pretty sure you’ll get “not at all” or “very little” as a reply every time.

The only exceptions are KK’s Waterfront where haggling is fast gaining on smelly sewerage outlets as the No.1 reason not to go to the KK Waterfront often, and Taxi drivers who occasionally, in a non-obtrusive way, will ask if you need a taxi.

In conclusion

Being constantly on guard makes for a tiring holiday, but Sabah, being a hassle free destination, allows you to drop your guard in that respect.

You can bargain in the markets and even in some shops, but most often you can go around Sabah knowing that the price you’re paying is the price of the product / service.

It’s good to be in Sabah.

For the time ever, party and event promo specialists Renaissance of Borneo and The Duo will collaborate to bring you a party to end all parties, staring the local musical alchemy of DJ Fine China and MC Atama on the TwoTribez – where Hip Hop meats Break Beats.

DJ Fine China gained notoriety after picking up a nomination as Perth’s Best Breaks DJ at the Perth Dance Music Awards 2008.

DJ Atama was nomination as Best New MC at the CHOONS Awards 2010.

Aiming to promote Sabah’s local clubbing and pop culture talents, TwoTribez will showcase these home-grown Sabahan talents in the collaboration of the year as the two local boys party hard for the benefit of Kota Kinabalu clubbers.

Additional Info
Ticket price

Tickets are available at RM380 for 4 people, which includes:

• 1 bottle of liquor (Vodka, Whiskey, Tequila, Gin, Champagne) or
• 3 bottles of house wine, or
• 3 towers of Becks beer and
• free flow mixers plus snacks

2nd bottle can be purchased inside at fixed price of RM250 nett per bottle.

RM 10,000 worth of prizes for lucky guests.

TwoTribez is officially endorse by DBKK as the Premier KK City Dance Event!

Valet parking is available for purchase of 2 tickets and above (limit to 20 only – first come first served)

Photos

An eclectic blend of world music and folks songs await revelers at this event where 80 local musicians will take to the breathtaking stage at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, where South China Sea meets Sulu Sea.

Tip of Borneo Music Fest 2010 highlights include a performance by the renowned Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra, headed by established music instructors Yap Ling and Chou Yang Ching.

Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra is an all-volunteer ensemble made up of 60 instrumentalists on strings, brass, percussion, winds and keyboards. Music connoisseurs can look forward to the Jesselton Philharmonic Orchestra performing classical works like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, as well as local folksongs such as Jambatan Tamparuli and Sayang Kinabalu.

Tip of Borneo Music Fest 2010 promises mesmerising music against the dramatic backdrop of cliffs, waves and ocean for an out of this world experience.

Entrance to the Tip of Borneo Music Fest is free, so get yourself down to Kudat on July 3 and enjoy the musical extravaganza that starts at 5pm.

Revelers are advices to bring mats or other seating as seats are limited.

For more information, contact Ms. Susan Shahira or Mr. Fidelis Andam of Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn. Bhd. at +60 88 232121 or email them at shahira at sabahtourism or fidelis at sabahtourism

3 floors of shops, restaurants, tailors and boutiques are sustained, in most part, by the tenants in the 2 towers of 13 odd floors of offices above it.

A shoppers paradise, Wisma Merdeka appeals largely to female shoppers, as technology, gadgets, sports and computer stores are in short supply. Beauty, health and fashion on the other hand abound.

Of universal appeal are the food outlets, of which the recently renovated and themed food court on the 4th floor is a crown in the culinary jewel. In the food court Halaal, vegetarian and pork vendors all co-exist in gastronomic harmony for the greater good of punters’ full stomachs.

Throughout the rest of the centre there are other eateries to discover and explore. Just across the road from Wisma Merdeka is Wisma Sabah, packed with travel agents and dive shops.

Tanjung Aru Plaza is, in fact, near Terminal 2, as well as a short walk from Tanjung Aru beach.

Made up of offices built on top of 2 floors of shoplots, Tanjung Aru Plaza is home to a few key business, most notably restaurants, a massage parlor or two and a bar.

In an adjacent parking lot there is a thriving food stall marker where various local and wester food options are available.

It’s located in Donggongon, which is about 10km or so from the Kota Kinabalu city centre.

Its claim to fame, as you may guess from it’s name, is that it’s a long mall – in fact, the claim is Kota Kinabalu’s Longest Mall.

If you find yourself saying “so what?”, then we hear you. Megalong Mall does, however, have a cinema, which is a little known fact by people other than those who live near it.

More to follow soon…

Suria Sabah is a 1-year old shopping centre in the middle of Kota Kinabalu, which is surprisingly sparsely occupied considering it’s location and how old it is.

A hand full of fast food eateries are tucked away in a quiet corner in the basement, a Metro Jaya is one of the anchor tenants and spans several floors, while numerous other shops sell either beauty products or clothing and are randomly dotted throughout the rest of the stark interior of Suria Sabah.

The Times bookstore is not to be forgotten, nor is GSC Cinemas, the reason why the shopping centre’s visitor rate recently spiked. GSC Suria brought 8 new screens to Kota Kinabalu, one of which is 3D ready and pushes KK into modern movie experience realm.

Suria Sabah is another one of Kota Kinabalu’s many shopping centres which have great potential; and only time will tell if that potential is to be realised.

Office complex by day with many eateries popular with tenants, KK PLaza has a good concentration of nightlife spots, turning it into party central at night.

KK Times Square surely has the greatest number of lifts per m² in the whole of Kota Kinabalu, with each separate block equipped with it’s own, fast elevator and stair-case that reaches from the basement right to the 4th floor.

There are also ample parking spaces at KK Times Square, with the main plaza lined with parking, and an underground parking garage mirroring the entire complex’s size with just parking spaces below.

The only downside is that chaotic signage in the basement and the fact that the recently installed parking system is not very efficient, meaning that there is almost always a queue to get off the property.

A tiny mall, it has the usual collection of clothing shops, shops that sell trinkets, what used to be a Servey in the basement (need a fact check) and a food-court on the 3rd floor.