Trip Moments Recommendations
#Gaya Street Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Kota Kinabalu, known as the 'Land Below the Clouds', is an unmissable landmark at the city center's 0km point
☁️ The 'Land Below the Clouds', also known as Kota Kinabalu, and more affectionately referred to as KK by the locals, is the capital of Sabah and a famous tourist city in West Malaysia, boasting beautiful mountain and sea scenery🌊, and is a necessary transit point on the way to Semporna.
The KK city center is not large, but it exudes a strong old Hong Kong vibe, with many highly-rated seafood restaurants🦞, Hong Kong-style tea restaurants🍵, and the Southeast Asia-popular Bak Kut Teh. Walking along Gaya Street in the city center, the weekend night market is bustling with crowds
At the end of the street is the Kota Kinabalu City Tourism Bureau, where the entrance features the KK tourism landmark—the 0km sign, which serves as a great spot for a tourist check-in .
4-Day Tour in Sabah | Street Photography in Kota Kinabalu
Guangzhou cannot fly directly to Semporna, many people just use Kota Kinabalu as a transit without staying, but if you have enough time, remember to leave 1 day for a city walk in Kota Kinabalu.
🗺️My 4-day tour itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Kota Kinabalu➡️University of Sabah (Pink Mosque)➡️Floating Mosque➡️Tanjung Aru Beach➡️Gaya Street Night Market
Day 2: Tawau➡️Jellyfish House
Day 3: Island hopping (Mataking Line)➡️Semporna Town
Day 4: Stroll around Semporna Town➡️Fly to Kota Kinabalu➡️Buy souvenirs at Gaya Street➡️Return to home country
🚗Most of the travel times between attractions in the city are about ten minutes, and it's very convenient to take a Grab taxi.
🌈University of Sabah
📍 Universiti Malaysia Sabah, if you only want to see the Pink Mosque, you can navigate to Mosque UMS
🎫10 MYR
⏰No entry after 17:30, the tour takes about 2-3 hours.
Most people go straight to the Pink Mosque for a photo, but I think there are many places to visit on campus.
👍I highly recommend renting an electric skateboard, which is available at the ticket office, for 26 MYR
①The campus is large, and the skateboard is labor-saving.
②There is a dedicated lane, which is safe.
⚠️You will be given a tour map when you buy a ticket. The art gallery closes at 4 o'clock, remember to check the time.
💔The day I went was Friday, they were praying and we couldn't go inside the mosque for a visit, but it was great to take pictures outside.
🌈Floating Mosque
📍Kota Kinabalu City Mosque
🎫5 MYR for taking photos outside; if you want to visit inside, you need to rent clothes, 5 MYR
⏰No entry after 17:00
The blue and white color scheme + water reflection is very beautiful. Similarly, because of Friday prayers, I didn't go in.
🌈Tanjung Aru Beach
📍Tanjung Aru Beach
The sunset is absolutely beautiful‼️It's now the rainy season, the weather is not very good, the clouds are thick, but you can still see the sun dyeing the sea pink. Even in the rainy season, you can imagine how beautiful the sunset clouds would be in summer.
⏰Check the sunset time in advance, there is a bit of traffic on the way to the beach
✅The view from the Sunset Bar at the nearby Shangri-La Hotel is very good, but you need to make a reservation
💔Although there are many tourists, it's not too bad, but there is a night market next door and there will be a smell of garbage
🌈Gaya Street
Morning market: Sunday morning 6:00-12:00
Night market: Every Friday/Saturday 18:00-24:00
I only went to the night market, the snacks and juices are good.
On the way back, there was a 2-hour gap in the transfer, and I also went to Gaya Street. Although there is no morning market, most of the buildings here have graffiti, suitable for taking pictures, and you can buy some souvenirs to take home.
🍜Food Recommendations
✅Hung Jin Rice Shop - Highly recommended‼️
The shop is unremarkable, the decoration is similar to ordinary noodle stalls in China, but the taste is unique and the price is very affordable.
👍Oyster sauce chicken wings, tree vegetable scrambled eggs are a must, each bite is amazing; garlic shrimp balls are also delicious.
⚠️You need to go early, the shop is small and there are few seats.
✅Da Jia Lai Seafood Restaurant
The cream shrimp is a must-try, the remaining sauce is also great with white rice. The egg yolk crab is not bad, suitable for Chinese taste.
If you don't order lobster and pipi shrimp, the per capita cost is 150-200 MYR.
✅CFC Mongkok Restaurant on Gaya Street
Next door is Yifeng Laksa, but it closes at 18:00, so I went to this restaurant temporarily.
The laksa is okay, the durian shaved ice is great. A full cup, the ingredients are generous, and the taste is good.
🏠Accommodation Recommendations
Hyatt Regency Hotel, more than 600 per night, can be directly booked on Ctrip.
The facilities are relatively new, it is a ten-minute drive from the airport, and it is also close to Gaya Street and Hung Jin Rice Shop, you can start a city walk right out of the hotel.
✨Other tips
1️⃣The front desk of the hotel and many shop assistants are Malays, it's best to be able to communicate in simple English
2️⃣Malaysian hotels charge a tax of 10 MYR per night, payable at the hotel
Malaysia 🔆 Super detailed 9-day-8-night 6k per person free trip to three cities 🔆
✅3/31-4/3 Kuala Lumpur visited Jalan Alor, Chinatown, Jamek Mosque, City Gallery, Merdeka Square, and two bustling local night markets!
✅4/3-4/4 Malacca The attractions in Malacca are very concentrated! Visit the Pink Mosque (wear a robe because shorts are not allowed), where free robe rentals are available at the entrance. Jonker Street and St. Paul's Church are must-visit places!
✅4/4-4/5 Bukit Tinggi. Because I have to fly to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur on 4.5, I went to Bukit Tinggi on 4.4 from Malacca, which is very close to the airport.
✅4/5-4/8 Kota Kinabalu went to the sea and visited the Enchanting Island, which was breathtakingly beautiful! We also went to Tanjung Aru Beach (said to be one of the three most beautiful sunsets in the world), Sabah University, Gaya Street Market, and the local night market! The monkeys at Sabah University were huge, and we rented a scooter for three hours but still didn't finish exploring. Sisters, please note that if you don't return the scooter by 5 o'clock, they will charge you!
[3/31-4/3 Kuala Lumpur]📍
[Accommodation]🏨ibis Kuala Lumpur City hotel in the center of Kuala Lumpur city.
Near KLCC, there is a rooftop infinity pool! Just a few steps away from the Twin Towers! (Personally, I think this hotel offers great value for money! The bed is very comfortable.) Malaysian hotel registration requires MYR10/night.
[Food]🍜There's a noodle shop: the taste of rice noodles is good! The pulled tea is super delicious!
🍜Zhongnanji Bak Kut Teh: The soup base is rich in herbal flavor! There is no menu, the boss will ask how many people and help you with the combination!
🍜Ate a lot of delicious food at the night market! Durian fritters! Unnamed mixed noodles! Satay skewers! All tasted super good!
[4/3-4/4 Malacca]📍
[Accommodation]🏨 Moty Hotel
The front desk service attitude is super friendly, the hotel room is very large, but slightly old, bonus points for having a bathtub!
[Food]🍜Nonya Peranakan Place: Delicious Nonya cuisine! Highly recommended! Laksa and Nasi Ulam are really tasty!
🍜Geographer's Cafe: A hot spot for summer scenes with "Momo Tea". The overall atmosphere is very chill! They serve coffee, alcoholic beverages, and meals! [4/4-4/5 Buc City]📍
[Accommodation]🏨Cbyberview Resort Spa
A vacation hotel that costs around 300, with great value for money! There are beautiful gardens and swimming pools outside, as well as various entertainment facilities such as hot springs!
[4/5-4/8 Kota Kinabalu]📍
[Accommodation]🏨Sky Hotel
There is a large window where you can see the sunset over the mountains, which is very beautiful!
Jalan Gaya—best experience in KK, Malaysia
I love Jalan Gaya! It has everything I’m looking for on traveling. On every Friday and Saturday night, there is bustling night food market. There are street performances. Both youngsters and people with family and kids will have a great time here.
Every Sunday morning until 1pm, there is Sunday market place. Street vendors from pets, birds to clothes, food come out for their show time.
Then of course there are so many restaurants. Malaysian, Chinese, Indonesian, you can find all kinds of foods here on Jalan Gaya. My favorite one is Bah Kut Teh. Give it a try if you are here. You won’t regret it.
STAY COMFORTABLY IN CHEAP INN😍
⛳️ Signature Inn, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu
#SignatureInn
Oh, I love this place! I would rate it 10/10.
At first, I was thinking should or not to stay here, because my previous stay (at one of so called HOTEL nearby) quite dissatisfying and not happy with the service. This experience affected, for me to make a decision.
I finally made up my mind to stay here after did some research and read all the reviews and comments by other travellers/guest. So, finger crossed and yeah I booked it!
POV on first stay:
On my first stayed, my darling and I were late for check-in. The traffic jammed from the airport were almost killed us🥵😅. We informed the front desk in advance. I love the way they greet their guest on the phone, very professional and polite. Once we arrived, I directly walked in to the lobby for check-in. I forgot the staff’s name, but he is really friendly and polite. He even let me used the staff’s restroom (as I know it is actually not allowed), because I can’t wait any longer 💩 💩 💩.
After settle with check-in process, we directly look for our room. We booked for Standard Twin (2 single bed), because most of the rooms are sold out. The room was okay and clean. We comfortably stay here for 2 nights. Better experience compared with some hotels. Worth than some expensive hotel too. Overall, from the staff, facilities, everything is fine. We love it! ❤️
POV on 2nd stay:
My second stayed was with my friends. It’s was a short vacay with them. And, again their staff was amazed me. She recognised me right away when I was there ready for check-in. They’re well trained staffs.
For this stayed, I was requested for early check-in, luckily I managed to get it. We booked for Standard Family Room (1 queen bed, 1 single bed), which fit all of us (4 person). And again, I was enjoy to stay here and the experience was amazing.
Extra Info:
Please do not expect much for the room. The room were not that big like hotel’s room. THIS IS AN INN, REMEMBER? But, the experience is much better or same as hotel. Affordable and suitable for Budget Travellers.
Location:
One of the reasons why I love to stay here is, because of the strategic location. Opposite this inn, there’s a supermarket, so can buy some foods. This area also has some choices where to eat, so don’t worry.
#gayastreet #sabah #kotakinabalu #Cheapstay#tripblazers #Tripsblazers
GLAM BREAKFAST
⛳️ Guan’s Kopitiam, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Normally, this place are full with people in the morning for breakfast. They do serve lunch and dinner too.
Been here twice for breakfast, and the quality still the same. 5 stars service👍🏻. The workers are friendly and always put a smile on their face. Well trained employees.
As for the food, the portion was pretty good. Worth with the price, which is consider cheap. I only spent RM30+ for foods and drink (all food in the picture). Cheap isn’t?
Will have my breakfast for the third time, surely here. Do you like croissant? Well, if you do, then you will love their croissant. They have some choices in the menu for the croissant filling.
This place can be your healing place too. You can enjoy the street view from the upstair while having your meal. Super comfy place, with AC somemore.
How about the cleanliness?Is it okay? YES! They keep inspect their cleanliness including the toilet. Cleanliness is their priority.
#Guanskopitiam #sabah #gayastreet #Breakfast #Glambreakfast
API-API NIGHT MARKET
Great place for hanging out at night in busiet city of kota kinabalu. Located at gaya Street on going every Friday and Saturday night. Road are very congested especially during the weekend or holidays. Too little parking space, hence it better that you come here by taxi or simply book a ehailing car. Price range from cheap to medium. Many food store which offers various of food. #foodie #sabah
Day Trip to Kundasang
#celebratewithtrip
Heard about Kundasang long time ago, finally saw it real beauty by joining a local day tour.
Itinerary included:
Driver/Fuel/Transportation
kundasang Day Trip
-9am Pick up at Lobby
-Breakfast At Gaya street
-Rumah Terbalik
-Jambatan Tamparuli
-Pekan Nabalu
-Pekan Kundasang
-Desa Farm
-Kundasang War memorial
-Kundasang Selfie
-Marakau Fish spa
-Ranau Rabit Farm
(All Entrance Fee by Own budget)
at RM450 maximum 10 pax.
After the whole day tour, the tour guide brought us local Malay hawker seafood restaurant to have our dinner, highly recommended, price was reasonable. #spooktaculartrip #tripblazers #fallingforfall #sabah #kkcity #kundasang #ranau
celebratewithtrip
spooktaculartrip
Gaya Street Weekend Market
Name of Place: Gaya Street Weekend Market, Kota Kinabalu
Location: Gaya Street, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
If you are visiting Kota Kinabalu (KK) another must-visit location would be the Gaya Street Weekend Market which is just in front of the Atkinson clock tower (a famous landmark in KK). I took a taxi from Marriott to this location which was only a short 4 min grab ride away but the terrible traffic made it a 15 mins ride instead. I got off near the tower and walked a few steps to reach the Market.
The market was all about food items, it had offerings from different parts of Malaysia like rojak and kuay teow from Penang, some peanut pancakes and just so many more. Satay and putu pirang seems to be the top-selling items here with the longest queues.
Coffee & Chill
A simple down to earth cafe with about the best coffee in Ubud. Chilling vibe. Well worth a visit.
Secret Traveler to Your Hidden Jems Gaya Street is the main street in Kota Kinabalu City. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s and is a residential building with traditional downstairs shops. Just like the Chinese street in the 1990s, there are many Chinese shops in the streets. Starting early every Sunday, the hawkers screams spread throughout the street, and the items are all-encompassing, including fruits and vegetables, ornamental or edible fish, potted flowers, small pets, books, clothing, dolls, souvenirs and handicrafts, antiques, home-made. Pastries, food, etc. This is a very grounded market where you can find a lot of cheap tourist souvenirs here.
Kota Kinabalu is not big, it is long from north to south, narrow in east and west, and the bustling area runs from south to north. It takes 30 minutes to walk. The city's overview looks like the three types of cities in China. There are no high-rise buildings, everything is simple. Next to the Central Station, you will see a huge Chinese wind brand, "Guotai Min'an, Zhengtong people and" the simple wishes of the Chinese ancestors also affect the future people who are far away. This pedestrian street, in addition to a variety of local specialty shops, local Chinese Nanyang specialties, of course, also the old street cafes, bars, bakeries, etc., is very suitable for the sunset after the sun.
There is nothing particularly worthwhile to visit in Kota Kinabalu City, where local food restaurants are concentrated near Gaya Street.
Probably too early, many stores open at two or three in the afternoon, and dinner here is later than us.
GAYA Street is relatively old, both sides are old houses, the car stops are not very good to see, there are a group of pigeons on the roadside, we bought the food for feeding pigeons in this convenience store, the salesperson will be Chinese, There are still quite a lot of Chinese here, and it doesn't feel like playing abroad.
Stunning Jaya Street iin Malaysia 🇲🇾♥️
#malaysiatrip
Let's Travel Together I Sing Malaysia Once Sabah University Half Day Tour Malaysia Four Unexpectedly hides a university covered in pink bubbles. It is said to be the "most beautiful university in Southeast Asia", and the pink mosque on the face is really out of place. There is a transportation route on the film: Mosque UMS kota Kinabalu near the city/airport taxi location Mosque UMS kota Kinabalu Jaya Street. If you take a taxi, there is a horse market (located far from the entrance of Sabah University, and you need to park at the entrance to buy a national ticket+driver's vehicle registration for 10RM people ETips
The Sunday Market on Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu is worth exploring
We arrived on Saturday night, just in time to check it out on Sunday, which was quite fun. It seems that the stalls usually pack up around 12pm?
The fridge magnets are too cute! They have them for 4-5rm each, we bought three of the ones in picture 2️⃣, super love them💕
If you like the proboscis monkey plush toys, you can take one. There are various small bags that are perfect for beach photoshoots, and the styles are quite nice, but not as cheap as I imagined, maybe you're supposed to haggle.
The T-shirts are super cheap, with lots of patterns, mostly of football teams, probably knock-offs🤔 They're fine for casual wear.
There are also stalls with rabbits, dogs, cats, geese, plants, and trees, probably more for locals to browse. We didn't buy any food because we were too full, only had a box of guava slices for 3rm, which tasted good, but they dried out quickly in the heat and didn't have a great texture.
If you also happen to be there on a Sunday, it's really worth a visit. There are so many delicious eateries on Gaya Street! After shopping, you can dine nearby or enjoy a coffee or coconut - it's awesome~
Trip to Kota Kinabalu
🚗🚗🚗Travel Itinerary:
Day1: Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu→Lok Kawi Wildlife Park→Gaya Street→Kawa Mangrove→Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Day2: Mermaid Island
Day3: Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu→Kinabalu National Park→Mount Kinabalu→Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Day4: Sapi Island→Manukan Island
Day5: Mantanani Island
Day6: Gaya Street→Tanjung Aru Beach→Filipino Market
Food is good in Kota Kinabalu.
Gaya street have varieties of food. I'm sure if you're craving for anything, just go there and you will find it. Especially during the Sunday Morning market. Haha.
Sabah
Gaya Street Night Market, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah .Nice place to visit variety local food.#新年
Best Buko at Gaya Street Market, KK
Best buko ever i had. My favourite is Yam flavour. Made from original yam. Some places using agar agar only
nice market
Great market at gaya street. A lot of items like, pets, accessories, hardware, plants, food etc.....
INDONESIA FOOD IN KK ! 🥰
⛳️ Indo Padang
Located at Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu Sabah. Gaya Street is one of the strategic location for tourist to go to. Why? Gaya Street got many optional place to stay and place to eat. There’s many banks nearby, so easier for you to withdrar money or do any transaction. This place also have access to the supermarket and mall. Everything complete.
As for foods, I LOVE IT ! Delicious. The sambal not too spicy. You should try it out. This place just beside one of the famous hotel, which is Gaia 95 hotel.
HANDMADE BUN 😍
⛳️ Ho Ciak Kopitiam, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Went here with a friend. This place known for its homemade bun. All I can say is, the bun very soft and taste very good. Should try it again next time. Great combination with coffee. This place are popular among the senior citizens.
Let’s talk about the coffee. One word, bittersweet 😛. It’s really meet my taste of coffee. If you’re coffee lover, then you will know, the difference 😉.
Great place indeed. You should go and try.
Non-halal.
GREAT PORTION! 🥰
⛳️ 5 Stars Hainanese Chicken Rice & BBQ, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Great portion served! Worth the price as well. One of the non-halal place in Sabah. Got many branch, so this is one of it. They have a great and variety menu for meals. The taste is another story. Never disappointed with the taste.
Recommendation:
1. Roasted Chicken Rice
2. BBQ Chicken / Pork
3. Chicken Butter
4. Black Coffee
5. Choc Iced
GREAT PLACE TO EAT IN GAYA STREET! 😍
⛳️ Guan Kopitiam, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Trust me, you won’t regret with their services and meals. Everything is perfect! 🥰 If you’re love spicy food, this is your place! They serve super duper spicy cuisine here. If you’re not, just request for regular or less spicy.
The way their staff greet their customer was great. Friendly and polite. Good customer service indeed.
The cafe was clean and beautiful. Comfy as well. You should try!
#awesomepic #deliciousfood #deliciousfood #cafe #foodie #kotakinabalu #sabah #gayastreet #Guankopitiam #Guankopitiamgayastreet
The Refreshing Coconut Drinks in Kk
Under the hot weather in Kota Kinabalu, we craving for some refreshing drinks, and we found this two shops near to each other at Gaya Street, Jalan Pantai, Kk. They are both selling coconuts, and its related products. And we actually want to try the famous coconut pudding in Kk, but both shops sold out with the pudding when we arrived. No worry, we take opportunity to eat the other coconut related products there.
1. The Royal Coconut
Address - 44, Jalan Pantai, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Highlights - Fresh Pandan Coconut, which contains special fragrance that is similar to pandan leaf
Rating - 4
2. Gaya Coconut Shake
Address - 37, Jalan Pantai, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 880000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Highlights - Cold Coconut Milk Shake with Coconut Ice cream topping, and suprisingly taste good mango shake
Rating - 4
#coconut #coconutshake #kotakinabalu #mangoshake
night at gaya street kota Kinabalu 🌌🌌🌌#nightview
Santai
Tenangkan fikiran dan lepak cafe. order cofee.. oohhh nyaman... try this cafe... tp no cash ya...#awesomepic #couplestrip #fallingforfall #tripblazers #spooktaculartrip #awesomepic #sunset #foodie #staycation #mytripvlog ##sunset #summervacation #nationalpark #cafe #sunset #gayastreet #kopi2 #healing #addict #gocafe #happy #happyme #love
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u always stay here when I business travel to kota kinabalu .nice place ,good surrounding
concert in gaya street
Originally named Bond Street, Gaya Street located in the Kota Kinabalu Central Business District has been the centre of business for over a hundred years. The wooden shops with nipah roofs are long gone but here is where generations-old family businesses are still thriving passed down from father to son.
Every Sunday morning, the whole stretch of Gaya Street is closed off to traffic to make way for the street fair. A must visit market while in KK, you will be fascinated by the various items and goods sold at this fair. From arts and crafts, batik sarongs, footwear, fruits and flowers, local snacks and cakes, antiques and souvenirs, to even pets and herbs, this is the best place to experience the culture and lifestyle of the locals. The street fair starts as early as 6.00am and ends at 1.00pm.
#awesomepic #deliciousfood #couplestrip
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