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Best Places to Visit in Kota Kinabalu

Hilton Kota Kinabalu wants you to luxuriate in year-long summer in Borneo's most vibrant city. Just a short two-and-a-half hours flight away from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Sabah is a summer destination filled with excitement and adventures for every type of traveler out there. The following is a list of the best places to visit in Kota Kinabalu as recommended by Hilton.

Best Places to Visit in Kota Kinabalu

Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

If time is a factor, then the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park marine and national park makes the ideal choice for a one-day excursion. Spanning across 4,900 hectares, it consists of five of Kota Kinabalu's most popular and beautiful islands including Pulau Sulug, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi and Pulau Mamutik - all which are easily accessible by a short boat ride. You can dive, trek, snorkel, explore the wildlife such as the bearded pigs, giant flying squirrels or the elephant foot yam, or simply sit back and relax on their sandy shores.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Sabah

Proboscis monkey at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Sabah

Weston River

Can't get enough of the water? Hop on a sunset cruise and meander down the scenic Weston River. Enjoy unhampered views of paddy fields, villages and traditional houses, Proboscis monkeys, mangroves and a variety of animals along the way as the sun sets in the west. Wildlife enthusiasts must take full advantage of this opportunity to get up close and personal with nature!

Sunset cruise at the Weston River, Kota Kinabalu

Mari Mari Cultural Village

Sabah is made up of at least 30 different ethnic groups, each having distinctive tradition, culture and dialect. At the Mari Mari Cultural Village, you can learn about all these indigenous Borneo tribes as it acts as a museum which preserves and educates visitors on ethnicity. It also showcases the different traditional homes of the tribal communities on the island, including those of the Lundayeh, Bajau, Dusun, Rungus and Murut.

Learn about the ethnic groups of Sabah at the Mari Mari Cultural Village, Kota Kinabalu

Gaya Street Sunday Market

Take a peek into the local culture by swinging by Gaya Street on a Sunday. As the city's main road, you can find an assortment of interesting knick-knacks that are unique only to this region, such as clothes with traditional motifs, antiques, handcrafted wares, and handmade snacks. A favorite snack loved by both locals and foreigners is the Kuih Cincin or "ring cakes" - a sweet, crispy biscuit shaped like honeycombs. Most importantly, do not forget to bargain!

Read also: The Best Gifts and Souvenirs from Sarawak

Shop at Gaya Street Sunday Market, Kota Kinabalu

Hilton Kota Kinabalu is a 5-star hotel located 15 minutes away from the airport, making it the ideal starting point for all the experiences that await you. It offers a motley of dining options, an alfresco poolside bar for wading or sunset watching, a stylish speakeasy bar, live jazz performances and many more. Room rates start at RM530.

Hilton Kota Kinabalu
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Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Asia City, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

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We arrived at Kampung Raga to a warm, traditional kompang welcome. It is a drum-like traditional music instrument typically played during festive Malay occasions.

Experience Malay Culture at Kampung Raga Homestay, Kedah

I have always wanted to give Malay homestay in Malaysia a try. That means being able to soak in nothing less than the most authentic kampung or village vibes, chase a flock of chickens and geese around a meadow, and take long, delightful dips in the cooling water of free-flowing rivers.

Luckily for me, I finally had a taste of the traditional Malay way of living just recently at the Kampung Raga Homestay located in Malaysia's northernmost state of Kedah. Here, I set out for two days of eye-opening discoveries and experiences and ended up getting more than what I bargained for!

Kampung Raga Homestay, Yan, Kedah

Kampung Raga started as one of Kedah's first homestay programs back in 1996. Today, it offers up to 40 guest rooms in 29 different houses. Guests can freely explore the village that is located at the foot of the idyllic Gunung Jerai, smack in the middle of Kampung Permatang Keramat and Kampung Jawa.

Surrounding Kampung Raga are incredible views of Yan’s timelessly green paddy fields and panoramic beaches. Every morning, you will be greeted by the sounds of nature - chirping of the birds, vibrating buzzes from the tireless bees, and the punctual crowing from husky roosters once the sun breaches the horizon.

The dwellers of Kampung Raga are more than just neighbors - they are family. It is claimed that everyone living in this village has family ties descending from the same ancestors. Due to this, the place was initially known as Kampung Keluarga which means Family Village, before the name was shortened to become what it is today.

One of the attractions of Kampung Raga - a house made entirely of mangoesteen tree trunks

Looking for an authentic and traditional Malay homestay experience in Malaysia? Kampung Raga should definitely be on your list. Listed below are a few fun activities at the Kampung Raga Homestay that are suitable for every type of traveler with an interest for cultures.

Activities at the Kampung Raga Homestay

Feast on Traditional Kedah Cuisine

Kedahan cuisine is different from those found around the central or southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. It carries heavy Siamese influences which uses plenty of fresh herbs and piquant sauces. Kedahans love their grains - they include steamed white rice in all three meals of the day because the conventional occupations here revolve around agriculture, fishing and forestry - all which are laborious jobs requiring physical strength and a carb-dense diet. Since Yan is also situated along the coast of the Straits of Malacca, visitors can freely indulge in a wide selection of freshly caught seafood anytime of the day.

Take whatever you want from the buffet spread. Needless to say, I tried everything.

Banana stem curry. Yummy!

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Deep fried salted fish

Pick Exotic Tropical Fruits

Although there is an orchard in Kampung Raga, you can pretty much find fruits hanging everywhere, swarming the entire village. Starfruits, rambutan, mangoesteen and durian are nothing short of abundance, which you can pick and eat as you take your leisurely strolls. The fruits here are so good that outsiders often drop by the village to replenish their juicy supplies when they are in season.

It's free-flow tropical fruits all day long here at Kampung Raga!

Beautifully sliced asam gelugur left out under the sun to dry

Get Adopted

Every visitor here will be assigned to a keluarga angkat or foster family through a fun “adoption” ceremony. You will be staying in the house of your foster family where your accommodation, food and tour will be fully taken care of. This enables intimate conversations and bonding so you can have an authentic, first-hand taste of what it is like living with the locals.

This is our ibu angkat or foster mother, who took care of us throughout our two-day stay at her house.

The Malaysian kampung homestay experience

The house we stayed in at Kampung Raga

The living room

Our room which has a private bathroom attached

The backyard that comes with the house

The chickens that come with the backyard

Breakfast prepared by our ibu angkat - curry puffs, banana fritters, kuey teow goreng and teh tarik

Make Your Own Kuih Karas

Kuih Karas is a sweet traditional coconut snack of Kedah that is usually eaten during tea time accompanied with a cup of hot sweetened tea. At Kampung Raga, you will have the opportunity to see how the snack is made, or even try making it yourself! The process takes control and skills, but you will definitely master the art of frying Kuih Karas using a special wooden sieve just after a few rounds of coiling!

Make your very own Kedah's famous Kuih Karas and eat them fresh!

Taste the Raw Madu Kelulut

The kelulut honey is highly regarded as a health elixir that provides up to ten times more antioxidants compared to other types of honey. This raw, wild honey is produced by the stingless bee which have been inhabiting our tropical rainforests for the last 50 million years - away from pollution and urbanization. Considered rare, it is used by many as remedies for various diseases thanks to the high nutritional value and medicinal properties.

Try Kelulut Honey right out of the unique honeycomb created by the stingless bees of Yan.

The river Sungai Raga which flows through the village

Traditional music performances during dinner

How to Get to Kampung Raga

Kampung Raga is located in the Yan district of Kedah, about 45 kilometers from the state capital of Alor Setar and 40 kilometers from Sungai Petani. The drive to Yan is an enthralling journey through narrow passages across several time-honored villages and lush greenery.

Kampung Raga Homestay Price, Rates & Packages

2D1N Accommodation+Food (RM50/pax, minimum 2 pax)
2D1N Accommodation+Food+Activities (RM60/pax, minimum 6 pax)
3D2N Accommodation+Food (RM100/pax, minimum 2 pax)
3D2N Accommodation+Food+Activities (RM120/pax, minimum 6 pax)
4D3N Accommodation+Food (RM220/pax, minimum 2 pax)
4D3N Accommodation+Food+Activities (RM250/pax, minimum 6 pax)

Kampung Raga Homestay
F285, Kampung Raga 06900 Yan, Kedah.
Email: homestay_raga@yahoo.com
Tel: +6013-4668191 / +6011-10662829

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