Places To Go ( Day 7 )

Sightseeing in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu was formerly known as Jesselton, named after Sir Charles Jessel, one of the Directors of the British North Borneo Chartered Company, or BNBCC. During WWII, Kota Kinabalu and other towns throughout Sabah suffered heavy allied bombing which all but leveled them. Emerging from the War, the BNBCC discovered it was too costly to rebuild, so in 1946, Sabah became a British Crown Colony - until 1963, when Sabah was granted Independence within the Federation of Malaysia.

On 30th September 1967, Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu. 23 years later, on 2 February, 2000 she was proclaimed a city. As the capital of the State of Sabah, KK is also the gateway to other major towns and districts and has a population of around 300,000 .

Signal Hill Observatory Platform

Signal Hill, the highest point in the city, is one of the best places to get a good view of Kota Kinabalu. Just a couple of minutes drive from Padang Merdeka will bring you to the airy deck where you can get amazing views that extend to the outlying islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and further.

Opening Hours Daily from 8.00am till 12.00amAdmission is free.

St. Michael Church Penampang

St. Michael’s Church in Penampang was initiated by Fr. August Wachter. The Foundation stone was laid on 29th September 1936; nonetheless, the construction was postponed during the Second World War only to resume in 1947.The church is located about 15 to 18 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, approximately 25-30 minutes drive away.

Sabah State Railway

The starting point of the Sabah State Railway is at the Tanjung Aru Kepayan station. Another station is located near Petagas (Kota Kinabalu International Airport). The Sabah State Railway offers railway service to three major towns—Papar, Beaufort, and Tenom.Sabah Railway Station is open daily from 8a.m to 5p.m. It is only 10 kilometers, or a 10-minute drive away from Kota Kinabalu.