My First Impression of Sabah, Malaysia

I remember when the email to visit Sabah on a blog trip with 50 other travel bloggers from India first landed in my inbox, I wasn’t very excited about it. I had been to Malaysia before, and after spending almost a month backpacking around the Malaysian Peninsular (afortnightinKualaLumpurandaboutafortnightinPenang,Langkawi,andotherplaces) I needed a stronger reason to revisit the same country than being on just another Blog Trip.

My first visit to Peninsular Malaysia happened in 2017, and it always felt enough. Though I certainly loved that part of Malaysia for its bountiful tourist destinations and the fact that it is a great place for expats to be, the kind of warmth that I seek for in local people, was, however, somewhere missing.

So yea, I wasn’t very keen on revisiting Malaysia this time until after some research I figured how Sabah was geographically not a part of Peninsular Malaysia, but of Borneo – another island in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago beautifully tucked away from what most people think of as Only Actual Malaysia.

To those who do not know, the island of Borneo is shared by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian Kalimantan, and the tiny nation of Brunei.

My First Introduction to Sabah, Malaysia

While previously backpacking in Kuala Lumpur, I came across a few locals and expats alike telling me how Malaysian Borneo is not only less bustling and comparatively greener but is also far more welcoming. It may be because Peninsular Malaysia is a big, busy and popular place while Borneo is still pretty unknown and ‘few-friends-good-friends’ like.

And that’s exactly how I perceived it during my quick 6-day (sadlyveryless,Iknow!) travel around Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. As soon as our flight landed at Kota Kinabalu, I developed a sense of liking towards it. A small airport perfectly beautified with surrounding hills in the background seemed like an ideal place I wanted to be. Later as I escaped the airport and with that, continued my way into Kota Kinabalu my love for Sabah only intensified.

Kota Kinabalu’s modern hip vibe, beautiful harbour, and amazing nightlife make it one of the most orderly and enjoyable cities I have ever visited in Southeast Asia. It felt more like a younger cousin of Hong Kong (minusthecrowdofcourse) than a confusing sibling of Kuala Lumpur. All in all, Kota Kinabalu, and whatever little of Sabah I explored felt safe, assuring, value for money and more inviting than I earlier thought.

And speaking of local people, and the feeling of travelling or holidaying in Sabah, be rest assured that you will only be taking home some happy memories.

Sabah For Its People

Since I quit my job to travel in 2016, I’ve visited over 20 countries, often staying in one place for weeks in an attempt to understand local culture and people. And during all this time, I have developed a fair understanding of the subject.

For example, I have always loved the Southeast Asian backpacking capital Bangkok, but not for its people. For people, my first choice in the region would be Jakarta (orperhapsevenPhnomPenh). Though Jakarta and Phnom Penh have some good tourist attractions too if I ever revisited them, it will be for their people, and not the place.

Similarly, I adored Sabah for its welcoming locals. There was not a single instance when I smiled at someone and it wasn’t returned to me. I moreover loved how local Malays in Sabah valued family and community, over individualism. They work as one and that’s worth appreciating.

So yea, you just cannot run off a list of reasons to love Sabah (andIamsureitappliestoBorneoatlarge) without including the natives!

Sabah For A Pulse Of Modern Malaysia & Attractions

And then, it doesn’t mean that Sabah is only all about Jungles and wildlife, it’s chock-full of attractions and experiences too. Its capital city of Kota Kinabalu, which thankfully isn’t just another chaotic and improvised SEA city has a modern hip vibe with great nightlife, a beautiful harbor, and some luxurious hotels to add to the experience.

There is a tea garden to explore, a beautiful Waterfront to laze around, local markets to be amazed at and a rich dining scene to enjoy.

Moreover, being a fan of travelling to offbeat places, I think this part of Malaysia offers a great destination that is far lesser-visited and comparatively much unknown to most places in Peninsular Malaysia. And now that I’ve been here once (evenifitwasaverybriefintroduction) I’ve been researching about it on the internet and finding so many names that have hardly been mentioned anywhere. From the amazing Gomantong Caves to some of the islands that I cannot even pronounce, there’s enough to explore in Sabah that I am sure is rather offbeat and simply magic!