Kawa Mangrove
If you have heard about the mangroves and famous fireflies of Kota Kinabalu on TV or in magazines long ago, you can really fulfill your wish. The mangroves are far from the city, requiring a booked day tour with a car to take you to the boat. As the sky darkens, the crew skillfully uses a green light to attract all the fireflies, which then fly over. Many of them hover around you, twinkling like stars and diamonds, feeling both distant and close, like a dream.
Tanjung Aru Beach
Tanjung Aru Beach has a beautiful name, as if a lazy sunset is lying on the velvet-like sea. Even the Shangri-La Hotel, known for its picky location choices, has built one of its brand hotels, the Tanjung Aru Hotel, here, incorporating a corner of Tanjung Aru Beach and constructing a Sunset Bar for vacationers to enjoy. The entire Tanjung Aru Beach is vast and long. Apart from Malay children in uniforms playing on the beach after school in the afternoon, there are only a few foreign tourists. Walking along the beach, one might feel an illusion of owning the entire beach.
Dinawan Island is a relatively niche and in-depth attraction in Sabah, about an hour's journey from Kota Kinabalu (by car and boat, not too strenuous). There are not many signs of artificial development, and there are few tourists. There are many lively and healthy small animals: monkeys, lizards, snakes, giant wild chickens, etc. They are much happier than those little guys locked in cages in the zoo; they are the true masters here. Visiting Dinawan Island feels like being a zoologist in a primitive jungle, filled with intense curiosity about the various species and vegetation on the island. Watching the sunset on Dinawan Island has a primitive flavor, little knowing that such sunrises and sunsets have been playing out in the tropical jungle world for thousands of years.
Penang Hill is the highest viewing deck in Kota Kinabalu, offering beautiful twilight views in the evening. Overlooking the entire small city, you can enjoy the sunset from a different perspective and gain a god's-eye view of the soul of Kota Kinabalu. When you visit, you can sip a cocktail, stand at a high vantage point, and watch the sun set. In your tipsy state, you might feel like a star in the sky, gazing at this beautiful world.
Mataking Island
If you know friends who love diving, just mention 'Mataking' to them, and they will enthusiastically recommend this place to you. Upon arrival, people can't wait to put on their diving suits and jump into the waters of Mataking to swim with the fish. Mataking is located in Semporna, Sabah, and is the bluest and clearest gem among the Semporna islands. It is also a Mecca for diving enthusiasts around the world, with almost every diving lover's ultimate goal being to 'pilgrimage' underwater in Mataking.
The most unforgettable island in Kota Kinabalu is Mantanani Island. The crystal-clear blue water and the fine, pure sand completely fulfill people's fantasies of a tropical island. Mantanani Island is well-developed and convenient, equipped with many pavilions and deck chairs for tourists. Whether lying on the beach enjoying the sea breeze or sunbathing, the gentle sea breeze makes one feel exceptionally relaxed. The coastline of Mantanani Island is very long, and in the evening, walking on the beach and watching the afterglow of the sunset gradually fill the entire sea is a mesmerizing experience.
