The Sunday market
Hundreds of stalls along the street.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bahnfrend — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bahnfrend — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bahnfrend — CC BY-SA 4.0
The old commercial street at the heart of Kota Kinabalu, sometimes called the city's Chinatown for its many old Chinese shops and coffee houses, lined with shophouses and their covered walkways, traditional coffee shops and stores of every kind. On weekdays it is an ordinary busy street, but every Sunday morning it becomes the most famous market in Sabah. The Sunday market runs the length of the street with hundreds of stalls: handicrafts and souvenirs, pearls, plants and flowers, tropical fruit and street food, and goods of every sort. It is a good place to buy souvenirs at fair prices with a little bargaining, and to watch local life as it really is. The market starts around dawn and winds down around midday, roughly six in the morning to one in the afternoon, and it is best to arrive early, before the heat and the crowds. Entry is of course free; bring cash, as most stalls do not take cards. At one end of the street stands the old post office, now home to the Sabah Tourism Board and one of the few buildings to survive the Second World War, with the Atkinson Clock Tower on the hill above. On other days you can stroll the street and try its coffee shops and restaurants.
Hundreds of stalls along the street.
Handicrafts at fair prices with bargaining.
Covered walkways and traditional coffee shops.
Jalan Gaya, Kota Kinabalu city centre
Many of the Chinese restaurants and coffee shops here are not halal, so look for a clear halal sign or choose the Malay and Indian Muslim restaurants nearby. The market stalls offer plenty of fruit and snacks that are easy to check.
