The boardwalk
About 1.3 km among the mangrove roots.
Annette Teng — CC BY 3.0 · Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE — CC BY-SA 2.0
The last remnant of the mangrove forest that once lined the coast of Kota Kinabalu: twenty-four hectares of trees standing in salt water, minutes from the city centre. Once known as Likas Swamp and later as the City Bird Sanctuary, it is now a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance, the seventh in Malaysia. Visitors walk a boardwalk of about 1.3 kilometres among the mangrove roots, with a bird hide, spotting crabs, mudskippers and lizards, and resident birds as well as migrants arriving from northern Asia in winter. Binoculars can be rented at the entrance. The centre opens Tuesday to Sunday from eight in the morning to six in the evening and closes on Mondays. Entry is about twenty ringgit for foreign adults and less for students, with small children free, and an hour is enough for the walk. The best time is early morning or just before sunset, when the birds are active and the heat eases; bring insect repellent. It is close to the Floating Mosque, so the two make a calm half day away from the city's bustle.
About 1.3 km among the mangrove roots.
Visitors from northern Asia in winter.
A wetland of international importance.
Likas, about 2 km from the city centre
Yes, as a short, quiet walk in nature inside the city, and children spot crabs and mudskippers easily. For birdwatchers, the best season runs from autumn to spring, when the migrants arrive.
