Shopping

Kota Kinabalu is a shopper’s paradise and features several up market stores selling designer merchandise alongside quaint street-side flea markets offering local goods at phenomenal prices. The discounted rates and bargain deals coupled with a vast array of choices makes Kota a preferred shopping haunt. Here is a shopping guide to pick the best stuff off the shelves of Kota Kainabalu’s stores and old bazaars.

Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Market

A great place nestled adjacent to the waterfront, The Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Market offers an assortment of local handicrafts, pearls, batik printed fabric, vibrant sarongs, floor mats and decorative brooches along with Islamic scriptures, home décor items and colorful crystals at rock-bottom prices. There are also some nice carved statues and ratthan handicrafts. Don’t forget to haggle for favorable prices as the merchants are extremely amiable and will offer tourists interesting insights and information on the region. Most items are sourced from neighboring Asian regions, while a few are imported from Austria.

Sunday Flea Market

The Sunday flea market held at the lower strip of Gaya Street in the heart of Kota Kinabalu puts up an array of fresh local produce and traditional merchandize for sale. There are home-grown vegetables and fruits apart from hardware goods, local jewelry,  traditional fabrics, printed t-shirts and regional artifacts. The market is operational from 6am-1pm every Sunday.

Shopping Malls

Kota Kinabalu has several high-end shopping malls housing chic designer stores that sell high-end items at fixed and discounted prices. Center Point is one of the most famous malls in the city and houses brands like Calvin Klein, U2 Dockers, Timberland, Guess and British India. Other major malls are KK Plaza, Wawasan Plaza, Wisma Merdeka and Karamunsing Complex. Wasawan, Likas Square and Centre Point feature factory outlets of reputed brands and visitors can expect some great bargains on hiking apparel and gear apart from low-rates on normal clothing items. Karamunsing Complex is great for picking up high-quality electronic gadgets at inexpensive rates. The malls offer more attractive deals during the mega shopping carnival from June to September. Most malls are operational from 10am to 10pm.

Kota Kinabalu is a shopping hotspot that is frequented by avid shoppers for its quality merchandise at bargain deals and discounted prices.  The destination is as celebrated for its old-fashioned street bazaars as its chic shopping malls housing designer brands.