Kota Kinabalu and Islands

Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is nearby. Kota Kinabalu proper has a population of 579,304, while the larger urban area has an estimated population of 700,000. It is the largest urban centre in Sabah and the sixth largest in Malaysia.

Kota Kinabalu is often known as K.K. within Malaysia and internationally. It is a major tourist destination and a popular gateway for travellers visiting Sabah and Borneo. Kinabalu National Park is located about 90 kilometres from the city and there are many tourist attractions in and around the city. Kota Kinabalu is also one of the major industrial and commercial centres of East Malaysia. These two factors combine to make Kota Kinabalu one of the fastest growing cities in Malaysia.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is a State Park created to protect the natural environment, including the coral reefs, marine life, the fauna and flora. This park is lying from 3km to 8km off Kota Kinabalu which comprises of 5 islands. They are Gaya Island , Manukan Island , Mamutik Island , Sapi Island and Sulug Island. During the British rule in 1882 , a trading settlement was set up in Gaya Island by British North Borneo Chartered Company. This company later shifted to the mainland Kota Kinabalu. After 92 years , finally in 1974 ,Gaya Island and the whole of Pulau Sapi was gazetted as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park , named after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.. This gazetted place covers an area of 8,990acres (3,638 hectares). In 1979 , it was increased to 12, 185 acres (4,929 hectares) with the inclusion of the other 3 nearby islands such as Manukan Island, Mamutik Island and Sulug Island.

All these islands can be visited all year round. Humidity remains quite high throughout the year. Temperatures are normally between 23.8 - 29.4 degress Celsius. The islands are basically made up of sandstones and sedimentary rocks. According to some experts, about a million years ago during the Ice Age, major changes in the sea level causes portions of the mainland being cut off by the sea , thus forming the islands we see today. Most of the these islands forming cliffs , caves, honeycombs and deep crevasses along the shore are actually formation of sandstones. In all the 5 islands , all types of flora and fauna can be found here.