Shopping Malls and Markets in KK

These shopping malls normally open for business from 10 am to 10 pm. Prices are displayed and fixed. However there are mega sales normally held in March, August and December where prices are slashed to more than 50%.Apart from shopping malls, there are shops in the city center where a wide range of merchandise, food and drinks can be found. Such shops are located in Segama (next to Hyatt), Sinsuran, Api-api Center, Gaya Street, Asia City, Kg. Ayer etc.

It is very easy to get around in KK for food, shopping and sight-seeing purposes. If walking is not preferred, taxis, car-for-rental, mini coaches, and buses are always available day and night. It is not advisable to thumb for lifts. As mentioned before English is quite widely spoken especially in the urbanized areas. Other languages frequently used are the national language Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese dialectic languages of Hakka, Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, as well as native dialects of Kadazan/Dusun, Bajau, Illanun, etc. There are numerous modern and air-conditioned shopping malls scattered around KK which attract locals and visitors alike. Some of them are listed below and they are worth a visit for window shopping, shopping or mere browsing.






Wisma Merdeka



is another popular shopping mall situated just across the road to Hyatt Regency Kinabalu. It is also a stone’s throw to the KK scenic waterfront. It is centrally located, with air-condition, and only less than two km from Centre Point Sabah. It consists of a food mall selling local favorites like nasi lemak, soto daging, rendang, and various types of Malay dishes. Chinese favourites like steam or roasted chicken rice, noodle soup, meat dumplings, fried dry and wet noodles, etc are also available. Wisma Merdeka is also home to global drink and food outlets like Coffee Bean, Starbucks, KFC, where free broadband internet access is available to patrons. There are also hair and beauty enhancement saloons to be found, as well as units selling clothes, cosmetics, shoes, bags, toys, gold and silver items, antiques, mobile phones, household wares, Sabah handicrafts, batik wear. souvenirs, pharmaceuticals, etc. There are outlets for money conversion and one-stop photo development centers.



Warisan Square



consists mainly of five blocks and sits on nearly 4 acres of prime KK land. It is one of the newest and trendiest shopping complex in the city. There are over one hundred plus retail outlets dealing with international, regional and local brands. It is just next door to Centre Point Sabah. This is the place to be when looking for expensive branded goods, (Adidas, Nike, LA Gear, D&G, Camel, etc) and trendy fashions. In addition to high end designer items, many food and beverage outlets are located on street level offering chicken rice, handmade noodles, (la mein), yoghurt ice-cream, seafood fritters, Hong Kong dimsum including ‘siaw long pow’, Cantonese cuisine, Japanese food, Thailand food, Italian food, Malay nasi lemak, etc. There are two new hotels, Radius International Waterfront Hotel and Mercure Waterfront Hotel within its boundaries.



KK Plaza



is another commercial complex situated just opposite to the central market. It has a supermarket as its anchor tenant. There are two levels of shopping units offering a wide range of merchandise like clothes, shoes, bags, mobile phones, watches, household items, Sabah souvenirs, hair saloon, etc. A food mall offering local favorites is located on the third level.



Kompleks Asia City



is newly completed. It is situated just across the road to Centre Point Sabah. Besides the usual food and beverage outlets there is a skating rink – KAC Skating Rink located on the fourth floor. It is open for business daily. This is the only mall housing a skating rink.



Plaza Wawasan



is another air con commercial and shopping complex situated just in front of the popular KK Waterfront Entertainment Complex. It has a food outlet offering local and western-style dishes and a department store on ground level. A higher level features another department store selling high end clothing, bags, shoes and home furnishing items. There are many outlets offering Sabah handicraft and native-inspired souvenirs as well as locally made snacks and munchy tidbits. In fact this mall has the most number of stores selling such items. In addition, there are other outlets for clothes, shoes, watches and clocks, electronic goods, books, antiques, etc. A second hand shop offers a lot of used paraphernalia, mainly apparel and books. This complex is unique because it is directly linked via a covered passageway to a hotel – the Tang Dynasty Hotel, and therefore a very popular shopping target for the hotel guests. Another floor offers more local food and drinks.



Kompleks Karamunsing



is a twelve storey commercial complex about a km from KK. It has undergone an impressive and extensive make-over about three years ago under a change of ownership. Now it has reinvented itself and is fast becoming a very popular complex. It holds the honor of being the only shopping complex dealing overwhelmingly in information technology and electrical items. Here a wide range of computers, desk top and laptop (Dell, Acer, HP. etc) and its accompanying peripherals, DVDs, LCDs, PDAs, refrigerators, microwave ovens, air conditioner units, LCD and flat screen televisions, karaoke systems, digital and video cameras, mobile phones, etc are offered at very competitive prices. It is usually very crowded and brimming with street smart locals looking for good bargains. A food court at ground level offers a variety of local food and drinks. KFC, Starbucks and Mcdonald are available and supplying free broadband internet access to their patrons. There are also retail outlets for clothes, shoes, spectacles, baby wear and toys, luggage and bags, pharmaceuticals, carpets, books, furniture and home furnishing, gifts, reflexology, medical and dental clinics as well as hair and beauty enhancement saloons.By evening there is a group of Malay food vendors offering their local favourites by the side of the road. Delicious food such as mee goreng, soto, barbeque chicken wings, satay, nasi lemak, sweetened ice-cold drinks, roti canai, etc are available at reasonable prices.






The KK Central Market



is situated near to the waterfront of the city, just across the road to KK Plaza. It is an oblong two storey building with rows and rows of fresh leafy, root and bean vegetables, local (banana, papaya, starfruit, avocado pear, pineapple, dragon fruit, coconut, honeydew, red and yellow water melon, jack fruit, local thin-skin green orange, lime, etc) and imported fruits (apple, orange, grape, plum, nectarine, lychee, longan, kiwi, persimmon, etc) and salted dried sea products (salt fish, dried prawns, ikan bilis, dried cuttle fish, etc). During the fruit season, normally in August, the market stalls display a riot of colorful and exotic fruits. Sights and smells fill the market atmosphere as locals rush for their favourites. Many local fruits make their yearly appearance and are on sale at reasonable prices. The visitor can find piles of purplish mangosteens, pale yellowy langsats, fiery red hairy rambutans, lime green mangoes, bristle-skin yellowy soft darap, hardy dukun, and last but not least the king of fruits – yes, the thorny skin durian, a fruit that smells like hell and taste like heaven (whatever that means!).At one end of the building it is spice heaven. Hawkers ply their vast variety of ground and whole dried spices – all types of mix for curry powder, cinnamon, dried pepper corns, dried and powdered chilly, coriander seeds, cumin, star anise, nutmeg, tumeric, grated coconut, etc. The air is thick and pungent with the aroma of freshly ground spices. At the other end of the building there are the pork and slaughtered chicken stalls. The upper level of the building is a food heaven where many food stalls serve both the locals and the visitors. In addition there are stores selling clothing, bags and shoes. The fish market building projects into the waterfront at the back of the main market. Unlike shopping malls, fresh produce markets like these open very early in the morning. There will be hustling and bustling as early as 4 am daily. People buy their supply of fresh fish very early and this place is a hive of intense activity as vendors and buyers bargain over their choices. Prices fluctuate depending on the supply and demand curve. Common types of sea food found here are the various types of mackerel, mullet, mud crabs, tuna, black and white pomfret, prawns, cockles, clams, coral fish, shrimps, scallops, sword fish, sardines, ray fish, red snapper, grouper, turbot, etc. Less than a km from the main market is the Philipino Market. Here is the place for locals and visitors to buy ethnic decorative and functional handicrafts and carvings made from sea shells, wood, bark, coconut shells, cord, bamboo, etc. There are lots of freshwater and sea pearls in all sizes and shapes, believed to be mostly cultured, for sale here. These are fashioned into earrings, rings, bracelets and chains, and are popular with the ladies. Fruits such as young coconuts, yellow mangoes and dried preserved sea food are also for sale here. In the day time this is a crowded place frequented by locals and visitors alike. It is closed at night.For night shopping and bargain hunting, the visitor can try his/her skills in the open air night market near to the Sinsuran shops. This is a favourite bargain spot for inexpensive items like fake branded watches (Rolex), shoes, clothes, bags, umbrellas, leather belts, handicrafts, souvenirs, imitation jewellery, baby wear, sunglasses, pens, etc.

 

|  KK Water Front  |  Seafood Restaurants  |  Central Point  |  1 Borneo  |

CENTRAL   POINT Shopping Mall