Frequently Asked Questions

What languages do people speak in Sabah - Malaysia?
Bahasa Malaysia may be the official language of the country but English is very widely spoken and is in fact the language of business in Malaysia. It uses the Romanic alphabet and there are many words which sound the same as English although their spelling may be a little different, e.g. 'teksi', ‘bas’ and 'restoran'.

What is the temperature like in Sabah?
Malaysia enjoys tropical climate with warm and balmy weather all year round. Temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C. Humidity level is at an average of 80% throughout the year. Loose light clothing is the order of the day and plenty of sunscreen is always a good idea when holidaying or diving in the tropics.

What seasons are there on Sabah?
Malaysia has a wet season and a dry season. Sabah’s dry months are from January to May, wet months are from June to December.

What is the main religion in Sabah?
Malaysia is a Muslim country, however all religions are respected here. In Sabah majority are Christians, followed by Muslims, Buddhist and others.

What is the currency in Sabah?
The Malaysian Ringgit is the currency here and its value generally hovers around RM3.10 - RM4.00 to the US$, around RM4.50 to the Euro and around RM6.20 to the GBP (Note: The exact rate is subject to actual value on day of exchange).

To change money, you may find a Money Changer in most of the shopping malls. For example:

• Ban Loong Money Changer
  AG - 52, Ground Floor, Wisma Merdeka Jalan Tun Razak88000 Kota Kinabalu, Tel: 088-237933
• Travellers Money Changer
  AG-56, Ground Floor, Wisma Merdeka, 88000 Kota Kinabalu Tel/Fax: 088-234772
• Maybank Money Changer
  P9-Lower Ground Floor, Centre Point Shopping Complex, No. 1, Jalan Centre Point, 88000 Kota Kinabalu Tel: 088-264524
• Garuda Jaya Money Changer
  G16, Ground Floor, KK Plaza Shopping Complex, 2A Jalan 18, 88000 Kota Kinabalu Tel/Fax: 088-211500

Or you may visit any of the following banks:

• Maybank Kota Kinabalu
  9 Beach Street, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Tel: 088 254295
  Mon – Thu: 9.15am -4.30pm, Fri: 9.15am - 4.00pm 
• HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad
  9 Beach Street, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Tel: 088 254295
  Mon – Thu: 9.15am -4.30pm, Fri: 9.15am - 4.00pm 
• Standard Chartered Bank Berhad
  20, Jalan Haji Saman, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Tel: 088-298116
  Mon – Fri: 9.15am – 3.45pm

Where to eat in Kota Kinabalu City?
Sabah is famous with its delicious seafood. Your trip to Sabah is not complete if you have not tried our wide variety of fresh seafood. Among the must-try’s are Steamed garoupa, Sabah Vege, Butter prawn, Deep fry soft shell crab and Coconut pudding for dessert. Here are some suggestions Ocean Seafood Village; Port View Seafood Village, Grand Port View and Kampung Nelayan.

Other types of popular food are Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines. Among the top restaurants that we recommend you to try are:

Chinese:	May Flower, Supertanker, King Hu (Peking Roast Duck), Wong Kwok Restaurant, Wan Wan (Fish Noodle & Tom Yam), Foo Ping Dim Sum, Ocean Seafood, Fook Yuen, etc.
Malay:	Hyatt Regency Kinabalu (Ox Tail Assam Pedas), Tenom Café (Coffee Lamb), Sempelang (Soto Kuah Makasar);  Kak Nong (Mee Rojak) and Sri Melaka (Fish Assam Pedas).
Indian:	Kohinoor (Northern Indian); Krishna Curry House (Fish Head Curry); Jothy’s Curry house (Banana Leaf Rice); Salim (Roti Bom), Anjappar (Dosai), Spice Garden and Taliban Food Centre (Naan Bread with Tandoori Chicken).

Other restaurants are:

Italian:	Little Italy Pasta & Pizza Corner, Grazie Ristorante Pizzeria Café, Fratini’s Restaurant and Bella Italia.
Japanese:	Yoshimi Japanese Restaurant, Nishiki (Non-Halal), Umai Fine Japanese Cuisine and Wagamama.
Korean:	Bintulu Korean BBQ Restaurant, DDaeng Korean Restaurant, Freetime Restaurant and Secret Garden Korean BBQ Restaurant
Thai:	Tam Nak Thai. Dessert : Yen Ai (Local Chinese Herbal Drinks) and Rafflesia Chicken Rice (ABC with Tapai).

Where to shop in Kota Kinabalu City?
There are several shopping malls around the city namely Centre Point Sabah, Wisma Merdeka, Warisan Square, Karamunsing Complex, Asia City Complex, City Mall, KK Plaza, 1Borneo Hyper Mall and the newly opened Suria Sabah.