Kota Kinabalu

The capital city of Sabah, the northernmost province of Borneo and one of the poorest in Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu was a huge change of culture. A place where spitting and littering are actively encouraged and where sleeping is not high up on the list of priorities.

We had a few days to look around and were surprised to find the city's main square overloaded with locals at a Christmas celebration. Slightly confusing when you take into account that the huge majority are Muslim. A festive occasion with a handful of choirs, a couple of different stages with traditional dancing and music and free food for all in attendance.

A walk through the local market was an interesting experience and an overload of the senses (especially smell) and the local food stalls were as colourful as any I've seen, offering an amazing choice of Chinese, Malay and other Asian delicacies. The highlights for me - the Black Pepper Crab and an example of the latest in D&G horsewear.