KOTA KINABALU (Sabah State) -- (60-88)

This happy-go-lucky resort town on the South China Sea is almost entirely new, having been destroyed and rebuilt following Japanese occupation in WWII. The waterfront is currently seeing another surge of development, but, luckily, buildings are height-restricted due to the close proximity of the airport. Seafood feasts, island hopping, and unspoiled nature are the main attractions in the vicinity. There is also more than a little gay life bubbling under the surface. KK is a great place for a romantic get-away with your partner or special someone, but it's also easy to make new friends with a smile.

Super cheap Asia Air flights get you here in only 2.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur so it's a great escape from the urban tangle of the capital. There are also three non-stop flights a week from Bangkok.

Muslims are in the minority in Sabah, so KK feels less uptight than West Malaysia. Respectful and properly dressed visitors may even be permitted to enter and photograph the interiors of some of the city's large mosques, a rewarding cultural experience if you have the opportunity.

KK's population is around 350,000 (that's about 15,000 Utopians). There are more than three dozen indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah, so the people here are a rainbow in themselves.

• Men in Kota Kinabalu message forum

The updated and expanded 2nd Edition of the Utopia Guide to Malaysia surveys the gay and lesbian scene in 17 cities. Listings include gay scene maps, organizations, bars, discos, spas, accommodations, restaurants, and more. A special section highlights venues that are especially welcoming for women. Click here to order

Kota Kinabalu is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

Click here for Kota Kinabalu hotels and accommodations.

• Magma Sports Club (mixed)
  A fun pub with a pool table and karaoke. Popular with gays.

  Q Bar 50 Gaya St, 230-722. Top marks for the world-class design of this straight-friendly gay bar (Wallpaper, are you listening?). Cozy round bar (in the shape of a "Q", of course) for optimal eye contact. Pool table. A plush Thai-style corner den for bears and pandas (greatly sought after here in Sabah), plus a 2nd comfy corner area designed for groups of friends. They take special pride in their beautiful and sparklingly clean bathrooms. Opens daily at 8pm. Easy lounge music until 10pm when it starts to get busier. DJ plays dance beats after 11pm with house music. Twenty varieties of wine on hand in the cooler. Drag show every Fri night: entertainment by The QGirls. Theme parties monthly. Management and staff couldn't be friendlier. Crowd is young professional with a happy mix of ethnicities.

• Shenanigans (mixed)
  B/F Hyatt Hotel. Mixed pub popular with gays, particularly Chinese.
• Upperstar (mixed)
  Jln Datuk Salleh Sulong (just opposite the foot of the Hyatt Hotel driveway). Gay clubbers rendezvous here first to fuel up on the cheap drinks before heading across the street to Shenanigans (whose drinks are very expensive by local standards). The balcony is the breezy place to people-watch.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Good food and CHEAP beer! RM$16++ for a bucket of four cans of Heineken. For a Thu night, they were rather busy." -- skit, Dec 3, 2009

• Anjung Senja hawker center
  Waterfront opposite the Promenade Hotel. A great place to eat and catch the eye of friendly locals at the same time. Evenings.
• Centrepoint shopping center
• Hyatt Hotel entrance
  The pedestrian pathway connecting Jln Datuk Salleh Sulong to Wisma Merdeka is very cruisy. Sit in Mosaic café at one end or hang out near the shopping mall entrance at the other end.
• Long distance bus terminal at night, transgenders
• Prince Philip Park, Tanjung Aru. Near the pond and the circle with fountain. Late night, very cruisy. Some hustler decoys.

• @mosphere Restaurant & Bar (western and Asian cuisine)
  18/F at Menara Tun Mustapha, Likas Bay. KK's most modern restaurant, located in the tallest building, serves fare that can rival any 5-star restaurant worldwide. The bar has happy hours daily from 9pm onwards and serves very cheap cocktails.

  Mosaic (Italian food, coffee, ice cream and cakes) Jln Datuk Salleh Sulong (just at the foot of the Hyatt Hotel driveway). This sleek and modern air-conditioned restaurant and café is the perfect place to cruise the foot traffic heading in and out of Wisma Merdeka while sipping a cappuccino or demolishing one of Mosaic's delicious sweet treats. Where are we again? Melbourne? South Beach? Oh, yeah, Kota Kinabalu. A stack of Gourmet magazines is on hand if you get bored, but we think you'll want to view all the Asian poetry amidst the passing parade, so grab the corner table in front of the picture windows and practice your deadliest Memoirs of a Geisha glance. Very cute and friendly staff.

• Restoran Rasa Nyonya (Nyonya and traditional)
  G/F 50 Jln Gaya, 218-092. This local place serves up tasty authentic peninsular cuisine. Dine by 9pm as they close early. After dinner, hop over to Q Bar next door for a cocktail.

• Hyatt Regency Sauna (mixed)
  Hyatt Regency Hotel. Some of the customers are local gay guys. Dry sauna, steam room, large and private showers rooms. Be discreet.

• Small gay shop on 2/F of KK plaza sells clothes and gay kitsch.