One of the 13 states which make up the modern nation of Malaysia - Sabah - once known as British North Borneo-is still very much the embodiment of Borneo, with its astonishing variety of plants, wildlife and ethnic groups. Some visitors come on search of adventure, such as white-water kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving or climbing to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Others prefer to focus on birdwatching or native orchids of rare beauty, while some visitors opt for sun, shopping and seafood. World-renowned locations such as the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and prime dive spots including Sipadan and Lankayan islands are on Sabah's east coast. However, Kota Kinabalu and its environs have a wide range of attractions to enchant and excite. There are rainforests, mountains and fast-flowing rivers; islands with sandy beaches and coral reefs; rice plains and swamp forests which are home to Borneo's strange Proboscis Monkey; quaint villages and contemporary shopping malls' ritual; observances and nightclubs' luxurious resorts with spas and golf courses, and villages home-stays where a whole new way of life can be experienced. This book offers an insight into Kota Kinabalu and its surroundings, places which can easily be reached on a day trip by visitors staying in the city. Major places of interest in Kota Kinabalu and the rest of the West Coast District are included, ranging as far north as Kota Belud and east to Kinabalu Park, and to part of the Interior District, including Beaufort and the Klias Peninsula.