Mari Mari Cultural Village - Well Worth The Visit @ Kota Kinabalu [Sabah, East Malaysia]

I would be honest here. 

Among all the Sabah tour packages listed on RiverBug Asia, i was least keen on the cultural village; indicated as the location where one can "savor the soul of Sabah". Trust me, i have been to quite a few such places which eventually turned out to be tourist traps.

However, it was my last full day in Kota Kinabalu, the attraction was ranked rather highly on TripAdvisor and i had zero knowledge of the traditional way of living for the tribes in Borneo despite already spending five days on the island! 

So, we did the "tourist" thing by signing up for the Mari Mari Cultural Village tour. I didn't have much expectation in the first place and i guess compared to the railway package, the lower pricing would justify for a smaller disappointment, if it turns out that way.

With three designated sessions (morning, afternoon and evening), we reached fifteen minutes ahead of time and were told to sit on brown plastic chairs while waiting for other travelers to make up a group to begin the tour. 

Sitting is an impossibility for my sharp butt and i walked around taking photos and photos; above was the close-up view of one of the two totem poles greeting us when the tour van entered the village. 

Smoking area - i am actual a casual smoke when i was younger but chose to quit it when i started working as a dental assistant in army; too many cases of bad oral hygiene as a result of smoking and the halitosis can be revolting! 

Gigantic moths in the washroom! 

Adorable village cat - i have always wanted to keep a cat like it as it reminded me of the Garfield; albeit a much skinnier one.

Before we start the tour, take a look at the sky. If it is overcast and look likely to rain, rent an umbrella (RM 2) or buy a raincoat (RM 5) from the counter if you don't have one. 

Let the session begin via a short walk across a river that has really shallow water! To be fair, it had not been raining in the few days we were in KK and the tour we really wanted, water rafting, was a no-go given the low level of water. 

Acrophobics, beware!

I shall not share the picture of a fellow tour mate who was extremely apprehensive in crossing the bridge; shall spare him the humiliation. :P

Five traditional houses from various tribes were showcased and i have an individual blog posting for each of them! Do refer the listing as follows and click the link to read more:

House of the Dusun

Side activities included sampling the rice wine and food cooked using bamboo, which was in abundance in the region.

Rungus Tribe Longhouse

Learn how to start a fire and had a taste of raw, natural honey from the stingless bees!

Lundayeh (Lun Bawang) Dwelling

Information about making clothes from tree barks! Now we know what to do if we ever get our clothes stolen in the wilderness! The lundayeh also has a custom of storing their dead (mind you, whole body) in urns! 

Abode of the Colourful Bajau People

Prettiest house we have seen in our tour, as far as interior is concerned. And i absolutely enjoyed the tasting of kueh jala and aromatic pandan juice!

Longhouse of the Headhunters (Murut)

Among all the tribes in Sabah, the Murut sends shivers down the spines of many given their love for severing the heads of their enemies! Aside from the entertaining Lasaran, you could partake in henna tattooing and hone your blowpipe skill! 

Cultural show - a common finale for such attraction. Remember my thought at the beginning of this post? I wasn't disappointed; in fact, i highly recommend the cultural village to everyone who is visiting KK! The guide was chirpy and informative, the activities were interactive and fun and i absolutely love the incorporation of food sampling! 

Start of the performance - i am not really into performing arts, especially dance and for a highly strung individual, i do get bored planting my ass to the seat.

Out of politeness, i would stay put but my eyes would be looking at other things; like the kitten playing with its mother at the side of the stage etc, 

Anyway, some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

A Borneo village visitation is never complete without an activity that involves bamboo poles; bamboo dance! Given that Singaporeans often use the same kind of pole to hang their laundry. we should set up a group to partake in the activity which seemed really easy.

Until you try it for yourself! Alex gamely volunteered himself and although he didn't embarrass himself, the tempo was extremely slow compared to ones that the locals danced to!

Check out the video above; scroll to 1.03 for the failed attempt and then to 2.03 for the real thing! 

Concluding the cultural show with the bamboo dance. From the start (hanging bridge) to the end, the tour was only about two hours. Having said that, i must said it was indeed an enriching experience well worth the admission fee! 

Taking the customary photos with the performers. This young Korean boy was so cute; the parents kept volunteering him to participate in activities that they were too shy to do! Haha. 

Strolling under the hot sun to our next destination; hint, it was coming to 12 noon and our tummies were growling.

Brought to the dining hall for lunch! Meals (lunch, hi-tea, dinner) were covered in all the sessions and included as part of your admission. 

Buffet style.

Local Malaysian cuisine via the nasi padang way. Nothing too fanciful and i thought it has that trace of authenticity that were rather fitting for its cultural village status.

For me, it has to be the lean fried chicken and fried banana that appealed to my palate. Not the best i had when it comes to goreng pisang and fried chicken but they were better than the rest,

There was a souvenir shop within the dining hall that had good quality and unique mementos! Too bad i had already purchased too many from the Sunday Market. :( 

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Map of the Village

As above.

How To Get to Mari Mari Cultural Village

Aside from the numerous travel agencies which offered combos with white water rafting, visits to offshore island etc, you can also buy direct from the village's website. 

Website

http://marimariculturalvillage.com/

What to Expect from the Package

As above.


For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.

Kudos; Number 2 Restaurant in Kota Kinabalu [According to TripAdvisor]

With a name defined as "praise and honour received for an achievement", i have to say Kudos has pretty big shoes to fill; especially when it involved picky diners like Alex.

However, i should be reassured by its ranking on TripAdvisor; out of 335 restaurants in Kota Kinabalu, the modern European dining establishment is currently placed at number two with a high rating of 4.5! 

Honestly, with its high class, almost romantic ambience, impeccable service and diners who were dressed to the nines, i expected to pay a premium for the food. As i mentioned to some friends before, if i am paying a lot for food; they better be good. 

Hot Chocolate

Overly milky and didn't quite appeal to us. That's us; i believe some of you would prefer their hot chocolate loaded with cream and trailing with a subtle chocolate flavouring. 

Mushroom Soup

Good yet not up to my personal standard; a tad too watery and bland. The mushroom bits added to the enjoyment though as i slurped them loudly down my throat. Excusez-moi for the bad manners.  

Englishman's Fish and Chips

Alex had this and this bugger could not remember how it was! I didn't keep a record of how it tasted but it sure wasn't as memorable as the one from Buckaroo. 

Lamb Cutlets

At RM 88, i thought i must be so damn stupid to pay so much for two miserable pieces of lamb ribs and maybe two mouthfuls of linguine. 

The high price it commanded was worth it - the tenderness can be felt when the knife met the meat, just like tender first love's kiss! The lamb sure didn't disappoint with an oily deliciousness enhanced by the fried garlic bits. To intensify the taste, use the orange sauce by the side of the plate that tasted suspiciously like marmite! For once, i don't even need chilli sauce! 

Roasted peppers were to-die-for with a fresh, natural sweetness that made craved for more! Oh, about the parsley linguine; i was impressed by how good it was (smooth, al dente texture) and i am not even a pasta lover! 

Signature Chocolate Fondant

Baked to a thin crisp, the chocolate lava didn't gush out the way i expected it to be although the bitterness, signature of real chocolate, was gladly tasted. Those with a sweet tooth, like me, the vanilla bean ice cream was a godsend. 

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Location

69, Gaya Street, KK

[Within Jesselton Hotel]

Map

As above.

Website

http://kudosbistro.com/

Menu

As above.

Price

Hot Chocolate - RM 15

Mushroom Soup - RM 22

Englishman's Fish and Chips - RM 36

Lamb Cutlets - RM 88

Signature Chocolate Fondant - RM22

[Subject to GST]

Additional Information

Plain water was chargeable at RM 2. 

For the summarised itinerary of my 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.

Dusun House - Dwelling for the Drinkers @ Mari Mari Cultural Village [Kota Kinabalu]

I think i have taken a wrong step by generating this post; it would have made better sense to come out with a general entry on Mari Mari Cultural Village before diving into the details!

Nevertheless, let us start with the first traditional house; that of the Dusun which represents the largest tribe in Sabah together with the Kadazan. 

Before we enter the dwelling, the village guide brought us to this elevated structure known as tangkob; a rice storage for the family. With a removable ladder, the elevation serves two purposes; preventing animals from raiding the food and keeps the rice dry from the occasional flooding.

We were encouraged to climb up and i had to check out what lies within the wooden container! Not rice by the way. 

Black magic would also be conjured to prevent stealing! As a warning, skulls would also be hung on the ceiling of the tangkob. The ones here were sadly fake and made in China. 

The whole village was marketed as a tourist attraction but you could not help feeling there was a natural realism to the purpose built structures! 

House of the Dusuns - one particular item commonly found within the house said a lot about their affection for it. The display of wine urns! Dusuns are said to be fantastic wine drinkers! 

Explaining the making of rice wine, the guide highlighted certain processes like the soaking of rice in water, pounding it and then adding honey or sugar for sweetness or tobacco juice for bitterness etc.

Sampling the tribal delicacies would be part and parcel of this visit; feel free to gulp down the rice wine using the traditional bamboo vessel.

How do you identify a single Dusun lady? By the clothing of course - sleeveless attire equates to single hood! In the words of the guide, sexy = single.

Smoking the food using the ancient tribal way. 

A look at the rather empty house - as you could see from the photos, the whole structure was essentially made of bamboo except for the ironwood support beams. The room, accessible by a separate ladder, was the bedroom for the single ladies in the family. 

Stepping out of the house where another surprise awaited us.

How to make bamboo food! There was loads of knowledge sharing - using a thin bamboo would make it easier to cook the food, putting in a leaf to prevent sticking of ingredients etc.

Grilled the bamboo for about ten to fifteen minutes and the food would be ready to enter their stomach. I gave it a try and thought it tasted more like salad without much difference.

Want to guess what this was for? 

The large urn at the side was yet again for wine! As mentioned previously, the Dusuns love to drink and this process was used to purify the wine and make it stronger!

It's distillation! 

As part of their hospitality, we were offered to give it a try too! Damn, i am actually a weak alcohol drinker and to down two small cups so early in the morning was honestly unheard of! 

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Location

Dusun House,

Mari Mari Cultural Village,

Kota Kinabalu (Sabah),

Borneo Island.

To read more, kindly refer to the main posting on Mari Mari Cultural Village.

For the summarised itinerary of the 7 days, 6 nights Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) trip, please click here.