slothis · English

Kota Kinabalu Malls: Wisma Merdeka to Imago

2017-09-10 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

It was a morning where I felt in perfect condition, thanks to the lack of a time difference and a great place to stay. But that didn't mean I suddenly had a travel itinerary out of nowhere. I woke up, ate a full breakfast—something I never do at home—and wondered, "What should I do today to make the people back in Seoul jealous?" I decided to take a walk around downtown Kota Kinabalu, just like a stroll around my neighborhood. I also figured out my errands along the way: exchange money, buy the swim trunks I stupidly left sitting at home, and pick up some SPF 110 sunscreen so I wouldn't end up in the hospital. Since shopping was going to be my main activity, I checked the map for shopping malls and started walking.

Since it's mostly photos of shopping malls, I just resized them and uploaded them without any editing. Honestly, I don't know how to edit. I also stopped by the Sunday Market in the middle, but I intentionally left that out to write a separate post about it. Plus, I was just wandering around without paying much attention to where I was, so my descriptions of the malls might be wrong. The ultimate irresponsibility.

Exterior of a light green apartment building with laundry hanging on the balconies
Walking around Kota Kinabalu reminds me of the 80s and 90s when five-story apartment buildings were everywhere. Back then, you'd see laundry hanging out like this, but it's hard to find even in residential areas these days.

First, I walked to Wisma Merdeka, the currency exchange mecca for Koreans. I almost collapsed while walking. Let's use Grab, people. Grab. The exchange counters inside Wisma Merdeka are well-known among Koreans, though I don't know exactly why. But listening to people talk, it's easy to guess. It's simply:

"A blog just told me to come here, and when I arrived, it was all Koreans."

Everyone comes here sweating profusely, but once they actually get their money, they all say something like, "What the heck, the difference isn't even that big?"

If you wander around a bit, it's easy to spot this kind of scene, especially among Koreans and Chinese tourists. Just by looking at the crowd at a certain restaurant or activity, you immediately get the feeling:

'Ah, a Chinese travel book or blogger must have spread the word about this place.'

Or,

'Some Korean blogger must have written a glowing review here.'

Is it a travel culture unique to East Asians? It's really interesting to watch, and since it's our own culture, I even feel a bit of pride. For Koreans and Chinese, Kota Kinabalu is a short distance away, so there's a strong vibe of coming here for a cheap, relaxing getaway. On the other hand, for the Westerners I met, this is just a place to stay for a day or so on their way to a specific destination (usually somewhere very far from Kota Kinabalu, and very intense). So, they tend to care more about how to get to their final destination rather than exploring the city itself. These differences in national character and how people choose to spend their time seem to create this unique East Asian culture you see in Southeast Asia.

Building entrance with a green sign that says Wisma Merdeka
The entrances to Wisma Merdeka are scattered in all directions, so it's hard to say 'you must enter through this door.' Just walk through any door, enjoy the cool air conditioning, and take a quick lap around the first floor. Eventually, you'll come across the exchange counter below.
People lining up in front of a currency exchange with a red sign
All Koreans haha. Personally, I don't think you absolutely have to exchange money here. But if you don't, you'd have no reason to come inside Wisma Merdeka, so I think it's not a bad idea to do it here just for fun.

If you walk a bit further past Wisma Merdeka, you'll find Suria Sabah. This place is famous because it has one of those LOVE statues that are scattered all over the world.

Exterior of a large curved glass building with a Suria Sabah sign and taxis passing in front
Large red LOVE sculpture installed near a shopping mall entrance
This guy right here.

When I visited in the middle of the day on a Sunday, there were about two or three groups waiting ahead of me, but I don't know how long the wait usually is. This statue is worth seeing not just for its fame, but for another reason entirely. That reason is you get to watch women from all over the world teaching their husbands and boyfriends exactly how to take their photos. It doesn't matter if they're wearing a hijab or hot pants, or if their hair is blonde or black. Men from every country carefully hold the camera with a look that says, 'Why are you doing this to me?' while taking the picture, but their wives are never satisfied with the first shot. I spent about 20 minutes watching this repeating scene of "Babe! Try taking it one more time like this. Make it look good this time," delivered in various languages and unique gestures, and I almost died laughing.

Looking down at travel suitcases displayed on the lower floor inside a shopping mall
Suria Sabah's interior is just as nice as its exterior space. The air conditioning is especially blasting compared to other places.
Swimwear and underwear store inside a shopping mall with mannequins and clothes on display
I didn't take a picture of women's underwear on purpose. The swimsuit section is right behind it. You can see the Arena sign over there.
People gathered around a stage setup installed in a shopping mall lobby

Heading a bit further north brings you to Jesselton Point. Most island tours are booked here. Also, trips to Sapi Island and Manukan Island depart from and return to this spot. I just went in to look around today, but something really caught my eye, and that was...

A white van passing under an arched entrance with a Jesselton Point sign.
Suria Indoor Soccer Centre sign and a giant soccer ball model placed next to it.

An indoor soccer field!!!

I was so surprised to find an indoor soccer field in a place I never expected. With a facility like this, couldn't Kota Kinabalu become a top destination for amateur soccer club training camps? You could have soccer practice in the morning, head to an island for snorkeling, come back for another match, get a massage, enjoy a few drinks, and go to sleep—an absolute dream schedule. You could even tell your wife or girlfriend,

"Where are you going, babe?"

"Oh, my soccer club wants to do a training camp and team-building trip. I'll just sleep over nearby and come back tomorrow."

...and then hop on a plane and be in Kota Kinabalu!!! What a plausible excuse and what perfect facilities. Why am I only finding out about this place now? If I had known about this when I was playing soccer all the time, I could have come here and played an international friendly match against a Malaysian team. It's such a shame. Of course, don't ask me about the odds of getting slapped in the face for this. Life is a series of errors.

People enjoying indoor soccer on a green artificial turf field behind a net.
These guys definitely aren't locals either. They probably all said they were playing soccer nearby and then took a plane or a boat here.
Dynamic moment of a player falling during an indoor soccer game behind a net.
Information board with a tournament bracket paper attached over the Suria Indoor Soccer Centre price list.
Price list showing hourly rates in Ringgit.
From the top, it goes 9AM-3PM, 3PM-6PM... and so on. Booking 3 hours from 9 AM, and then another 2 hours from 4 or 5 PM when you get back from the island would be perfect. The price isn't that expensive either. You just have to watch out for getting slapped or kicked in the shins.
Wooden seaside boardwalk lined with Malaysian flags.
Given the time of day, it's pretty quiet.
People fishing from a seaside breakwater next to palm trees on a sunny day.
The back of Jesselton Point (next to Jesselton Mall), where people don't usually go, is very quiet and a great spot for fishing.
Back view of a person standing and casting a fishing rod toward the sea
I waited about 20 minutes because I wanted to take a picture of them catching a fish, but they didn't catch a s~~~ingle one.
Cat resting on its stomach in the shade on red dirt ground
People lining up in front of a McDonald's dessert kiosk inside a shopping mall
Looking down at the area in front of McDonald's and Kenny Rogers Roasters inside a shopping mall
The food that the people of Kota Kinabalu love the most is "McDonald's ice cream." Seriously. No joke.
Road and cars in front of the Wisma Sabah building, which features a colorful mural of a woman
Two buildings that really stand out in a mostly gray-toned city. You can see them best from Suria Sabah;;;;

After seeing pretty much everything I wanted to see, I decided to head back to my accommodation. Until the morning, it was definitely cool enough that I was worrying about Korea, thinking, 'The weather here is way better than in Korea. Sigh, Korea is basically subtropical now~' But by lunchtime, the sun shifted into true Southeast Asian style, and I started worrying about myself instead of Korea. You can definitely understand why cosmetics companies bother making SPF 110 sunscreen instead of just sticking to SPF 50 when you come here. Maybe because people use so much of it, Banana Boat sunscreen is cheaper here than in Korea. The SPF 110 in particular comes in a large size and even has a spray version. Even someone like me who hates dealing with a hassle has no choice but to put it on, so it's best to buy a bottle of sunscreen as soon as you arrive. For the record, the SPF 50 they sell in Korea won't even cut it. If you have sensitive skin, you might get sunburned even with sunscreen on and end up stuck indoors.

Old white and blue minibus parked on the side of the road
The buses in Kota Kinabalu are in pretty serious condition. It's one of the reasons Grab and Uber are so popular.
Old apartment buildings with laundry hanging on the balconies and a KFC sign on the left
Road with cars driving between green trees and a distant view of the city center.
Red brick sign showing the worship times for All Saints' Cathedral, Anglican Diocese of Sabah
Even though it's an Islamic country, there are various religious buildings like Catholic churches, Protestant churches, and Chinese temples. This part still amazes me.
Exterior of a multi-story apartment building with Malaysian flags hanging on several balconies.
This is a police or military apartment complex. There's a small grave inside the iron fence, a playground, and pretty much everything else.

Walking about 10km in the midday Southeast Asian heat—which felt like the sun had put on UFC gloves and was relentlessly punching me in the corner—water became my fuel. I poured water into my mouth like putting gas in a car as I walked, barely managing not to collapse before arriving at Imago Mall near my place. I'll say it again, just take a Grab. I passed a church on the way and wanted to go in, but I was so exhausted that I just kept walking straight. I'll go to confession when I get back... Still, I didn't get dehydrated like the last time I came to Southeast Asia. Human learning capacity is truly amazing.

Imago Mall is the newest shopping mall. Since it was near my place, I went there a lot throughout my trip. They have a wide variety of food, a large supermarket, and the globally beloved Starbucks. The stores in the mall are quite upscale, but compared to that upscale vibe, the prices (I'm only talking about the restaurants) are reasonable. By reasonable, I mean cheaper than in Korea; aside from the Korean restaurants, you can taste food from all over the world without it being too expensive. However, the quality does vary wildly from restaurant to restaurant.

Many people gathered around several booths set up in a shopping mall plaza.
As expected for a weekend, there are so many people. It had the most visitors out of all the malls.
People sitting and resting in an indoor shopping mall lounge area with trees and a small fountain.
I was going to edit the photo to make it brighter, but I got lazy, so...
People resting in a semi-outdoor shopping mall space with high ceilings and wooden deck chairs.
The outdoor area is also clean and well-maintained.
Exterior view of the Seoul Garden restaurant located inside a shopping mall.
Korean food isn't very popular in Kota Kinabalu. While the Japanese restaurants are bustling, the Korean ones are quiet.
I figured people would need the currency exchange the most, so I only uploaded the map for Wisma Merdeka.

Expenses (Conservatively calculate by multiplying by 300 KRW to get the amount in Korean Won)