Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah. The average temperature is 30 degrees Celsius, and it’s humid and rainy all year round. Perhaps due to this climate, we can observe that the lifestyle of the locals is very different from Korea. For example, there are things like ritual and religion.
First of all, due to the high temperature and humidity of the year, the traditional dress is very short and thin. In particular, there are many Islamic people, so many people wear a hijab.
Next, Kota Kinabalu has a variety of food cultures as it has many Chinese and Indian immigrants as well as locals. Since Kota Kinabalu is surrounded by islands, locals can eat a variety of seafood at relatively low prices and there are many dishes cooked with seafood.
The housing style is not much different from Korea but there aren’t as many tall buildings because many places are still under development. There are hotels and resorts all over the city for travelers. Houses are built with well-ventilated structures, perhaps because of the tropical climate.
Although their culture is different from Korea, some similarities can be if we compare Korean culture to theirs. The online taxi app called ‘Grab’ in Malaysia is similar to Kakao Taxi in Korea. Using the apps to make a taxi reservation service is common, well established, and convenient. By experiencing cultural differences with locals, we were able to make a meaningful trip.
