Swing to the Beat at Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival

Kota Kinabalu is quite a cosmopolitan town. Located on the island of Borneo, it is part of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Kota Kinabalu hosts several great festivals each year, including the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival which will be held on the 14^th and 15^th June 2013. 

Make a Difference

This music festival in Malaysia is both a jazz festival and a fundraising event. Organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu and the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu, the festival celebrates the joy of jazz music and raises money for Rotary and its local activities.  Some of the projects that prior events have supported include The Clean Water Project and Literacy Programs for local communities.

Jazz - Stirring the chords of the soul

Talented artists from around the world come together to perform and share their knowledge with the local music enthusiasts. There is even a platform for new artists to showcase their talent and have the opportunity to take centre stage in the Sabah Jazz Talent Search. This event is now an important feature of the arts festival calendar in Asia.

Beautiful Kota Kinabalu

Sit Back and Relax

The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival will be held at the Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club. This beautiful backdrop is also a popular sailing location in South East Asia, with temperate weather all year round. If you are attending the festival you can stay at one of two resorts on the marina.  The Pacific Sutera Hotel has 500 rooms and stunning views over the sea and nearby golf course.  Nearby is the Magella Sutera Resort which is decorated in traditional style using handicrafts that give it a lovely native feel.  Both resorts have some great swimming pools and recreation facilities available, so that you can really kick back, relax and enjoy a family holiday whilst listening to the cool sounds of some of the world’s best jazz musicians.

Mount Kinabalu in full glory

If you have some extra time during the Jazz festival, you should enjoy a spot of golf at the country club.  There is a 27 hole golf course that is set on a landscaped terrain with waterways, providing an extra challenge for any golfer.  Thanks to Borneo’s fabulous weather and the facility for night golfing, you can even golf for up to 17 hours a day here.

Perhaps add an extra day onto your trip and visit the North Borneo Railway.  Not just for train enthusiasts, this is the oldest running steam train in Borneo and provides young and old with the nostalgia and romance of a train ride. Initially built in the 19^th century, the North Borneo Railway was formally established in 1914 and re-launched in its current form in 2000.  It has been restored in colonial hues of deep green and cream, bold brass badges and natural wood interiors. The train winds through villages, rainforests, coffee and rubber plantations and of course some dramatic coastal scenes.  It is a real insight into everyday life in Malaysia.