Mari-Mari Cultural Village: Step back in time at this indigenous cultural village near Kota Kinabalu (Sabah)

You can’t say you’ve travelled to Sabah without at least getting a glimpse of their local culture! We had a one-stop experience with the major indigenous groups in Sabah at Mari Mari Cultural Village, which is just a 40-minute drive from the city of Kota Kinabalu.🚗

At this interactive village, we met descendents of the indigenous tribes – 🍚 the rice-farmers Kadazandusun, Lundayeh who are hunters and fishermen,🐠 the sea gypsies Bajau 🌊, Rungus people who live in longhouses, and the much-feared headhunter Murut tribe 💀.

We stepped back in time and wandered into their ancient longhouses, took a sip of their local rice wine, indulged in local snacks, saw with our own eyes how they made fire from wood, and were thoroughly entertained by their interactive cultural performances and dances. A local afternoon tea concluded this exotic experience.

This educational tour isn’t so much of a real village but a living museum where indigenous artifacts and traditions are lovingly preserved, curated and showcased, so we as travellers can get a better understanding of each major tribe. Definitely worth a visit if it’s your first time in Sabah!

Special thanks to Tourism Malaysia for inviting us to this Mega Fam trip in 2020, where local and international media were invited to experience exotic Sabah and take part in the PATA Adventure Conference & Mart 2020 that brought together international experts in the adventure travel industry, tourism agencies, adventure product buyers and sellers from across the world.