Mari Mari Cultural Village: Tour Guide and Tips

Mari Mari Cultural Village sits in the forest at Kionsom, Inanam, about 30 minutes’ drive from central Kota Kinabalu. It is a guided tour rather than a museum: a small group follows an English-speaking guide through traditional houses built by the families who run each one, trying crafts, food and skills along the way. For a first look at Sabah’s indigenous cultures in a single morning or afternoon, Mari Mari Cultural Village is the most practical option near the city.

The village opened in 1996, and the forest setting does a lot of the work: once you arrive, the city feels far away.

What you see at Mari Mari Cultural Village

The tour moves through houses representing five communities, each with its own building style, food and story:

• Kadazan-Dusun: Sabah’s largest group, rice farmers of the west coast and interior. Expect rice wine and the story of the rice harvest.
• Rungus: known for their longhouses and fine beadwork from the Kudat peninsula in the far north.
• Lundayeh: a highland people from the southwest, close to the Sarawak and Kalimantan borders.
• Bajau: both the horse-riding Bajau of Kota Belud and the sea-going Bajau Laut of Semporna.
• Murut: from the southern interior, with a demonstration of the blowpipe that you can try yourself.

Along the way you see fire made from bamboo, food cooked in bamboo tubes, blowpipe making and traditional tattoo designs. The visit ends with a dance performance and a Sabahan buffet lunch or meal.

Tour times and tickets

Tours run daily, with sessions starting at 10am and 2pm. At the time of writing, the village’s own website lists international adult tickets at RM130 and children at RM110, with under-fives free; Malaysians pay slightly less. Prices include the guide, activities, performance and meal, but not hotel transfers, which can be added for an extra charge. Book ahead on the official Mari Mari website or by WhatsApp, especially at weekends and in school holidays.

Getting there

There is no public transport to the village. Your options are the village’s own transfer, a tour operator package from Kota Kinabalu, or a Grab car (arrange the return trip in advance, as phone signal and drivers are both scarce on the road out). Allow around half a day in total for the round trip and tour.

Is it worth it?

It is a staged experience, and you will be in a group with other visitors. That said, the guides are knowledgeable, the houses are well made and the hands-on parts keep children engaged. If you are heading to Sarawak, the larger Sarawak Cultural Village near Kuching covers that state’s peoples in a similar way, and our Borneo culture guide gives more background.

Fitting it into your trip

A morning at Mari Mari pairs well with an afternoon on the islands or a sunset on the Kota Kinabalu waterfront. It also suits the day before or after climbing Mount Kinabalu, as it needs no effort. You will find it in our Sabah 7-day itinerary, and it slots into the Borneo leg of the 2 weeks in Malaysia route. More ideas are in our Sabah guide.