Pekan Nabalu | |
|---|---|
Town andmukim | |
 | |
 Location of Pekan Nabalu in Kota Belud District | |
  Pekan Nabalu | |
| Coordinates:6°1′40″N116°27′47″E / 6.02778°N 116.46306°E /6.02778; 116.46306 | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Sabah |
| Division | West Coast Division |
| District | Kota Belud |
| Elevation | 761 m (2,497 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,442 m (4,731 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
Pekan Nabalu (transl. Nabalu Town inMalay) is a town andmukim (township) of theKota Belud District ofSabah, Malaysia. It is located near the foothills ofMount Kinabalu and is a frequent stop for hikers en route toKinabalu Park. It lies at the tripoint border of the districts of Kota Belud,Tuaran, andRanau, and serves as a market hub for both locals and tourists.
Pekan Nabalu is situated by the foothills ofMount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia andBorneo. Located 12 kilometres fromKinabalu Park, Pekan Nabalu is a popularresting point for tourists making their way to the national park.[1]
Administratively, Pekan Nabalu is amukim (township) ofKota Belud District inSabah, located along Kota Belud District'stripoint border with the other districts ofTuaran andRanau.[2][3][4]
The origin of the name "Nabalu" for this town is taken from the name of theNabalu flower which grows in the forests and hills surrounding this town.[5]
Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the 16thqueen consort of Malaysia, visited the town on 5 September 2023 as part of the 2,154-kilometre royal tour "Travel to Discover Borneo [ms]".[6]
Since December 18, 2025, this town has received a lot of recognition from national tourism companies and neighboring country tourism companies as well as economic development that continues to grow rapidly following the progress of themukim and the development plan carried out in early 2025 by the head of the council.[7]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 168 | — |
| 2000 | 280 | +66.7% |
| 2010 | 776 | +177.1% |
| 2020 | 8,188 | +955.2% |
| 2025 | 8,290 | +1.2% |
| Source:[8] | ||
According to the last census in 2020, the population ofPekan Nabalu is estimated to have a population of around 8,188 with the majority of the population beingKadazan-Dusun who areChristian with a percentage of 90% and a minority ofKadazan-Dusun who areMuslim with a percentage of 10% of the population.[9]
Agriculture,handicrafts, andtextiles are the main sources of income for the residents of the town.[1][10] Tourism is another important source of income; the Nabalu Weekly Market is visited by locals and tourists alike for food and drink before the trek to Mount Kinabalu. There are also several restaurants in Pekan Nabalu with a view of Mount Kinabalu.[11][12] In 2023,Joniston Bangkuai, Sabah's assistant tourism, culture and environment minister, proposed starting a pineapple and fruits festival in Pekan Nabalu to promote the area's local producers and agrotourism.[13]
The primary schoolSK Dalas, Kota Belud [ms] is located near Pekan Nabalu and is the main educational facility serving the residents of Pekan Nabalu locally.[14] In January 2009, thisMukim also collaborated with theTaekwondo association until the end of 2013 and also on collaboration with theSabah State Shitoryu Karatedo Association (Shitoryu Sabah) under it's president Gesiri Gambung since 2017.[15]
Capital:Kota Kinabalu | |||||||||||
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