While Kota Kinabalu might have a reputation for a pertain nightlife there are a few hidden gems here, such as Cowboy Bar, in our mind the best karaoke joint in the city.
I was to head here for the Young Pioneer Tours’s work retreat Said retreat also involves a fair bit of play too, so we were anxious to see what the nightlife held.
What the Kota Kinabalu?
For the blissfully unaware Kota Kinabalu is not just Malaysia’s gateway to Borneo, but is also not just a flight hub, but also one of the cheapest places you can fly to within the region.
AS a gateway to Borneo people come here for the nature and the like, with there being a whole heap of different moneys within the region, as well as easy access to Indonesian Borneo and even Brunei.
Kota Kinabalu itself I will do a guide to at some point, but it is overall a small and fairly unimpressive Malaysian town. Theres some decent beaches, sea houses on stilts, as well as a decent street food scene that is largely based around the seafront. This though is not a party town.
What the Cowboy Bar?
Kota Kinabalu Cowboy Bar will come up on most searches of best bars in the city over a broad section of genres. It is though not as has been stated online a “girly bar”. If you are expecting the girly bars scene that is so pervasive in Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam and the like then you will be disappointed. There are of course ladyboys roaming the streets looking for clientele, but one gets the feeling they would be doing the same after a nuclear apocalypse.
Apparently there are some girly bars to a degree in Kota Kinabalu, but thankfully Cowboy var was not so. In fact it is a greta pub which feels like it could be taken straight from Makati, or Ermita. The staff here are a bit flirty, much like in Dusk Till Dawn, but that is very much as far as it goes.
Drinking at Cowboy Bar Kota Kinabalu
As with most of Malaysia beers are like 4 bucks, expensive for the region, but not all that bad from a. Global perspective. Soju though is the weapon of choice, again showing the pervasiveness of Korean soft power within the region.
Soju at not much north of 5 bucks a bottle is also the best value drink and certainly played its part in our group of 14 owning the bar.
It should though be noted that the place accepts cash only (as well as a Malaysian QR code), but does not accept cards. This though is Malaysia to a tee, the appearance of being a developed 1st world country, but not really delivering that in the final furlong. That is not to say anything bad about the country, it just is what it is.
Doing Karaoke at Cowboy Bar
So, why do a decree this the best karaoke bar in Kota Kinabalu? Well it is is for the combo that is the songs, the locals and the atmosphere rather than the setup. In fact there are better (dry) karaoke places in malls even, but hey who sings sober?
The actual setup here is a bit annoying in that you should write in a paper and then the bars make sure it foes in order. In actuality there is an iPad with most every song, but it is involves fighting for your turn. They do though have multiple microphones and a great big stage.
And for me all of this together created one of the best nights I have quite simply ever had pretty much anywhere. As you can see from the TikTok video below (which could be form an artistic movie) things can get wild.
Combine this with friendly locals patrons and great staff and you really cannot go wrong belting out some bangers at Cowboy Bar Kota Kinabalu
Address of Cowboy Bar Kota Kinabalu
Jalan Singgah Mata, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Downtown and within spitting distance of not just a whole heap of other bars and restaurants, but also McDonalds.