About Mari Mari Cultural Village
Mari Mari Cultural Village is an open-air cultural museum located in Kionsom, Inanam, about 25 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Established to preserve Sabah's indigenous heritage, it recreates traditional houses of five major ethnic groups — Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun. Visitors experience guided tours with demonstrations of traditional crafts, cooking, and customs, making it a notable educational attraction for understanding Borneo's diverse cultural heritage.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a guided walking tour through a forested setting with five traditional ethnic houses — Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Kadazan-Dusun — each staffed by cultural guides demonstrating daily life. Expect demonstrations of fire-making, blowpipe shooting, tattooing, rice wine making, and traditional cooking, followed by a cultural dance performance and a traditional meal served in the communal hall. Paths are mostly outdoor with wooden structures on stilts and steps.
Key highlights
- 01
Five authentic traditional houses of Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun ethnic groups
- 02
Guided cultural tour with live demonstrations of fire-making, blowpipe and tattoo art
- 03
Traditional food tasting including rice wine and local snacks
- 04
Cultural dance and music performance at the end of the tour
- 05
Hands-on activities such as henna tattoo, blowpipe shooting and cooking demonstrations
- 06
Forest setting in Kionsom with preserved traditional architecture
History of Mari Mari Cultural Village
Opened in 2008 as a privately operated cultural preservation project to showcase and sustain the traditions, architecture and customs of Sabah's indigenous groups for education and tourism
Culture & Context
Showcases the heritage of five major ethnic groups of Sabah — Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Kadazan-Dusun — through reconstructed houses, traditional crafts, cuisine, rituals and performances, serving as an educational centre for Borneo's cultural diversity
Route
| By air |
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