Mari Mari Cultural Village

Mari Mari stands in secondary forest above a river outside Kota Kinabalu and shows the building traditions of five Sabahan groups: the Dusun, the Rungus with their long low longhouse, the Lundayeh, the Bajau and the Murut, whose house contains a sprung bamboo platform used at celebrations. Visits are guided in groups on a fixed circuit, moving from house to house with a demonstration at each: fire lighting, tattooing with thorn and soot, rice wine and honey tasting, blowpipe shooting, bark cloth beating. It closes with a meal and a dance performance in the central hall. The tone is light and participatory rather than scholarly, and the guides are drawn from the communities represented in the houses.

What you actually see

• The Rungus longhouse - the long low house with its outward-leaning walls.
• The Murut house - the lansaran, a sprung bamboo platform used at celebrations.
• The craft demonstrations - fire making, bark cloth, tattooing and rice wine.
• The blowpipe range - trying the bamboo blowpipe under supervision.

When to go

Morning, midday and late-afternoon departures run daily and are booked ahead with transfer from Kota Kinabalu included. The late tour ends with the meal and dance after dark, which suits the setting. Rain is possible year-round and the paths turn slippery. The circuit takes about three hours including the meal.

Honest expectations

You go in a group on a fixed route with a fixed script, and there is no wandering off; independent visits are not really possible. The demonstrations are staged for visitors and the humour is broad. The ticket is expensive for what it is. Paths are muddy and involve steps and a suspension bridge, which is awkward for anyone unsteady on their feet.

Nearby

Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu Park and the islands off the city are all within easy reach.