KK's population is around 350,000 (that's about 15,000 Utopians). There are more than three dozen indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah, so the people here are a rainbow in themselves.

Men in Kota Kinabalu message forum

• Magma Sports Club (mixed)
  A fun pub with a pool table and karaoke. Popular with gays.

  Q Bar 50 Gaya St, 230-722. Top marks for the world-class design of this straight-friendly gay bar (Wallpaper, are you listening?). Cozy round bar (in the shape of a "Q", of course) for optimal eye contact. Pool table. A plush Thai-style corner den for bears and pandas (greatly sought after here in Sabah), plus a 2nd comfy corner area designed for groups of friends. They take special pride in their beautiful and sparklingly clean bathrooms. Opens daily at 8pm. Easy lounge music until 10pm when it starts to get busier. DJ plays dance beats after 11pm with house music. Twenty varieties of wine on hand in the cooler. Drag show every Fri night: entertainment by The QGirls. Theme parties monthly. Management and staff couldn't be friendlier. Crowd is young professional with a happy mix of ethnicities.

• Shenanigans (mixed)
  B/F Hyatt Hotel. Mixed pub popular with gays, particularly Chinese.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I just discovered the awesome Buddha Bar where many gay Chinese and Malay hang out. Affordable drinks and food. The decoration is incredible and the staff so cute and friendly. Indoors is a VIP area, bar and dance floor with the best music I heard during this Malaysian trip. Outdoors is a large garden with BBQ and fountain where the young crowd cruises. Located in the city center, just two minutes walk from Jesselton Point. I recommend this place to Utopians." -- Lukas, May 9, 2013

  "Just discovered a new place in KK for lesbian, gay and bi: Gunter Guesthouse restaurant & bar. Quiet place with activity." -- joog, Sep 19, 2012

• Hyatt Regency Hotel
  G/F fitness has local gay members and a cruisy steam bath.
• Sutera Harbour gym club has a gay presence. UTOPIAN VERIFIED JUL 2011

• Absolute Sabah Massage UTOPIA VERIFIED SEP 2012
  28 Jln Lintas, 017-864-6769, email. Gay-managed man-to-man massage. Urut batin by native Kadarzhan. Experienced masseur available from 7pm-midnight and weekends from 10am-11pm. Outcall only. Utopia Member Discount
• Kota Kinabalu Massage
  013-875-6900, email. Strong, gay-friendly masseur. A lot of strong strokes mixed with soft touches to relax both your body and mind. Minimum 2-hour sessions to ensure you get greatest treatment benefit. Please make your reservation early. Utopia Member Discount
• oneB Healthcare & Charming Gallery
  S-909 Motor City, 1 Borneo, Jln Sulaman, 010-522-1304, email. Gay-friendly spa for men. They offer: facials; body therapy including traditional Malaysian, Thai, Balinese and Guasa; healing herbs; aromatherapy; body scrubs. Outcall also available. Utopia Member Discount

• Anjung Senja hawker center
  Waterfront opposite the Promenade Hotel. A great place to eat and catch the eye of friendly locals at the same time. Evenings.
• Centrepoint shopping center
• Hyatt Hotel entrance
  The pedestrian pathway connecting Jln Datuk Salleh Sulong to Wisma Merdeka is very cruisy. Sit in Mosaic café at one end or hang out near the shopping mall entrance at the other end.
• Long distance bus terminal at night, transgenders
• Prince Philip Park, Tanjung Aru. Near the pond and the circle with fountain. Late night, very cruisy. Some hustler decoys.

• @mosphere Restaurant & Bar (western and Asian cuisine)
  18/F at Menara Tun Mustapha, Likas Bay. KK's most modern restaurant, located in the tallest building, serves fare that can rival any 5-star restaurant worldwide. The bar has happy hours daily from 9pm onwards and serves very cheap cocktails.
• The CHUBs Grill UTOPIAN VERIFIED NOV 2011
  Karamunsing Capital, 448-728. Gay-owned restaurant serving steak and American BBQ.

  Mosaic (Italian food, coffee, ice cream and cakes) Jln Datuk Salleh Sulong (just at the foot of the Hyatt Hotel driveway). This sleek and modern air-conditioned restaurant and café is the perfect place to cruise the foot traffic heading in and out of Wisma Merdeka while sipping a cappuccino or demolishing one of Mosaic's delicious sweet treats. Where are we again? Melbourne? South Beach? Oh, yeah, Kota Kinabalu. A stack of Gourmet magazines is on hand if you get bored, but we think you'll want to view all the Asian poetry amidst the passing parade, so grab the corner table in front of the picture windows and practice your deadliest Memoirs of a Geisha glance. Very cute and friendly staff.

• Restoran Rasa Nyonya (Nyonya and traditional)
  G/F 50 Jln Gaya, 218-092. This local place serves up tasty authentic peninsular cuisine. Dine by 9pm as they close early. After dinner, hop over to Q Bar next door for a cocktail.

• Hyatt Regency Sauna (mixed)
  Hyatt Regency Hotel. Some of the customers are local gay guys. Dry sauna, steam room, large and private showers rooms. Be discreet.

• Small gay shop on 2/F of KK plaza sells clothes and gay kitsch.