Suffering from sunset success: How Tanjung Aru’s soaring popularity leads to traffic nightmare

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 25 — Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach is one of Kota Kinabalu’s most popular attractions, drawing locals and tourists alike.

However, for residents and others who live in the area, the increasing crowds and traffic congestion are becoming a major headache.

Over the past few years, the beach’s popularity has soared, and with it, the traffic during peak hours leading up to sunset and all day during weekends, public holidays.

“The traffic jams usually start around 4:30 PM. Before that, it takes around 10 minutes to drive through the area, but as the crowds pour in, it gets much worse,” said Alan Benjamin, chairman of the Waikiki Condominium Residents Association.

Benjamin, a resident of the area for over 20 years, expressed frustration over how the rise in tourism has significantly disrupted the daily lives of locals.

On average, it now takes about 25 minutes to drive from Tanjung Aru town to Waikiki Condominium — about the same time it takes to walk the 1.2 km stretch. The journey to the nearby Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort can take an additional 20 minutes.

“With the upcoming 400-room hotel in the area, it’s only going to get worse,” Benjamin lamented.

How beach layout leads to bottlenecks

First Beach is by far the most crowded, popular for picnics, recreational activities, and sunset photos. Along this stretch lie Waikiki Condominium, the resort, a golf club, a yacht club, and the Japanese consulate.

Tour buses drop off tourists by the dozen at the entry point at the roundabout which see Jalan Aru off to the left, adding to the thousands already flocking to the beach.

Vehicle access to the beach is limited, but traffic congestion builds around the parking areas, exacerbated by double parking, which reduces the road to a single lane.

Tanjung Aru beach has become a huge tourist attraction but at the expense of the locals who now struggle with traffic. — Picture by Julia Chan

Traffic bringing tourists down

Local tour operators have felt the brunt of the traffic congestion. Nick Boura, who runs Borneo Paddle Monkeys sunset tours from Jalan Aru, said delays due to traffic often cause guests to cancel.

“Sometimes guests arrive very late, or they just cancel altogether because they give up on the traffic,” Boura explained.

Double parkers, he added, are a major cause of the problem, frequently blocking larger vehicles like buses from passing.

Hotel guests at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort face similar difficulties. Many have complained about the challenges of catching e-hailing rides during the evenings due to the traffic jams.

“We’ve tried getting Grab rides, but the drivers often cancel early on. No one wants to sit through the traffic,” said a Chinese tourist, Li, who was visiting Kota Kinabalu with his family.

While Li said the walk to the main road can be scenic, it becomes problematic when people are travelling with family, or when the weather is bad.

Reviews on travel websites like TripAdvisor echo these complaints, with guests noting the poor traffic flow and how it impacts their overall stay. A staff member at the resort acknowledged the issue, saying the resort advises guests to adjust their travel plans accordingly.

“We recommend booking taxis in advance or planning around peak hours, but there’s only so much we can do,” the staff member said.

On travel website TripAdvisor, the resort’s resident manager Yusuf Yaran has commented on some of the reviews and said they were actively working with local authorities to address this situation and explore solutions to improve traffic flow around the resort.

Pandikar showing the map of Tanjung Aru beach and the proposed plans for its redevelopment which includes improved traffic planning — Picture by Julia Chan

What’s next to solve this?

Residents of Waikiki Condominium noted that while police occasionally ticket double-parked vehicles, it’s often too late to alleviate the traffic.

To ease the problem, Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) introduced a designated parking area about 100 meters away from First Beach, created drop off and pick up points and bus parking.

However, according to TAED Chairman Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, some visitors still prefer to park illegally on the roadside rather than pay for parking.

“We’re aware of the traffic problems, and we don’t like it either. The long-term solution is to make Jalan Aru a one-way road that loops back to the coastal road,” Pandikar said.

He explained that while this solution would certainly ease congestion, it would take time due to the need for land acquisition and funding.

“In the meantime, we are also working on medium-term solutions, like creating new junctions and widening roads where possible,” he added.

Residents like Benjamin hope that further development in the area will be halted until these improvements are in place.

“The road upgrades should happen before any more development takes place,” he said.