The Atkinson Clock Tower stands on a low hill above the Padang, a white wooden structure that is the oldest surviving building in the city. It was erected in 1902 as a memorial to the young colonial officer who founded Jesselton — Kota Kinabalu's former name — and who died of malaria before seeing the town he had helped establish take shape.
The tower is a short walk from the waterfront and requires no more than ten minutes to visit, but it offers a good vantage point over the bay. The area around it has been turned into a small park. Worth combining with the nearby Signal Hill Observatory Platform, which sits on the same ridge and gives wider views across the islands.