Beaufort is famous for its annual flooding, known as Venice of the East due to its shops that are built off the ground. Beaufort was named after Leicester P. Beaufort, a lawyer and an administrator in the Chartered Company in the late 1800s. About 95km from Kota Kinabalu City, you can drive there via the Beaufort Highway in 1 ½ hour or go by train, a ride that will take 2 hours.