Kudat and the lands around it are the home of the Rungus people. A sub-group of the Kadazan-Dusun, they have a distinctive language, dress, architecture, customs and oral literature. Kampung Tinangol has 820 people most of whom are Rungus. There are three long houses with 25 doors in each house while single houses are located close to each other. The traditional Rungus dress is black, often with hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of antique beads. This beadwork and its designs easily distinguish the Rungus from the other ethnic groups of Sabah. Kampung Tinangol, or Tinangol village is one of four craft villages in the Kudat peninsula which the entire village specialises in one type of handicraft; in this case beadwork.

The most distinctive accessory worn by the Rungus is the Pinakol. A pair of 6 to 8 cms wide shoulder bands, it's worn diagonally over each shoulder, crossing the chest and back - these bands usually have stories beaded into them with 4 basic figures namely a beautiful flower called a vinusak , a riverine animal, a spear for catching fish called an inompuling and a Rungus man named tiningulung.

Most tourists however, choose more contemporary designs. The traditional designs are made for the older Rungus ladies as they trade on designs such as the sulau , a flat beaded choker worn around the neck with two clamshell discs, one in front and one in back.