Where to go in Sabah?
Most travellers will begin a trip around Sabah by flying into Kota Kinabalu, travel overland through the interior over to the east coast of Sabah, then fly out from Tawau (or the opposite way around).
Visit Bigfin beach resort Kota Belud for some beach recovery and relaxation time before onward travel, and Bigfin water bungalow Semporna for intensive diving or snorkeling trips. Below are ideas for where to go in between, passing some must see highlights in Sabah! The following routes can also of course be done in reverse.
Please note that we are not a tour agency and can not arrange these tours for you, further research and booking is up to you! Nor are there any affiliation links on this page, just some friendly honest travel advice ;) We hope to share some useful information to help you plan your trip, just don't skip a visit to Bigfin!
Visit Bigfin beach resort Kota Belud for some beach recovery and relaxation time before onward travel, and Bigfin water bungalow Semporna for intensive diving or snorkeling trips. Below are ideas for where to go in between, passing some must see highlights in Sabah! The following routes can also of course be done in reverse.
Please note that we are not a tour agency and can not arrange these tours for you, further research and booking is up to you! Nor are there any affiliation links on this page, just some friendly honest travel advice ;) We hope to share some useful information to help you plan your trip, just don't skip a visit to Bigfin!
Kota Kinabalu
|
KK is a small friendly city right on the coast which has some great eats and amazing sunsets! It is a good place to base yourself for a couple of days to explore some of the sites in and just outside of town.
Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu (Market) The place to pick up handicrafts and cheap souvenirs, and sample local fruits & vegetables, dried produce and snack foods. Open during the day everyday. Gaya street market Night shopping and tasty cheap meals. Kinabalu Wetland Centre An inner city escape, venture deep into the wetland mangroves. The extensive boardwalks make exploring this natural habitat easy and accessible. Encounter wetland birds species in this unique ecosystem, Kingfishers, beautiful white egrets and huge purple herons. You may even spot crocodiles or otters. Sabah Museum A very interesting insight to the history of Sabah, with an art gallery and cultural exhibits, set in a lovely tropical grounds. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Nature reserve made up of 4 islands just off the coast, a mere 15 minute boat ride from the city. Whilst these islands can get a bit overcrowded and polluted being so close to the city, they are still worth a day trip. You can see a good amount of wildlife with hornbills nesting on the island, and there is some nice snorkeling on the back side of the islands when you get away from the crowded jetty area. Easy to organize, you can simply turn up at the jetty and arrange a boat over to the island when you are there. Kokol Hill A 40 minute drive out of town and uphill, Kokol make a great full day trip or even a short afternoon out of the city. Come early in the day and visit educational and well run Mari Mari cultural village first, then hike at Ulu Kionsom waterfalls nearby to explore and take a refreshing swim in the multiple tiered waterfalls. You could have a picnic or go for a swim at scenic Shalom Valley park, or have a cheap lunch with a fantastic view at Swallow House Cafe. Finally, head to the fantastic viewpoint at Kokol Hill to see a clear view of majestic Mount Kinabalu to the east, and watch the sun melt over the ocean with view right across the city and offshore islands to the west. Bring a jumper as being nestled below the mountain it can get surprisingly chilly at nightfall! Tanjung Aru Beach This is where the locals come to hang out and enjoy the stunningly beautiful sunsets. It is a undoubtedly a perfect selfie spot! Don't expect a line of bars and restaurants aka Thailand or Bali. Although does get very busy at sunset, the beach is still fairly undeveloped (for now), and there is plenty of space for a picnic. Snack food (mostly deep fried) and sweet drinks can be bought at the out door market behind the beach. |
Local Eats Gaya Street - Many kopitiams with cheap and tasty local food. Specialities included Tuaran Mee (fried noodles) for lunch and Bak u teh (pork) at night. Aachi Curry house - Melt in your mouth lamb biryanai and the best veggi banana leaf set. Sri Latah - Crispy roti, curry sauce with a punch and sweet & sour mango lassi. Sri Melaka - Tasty Noyanya restaurant, a Malaysian fusion of Malay and Chinese cuisine. Yee Fung - Claypot chicken rice and Laksa. Seng Hing Coffee Shop - The coffee is not that good, but the Tom yam noodle soup (Sabah style) and fried squid is delicious! King Hu Restaurant - Duck pancakes & duck soup Signal Hill Eco Farm - Farm restaurant in tranquil garden with home grown vegetables and self reered poultry and fish. Ah Yen Sandakan noodles - Crispy chicken or dried pork noodles with hot sambal and chah (fried buns). New WK - Several branches, one in Suria shopping Mall, serving a selection of mouthwatering Dim Sum. Warung Nasi lemak - Specializing in Malaysia's most loved breakfast dish. Ngau Chap - This beef noodle soup is a much loved dish in Sabah. Bars El Centro - Fab bar with extensive cocktail menu and western food. KK Waterfront Bars - Best for sunset drinks & happy hour promos. Le Meridian, Grandis, Sutera - All these 5* hotels have great rooftop bars for stunning sunsets. |
KOTA BELUD
|
Stay with us at BIGFIN BEACH RESORT, KOTA BELUD!
In Kota Belud town, you can visit the local SUNDAY MARKET. Outside of town, the surrounding countryside is lovely and there are a few rural attractions worth a visit. RAMPAYAN Laut Kawa-Kawa River Cruise offers late afternoon and evening river tours to spot Proboscis monkey's and see millions of glittering Firefly's at night. BUKIT BONGAL A sweaty but worthwhile steep trek uphill to a great rest point overlooking Kota Belud with panoramic views stretching from Mountain to Ocean. KAMPUNG SAYAP Visit this quaint pretty village to experience life in rural Sabah. Go trekking through the rice paddies, jungle and hilly terrain and take a dip under a waterfall. Nearby Tegudon Tourism Village has tents and basic cabins that you can rent for the night to experience some incredible midnight stargazing. Note that you might need to bring your own food supplies as restaurants are scarce, though you will see small farms selling local fruits and vegetables. Malengkap Spend the night camping by the river. This spot is very popular with Sabahans due to the clean clear river water and majesic view of the mountain. |
|
kUDAT
|
If you feel you have had your fill of jungle trekking and are craving more beach time, Kudat is where its at! Kudat has a rugged beautiful coastline with long white sandy beaches stretching to the very tip of Borneo.
The area is still quiet and underdeveloped with very few restaurants or accommodation options, a stark difference from other busy beach destinations in South East Asia! If you are here from December to April Kudat also gets some decent surf, lessons and surf boards are available to rent at Bluefin on Kalampunian beach. Be aware that it can be a bit tricky to get around in Kudat so we would recommend hiring a car or motorbike if you plan to travel this far North. Where to stay - there are not many options in Kudat so would suggest to book in advance! Basic: Secret Place (campsite) Medium: Tampat Du Aman (Howards place) Splurge: Kudat Riviera Note that unfortunately (at the time or writing), there is no direct public transport from Kudat to the East coast (Sandakan), bus services only run from Kota Kinabalu - Kota Belud - Kudat. Although there is a coastal road from Kudat to Sandakan, it is in poor condition and not recommended to drive that way. If travelling by car, then after Kudat you should head back to Kota Marudu then Ranau (for Sandakan). There is no Public transport for this route. |
|
KUNDASANG (MT KINABALU)
|
Bigfin beach resort Kota Belud is only 1 hour 45 minutes by road from Kundasang, where you will find plenty of accommodation options near the entrance to Mount Kinabalu park. To go directly to Kundasang you need hire a car or take a taxi, RM250 per taxi each way. We recommend that you take the route via Kota Belud to the mountain, which is much more scenic then heading back towards Kota Kinabalu. This route will take you past emerald green rice paddies, lush green valleys, rushing clear rivers with a majestic mountain backdrop as you ascend up through the clouds.
If you can, try to make a quick detour off the main road and At Mount Kinabalu park you can make the epic ascent to the highest peak in Southeast Asia. This gruelling hike up through different layers of forest canopy is well worth the effort to summit at sunrise. Do note that trips are pricey, and in the event of bad weather Sabah parks does not give any refund if the trip is cancelled. If you do not have time time or budget then alternatively you can keep it easy (and cheap) and take some pleasant walks in the park around the mountain base. Gardeners must not miss the beautiful Orchid garden. However, a walk around the base is nowhere near as spectacular as the summit at sunrise, an experience you will never forget! If you have the guts we highly recommend ascending down the daring (downright terrifying) via ferrata route. I have done it once, it was undoubtedly incredible, but would never do it again! To book Mount Kinabalu climbs directly, visit the official Sabah Parks website reservation.sabahparks.org.my/ |
HOW TO GET HERE From Kota Belud Taxi / Self drive direct: 1 hour 45 mins, RM250 From Kota Kinabalu: Taxi / Self drive direct: 1 hour 45 mins, RM150 Bus from Padang Merdeka terminal KK, RM10, 3 hours |
ranau (pORING)
|
There are several attractions for a day in pouring. You can visit Sabah tea gardens for a hot cup of tea whilst admiring the view, look for a stinky Rafelasia (the world's biggest flower), soak your achy body post trekking in the rejuvenating hot springs and enjoy being immersed in nature at the Pouring treetop canopy walkway.
Honestly, some find that the hot springs can be a bit of a let down (it sounds more glamorous than it really is). However, Poring is definatly worth a stop for the brilliant canopy walkway. They also have some accessible and well marked trails that you can follow for some pleasant walks, bare in mind that is is cooler up here so jungle trekking is much more tolerable! Sabah tea garden is a great place for lunch as it serves delicious Malaysian meals, an assortment of tea's to sample and tea flavour ice cream! All can be enjoyed whilst taking in the beautiful views of the plantation and rolling hills. If you are seeking out the big stinky flower, then this is the area to look at. Many tour operators will sell day packages to visit the flowers, but really all you need to do is drive along the Kundasang Ranau road and look out for a Rafflesia sini (here) sign. When a local landowner has a flower in bloom then they will usually pitch a signboard on the road, so stop and have a look. A small fee is usually required to view the flower, it will most likely be on private property and the proud owners will have cared for the anticipated flower for months. With several accommodation options nearby to spend a night, Pouring makes a great mid point stopover on the long road to Sandakan. You can catch a bus to Sepilok/Sandakan (4 hours) or Kota Kinabalu (4 hours) from Ranau public bus station in town. Ask staff at the hotel you are staying with for specific bus times and pick up points, but busses usually come 1 per hour in the morning on route from Kota Kinabalu or Sandakan. HOW TO GET HERE From Kundasang (Mt Kinabalu) Drive / taxi, 30 mins, RM100 To / from Kota Kinabalu - Sandakan Stop off or hop onto busses doing the KK - Sandakan route. Please ask hotel in poring for specific times/ pick up location |
|
sepilok & SUKAU
|
No trip to Borneo is complete without sighting Orangutans (or at least attempting to).
It is possible to travel by road directly from Bigfin (6-7 hours). However, be warned that this is not the most pleasant journey. The roads are in poor condition, and sadly, once you get past Ranau there is not much to look at aside for Palm oil plantations. We recommend that you break up the journey with a night in Kundasang or Pouring (see above) Alternatively, for those short on time, head back to KKIA and take a flight directly to Sandakan. This is the easier option! At the time of writing, AIRASIA has 5 direct KK-SDK flights per day. However, if choose to fly do note that recently there have been frequent flight changes and delays for this route. SEPILOK See semi-wild Orangutans at Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation center. The animals are brought here having been rescued from the nearby area, usually due to habitat destruction or abuse. They are fed to help supplement their diet, but they are free to roam and forage in the surrounding forest. You should also visit the Sun bear sanctuary next door to learn more about these heavily trafficked mammals. Do not miss the excellent canopy walkway at the Rainforest discovery center (RDC), it is a brilliant location for birdwatching. Visit in the morning when other tourists are at the Orangutan feeding and you will likely have the walkway to yourself! SUKAU - KINABATANGAN RIVER To have a chance to spot Orangutans in the wild you should take a trip to Sukau and a river cruise down the Kinabatangan river. Full package tours are best arranged through a travel company. The Kinabatangan is probably the most budget friendly and easily accessible of all the jungle tours you can do in Sabah, and since your are close to the river wildlife is easier to see and you have a higher chance to tick off a fair few native species off your animal sightings wish list. Tours here can also get quite pricy and there are a few fancy resorts, but there are also still good budget options. Either way, you will see the same wildlife as all resorts use the same small motor boats on the river and will head towards the same animals when spotted. |
HOW TO GET HERE From Kota Belud (Bigfin) Private taxi: RM700 per taxi (+RM100 per hour for extra stops on route) From Kota Kinabalu Bus from Inanam bus station (North KK): RM50 per person Flight from KKIA - Sandakan: RM100-500 per person Taxi to Sepolik (30 mins) Note: Sepilok is around 40 mins BEFORE Sandakan town. If you are taking the bus to Seplok, get off before Sandakan! |
sandakan
Sandakan Town.
LAHAD DATU
|
If huge towering trees, dense forest canopy and primary rainforest is what you are after then you should look into a trip to either Maliau basin, Danum Valley, or Tabin. Be prepare that these trips are expensive. You might not be able to spot quite so much wildlife hiding in the thick jungle, but the special feeling of exploring deep in the pristine rainforest is well worth the journey and budget. All are accessible via Lahad Datu town, on the east coat of Sabah. Since these places are all national parks, trips can be arranged directly with the park headquarters, or you can contact a travel agent which will be more expensive but they can also help you to arrange a good eagle eyed wildlife guide and transportation. Trying to book directly with the park can be tricky, unless you are able to vouch for your scientific research connections.
|
|
tawau
|
Accessible from Tawau, Tawau hills park is a less frequented and often overlooked national park in Sabah but well worth a visit. This park used to have the tallest tree in the world, not the tallest now but still very impressive! It is a great place to spot red leaf monkeys and Gibbons, and you can take a hike to a hot sping for a swim. Trips can be arranged directly with 1stopborneo, a very passionate local NGO. They also organise mangrove river tours to see the highly endangered Irrawaddy river dolphins!
|
|
SEMPORNA
Stay with us at BIGFIN WATER BUNGALOW, BUM BUM ISLAND, SEMPORNA!
Recommended route - 2-3 week itinerary
|
KOTA BELUD - BIGFIN BEACH RESORT
Take a taxi from Kota Kinabalu, (taxi/1h20mins/RM150) to reach Bigfin beach resort, Kota Belud KUNDASANG
Take a taxi directly from Bigfin beach resort Kota Belud, 1h45mins, RM250. RANAU
From Kundasang take local bus or taxi to Ranau, 45 mins. SANDAKAN
Take a local bus or taxi, 4 hours from Ranau to Sandakan SEPILOK
For Sepilok/Kinabatangan River, get off the Sandakan bus at Sukau Junction (around 45 mins BEFORE Sandakan town). LAHAD DATU
Bus from Sandakan, 4 Hours/RM40 SEMPORNA - bigfin water bungalow
Bus to Semporna (4 hours from Lahad datu, 5 from Sukau, 6 from Sandakan). Or flight to Tawau then taxi to Semporna (1 h 30 mins). Speedboat (20 mins) from SEAFEST JETTY SEMPORNA to BIGFIN DIVERS BUMBUM ISLAND. |