Sabah
Sabah is the heavyweight: orangutans at the Sepilok sanctuary, pygmy elephants along the Kinabatangan river and, offshore, the coral gardens of Sipadan — routinely ranked among the world's top dive sites.
- Best forWildlife & nature · Divers & snorkellers · Adventure seekers
- In January29°C · 25 rainy days · sea 29°C
- Ideal stayTen days to two weeks
- Approx. flying time~15h 50m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyMYRMalaysian ringgit
- LanguageMalay
- Local time20:097h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType GUK plugs fit
- Drive on theLeftSame as the UK
- Dialling code+60
Why go
The northern tip of Borneo puts rainforest, mountain and reef within a few hours of each other. Much of the lowland is now oil palm, which makes the surviving river corridors and forest reserves unusually dense with wildlife and easy to watch from a boat. Kota Kinabalu is the arrival point, a low-rise coastal city with night markets and islands offshore, and everything else is a journey from there.
Ten days to two weeks is realistic, split between the west coast, the Kinabatangan and the inland forest reserves, with diving added at the end. Internal flights save long road transfers. The drier months run roughly March to October, though rain falls year-round. Sipadan permits are capped daily and allocated through resorts, so that part of the trip has to be booked a long way ahead.
- Ideal stay
- Ten days to two weeks
- The vibe
- Rainforest, reef, humid and wild
From our guides
Add Mount Kinabalu's granite summit for the ambitious. June to September gives the best wildlife odds. It's a trip that rearranges your sense of what 'nature' means.
Featured in Ten lush rainforest-and-reef escapes for nature lovers
Things to do
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Danum Valley
Primary lowland rainforest with a canopy walkway and night drives, reached by a long track from Lahad Datu. Orangutans, gibbons and clouded leopards live wild here.
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Tunku Abdul Rahman islands
Five islands twenty minutes by boat from Kota Kinabalu, with snorkelling, sand and easy jungle paths. The simplest beach day in the state.
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Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A large reserve of regenerating forest with mud volcanoes and hides, and a good record for elephants, civets and hornbills, with fewer visitors than the river lodges.
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Sepilok's sun bears
Next door to the orangutan sanctuary, a conservation centre for the Bornean sun bear, the smallest bear species, with walkways over its forest enclosures.
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Kota Kinabalu night market
The waterfront market grills fish and squid to order every evening, with sunsets over the South China Sea from the seafront alongside it.
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Kinabalu Park trails
Park headquarters at 1,500 metres has cool air, pitcher plants and day walks through montane forest, all usable without any intention of climbing the summit.
Getting there
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Fly to
Kota Kinabalu (BKI)
Nearest airport to Sabah, about 280km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Kota Kinabalu
Tawau (TWU) serves the far south east, but the gateway to Sabah is Kota Kinabalu (BKI), about 20 minutes from the city, with short domestic hops on to Sandakan for Sepilok and to Tawau for Semporna and Sipadan.
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On the ground
Getting around
Distances are long: Sepilok and the Kinabatangan are reached by road or a flight to Sandakan, Mount Kinabalu is around two hours from Kota Kinabalu, and Sipadan diving is run from Semporna or Mabul with permits booked months ahead.
Public transport: Long-distance buses and minivans link the main towns, but most visitors use domestic flights and lodge transfers.
Flights
Los Angeles Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia
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Roughly 15h 50m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 29°C in January to 31°C in April. Driest in February; wettest in June, with rain on about 29 days. The sea is warmest in May at around 31°C, coolest at 29°C.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
January29° · rain 25 days · sea 29°Warm and often wet.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
City hotels in Kota Kinabalu, jungle and river lodges up country, island dive resorts and water villages offshore. International chains exist only on the coast near the capital.
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Best base overall
Kota Kinabalu
The state capital, with the airport, internal flights, hotels at every price and islands twenty minutes offshore by boat. It is a working city, so the wildlife is a flight or drive away.
Find stays in Kota Kinabalu -
Best with children
Sepilok
Near Sandakan, within minutes of the orangutan and sun bear centres, with lodges set in the forest. Evenings are quiet and dinner means eating at your lodge.
Find stays in Sepilok -
Quietest
Sukau on the Kinabatangan
River lodges reached by boat, with dawn and dusk cruises for elephants, proboscis monkeys and hornbills. Humid, buggy and gloriously remote, with limited power and no shops.
Find stays in Sukau on the Kinabatangan -
Best value
Semporna
The scruffy jumping off town for Sipadan and Mabul, with cheap rooms and dive shops on every corner. Nobody stays for the town itself, and dive permits are strictly limited.
Find stays in Semporna
Worth knowing before you book: Sipadan permits are capped daily and must be arranged through your resort months ahead. Wildlife lodges sell as two or three night packages including meals and boat trips.
Search everything else in Kota Kinabalu by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Book ahead
- Sipadan dive permits are limited daily and issued through licensed resorts, often months in advance. Danum Valley lodges are similarly constrained.
- Timing
- March to October is generally drier and better for diving. River wildlife is good year-round, and rain here rarely lasts a whole day.
- Pack this
- Long, light clothing, leech socks for forest walks, strong insect repellent and a dry bag. Humidity is constant and nothing dries quickly.
- Health
- Take advice on malaria prophylaxis and dengue precautions before travelling. Bring any medication you need, as remote lodges are hours from a pharmacy.
- Getting there
- Kota Kinabalu has direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and several Asian hubs, with internal flights on to Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu.
Similar places
Raja Ampat
IndonesiaAlso for wildlife & nature and divers & snorkellers · 28°C in January, as here · cheaper to stay
Palawan
PhilippinesAlso for divers & snorkellers and adventure seekers · 28°C in January, as here · cheaper to stay
Basse-Terre
GuadeloupeAlso for wildlife & nature and divers & snorkellers · 27°C in January (29°C here)
Nearby destinations
Orangutans in Borneo
Malaysia · 137km away →Palawan
Philippines · 571km away →
Siquijor
Philippines · 774km away →
The Visayas: Cebu
Bohol and Siquijor, Philippines · 810km away →
Boracay
Philippines · 908km away →
Siargao
Philippines →Elsewhere in Malaysia
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Sabah?
Daytime highs run from about 29°C in January to 31°C in April. Driest in February; wettest in June, with rain on about 29 days. The sea is warmest in May at around 31°C, coolest at 29°C.
How long should I spend in Sabah?
Our suggestion: ten days to two weeks.
How do I get to Sabah?
Tawau (TWU) serves the far south east, but the gateway to Sabah is Kota Kinabalu (BKI), about 20 minutes from the city, with short domestic hops on to Sandakan for Sepilok and to Tawau for Semporna and Sipadan.
Do I need a car in Sabah?
No. Long-distance buses and minivans link the main towns, but most visitors use domestic flights and lodge transfers.
What currency and language are used in Sabah?
Currency: Malaysian ringgit (MYR). Language: Malay. Plugs: type G.
Who is Sabah best for?
Best for wildlife & nature, divers & snorkellers and adventure seekers. In a phrase: rainforest, reef, humid and wild.