All about traveling Sabah

Sabah is best known for its wildlife and national parks, as well as containing the oldest rainforest in the world. It is a mountainous state with 59% of its land covered by forest.

Language:  Malay
Currency:  Malaysian ringgit
Electricity:  240V
Visas:  Click here to see if you need a visa to enter Malaysia.
Dialling Code:  +60
Time Zone:  (GMT +08:00)

Car usage – the geographical conditions and challenging terrains, lack of public transport, occasional flooding as well as sometimes poor road surface make moving within the state challenging. Hence, the people in Sabah love to drive cars, with a preference for four-wheel drive vehicles with strong engines. As this is also the case in many other Malaysian states, it should be no surprise that Malaysia is ranked among the highest car ownerships in the world. On average households own 1.7 cars and 82% of households have at least 1 car.

Dry Season runs from April to September and is generally the best time to visit Sabah, as there is less rainfall during this time of year.

During this season, the skies are usually clear, making it ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking and spotting wildlife. Also, it is a popular time for climbing Mount Kinabalu as well as diving and island hopping in the clear waters. However, the dry season is generally also considered the high tourist season, with limited accommodations available as well as peak season surcharges. Destinations may also be more crowded during school holidays and public holidays.

During the wet season, there is more rainfall and occasional storms in the state. This is due to the northeast monsoon hitting both the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and parts of Sabah. In this season, parts of Sabah may experience temporary flooding, especially in the northeast of Sabah and the tip of Borneo in the Kudat division.

However, the wet season does not mean constant rain throughout the day. Most rain consists of heavy downpours within a small timeframe of the day, mostly in the afternoon. During this time, the rainforests are lush and vibrant and the waterfalls are at their fullest. However, activities such as trekking and outdoor activities may be affected by the rain. As this is also the less touristic season, expect fewer crowds and lower prices.

During Chinese New Year (CNY), Malaysia celebrates alongside its massive Chinese community. Marking the start of a new lunar year, cities all around the country go all-out for the celebration. Experience street parades with dragon dances and amazing fireworks displays.

With a huge Tamil and Hindu community, Malaysia marks this special day with a national holiday. During this day Hindu devotees pierce their bodies with hooks and skewers to display their devotion to honoring Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and son of Shiva.

On this day, Buddhists celebrate and commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. According to Buddhist belief, this all happened on the same day. Buddhists gather at temples before dawn to pray, chant and make offerings to the Buddha. Many cities around Malaysia hold street processions to celebrate this day.

The Harvest Festival is a celebration of the Kadazan-Dusun, the largest ethnic group in Sabah. This festival honors Bambaazon, the spirit of the rice padi. Ancient traditions, rites, and customs are performed on the day before traditional sports and games begin. Beginning at sundown on May 31st, the celebrations include wearing traditional dresses, sharing food, music, and even a ritual sacrifice of a chicken.

Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, this festival is celebrated by the Chinese community in Malaysia. It is usually associated with a time of harvest and preparation for colder months in which locals make offerings to the moon goddess. Many Malaysian cities celebrate with red lanterns and selling freshly-made mooncakes.

Within Sabah, daily flights are operated with 4 other cities in the state; Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau as well as Labuan Island. Flights are carried out daily, with the most popular routes being Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and Tawau.

• Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan ~50mins, operated by Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines
• Kota Kinabalu to Tawau ~55mins, operated by Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines
• Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu (LDU) ~55mins, operated by MASwings (from Malaysia Airlines)
• Sandakan to Lahad Datu or Tawau ~50mins, operated once a day by Air Asia

The condition of Sabah’s infrastructure and road network is less-developed than in peninsular Malaysia. Hence, traveling between places takes a longer time. The most used and well-maintained road through Sabah is the Pan Borneo Highway, also numbered the AH150 in the Asian Highway Network. It connects Sarawak all the way from the city of Kuching to Tawau in the south of Sabah, measuring 5.324 kilometers. Upgrades of the road between the cities of Sandakan and Lahad Datu are underway and expected to be fully completed by 2024.

Although public transport in and around the main cities is limited to non-existent, there are plenty of taxis around and taxi stands near hotels, shopping malls, and bus terminals. These taxis are painted distinctively red and white. Rates are negotiable.

Besides regular taxis, consider the usage of taxi apps like Grab or its Malaysian variant, Maxim. As regular city taxis are quite old, booking via one of the available apps most likely provides a more comfortable ride to your destination. Booking via taxi apps offers fixed pricing depending on the type of car and destination.

There is an extensive network of long-distance buses going through Sabah on a daily basis. These buses stop at major cities or drop-offs at tourist places along the way. These buses are very affordable and ideal for cost-effective travel throughout the state. Apps to consider for booking bus tickets are Redbus or Easybook.

In Kota Kinabalu, there are four bus terminals to choose from depending on your destination;

North Bus Terminal Inanam – 10km north of Kota Kinabalu city center

For long-distance buses heading to cities on the south and east coast of Sabah such as Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna as well as Tawau.

Padang Merdeka (Merdeka Square)

for buses to most cities/towns on the north coast like Keningau, Tenom, Kudat, Kota Belud.

KK Central – located next to Imago and near Wawasan Plaza

For the direction of Beaufort, Menumbok (to go to Labuan Island), and Sipitang in southern Sabah. Also, buses go to Lawas and Miri in the state of Sarawak as well as Brunei.

Wawasan Bus Terminal – temporarily located in front of Marina Court Apartments.

from this local terminal, minibusses leave for towns near Kota Kinabalu, like Papar, Kinarut, and Penampang.

Unique to the western part of Sabah is the possibility to travel by train from Kota Kinabalu to the towns of Papar, Beaufort, and Tenom. Formerly known as the North Borneo Railway, this is the only rail transport system on the whole of Borneo and consists of a single track of only 134 kilometers. Departure is from Tanjung Aru Railway Station west of Kota Kinabalu, on the northeast side of the airport runway. The train to Beaufort takes approximately 2 hours. To reach Tenom another train has to be taken from Beaufort. However, do note this layover can take hours.

The train, operated by Sabah State Railway Department, is not to be confused with the North Borneo Railway as this is a tourist train between Kota Kinabalu and Papar.

More information can be found on the official railway site: www.sabahrailway.my.