Sabah is a state on Malaysian Borneo and a holiday destination in itself. It has countless beautiful sights and the variety is enormous. When you visit Sabah for the first time, it can be a bit overwhelming as to how many different options you have. For the sake of convenience, simply assume that you can only visit a few highlights in a single trip, and you will probably have to save the rest for another time.

Because many travelers often start in the capital Kota Kinabalu, this article contains 7 highlights that can be perfectly planned with this pleasant city as a base of operations. We will therefore start with Kota Kinabalu itself as the first great destination on your trip through Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu

This beautiful city lies by the sea, with gorgeous blue water and beautiful, wide beaches. Along the coast you have various luxury resorts where prices for a nights’ stay are generally quite reasonable (for example, a 5-star resort for €75 per room per night including breakfast, a bargain).

There is a lot to do in the city, and among the best is the KK Waterfront and a visit to Tanjung Aru Beach for an indescribably beautiful sunset. You also have several food courts and a few Night Markets where you can also enjoy delicious food.

The biggest attraction in the city is probably a visit to the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, which is right across from the city. From Jesselton Point you can take a boat to one of the five islands, each with a fantastic underwater world and sandy white beaches. We could easily spend a whole week in Kota Kinabalu, but for a first time, three days is probably sufficient as well.

Mantanani Island

From Kota Kinabalu there are daily shuttle buses to Kota Belud, where you will find the harbor from which the boats to Mantanani Island depart. Mantanani is a true tropical island where diving, snorkeling and relaxing on the beach are the main activities. It is still relatively undiscovered by the masses and there are only a few resorts. We recently visited the island and were amazed by how beautiful it is. Wonderfully relaxed, almost deserted but with a wonderful atmosphere and the resort we stayed at was a real treat. The luxury JSK Mantanani Island Resort is the latest and biggest resort, but there are also several more affordable options.

Klias Wetlands

This is the ultimate (half) day trip from Kota Kinabalu. Shuttle buses depart daily at set times from several pick-up points in the city center and will bring you to this enormous mangrove forest south of the city. The main attraction is a river cruise, where you can search for wildlife from the comfort of a boat. Guides have a good eye for spotting wildlife, so there is a good chance you will see the Proboscis monkey in the trees. If you’re lucky you may see huge estuarine crocodiles as well. Perhaps the best part is the Firefly tour that follows. After finishing dinner at the information center, you will head back out onto the river in the dark and see these cool insects light up everywhere you look. In our opinion, this tour offers great value for money, despite the relatively long 2-hour drive to the destination.

River cruise on the Kinabatangan River

The Kinabatangan River cruise is a super cool experience that completely immerses you in the heart of the rainforests of Sabah. If you are lucky, you can spot a huge number of animal species here, such as orangutans, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, crocodiles and many more. The river meanders through a lush, biodiverse jungle, with beautiful views from the boat. Evening cruises make it extra exciting, with nocturnal animals such as the clouded leopard and the occasional firefly. For many, this is the absolute highlight of their trip through Sabah. To get there, you first fly from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, for a transfer to the river delta.

Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is the pinnacle of mountain climbing in Malaysia. We once climbed to the top ourselves in the distant past and it is a memory for life. It is not cheap and you have to book early (there is a maximum number of climbers per day) but it is worth every penny. The trip is quite tough. There is no time to relax, you just keep going until you reach the Sutera Sanctuary Lodge, which is already quite high at 3265 meters. Upon arrival you check in and go to sleep, hoping that your body can properly adjust to the enormous altitude differences. At around 1:00 in the morning you set off for the last steep part to the summit at 4092 meters. It feels like a victory when you finally arrive at the summit and it was.

If climbing the mountain is not an option, there is still plenty to do in the immediate vicinity of the mountain. There are hot springs, highlands with beautiful rivers and even a golf course at 1800 meters altitude. In short, do it if you have the chance!

Borneo Cultural Village

Borneo Cultural Village is a fun open-air museum that focuses on all the tribes of Sabah. It is a lovely park less than an hour’s drive from Kota Kinabalu. You will be given a fun and informative tour with lots of fun activities such as blow darts, dancing, a cooking workshop and more.

Danum Valley

Danum Valley is one of the most beautiful nature parks in Malaysia, if not the most beautiful. Daily flights from Kota Kinabalu take you deep into the interior of Sabah. You land at Lahad Datu, where you have a transfer of more than 2 hours into the jungle. Once you arrive, the ultimate jungle adventure awaits you. Think orangutans, elephants, gibbons, snakes, spiders, birds and too many other species to mention. A trip is not cheap, especially if you stay in the extremely luxurious (and unique) Borneo Rainforest Lodge, but it is truly worth every penny. This makes your trip through Sabah truly special.

How to get there?

There are several daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu. You can also buy a ticket with a stopover in KL, and your luggage will be labeled immediately. Once you arrive in Kota Kinabalu, it is often less than 10 minutes by Grab to your hotel or resort. If you are traveling with your family, a luxury Airbnb, think of a complete apartment with all kinds of luxury, is recommended. We always like it when the children have their own bedroom and an apartment complex also always has a swimming pool and the apartment often has a spacious kitchen.