Instead of popular routes, I've always loved going to places where people don't even know where they are on the map, instead of the lesser known ones, places where everyone goes. Especially untouched countries, cities and geographies with different nature, culture and gastronomy always attract my attention more. It is precisely for these reasons that in June 2023, my wife and I made a two-week trip from Istanbul to North Borneo, where the Malaysian state of Sabah is located. A route intertwined with nature, from wild forests to virgin seas. Why we chose North Borneo, where we visited, 2 week itinerary for North Borneo (Sabah) and places to visit in Sabah and much more waiting for you in this article.
What You Will Find In This Article
Where is Sabah State?
Sabah State is one of the two states of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. Since it is located at the northernmost point of Borneo Island North Borneo is referred to as. It is surrounded by the Philippines in the north and east, Vietnam in the northwest, Indonesia, one of the two countries with which it shares the Island of Borneo in the south, and Brunei, the other of the two countries with which it shares the Island of Borneo, in the west.
On Sabah State's Google Maps app click for location.
How to Get to Sabah State
From Turkey to Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur or Singapore; Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Air Asia have flights. After reaching Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, you can find flights to different cities in Sabah State. Kota Kinabolu, Tawau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu Cities with airports in Sabah. You can also find flights to airports in Sabah from places like Brunei, Bangkok, Manila.
Traveling Tip: You can find very convenient domestic flights while traveling within Malaysia and Sabah State, so it is more effective to travel by plane rather than by bus.
Is a Visa Required to Go to Sabah?
Malaysia, to which Sabah State is affiliated, does not require a visa from Turkish citizens, it is a country where we can easily put your passport in your pocket and travel.
Best Time to Go to Morning?
Malaysia, which you can visit all seasons of the year, has a tropical climate and the temperature is around 30 degrees almost throughout the year. It can rain at any time due to the tropical climate, when we went in June, we only came across 2 days of rain for 2 weeks.
There are some special seasons for the Sabah region depending on the destination, I will also specify them while describing our route.
Traveling Tip: Having a rain jacket in your bag while traveling to Malaysia will make your trip comfortable. Having a hat, sunscreen and water in your bag while traveling will make your trip more comfortable.
Why North Borneo, Why Sabah?
We traveled to Peninsular Malaysia in February 2020 and we loved Malaysia very much. However, we could not complete the route we planned due to the pandemic. What excited me more in Malaysia was the unpopular island of Borneo.
“Why Borneo?” if you say; There are many places that attract me such as tropical forests, species found only on Borneo Island in the world, Sipadan Island, one of the best diving spots in the world, Mount Kinabolu, the highest point of Malaysia, and Malay food. There are so many places to see and many activities to do on Borneo Island. When our time was limited to 2 weeks, the untouched nature and the submarine that I could not see anywhere else attracted me more and I preferred Sabah State.
If you are more interested in ethnic life; You can consider choosing Sarawak State, another state of Malaysia located on the Island of Borneo.
2-Week Itinerary for North Borneo (Morning)
2 week itinerary for North Borneo (Sabah)It was really hard to pull out. We prepared a long list of places to visit and created our route by taking into account our time plan and the places we want to see the most.
Day 1: Istanbul > Malaysia > Brunei Journey
While we were in North Borneo, we planned to see Brunei, the land of peace, which is one of the richest countries in the world and shares the Island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia.
From Istanbul, we flew with Singapore Airlines to Singapore and then to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. We flew with Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, and checked into North Borneo on the first day. Our journey, which started at noon on Friday in Turkey, ended on Saturday afternoon in Brunei. On the first day, we couldn't do anything but check into our hotel in Brunei and visit the Gadong night market.
Click to read our Singapore Airlines Flight Experience.
Traveling Tip: By becoming a member of Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer application, you can be the first to know about flight ticket campaigns, and you can buy flight tickets to distant routes at very affordable prices.
The hotel we stayed at in Brunei was in the city center, within walking distance of most of the sights. In addition, free shuttle service from the airport to the hotel and free shuttle services to the places to be seen in the city made our job much easier. Click for Brunei hotel information.
Day 2: Brunei – Bandar Seri Begawan Excursion
One day is enough to see the sights in the city center of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. In the city; You can see Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, beachfront, floating village, river cruise, Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, Brunei Museum, Royal Museum, Teng Yun Temple, the only Chinese Temple in Brunei, and night markets.
If you are going to spend more than a day in Brunei, you can join the daily or longer tours to the national parks in the rainforest.
Things to do in Bandar Seri Begavan Be sure to check out my post.
After completing our daytime city tour, we flew to Kota Kinabolu, the administrative center of Malaysia's Sabah State, in the evening. For this flight, we preferred Royal Brunei Airline because the hours were more convenient for us.
Traveling Tip: You can use the Grab application to get taxi service in city travels in Malaysia. You can travel from the airport to the city center or within the city at very affordable prices thanks to the application.
Day 3: Kota Kinabalu – Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
Our Kota Kinabalu stay was at the Hyatt Center Hotel. We were very pleased with our newly built, nature friendly hotel with a wonderful rooftop pool, in the city center, within walking distance of the city's sights. Click for Kota Kinabalu hotel information.
It is very popular to use city names with abbreviations in Malaysia. The abbreviation KL is used for Kuala Lumpur and KK for Kota Kinabalu. I will also say KK when talking about Kota Kinabalu.
While planning our trip to KK, we wanted to spend a day at the sea, and we could only reach the center with a 15-minute boat ride. Tunku Abdul Rahman National ParkWe preferred . There are 5 islands in the national park. In these islands, there are opportunities such as diving, swimming, snorkeling and accommodation. With daily tours from KK, you can dive or snorkel at several different locations on the islands. We preferred snorkeling because we would use our diving right in a different place.
There are five islands in the national park, the names and meanings of the islands; Gaya Island (Big Island), Manukan Island (Chicken Island), Mamutik Island (shell collecting island), Sapi Island (Buffalo sound island), and Sulug Island (Sabah's Sulu peoples commemoration island). If you are planning to stay longer in KK, you can also consider staying at the hotels on Manukan Island or Mamutik Island, which are located within the national park, there are wonderfully beautiful hotels.
Before we go on our snorkel tour Get Your Guide You can take a daily tour of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park from your hotel or through local agencies. Head; transportation by boat, national park entrance fee, snorkeling at 3 different points and lunch are included. All you have to do is enjoy the sea!
The tour starts with a meeting at Jesselton harbor at 08:30 in the morning and ends at the port at 15:00 in the afternoon. The rest of the day has time to see some of the places to visit in Kota Kinabolu. The city is not very lively during the day, you can visit night markets such as Todak beach, handicraft market, Philippine market in the evening.
Day 4: Kota Kinabalu City Sightseeing
Kota Kinabalu is the administrative center and largest city of Sabah State and is North Borneo's gateway to the world. For this reason, this is a modern city where you can easily reach many things such as chain hotels, shopping malls, international brands.
North Borneo's busiest city Things to do in Kota Kinabalu Let's take a look at the list; Wonders of Wilderness Monument, Atkinson Clock Tower, one of the oldest buildings in the city, Pu Toh Tze Chinese Temple, Morning Museum, Kota Kinabolu Mosque, Tanjung Aru Beach to watch the sunset, KK Waterfront, Handicraft Market – Filipino Night Market, Todak Waterfront, colonial period Sabah Tourism Board Building, which was built as a post office building, Gaya Street Api Api Night Market established on Friday and Saturday evenings, Signal Hill Observation Tower (currently under renovation). One day is enough for sightseeing in the city in Kota Kinabalu. You can extend your days as many times as you want to go to nearby places.
Best time to come to Kota Kinabalu; It's the time of the harvest festival, held on May 30-31 each year, or January-February, which is the best time to see whale sharks.
From Kota Kinabolu the northernmost of North Borneo Tip of Borneoor you can go. The northernmost tip of Borneo Island is where the Pulau Kalampunian Lighthouse is located. We didn't have enough time so we left this place for our next Morning trip.
Day 5: Day Trip to Kinabolu Park
Mount Kinabolu, which is the highest mountain of Malaysia and Borneo Island with its height of 4095 meters, also gave its name to the city of Kota Kinabolu. You can visit Kinabolu Park, which includes Mount Kinabolu, with daily tours from KK.
Kinabolu Park Tour starts with the wonderful view of Mount Kinabolu in the city of Pekan Nabulu, stopping by the handicraft market in the same place. Kinabolu Park is one of Malaysia's first national parks. The Botanical Park, where you can see the plants in the park, is located about 2 hours from KK. The national park is spread over an area of 745 square kilometers, including Mount Kinabolu. You can relax in the healing water pools of the canopy walk and Poring Hot Springs in Poring, which is located within the national park. On the Poring road, you can see the world's largest flower, Rafflesia, in its natural environment.
If you are interested in nature walks and mountaineering; It is possible to hike to the summit of Mount Kinabolu, for which you need to set aside at least two full days. In addition, there are many walking routes in the national park, you can also plan to walk these routes.
Kota Kinabalu Travel Guide & Places to Visit in Kota Kinabalu Be sure to check out my post!
Day 6: Sandakan and Sepilok
From Kota Kinabolu you can find many other airports in Sabah State and a large number of flights out of the country. We take a 40-minute flight from Kota Kinabolu to Sandakan Airport to reach our next route, Sepilok. We come here to see and experience the wildlife in the rainforest.
You can also reach Sandakan from Kota Kinabolu by bus. The bus journey takes 6-7 hours and there are 4 times a day. However, there is no online ticket sale, you can book your bus ticket by going to the bus terminal in the city or by calling from where you are staying.
Sandakan is the second largest city in Sabah State. Even though our main target was Sepilok, we thought we should see a few places in Sandakan while we were here. Sandakan Chinese Temple (Puu Jih Syh Temple), with its magnificent Sulu Sea view, is Sandakan's first reinforced concrete structure, St. We stopped by Michael and the Angels Church. There is a "heritage trail" in Sandakan that you can complete in an hour, but I recommend you to walk during the sunset hours, not during the day.
It also consists of Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan Islands. Turtle Island National ParkYou can reach it via Sandakan. We didn't add it to our route, but I thought I'd make a note here in case you think about it.
Our main reason for coming to Sandakan was to go to the city of Sepilok, which is 25 kilometers from Sandakan. Rainforest Discovery Center in Sepilok It was our first stop. This is a great place to learn about the rainforest, walk on high bridges between trees, and bird watch. You can take a short 1-hour walk or there are routes where you can hike for 4-5 hours. It is useful to remember that you are walking in the wild forest and you will come across a wild animal at any moment.
Traveling Tip: While visiting these national parks, take drinking water with you, there is no place to buy it. Don't forget to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as the weather is humid and very hot. Also, I recommend you to choose thin but long clothes to avoid getting sunburned.
Inside the rainforest at Sepilok Sepilok Nature Resort We stayed in a hotel called They created a wonderful living space in the wild, it was wonderful with its environment, rooms, restaurant and common areas. I would definitely recommend. Here Rainforest Discovery Center in Sepilok and within walking distance of the Orantugan Rehabilitation Center.
Day 7: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and Sun Bear Conservation Center
One of the reasons we came to Sepilok was to see the Orangutans. Located in Sepilok Orang Utan (meaning forest man) Rehabilitation CenterIt is a center for rehabilitation of the injured, orphaned, orang uan people in need of care in nature. Orang uhan under the age of 10 are cared for in the centre. You can watch the orang huts, who are being cared for, from a glass pane, without approaching the animals. At the center every day at 10:00 and 15:00 the animals are fed in their natural habitat, so visitors can watch the animals being fed in their natural habitat, an absolutely amazing experience.
Next door to the Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center, the world's smallest bears Sun Bear Conservation Center. There are mostly bears that have been plucked from nature for commercial reasons and later rescued. In addition to these, bears that are injured or lost their mothers in the forest are brought to the center and reintroduced to nature.
Our next route is the Kinabatangan River, where we will see the animals in their natural habitat. We will reach the Kinabatangan River with a car ride of approximately 2 hours from Sepilok. One of the caves where the famous pigeon eggs are collected on the way. Gomantong CaveYou can stop by, it was closed for restoration at the time we went.
Day 8: Kinabatangan River Cruise
When you stay in logde style accommodation on the banks of the Kinabatangan River; Boat tours on the river at 06:00 and 16.00:XNUMX in the morning, when animals are most active, are included in your accommodation package with morning, lunch, dinner and transportation from Sepilok-Sandakan or Kinabatangan city. The name of our place Bilit Adventure Lodge was. The food, room and environment were extremely nice.
During the river tour, you can see the long-nosed monkey, many different monkey species and hundreds of different bird species living only on Borneo Island in the world, in their natural environment, and you can watch wild animals such as crocodiles while sunbathing. Borneo Island is home to pygmy elephants. We did a 4 hour river tour just to see them but unfortunately we couldn't see them. It might be a good idea to go deep into the Danum Valley to see pygmy elephants.
Traveling Tip: While you are boating on the river or walking around the open areas of the hotel, make sure to spray your entire body and even your clothes with fly-proof sprays. Scented oils such as lavender oil also prevent flies, and the white one of the tiger balms that you can easily find in the Far East prevents flies. I took vitamin B before on my way to the Amazon, and it is said that the smell it creates in the body and in the urine is also said to repel flies. No matter what I did, I got hundreds of bites. It would be good to take an anti-itch and calming cream with you.
Despite all my fly bites, the two days we spent in the Kinabatangan River, known as Malaysia's Amazons and the most important eco tourism center of Sabah State, was like living in a documentary… It took its place among my unforgettable memories.
Day 9: Kinabatangan to Semporna
We pass from the Kinabatangan River, Malaysia's richest wildlife area, to the city of Semporna for the richest underwater life. It takes about 4 hours to reach the city of Semporna by car from where we stayed on the Kinabatangan River. Another transportation option is to go back to Sandakan and take the bus to Semporna, which will of course take twice as long.
the city of Semporna; Transition point to islands in the Celebes Sea such as Mabul, Sipadan, Kapalai. From the port here, fast boats are available to hotels and diving centers on the islands every day. These islands are considered among the most beautiful diving spots in the world. We made a plan to make our stay in Mabul Island and go diving to other islands. Since Sipadan Island, the most famous of these islands, is under protection, there is no settlement at the moment.
For those staying at the Mabul Resort on Mabul Island, there is a fast boat service from Semporna twice a day, included in the price of the stay. We catch the fast boat at 13:00 and go to the island. As soon as we land on the island, a diving briefing is given. On the first day, we do a check-dive at the diving point at the Mabul Resort pier.
10-11-12-13. Day XNUMX: Diving at Mabul Island, Kapalai Island and Sipadan Island
on Mabul Island Borneo Divers Mabul ResorWe stayed at the hotel T. The hotel has both hotel rooms and bungalows, you can stay in the part you want, we stayed in the hotel part. Accommodation includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and continuous tea and coffee service. It is possible to buy hotel accommodation with the diving package or only. Our stay was 4 nights and 5 days. During this period, we made a total of 10 dives at the dive points in Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan Islands.
In order to dive here, you must have at least Cmas 2 Star and/or Padi Advanced Open Water certificates. Otherwise you can just snorkel.
Being able to dive at Mabul Island, Kapalai Island and Sipadan Island, one of the best diving spots in the world, was one of our best experiences in Malaysia. A completely different world underwater with sharks, turtles, moray eels, fish of all kinds and colors, and colorful corals.
We did three dives each day at different dive points. You can dive as much as you want at the diving point in front of the Mabul Resort pier, regardless of any limit. It is possible to dive in the evening when the underwater is active or during the morning sunrise. I didn't do extra dives because I was tired enough in 3 dives a day.
Since the dives were finished by 15:00 at the latest, we filled our day with activities such as enjoying the hotel's pool in the afternoon, visiting the village on the island, and getting a massage. Every day, at sunset, we took our place on the pier to watch the magnificent colors.
It feels like I could watch this sunset forever, but all good things come to an end...
Best time to dive on the islands April and May months. The weather is always the same, but underwater visibility is much better.
For more information about Sipadan Island Divers' Dream Sipadan Island Check out my post too.
Day 14: From Mabul Island to Tawau
We leave Mabul Island by fast boat at 11.00:24 in the morning. The airport preferred by the tourists coming to this region for transportation is Tawau Airport. Tawau is the third largest city in Sabah State. Mabul Resort provides airport shuttle service if you wish. However, XNUMX hours must have passed since your last dive in order to get on the plane, they are very sensitive about this.
It takes 45 minutes to reach Semporna by fast boat from Mabul Island. From Semporna to Tawau, there is a 2-hour journey. We chose to stay in Tawau for two nights. Both to fill our 24-hour waiting time and to see Tawau.
Before coming to Tawau, there are basalt rocks that are few in the world. Columnar Basalt Balung CocosWe went to The rocks formed after a volcanic eruption 27.000 years ago are really impressive. We have seen similar ones in Boyabat and Güzelcehisar in Turkey and in Iceland. This is someone's private land, the owner of the land has put up direction signs himself, but it is better to come with a high vehicle, the road is quite bad.
We stayed at the LA Hotel in Tawau. Since the city is not a very touristic place, there are no chain hotels or hotels for tourists. This is a hotel generally used by business people, and the most beautiful feature is the view of Tawau from its rooftop bar.
Day 15: Tour to Tawau
Located on our second day in Tawau, 20 minutes from the city centre. Tawau Hills Park We start with. There are many hiking routes, waterfalls and accommodation areas in the national park. We prefer a short route where we can see the tree, minus the "world's tallest tropical tree". Although our tree is among the tallest trees in the world with a height of 88,32 meters, it left its crown to another 100,8-meter tropical tree in the Danum Valley.
After returning from the national park, we went out to see the places on the list of places to visit in Tawau city center. In Tawau, as in Penang, a tourism is tried to be created on murals, the murals are marked on the Google Maps application. After the murals, the market place, the coastline are other places to see. There is a Cocoa Museum a little outside the city center, but you need to make an appointment to visit it. We end our tour of Tawau by visiting the night markets for the last time.
We stayed in Tawau for 2 nights, it was too much. I suggest you plan your flight time to spend a minimum of time in Tawau.
Day 16: Tawau>Kuala Lumpur>Singapore>Istanbul Return
Our way back is long. We went to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of the Malaysian Peninsula, with Air Asia from Tawau in the morning. We returned to Istanbul from Kuala Lumpur with Singapore Airlines via Singapore. Although the 27-hour round trip is a bit long, it is definitely worth the trip to discover Malaysia's magnificent nature.
Places to Visit in Malaysia's Sabah State (North Borneo)
At the beginning of the article, I said that there are many places to visit in Sabah State, and I eliminated some places to fit in our 2 weeks. Below Things to do in Sabah You can see the full list below, broken down by province;
Places to Visit in and Around Kota Kinabolu
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
- Pulau Tiga Park
- Crocker Ranger Park
- Mermaid Island
- Kinabolu Park
- Tuaran, famous for its Sunday market
Places to Visit in and Around Kudat
- Type of Borneo
- Tun Mustapha Museum
Places to Visit in and Around Sandakan
- Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
- Sun Bear Conservation Center
- Rainforest Discovery Center
- Maliau Basin
- Turtle Island National Park
- Gomantong Cave
- Kinabatangan River
- Imbak Canyon
Places to Visit in and Around Lahad Datu
- Danum Valley
- Tabin Wildlife Center
- Madai Cave
Places to Visit in and Around Tawau
- Sipadan Island National Park
- Tun Sakaran Marine Park
- Tawau Hills National Park
- Tawau Basalt Cliffs
For Sabah State Trip Planning
Sabah Tourism Board hosted us on this trip, Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure agency provided our trips here. A big thank you to everyone who contributed and made our trip a great one. All the information you need about the Sabah region Sabah Tourism websitefor your private trips Sepilok Tropical Wildlife Adventure You can contact with.