One half of Malaysian Borneo, Sabah state occupies the island’s northeastern corner in a whirl of rainforest and desert islands—with the jagged peak of Mt. Kinabalu towering over everything. The top things to do in Sabah center on the forest: longhouse stays, jungle treks, river trips, firefly cruises, and tours to proboscis monkey and orangutan sanctuaries. But you can also climb Mt. Kinabalu, scuba dive and snorkel in Sipadan and the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, and explore the bustling state capital of Kota Kinabalu.
They call it rainforest for a reason—Sabah is hot, steamy, and rainy year-round. The rains are heaviest from October through January. March and April are the best months for climbing Mt. Kinabalu, while August is a dry month in much of the state. Like elsewhere in Malaysia, accommodation is at a premium over the Lunar New Year holiday period in January or February.
With only one short stretch of railway line, getting around Sabah is generally a matter of buses and boats, though there are several domestic airports. Modern express buses link Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Semporna, and Tawau, while intrepid travelers can piece together vans to more remote destinations. Public transit in the cities is limited and hard for outsiders to access: self-driving, taxis, tours, and the Grab rideshare app tend to be your best options.
Many travelers come to Sandakan to see orangutans at the Sandakan Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, sunbears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, and monkeys at Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. Don’t miss the city’s old town, the Sim Sim water village, an area of jetties and stilt houses spread out along the waterfront. The Sim Sim Seafood Restaurant is great for a seafood feast.
