More about hotels in Sabah
About Sabah accommodation
Sabah is the wild side of Malaysian Borneo, where the country's tallest mountain rises straight out of the clouds and some of the best diving on the planet sits just off the coast. Aussie divers rate Sipadan alongside the Great Barrier Reef, and it doesn't take long in the water with turtles, reef sharks and walls of barracuda to see why. Add orangutans at Sepilok, jungle river cruises, and a proper sunset over Kota Kinabalu's waterfront, and you've got one of Borneo's biggest draws for nature and adventure travellers.
From the harbour lights of Kota Kinabalu city to jungle lodges near Sepilok and dive resorts out on Mabul, Sabah's accommodation spreads across a lot of ground. Where you base yourself depends heavily on what you're here for, so here's how to pick the right spot.
Where should you stay in Sabah?
- Kota Kinabalu City: Sabah's capital and the usual first stop. Waterfront hotels, the Gaya Street market, seafood restaurants and easy ferries out to the islands, all within a short drive of the airport.
- Tanjung Aru: Kota Kinabalu's beachfront strip, a few minutes from the city centre. This is where the sunset-facing resorts sit, with private beach access and calm water for a swim.
- Tuaran: North of the city, where beach resorts back onto rainforest and nature reserves. A good pick if you want a slower resort stay with wildlife on the doorstep rather than a city base.
- Sandakan and Sepilok: On the other side of the state, this is the base for the orangutan centre and Kinabatangan River cruises. Expect jungle lodges and eco-resorts over big hotel chains.
- Semporna, Mabul and Kapalai: The dive hub. Stay here if Sipadan and Mabul are the main reason for the trip, since it cuts out a long daily boat run from Kota Kinabalu.
- Kundasang and Ranau: The base for climbing Mount Kinabalu. It's noticeably cooler up here, and a lot of guesthouses have park views to wake up to.
How much is Sabah accommodation?
Sabah runs cheaper than a lot of Southeast Asia's big-name dive destinations, though remote island resorts push prices up because everything, food included, has to come in by boat.
- Budget stays: From AU$20 per night. Simple guesthouses and backpacker hostels, mostly around Kota Kinabalu city and Sandakan.
- Mid-range hotels: From AU$55 per night. Comfortable air-conditioned rooms with a pool, usually a short drive from the waterfront or the airport.
- Beachfront and nature resorts: From AU$120 per night. Tanjung Aru and Tuaran resorts with private beach frontage or rainforest grounds attached.
- Dive resorts and luxury stays: From AU$220 per night. Island dive lodges near Sipadan with meals and boat transfers bundled in, plus five-star Kota Kinabalu resorts.
What is Sabah known for?
Your hotel is just the base. Here's what most visitors build their Sabah trip around.
- Mount Kinabalu and Kinabalu Park (Ranau): Malaysia's highest peak, standing 4,095 metres tall, and a UNESCO World Heritage site for its plant life. Serious climbers book a two-day summit trek months out; everyone else can still walk the lower trails and spot pitcher plants without a permit.
- Sipadan Island: Ranked among the best dive sites on earth. Expect turtles resting metres from your mask, schools of barracuda spiralling overhead, and a sheer wall dropping into open water. Daily diver numbers are capped, so permits get arranged through your dive operator well ahead of time.
- Mabul and Kapalai: The muck-diving capital next door to Sipadan, where the fun is spotting tiny, strange creatures on the sandy slopes rather than big schools. Most divers base themselves here and day-trip out to Sipadan.
- Kota Kinabalu waterfront: The city's harbour comes alive at sunset, when the sky over the South China Sea turns orange behind the fishing boats. Walk it from Gaya Street down past the seafood stalls and floating restaurants.
- Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (Sandakan): Watch orphaned and injured orangutans at feeding time from a raised viewing platform. It's a genuine rescue and release program rather than a zoo, and most visitors rate it a trip highlight.
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park: Five islands a short speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu, easy enough for a half-day trip. Manukan and Sapi are the simplest for snorkelling straight off the beach.
- Kinabatangan River cruise: A slow boat past riverside forest at dawn or dusk, when proboscis monkeys, hornbills and, if you're lucky, a pygmy elephant come down to the water. Sandakan and Sukau are the usual starting points.
- Poring Hot Springs and canopy walkway (Ranau): Hot spring pools plus a swaying rope bridge strung high through the rainforest canopy. A good half-day stop on the way back down from Kinabalu Park.
What are the best hotels in Sabah?
- Shangri-La Rasa Ria Kota Kinabalu: Set in Tuaran between the rainforest and the sea, with a private beach on one side and a nature reserve on the other. A solid pick if you want resort comfort with wildlife close by.
- Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu's classic sunset resort, right on Tanjung Aru beach with multiple pools and its own stretch of sand facing the South China Sea.
- Hyatt Regency Kinabalu: A reliable city-centre base within easy reach of the waterfront, Gaya Street market and the ferry terminal for the marine park islands.
- Sepilok Forest Edge Resort: Wooden chalets tucked into the rainforest at Sepilok, a short walk from the orangutan centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
- Borneo Divers Mabul Resort: An island dive resort on Mabul with its own dive centre and easy access to Sipadan, built for divers who want to roll straight off the jetty.
Tips for booking a stay in Sabah?
- Book Sipadan diving ahead: Daily diver permits are capped, so lock in your dive operator and your Semporna or Mabul accommodation weeks before you land, especially in peak season.
- Time it around the weather: April to December is generally the calmer, clearer window for diving. The wetter months around January to March can mean choppier boat crossings to the islands.
- Factor in the distances: Sabah is big. Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Semporna are a flight or a half-day drive apart, so pick one or two bases rather than trying to fit the whole state into a short trip.
- Sort your Kinabalu permit early: Climbing to the summit needs a permit and a guide booked well in advance, since daily climber numbers are limited.
- Check what's included: Island dive resorts near Sipadan usually bundle boat transfers and meals into the room rate. City hotels in Kota Kinabalu generally don't, so budget separately for tours.
- Pack for both jungle and ocean: A light rain jacket for the highlands, reef-safe sunscreen for the islands, and a dry bag if you're island-hopping by speedboat.
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