Sabah sits at the northeastern tip of Borneo and is home to some of the finest beaches in all of Malaysia. With the Sulu Sea to the east and the South China Sea to the west, the state offers an extraordinary variety of coastal landscapes, from white-sand coral islets accessible by short boat rides to remote stretches of golden shoreline backed by primary rainforest. Whether you are a snorkeller chasing clear water, a diver heading for world-class reefs, or simply someone who wants a quiet beach to call your own for a few days, Sabah delivers. Here are the nine best beaches in Sabah worth building your trip around.

Getting to Sabah is easy from across Malaysia and the region. Search and compare fares to Kota Kinabalu on flights on Traveloka and lock in your seat before prices rise.

Manukan Island is the crown jewel of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and the most visited of the five islands that make up the park, located just a 15 to 20-minute boat ride from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal in Kota Kinabalu. The beach here is a classic tropical postcard: fine white sand, calm and clear turquoise water, and healthy coral gardens just metres from the shore. Snorkelling directly off the beach is excellent, with reef fish, sea turtles, and occasional reef sharks visible without needing to go far from the shoreline. Day trip and overnight accommodation options are both available on the island.

The best time to visit Manukan is between March and September when sea conditions are calmest and visibility underwater is at its peak, often exceeding 15 metres. The island has basic beach facilities including changing rooms, showers, a cafe, and water sports rental. Reaching it requires a return boat ticket from Jesselton Point, which takes around 15 to 20 minutes each way. For travellers staying in Kota Kinabalu, Manukan makes for an effortless half-day or full-day beach escape without needing to travel far.

Sapi Island is the smallest of the five islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and is widely considered to have the best snorkelling within the park. The reef surrounding Sapi is more vibrant and intact than at some of the other islands, and the concentration of marine life near the beach entry points makes it an ideal spot even for casual swimmers and first-time snorkellers. The beach itself is narrow but photogenic, with towering casuarina trees providing natural shade along the shoreline.

Sapi is popular with day-trippers and can get busy on weekends and public holidays, so an early morning arrival is recommended to get the most out of the beach before the crowds arrive. The island also has a short jungle trail that leads through the interior and offers sightings of long-tailed macaques and monitor lizards. Kayaking and banana boat rides are available for hire on the beach. Sapi is reached by the same boat services from Jesselton Point that serve the other TAR Park islands.

Mantanani Island is located about 90 minutes by boat from Kota Belud and is one of Sabah's most prized remote beach destinations. The island is made up of three islets and is fringed by some of the clearest water in Sabah, with underwater visibility that regularly exceeds 20 metres. Mantanani is best known for its dugong population, and encounters with these gentle sea mammals during snorkelling or diving sessions are more reliable here than almost anywhere else in Malaysia. The beaches are soft white sand, largely undeveloped, and feel genuinely off the beaten track.

Accommodation on Mantanani consists of a small number of basic to mid-range beach resorts that operate dive and snorkel packages. Because the island is not overrun with day-trippers, it retains a peaceful, unhurried atmosphere that is increasingly rare at popular island destinations in Southeast Asia. The diving here is excellent for intermediate to advanced divers, with wall dives, reef dives, and night dive options available. For travellers willing to put in the journey, Mantanani rewards with an authentic and spectacular Sabah beach experience.

There is plenty to experience beyond the beach in Sabah. Explore tours, river safaris, and cultural experiences by browsing activities on Traveloka.

Pulau Tiga, roughly 50 km south of Kota Kinabalu, is a nature reserve formed by volcanic mud activity and is one of Sabah's most unusual beach destinations. The beaches here are pristine and largely undisturbed, fringed by thick forest and lapped by calm waters that are excellent for swimming and snorkelling. The island gained international fame as the filming location for the first season of the Survivor television series, and this history adds a layer of curiosity to what is already a compelling natural destination.

The island's bubbling mud volcanoes are a unique geological attraction and a popular activity for visitors, with the warm mud said to have skin benefits. The surrounding reef is healthy and home to sea kraits, reef sharks, and a wide variety of reef fish. Pulau Tiga is accessible by boat from Kuala Penyu, about 90 minutes by road south of Kota Kinabalu. Overnight resorts on the island offer packages that include guided activities, making it easy to experience the full range of what Tiga has to offer.

Bohey Dulang is part of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park in the Semporna Archipelago and is one of the most photographed spots in all of Sabah. The island is dominated by a dramatic volcanic peak that hikers can climb in about 45 minutes, with the summit offering a breathtaking panoramic view over a lagoon of impossibly clear turquoise water dotted with smaller islets. The beach at the base of the island is quiet and beautiful, and the surrounding waters are part of the Coral Triangle, giving the marine life here a richness that rivals anywhere in the world.

Bohey Dulang is typically visited as a day trip from Semporna, which is the main gateway town for the region. The hike to the summit is classified as moderate but involves some steep sections, and good footwear is recommended. The island is within the Tun Sakaran Marine Park boundaries, and a marine park entrance fee applies. Snorkelling around the island reveals coral gardens, reef fish, and occasionally blacktip reef sharks cruising the shallows. For travellers already in Semporna for diving at Sipadan, Bohey Dulang makes an outstanding complementary excursion.

Mabul Island in the Semporna Archipelago is one of the most celebrated dive destinations in Asia and is typically used as the access point for diving Sipadan, which sits on a protected marine reserve with limited daily visitor permits. But Mabul itself has excellent beaches and outstanding house reef diving that makes it worth visiting even without a Sipadan permit. The island has a lively fishing community and a number of overwater and beachfront resorts that cater to divers and non-divers alike.

The beach on Mabul's resort side is calm and pleasant, with easy entry into warm, clear water. The house reef is home to an extraordinary concentration of macro marine life including mandarinfish, blue-ringed octopus, ghost pipefish, and frogfish, making Mabul a muck diving paradise for underwater photographers. Non-divers can enjoy kayaking, swimming, and sunset views over the Celebes Sea. Mabul is reached by a boat transfer from Semporna town, approximately 45 minutes each way.

Lankayan Island is a tiny coral island in the Sulu Sea, roughly two hours by boat from Sandakan, and is one of Sabah's best-kept beach secrets. The island hosts just one resort and its exclusive, low-footprint nature means the beaches and reef remain in exceptional condition. The white sand beach curves around the island's perimeter and the water is so clear that the bottom is visible at depths of several metres even from the shoreline. Whale sharks are occasionally spotted in the waters around Lankayan between March and May, adding to its appeal for divers and snorkellers.

Because Lankayan accommodates a very limited number of guests at any one time, the island feels private and serene in a way that more accessible destinations cannot match. The diving is excellent, with macro life similar to Mabul and a healthy reef structure that includes impressive coral formations. Lankayan is the ideal choice for travellers seeking a genuinely exclusive and unhurried Sabah beach experience. Given its remote location and limited availability, advance planning and early booking are strongly recommended.

Nexus Beach on the Karambunai Peninsula, about 30 km north of Kota Kinabalu city centre, is one of Sabah's most accessible pristine beaches and is ideal for travellers who want a quality beach day without the boat transfer to an offshore island. The beach stretches for several kilometres along the peninsula and is relatively sheltered, offering calm conditions for swimming most of the year. The shoreline is lined with casuarina trees that provide natural shade, and the wide beach rarely feels crowded even during holiday periods.

The area is anchored by a large resort property, but the beach itself is a public beach and accessible to all visitors. The shallow gradient of the seabed makes it particularly suitable for families with young children who want a safe swimming environment. Sunsets from Nexus Beach are spectacular, with clear views to the west across the South China Sea toward Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Combining a morning at Nexus Beach with an afternoon visit to Kota Kinabalu city for the night market and Sabah Museum makes for a well-rounded day.

The Tip of Borneo at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau near Kudat is where the South China Sea and Sulu Sea converge, and the beach here has a raw, dramatic quality that sets it apart from Sabah's calmer island beaches. The shoreline is long, wild, and backed by rolling hills, with powerful surf during the northeast monsoon season that draws surfers and those who appreciate a more energetic coastal landscape. Outside the monsoon months, the sea calms down considerably and the beach becomes a peaceful spot for long walks and sunset watching.

Kudat is about 190 km north of Kota Kinabalu and makes for a worthwhile overnight or two-night road trip that also passes through the Rungus longhouse cultural village of Kampung Bavanggazo. The Tip of Borneo monument marks the northernmost point and is a popular photo stop, and the surrounding area has several small eco-resorts that offer a genuine off-the-grid Sabah experience. Getting here by road is straightforward, and having your own vehicle gives you the flexibility to stop at the many scenic viewpoints along the coastal road north of Kota Belud.

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Traveloka is Southeast Asia's leading travel platform, trusted by over 100 million users across the region. For a Sabah beach trip, Traveloka makes it easy to book flights into Kota Kinabalu or Sandakan, compare coastal resorts and city hotels, and add island tours, snorkelling trips, and nature activities all in one place. The platform covers flights, hotels, activities, car rentals, travel insurance, and eSIM — everything you need for a Sabah trip, managed from a single app.

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