Manukan Island is an island located 10 kilometres off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. While people come over to Kota Kinabalu to visit the capital of Sabah, they may drop by Manukan Island during their visit to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. Manukan Island is the second biggest island in the national park, with good stretches of beaches on its southern coastline. Its offshore is full of coral reefs which is terrific for snorkelling, diving and swimming activities. In comparison to the other islands that made up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Manukan Island has the most developed facilities which included support-water, electricity, desalination plant, sewerage system, and even a solar public telephone. Manukan Island was once attached to the mainland of Kota Kinabalu before the Ice Age. It was until the change in sea levels due to the melting of ice that brought the island into creation alongside other islands nearby Kota Kinabalu. In 1979, Manukan Island alongside with Mamutik Island and Suug Island are added into the list of gazetted islands that formed Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

How to Get There

By Flight

There are flights to Kota Kinabalu from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which are provided by both Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia. Upon touchdown, from the airport, guests can head downtown using public transportation to the Jesselton Point ferry terminal.

By Boat

There are speedboats available from Kota Kinabalu to Manukan Island jetty on a daily basis starting from 8.30 am till 4.15 pm. The journey usually takes around 20 minutes.

Tourist Attractions

Sabah State Mosque

This state mosque is located in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman nearby the Sembulan roundabout. Erection works for the mosque begun in 1970 and completed five years later before being officiated in 1977 by the six Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Sabah’s State Mausoleum is located nearby, where the well-known leaders of Sabah was buried here, including the first Chief Minister of Sabah, Tun Fuad Stephens. At one time, it can accommodate up till 5, 000 congregants. The architecture is done by Dato Baharuddin Abu Kassim which incorporated modern and Middle Eastern elements.

Sacred Heart Cathedral

The cathedral is located at Jalan Menteri, Karamunsing which is in the Kota Kinabalu city. It houses the seat of Roman Catholic Archbishop of Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu. Its history can be traced all the way back to 1903 when Fr Henry van der Heyden imported a lot Chinese workers and built the mission to accommodate the influx of Catholic community. The architecture is unique in comparison to other cathedrals where it was considered as being futuristic with the base design being similar to a spaceship and the roof structure is made close to shape like a tent.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

It feels incomplete to talk about Manukan Island without mentioning this park. The marine park is a collection of islands with some beautiful wonders of nature, home to numerous species of wildlife and mesmerizing flora – some of them are actually remaining untouched by human development till this day. To begin with, travellers can do island-hopping around the Gaya Island, Sapi Island, Mamutik Island, Manukan Island and Suug Island with the Jesselton Point terminal as a starting point. There are touring services provided by the tour boat companies with affordable rates.

Perahu Restaurant

This restaurant is one of the established eateries in the island. Open from 11.30 am to 4 pm, the food is varied, with local food such as nasi lemak and chicken rice and Western food such as burger, fish and chips. Guests can also choose to dine in air-conditioned rooms for a comfortable dinery experience.

Hotels

Manukan Island Resort

A great hotel situated in the Manukan Island. A three-star hotel with ample facilities such as bar, restaurant and gift shop. In addition to that, guests can look forward to have a barbeque, enjoy the outdoor pool or having a picnic with family. Hotel services include laundry, front desk, luggage storage and airport shuttle.