Hotels in Sipitang

Sipitang is a small town in Sabah, Malaysia. Sabah is not located in the Peninsular Malaysia however it is on the Borneo Island together with the state of Sarawak. In less than 40 years of existance, the population in Sipitang has increased more than 20,000 people. Sipitang is actually the town that is located closest to the Sarawak border. It is also 44 kilometres south to Beaufort and 144 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu which is the capital of Sabah.

Sipitang has 3 divisions. They are known as Mesapol, Sindumin and also Malamam. Further explanation would be that Mesapol has at least 14 villages including Kampung Melalia, Kampung Lubok Darat and also Kampung Naluyan. Sindumin on the other hand has around 22 villages in it. Some of the villages are Kampung Mengalong, Kampung Banting and also Kampung Siputol. Malamam has at least 20 villages. Some of them are Randulang, Long Mio and also Long Pasia.

The people in Sipitang speak Bahasa Melayu. However, since they are not in the Peninsular, they have a different dialect of their own. Sabahan has many ethnic especially in the rural areas. Each of the ethnic has their own dialects. Therefore, their language may differ according to the place.

How to Get There

By Plane

One can take a local flight such as AirAsia or Malaysia Airlines and Firefly and fly to Kota Kinabalu. This is quite a common destination therefore there are plenty of flight time scheduled to go there. Once reached, one may take a taxi or other means of transportation to Sipitang.

By Car

One can drive from Kota Kinabalu to Sipitang using the AH150 route which is Jalan Beaufort – Sipitang route. This will eventually lead them to Sipitang directly. The drive will take around 2 hours and 15 mins. The distance is around 138 km. The route may not be the best route however it is good enough for a car to make their way to the destination. Otherwise, one can always hire a taxi to drive them to Sipitang. They may charge around RM 180 – RM220 per car per way. This may be a little pricey if you are travelling alone.

By Bus

There are several bus companies that make their way from Kota Kinabalu to Sipitang. There are buses that leaves twice a day or even every 4 hours. The fare on the other hand is very affordable at only RM18 per way per person. Some of the bus companies are Sipitang Express and also Jesselton Express. They have express buses that are comfortable for their passengers.

Tourist Attractions

Merintaman Beach

This is a beach nearby Sipitang. Locals come here to enjoy the waves and the sunset while having a nice picnic with the family and friends. There is a nice breeze that allows kites to be flown here.

Tamu at Sipitang

Every week starting from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday late afternoon there will be a Tamu in Sipitang. Tamu is also known as market. Here all the locals would gather to bring forth their best produce. This is also the time to see some of the local produce that may not be available at other places.

Local Cuisine: Satay

There is a Food Court that is located just next to the Sipitang Esplanade. Here many tourist and also the locals would come to enjoy the satay. Satay are chicken or beef skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled over flaming fire. This is then eaten with peanut sauce. This can only be found in Malaysia. However, Sipitang has managed to spin this dish even more and make the dish more special. Many has gone and left with satisfied tummies.