Kota Kinabalu is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia, and one of the touristic places in Sabah. This city is blessed with azure waves, pristine beaches, massive mountains, and ancient tracts of rainforest. Kota Kinabalu is also known as The Land Below the Wind and is home to the famous, highest mountain in Borneo, Mount Kinabalu. It takes around 5 hours of flying time to travel from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu. This will differ based on the airlines and routes taken as well. Considering Traveloka offers various airline options such as Singapore Airlines, Scoot, AirAsia, and more, you have plenty to choose from. Among the best accommodations in Kota Kinabalu including The Pacific Sutera Hotel, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu, and Hilton Kota Kinabalu. During your stay, you could also visit some of the best attractions there are in Kota Kinabalu such as Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, and Sabah State Museum.

When is the best time to fly from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu?

Kota Kinabalu is generally warm throughout the year, but there is a certain period of the year that is good enough to do both outdoor and/or indoor activities. The usual period where Kota Kinabalu is open for visiting is from late January to early April. This will be the optimum period to go on a holiday here in Kota Kinabalu. The temperature will usually varied from 24°C to 32°C and is rarely below 22°C or above 34°C. Maybe to get the best time where you are not at the peak of the holiday season in Kota Kinabalu, you can plan a travel to Kota Kinabalu close to the end of January or early April, just before the holiday peak starts.

Operating airlines available in Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp including both domestic and international carriers. Such airlines include Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Silk Air, Malaysia Airlines, Vietjet, Turkish Airlines, Jetstar, EVA Air, and many more. For further information in regards to travel safety during the pandemic can be referred to Traveloka’s travel advisory and other requirements during COVID-19.

What are the main airports available in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) 

Kota Kinabalu International Airport is the main airport operating in Kota Kinabalu. It is 8 km away from Kota Kinabalu. The trip via car or any public land transportation will take around 15 minutes from the airport to the main city. The traveling time will only differ depending on the traffic condition at the time of the travel. Some of the airport facilities you can find at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport include check-in facilities, free wi-fi, duty-free outlets, restaurants, ATMs, baggage storage, and a lost & found center.

Places to stay in Kota Kinabalu

The Pacific Sutera Hotel – The Pacific Sutera Hotel is a 5-star hotel located within Kota Kinabalu city. It is 3 km away from Kota Kinabalu city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 6 km. The hotel has a total of 500 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Deluxe Room, Club Room, Family Room, Junior Suite, Executive Suite, and Presidential Suite. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to the restaurant, swimming pool, fitness center, hair and nails salon, business center, spa, and meeting rooms. 

Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu – Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu is a 5-star hotel located within Kota Kinabalu city. It is 8 km away from Kota Kinabalu city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 6 km. The hotel has a total of 498 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Standard Room, Family Room, Deluxe Suite, Executive Suite, Presidential Suite, and Horizon Club Room. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to the Café TATU, Borneo Lounge & Bar, pool, spa, and conference facilities. 

Hilton Kota Kinabalu – Hilton Kota Kinabalu is a 5-star hotel located within Kota Kinabalu city. It is 1 km away from Kota Kinabalu city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 7 km. The hotel has a total of 304 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Standard Room, Premium Room, Deluxe Room, Executive Room, Executive Premium Room, One-Bedroom Suite, Executive Suite, and Presidential Suite. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to the Club Bar, Rooftop Poolside Bar & Grill, Urban Kitchen, outdoor pool, fitness center, meeting rooms, and executive lounge.

Highlights in Kota Kinabalu

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park – Located off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is made up of five islands which are Gaya Island, Manukan Island, Sapi Island, Sulug Island, and Mamutik Island. All islands have stunning beaches and are surrounded by nice dive sites and snorkeling sites. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is located at a short distance from Kota Kinabalu city and takes around 20 to 25 minutes by boat ride. The entrance fee to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is in the range of MYR3 to MYR20 depending on the age group and nationality. The fee for ferry rides is MYR31. 

Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu – Built on a 2.47-acres site at the Likas bay, the Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu is exemplary of Islamic contemporary architecture. This mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in Malaysia due to the man-made lagoon that surrounds the mosque gives it a serenely gorgeous and dramatic look on a full moon night. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu. Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu is just 6 km away from Kota Kinabalu city and 14 km from the main airport. It will take roughly 10 minutes to drive from Kota Kinabalu city to Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and around 20 minutes from the airport. Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu opens daily from 8.00 am to 5.30 pm and closes on Friday. The entrance fee is MYR5 for foreigners and free for locals. 

Sabah State Museum – Built in 1985, Sabah State Museum consists of the Main Building, Science and Education Centre, and Heritage Village. The museum houses various galleries including natural history, ceramics, ethnography, and archaeology exhibits. As for the Heritage Village, the tourists will experience different types of traditional houses of the various indigenous groups of Sabah. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Sabah State Museum. Sabah State Museum is just 3 km away from Kota Kinabalu city and 6 km from the main airport. It will take roughly 7 minutes to drive from Kota Kinabalu city to Sabah State Museum and around 10 minutes from the airport. Sabah State Museum opens daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. The entrance fee is MYR15 for foreigners, MYR2 for local adults, and free for students, disabled guests, senior citizens, and taxi drivers. 

Travel tips to Kota Kinabalu

Keep Your Accommodation Address with You

This might sound ridiculous but it is important nonetheless. We tend to underestimate ourselves and assume we have it all in our heads. It is best to have it with you at all times because when you need a specific direction back, you can refer to it easily. It is best to keep it on paper as well because you will never know when the handy-dandy technology will fail you when you need it the most.

Less is Best when Traveling

We are not going minimalist here, but minimalism can help you get more things done. To determine how many you should bring with you, you should always go back to the question of where and what. Where are you going? What will you be doing? This will bring you back to consider if you do a lot of walking, then it is best to bring something you are comfortable with. The key example is to wear your everyday clothes because you know what you are comfortable with to go about your day. Don’t overthink too much on a “just in case” situation because that is the number one trap to bring more with you and in the end, it will just make your bag heavier with things you can either reuse or get easier there.

Travel Insurance

Be it whether you are traveling domestic or international, it is important to gear yourself up with travel insurance. This is pretty much self-explanatory because you will never expect what could happen when you are abroad. Even if you are traveling domestically, should things go out of your control such as accidents or sickness, you will have the leverage of insurance coverage.

How to Book with Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp

Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp is the leading lifestyle SuperApp in Southeast Asia with over 100,000 flight routes offered and more than 100,000 hotels across the map. Traveloka gives you the best of both services, right from your fingertips. Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp gives you the convenience you need when you are doing your flight search and flight booking. We always keep our user experience in mind when we build the mobile application system to ensure every user has a great experience using it.

Booking might be hard on certain online travel agency platforms, but Traveloka has its ways of making it easy for customers to book their flights. 

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