10 Best Kota Kinabalu Beaches

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park consists of five separate islands: Pulau Gaya, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, and Pulau Sulug. Tunku Abdul Rahman Park hosts a variety of beach sports. However, all of these beach activities require reservations, and it is one of the greatest places to visit in Kota Kinabalu.

You can also participate in watersports such as snorkeling and scuba diving to see the gorgeous coral and marine life on the island. The island tours can be booked directly from the ferry terminal.

Sapi Island is one of the most picturesque islands in the entire Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Even though the island is smaller than Manukan Island, it nevertheless attracts a large audience. If you ever visit these islands, Sapi Island is one of the top tourist sites in Kota Kinabalu that you should not miss. One must-do activity on the island is the "Scuba-Doo" micro submarine experience, which is a little motorbike-style submarine for a sea walk.

Sapi Island is one of the five islands that make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, and it is only 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu. Sapi Island may be readily reached from Kota Kinabalu via two routes: the hourly ferry from the Jesselton Pier or the Sutera Harbor.

The Manukan Island Resort is a magnificent private island retreat. This serene retreat provides exceptional lodgings, gourmet dining, and unequaled water sports activities in one of the world's most pristine settings. Manukan Island is surrounded by a protected coral reef and features a virgin jungle and magnificent white sand beaches.

It is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Kota Kinabalu. The resort includes an outdoor pool, a restaurant, and big villas with private terraces and dining areas. The resort provides a wide choice of activities, including diving, snorkeling, and trekking. Glass-bottomed boat trips allow you to see aquatic life.

Beautiful and beautiful, the island is a sandbank and one of the most enchanting in Sabah Borneo. What distinguishes this beach is that the resort is a standalone property with no one else around. When the tide is low, the sand bank transforms into a beautiful beach; otherwise, they have an elevated man-made beach deck with exquisite white sand where you may relax.

This private island is well-known as a romantic destination for unique honeymooners and exclusive private weddings. The distinctive Kapalai Island, located about an hour by boat from Semporna on Sabah's east coast, towers over a massive sand bank. It is also a 10-minute boat journey from the popular Mabul Island.

Bohey Dulang Island is a hilly island formed by the remnants of an old volcano. The southern edge of the lagoon is open, but just beneath the surface is a long stretch of reef that depicts the southern cratered fringe. The island is most known for the breathtaking views from the top of its summit.

It is possible to walk around the island at low tide by following the narrow boundaries of the beach and mangroves, but this requires scrambling over rocks or through vegetation. Prepare to be greeted by a plethora of tropical flora and fauna along the difficult but rewarding trekking trail to the summit of Bohey Dulang Peak. Majestic vistas of the crystal blue lagoon await those who make it through a long climb.

Pulau Mantanani is a group of three isolated little islands located northwest of Kota Belud. It was so secluded that until recently, only a few locals were aware of the islands' existence. One of the main reasons Mantanani Islands are popular with tourists is their stunning scenery, fresh winds, and peaceful environment.

The most popular attraction of Pulau Mantanani is the dugongs. The Mantanani Islands appear to provide perfect habitats for dugongs, including seagrass beds and shallow sandy sections within the islands' circular fringing reef. These islands are excellent diving and snorkeling destinations because of their beautiful waters and vibrant coral reefs.

Lankayan Island is a small tropical coral resort island in the Sulu Sea, northeast of Borneo, in the state of Sabah. This lovely tiny island with lush tropical vegetation and sandy beaches provides an entirely authentic tropical wildlife experience. It is located in the National Park region.

A Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is located on the island and is open to visitors, where they can observe egg-laying and turtle hatchlings at times. The island is also one of Sabah's top diving destinations, with its jungle interior and exciting diving attracting both divers and non-divers who like touring Lankans.

Mabul Island, a little island off the southeast coast of Sabah, boasts magnificent beaches of coconut trees, silky white sand, and azure waters, making it one of the world's top-rated muck diving sites. Furthermore, Mabul Island has one of the world's most concentrated stocks of small marine life, including frogfish, scorpionfish, cuttlefish, and numerous shellfish.

Visitors can simply walk around the island for an hour to see features such as quaint communities with thatched houses. Mabul Island is a popular place to stay for those who want to dive at one of the world's top dive sites while also exploring the more remote parts, where they will find some genuinely magnificent beaches.

Mataking Island, another resort island with one of Malaysia's nicest beaches, is the farthest from Semporna on Sabah's east coast, and the boat voyage takes over an hour one way. Simply go around the island to find your peaceful spot. One of the island's distinctive features is its underwater post office, where you may practically post a letter or postcard. Highly recommended for those seeking a 'Maldives' experience in Malaysia.

This is the ideal romantic retreat because the island features a spa, private bungalows, an outdoor Jacuzzi by the sea, and all of the romantic walks along the beach you could want. We can make special arrangements for honeymooners, weddings, and private gatherings. The only way to get here is to buy a tour package through the resort. There are no day trips or visits here.

This magnificent stretch of sand begins at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort and extends south to the airport. Tanjung Aru is a local beach with picnic areas and pristine sands. Tanjung Aru offers one of the best beaches, where visitors may enjoy the sparkling crystal-clear ocean and powder-fine sands.

This place is completely secluded, therefore it has a very pleasant and tranquil atmosphere. Imagine yourself lazing in the sun while listening to the waves or diving into the crystal blue water for a swim. The primary attraction here is the beach, which spans for almost 2 kilometers and offers breathtaking sunset views.