Backpacking Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu has the best sunset on Borneo, and half the city knows it. Every evening everyone drifts down to the water: the sun drops behind the islands of the marine park, the sky goes orange and purple, and a few hundred metres along the night market fires up its grills. An hour later you are at a plastic table with a whole fish, a plate of rice and sauce you mix yourself. That is how nearly everyone starts Sabah, and it is a far better start than you would expect from a port town.
KK, as everyone calls it, is mostly a base, and a very good one. Fifteen minutes on a boat and you are on the beach at Sapi or Manukan. Two hours on the road and you are at the foot of Mount Kinabalu, at 4,095 metres the highest mountain on Borneo. And on Sunday morning Gaya Street turns into a kilometre-long market of fruit, batik and fresh coffee from Tenom.
Here for the mountain? Plan it first. The climb is only two days, but the beds on the mountain are limited and fill up months ahead. Book those, build the rest of your trip around them, and count on about €25 a day for everything else you do in town. After that the east coast is waiting: orangutans at Sepilok, proboscis monkeys on the Kinabatangan and the water of Semporna.
Why Kota Kinabalu is popular with backpackers
- One base for the whole of Sabah
- Climbing Mount Kinabalu
- Island hopping fifteen minutes offshore
- Spectacular sunsets on the waterfront
- Cheap grilled fish at the night market
- Plenty of highly rated hostels
- Good flights to Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and the east coast
Best time to visit Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is on the west coast of Borneo and warm all year. The difference is the rain: the start of the year is the driest, the autumn the wettest.
The summit of Mount Kinabalu is another story: around sunrise it can freeze up there, whatever month you go. Pack a warm layer and gloves, even if you will not touch them for the rest of your trip.
Backpacker budget: around €25 a day
- €8hostel bed
- €2local meal
- €3beer
- €2Grab ride in town
Guide prices for a backpacker's day in Kota Kinabalu. Add a tour or a night out and it climbs fast.
Best area for backpackers
The centre by the water
Sleep in the centre, between Gaya Street and the waterfront. That is where most of the hostels are, and everything you want in town is walkable: the night market, the Filipino Market, the promenade for sunset and Jesselton Point, where the boats leave for the islands.
The minibuses to Kinabalu Park and Kundasang leave from the centre too, and anything further out is a few euros by Grab. You do not need a car or a scooter in KK.
Why stay in the centre?
- KK’s hostels within a few blocks of each other
- Walking distance to the night market and the promenade
- Jesselton Point for the islands round the corner
- The Sunday market on Gaya Street on your doorstep
- Loads of food stalls, coffee places and minimarts
- Tour agencies for the climb and the east coast
For almost every backpacker the centre is the right call in Kota Kinabalu.
Best hostels in Kota Kinabalu
Homy Seafront Hostel
Homy Seafront is right on the water, a few minutes’ walk from the night market. The lounge has a huge window looking out over the sea and the islands, and that is exactly where you end up every evening. With a 9.8 from over nine hundred reviews, this is one of the best-rated hostels on Borneo.
Ideal for
- Solo travellers
- Watching the sunset from the sofa
- A first taste of Sabah
Lavender Lodge Kota Kinabalu
Lavender Lodge is quiet, spotless and right in the centre, close to the malls and the minibuses to Kinabalu Park. Arriving after midnight? You check yourself in. The staff are happy to help with tours and with the logistics for the mountain or the east coast.
Ideal for
- Backpackers who want a proper night’s sleep
- Late arrivals
- Anyone who still has to sort the climb or the east coast
Faloe Hostel
Faloe is the social one of the three, with a common room where you easily find people for the islands or the mountain. Every bed has its own light and socket. Imago Mall, the dive schools and the evening market are five minutes away on foot.
Ideal for
- Social backpackers
- Finding a climbing buddy
- Staying close to Imago Mall
Best things to do in Kota Kinabalu
Proboscis monkeys and fireflies on the Bongawan
An afternoon and evening on a river south of KK: proboscis monkeys and macaques in the mangroves, sunset on the coast, and after dark the fireflies blinking in the trees along the bank. Not heading to Sandakan? Then this is your proboscis monkey moment.
Mari Mari Cultural Village
At Mari Mari, just outside the city, stand the traditional houses of five of Sabah’s peoples. You fire a blowpipe, watch fire being made without matches and eat a local lunch.
Cooking class: the kitchen of Sabah
Three hours cooking things you will not find on every corner in Kota Kinabalu, like hinava, raw fish cured in lime juice, and linopot, rice wrapped in a leaf. Pick-up in town is included.
Climbing Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is why a lot of backpackers come to Sabah at all. You climb to Low’s Peak at 4,095 metres in two days: the first day up to the Panalaban mountain huts at 3,272 metres, and the same night back out at two in the morning for sunrise on the summit.
How does the climb work?
- You are not allowed up without a guide: one guide takes a maximum of five adults
- A night at Panalaban, at 3,272 metres, is compulsory
- The permit costs foreigners RM400 (about €87), the bed with meals RM430 (about €94)
- On top of that come the guide, insurance and transport
- An agency books it all as one package, including transport from KK
The last stretch is bare granite with a rope to hold, in the dark, by head torch. At the top you watch the sun come up over the whole of Borneo.
Island hopping in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Five islands sit just off the coast, and the nearest are a short boat ride from Jesselton Point. Sapi and Manukan are the best known, with white sand and snorkelling straight off the beach.
Why go island hopping?
- White sand fifteen minutes from the city
- Snorkelling straight off the beach
- Two or three islands in one day
- The perfect rest day after the climb
Bring water and food: everything costs more on the islands.
Filipino Market and the night grills
Behind the Filipino Market on the waterfront, the grills light up every evening. Fish, squid, prawns and chicken wings lie in long rows on ice, you point at what you want and fifteen minutes later it is on your table.
Highlights
- Fresh fish off the charcoal grill
- Chicken wings by the piece
- Fruit and fresh juices
- Crafts and pearls at the Filipino Market
The best place in town to eat well for not much.
Sunset on the waterfront
KK’s sunsets are famous all over Malaysia, and rightly so. The sun sinks straight down behind the islands into the sea.
Why go?
- The sun drops behind the islands
- Local families and fishermen along the water
- Straight on to the night market afterwards
- From Signal Hill you see the whole city and the sea
Do it on your first evening: after that you know when to head down.
Gaya Street Sunday Market
Every Sunday morning Gaya Street closes to traffic and turns into a market of hundreds of stalls.
Highlights
- Tropical fruit and local snacks
- Batik and sarongs
- Pineapple juice from the cart
- Breakfast at a kopitiam on the same street
In KK on a Sunday? Then your morning is sorted.
Day trip to Kundasang
Kundasang sits on the flank of Mount Kinabalu and feels like a different country: cool air, vegetable fields and cows in the grass, with the jagged summit looming above it all.
Why go?
- The best view of Mount Kinabalu without climbing it
- Desa Dairy Farm with fresh milk and ice cream
- The Kundasang War Memorial
- A cool break from the heat of the coast
Perfect if you want the mountain in your photos rather than in your legs.
Kota Kinabalu itinerary: three or four days
Kota Kinabalu is your base: one day for the city, one for the islands and two for the mountain. Pick how many days you have.
The city and the waterfront. Wander the Filipino Market and the kopitiams around Gaya Street, then hop in a Grab up Signal Hill in the afternoon for the view over the city and the sea.
Tonight: sunset on the promenade, then grilled fish at the night market.
Island hopping. First boat from Jesselton Point to Sapi or Manukan. Snorkel off the beach, and add another island for a full beach day.
Tonight: early night, the minibuses to the mountain leave before seven.
Kundasang or the climb. If you booked the climb, today you hike up to Panalaban at 3,272 metres. Otherwise head to Kundasang for the mountain view and Desa Dairy Farm.
Tonight: in the mountain hut, or back in KK for the night market.
The summit, or Gaya Street. Out at two in the morning for sunrise on Low's Peak, then the long walk down. Not on the mountain and it is Sunday? Start your day at the market on Gaya Street.
Tonight: night bus or flight to Sandakan for Sepilok.
Food and drink in Kota Kinabalu
KK eats by the water. In the evening it is all about the night market grills; during the day it is the kopitiams in the old streets around Gaya Street, where breakfast is noodles and a glass of tea with condensed milk.
Beer in Malaysia costs more than you are used to in Southeast Asia, thanks to high excise duty. The supermarket or a Chinese eatery is where you pay least.
What to eat in Kota Kinabalu:
Getting there and onward
Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to Sabah. The airport is twenty minutes from the centre, with flights to Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and the east coast.
Getting there. From Kuching it is about an hour and a half by plane to KK; overland it is a long trip through Brunei. From Kuala Lumpur the flight takes around two and a half hours.
In town. The centre is easy on foot. For the airport, Signal Hill and anything further out, use Grab, which is cheap and reliable here.
Onward. The bus to Sandakan leaves from the bus station at Inanam, fifteen minutes by Grab, takes six to eight hours and stops at the turn-off for Sepilok. It runs via Ranau past the entrance to Kinabalu Park, so after the climb you do not have to go back to KK: ask at the park roughly what time it comes through. Flying to Sandakan takes an hour. Going straight to Semporna? Fly to Tawau and drive another hour and a half.
- PlaneKuching 1.5 hrs · Sandakan 1 hr · Kuala Lumpur 2.5 hrs
- GrabAirport and town, fixed price up front
- BoatFrom Jesselton Point to the islands
- MinibusKinabalu Park and Kundasang, about 2 hrs
- Long-distance busSandakan 6 to 8 hrs from Inanam, about €10
Staying safe in Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is a relaxed, safe city. The things to watch are mostly up the mountain and out on the water.
- Book your climb through a licensed agency or Sabah Parks, with permit and bed confirmed
- Pack a warm layer, gloves and a head torch for the summit
- Ask the price per kilo at the night market first
- Take sunscreen and water to the islands
- Start the climb in flip-flops or without a rain jacket: mountain weather turns fast
- Touch or stand on coral when you snorkel
- Leave your stuff unattended on the beach while you swim
- Assume you can still sort the climb once you are here
Rebels on the Road tip
Book the Mount Kinabalu climb before anything else, before your flight to Borneo even. The Panalaban huts are the only place you are allowed to sleep and they fill up months ahead. If it does not work out, head to Kundasang and watch the summit early in the morning from the vegetable fields. That view, grey granite peaks floating above the clouds, stays with you too.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Kota Kinabalu?
Three to four. Two of those go on climbing Mount Kinabalu; without the climb, two days covers the city and the islands.
Can you climb Mount Kinabalu without a guide?
No. A guide is compulsory, as are a permit and a night in the Panalaban mountain huts. One guide takes a maximum of five adults.
How far ahead should you book the climb?
As early as you can. The beds on the mountain are limited and often booked out months in advance. Six months ahead is not overdoing it.
How much does it cost to climb Mount Kinabalu?
The fixed park costs (permit, insurance, your share of the guide and the bed with meals) already come to about €200 per person. A full two-day package with transport from KK starts at about €550 with the big agencies.
Is Kota Kinabalu expensive?
The city is not: €25 a day is enough, with beds from €8 and a plate of grilled fish for a few euros. Beer is the pricey bit, and the mountain is a big separate expense.
Which islands are best for a beach day?
Sapi and Manukan are the most popular, with white sand and snorkelling off the beach. Do both, because an extra island only costs a few euros more.
When is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu?
February to April is the driest. May to September is good too, with afternoon showers. October to January is the wettest.
How do you get from Kota Kinabalu to Sepilok?
The bus to Sandakan from the bus station at Inanam takes six to eight hours and stops at the turn-off for Sepilok. Faster is the one-hour flight to Sandakan, then half an hour by Grab.
What is there to do on a Sunday in Kota Kinabalu?
The market on Gaya Street, from six in the morning until early afternoon. Fruit, batik, souvenirs and breakfast at one of the kopitiams on the same street.
Is Kota Kinabalu good for solo backpackers?
Definitely. The hostels are social, and it is easy to find people to team up with for the islands and the climb.
Sources: hostel ratings from Hostelworld, tours and reviews from GetYourGuide, transport and travel times from 12Go, visa rules from the official immigration sites (see our visa page). The daily budget is our own estimate based on hostel, food and transport prices. How we work.
