Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park: Island Getaway Near Kota Kinabalu
Unique to Kota Kinabalu is the group of islands located just off the coast of the city. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TAR) consists of five tropical islands of varying sizes. A few of them are classic bounty islands where you can dive and snorkel. The largest island — Gaya — is home to several luxury resorts, possibly the most luxurious spots in all of Sabah. You can easily book an organized island trip from the port of Kota Kinabalu, but you can also do it independently (boats go to four of the five islands throughout the day). In addition to Gaya, the other islands are Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi, and Sulug.
TAR is a truly unique destination because it’s part of the city of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. So it’s super easy to combine a city visit with a day of beach lounging or snorkeling. You can get there quickly by boat from the port, where buying a ticket is straightforward and hassle-free. Depending on where your hotel is located in the city, you could theoretically be snorkeling on one of the islands within an hour. Don’t have your own snorkel gear? No problem — you can rent it on the islands. There are also lockers where you can safely store your valuables (but it’s still better to leave non-essentials at your hotel).
A fun day trip from Kota Kinabalu
We started our day at Sapi Island because of the great snorkeling conditions. There’s plenty of coral and lots of beautiful (and sometimes pretty large) fish. There aren’t many facilities, so it attracts fewer tourists — but don’t expect empty beaches; it’s still a popular spot. Since it’s the first stop for most island-hopping tours, it tends to get busy by mid-morning. Sapi has an activity center, a restaurant, and public toilets with showers and changing rooms. There are two snorkeling spots easily accessible from the pier. We picked Sapi as our first stop on purpose — it’s nice and quiet early in the day. It gets much busier later, especially once the organized tours arrive. You can also take a walk around the island to reach more secluded beaches and a few lookout points.
After Sapi, we crossed over to Gaya Island. It’s quite large and even has a few (floating) kampungs and several luxury resorts. If you really want to splurge, spending a few nights here would be amazing — it’ll probably feel like a week of complete escape. Gaya is visited less frequently by day-trippers, so it’s pretty peaceful. The coral near the drop-off point isn’t that impressive, though — people usually come here more for hiking trails and peace and quiet, rather than snorkeling. Since there weren’t many facilities, we hopped on the next boat to the next island.
That brought us to Manukan Island. It’s about 1 km long and a few hundred meters wide at most — small and narrow, but still one of the larger islands in the park. There’s one resort, plus a beach bar called Arang Restaurant where you can chill. There are also public toilets, and you can rent snorkel gear at the dive center. We timed our visit so we arrived just in time for lunch. The snorkeling wasn’t as good as on Sapi, but the vibe was great — really relaxed and lively.
Our last stop of the day was the small Mamutik Island. The snorkeling here was excellent too — you might even spot black-tipped reef sharks or turtles if you’re lucky. There’s also a restaurant and a place to rent snorkel equipment. Lockers are available too (handy if you’re visiting solo). There’s a short walking trail around the island, but honestly, it’s not super impressive.
Snorkeling
We only came here to snorkel because we were already planning to go diving on Mantanani. That said, diving here is also great — the conditions at the dive sites (which aren’t very crowded) are actually quite good. On this side of Sabah, conditions are generally favorable, often with lots of fish and other marine life that make diving really enjoyable.
There are several popular snorkeling spots, especially around Manukan and Sapi. The best snorkeling sites are usually visited on a dedicated snorkeling trip — those spots often have better coral and more diverse marine life. But you can also snorkel directly from many of the public beaches. The conditions there are usually a bit less ideal. Every island has a place where you can rent snorkeling gear.
Most of the highlights in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park revolve around what’s underwater. There are other activities too, but we weren’t particularly interested in those. For example, you can try Sea Walking (walking underwater with a big helmet). There are also various water sports like parasailing, jet skiing, banana boating, kayaking, and more. There used to be a zipline between Gaya and Sapi, but it has since been removed.
If you’re staying on Gaya, you can go on various jungle hikes — there are more than 20 kilometers of trails across the island. During your hike, you might come across wild boars, macaques, monitor lizards, hornbills, a few snake species, and even proboscis monkeys. Don’t forget to bring enough water, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and some snacks when you head out.
Scuba diving
There are lots of beautiful dive sites around the islands in the marine park — over 25 in total. Some resorts have their own dive centers, but there are also several independent dive schools. On Pulau Gaya, you’ll find the Downbelow Dive Center, a well-rated 5-star diving school (there’s also a Sabah Parks office here). Other dive centers operate out of Kota Kinabalu, such as Borneo Divers, Excel Dive Center, and Borneo Dream.
These dive centers also offer trips to other nearby islands, like Mantanani and Tiga. While most diving enthusiasts visit Borneo for world-famous dive sites like Sipadan and Mabul, you can still enjoy some great diving around TARP. Most day-trippers go on snorkeling tours, so the dive sites are usually nice and quiet. Several dive schools also offer introductory dives for beginners — a fun way to get a feel for diving if you’re not certified yet.
Accommodations in different price ranges
If you’re looking to splurge on a few nights of luxury, consider staying at Bungaraya Island Resort, Gayana Marine Resort, or Gaya Island Resort on Gaya Island. All three are exclusive 5-star resorts with private transfers and private beaches. Prices can run into several hundred euros per night, but it’s absolutely worth it.
On Manukan, you’ll find the Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Manukan Island — a cozy resort that’s especially suitable for families with kids. Boats to the resort depart from Sutera Harbour Resort and also from the Jesselton Ferry Terminal.
On tiny Mamutik, there’s the Borneo Divers Mamutik Island Resort — a small-scale resort that’s part of the Borneo Divers dive school. It’s simple and budget-friendly, perfect if you’re mainly there for diving.
Food and drinks
Don’t expect luxury restaurants on the islands, but you will find simple local places serving cheap — and more importantly, tasty — food. On Manukan and Mamutik, the accommodations have a restaurant where you can enjoy a nice lunch or grab a snack. Sapi has a basic restaurant where we had a delicious bowl of Bihun Goreng (a type of noodle) with a drink for less than RM16.
Best time to visit
You can visit the marine park all year round since there’s no real rainy season in this region. Between July and December, there’s a slight monsoon, with more rain than usual. Sometimes, the region is affected by the aftermath of the typhoon season in Taiwan and the Philippines. It’s best to avoid the islands during bad weather — the boat ride can be rough, and the water near the islands becomes less clear.
Since the marine park is so close to Kota Kinabalu, you can decide last minute whether or not to go. During rainy days, the water tends to be murkier, which makes snorkeling less fun. You should also keep an eye on the daily tides — in many places, snorkeling isn’t allowed during low tide.
During local school holidays or national holidays, the islands can get quite busy. They’re popular among locals, and lots of Asian tourists visit during vacation periods.
Costs of a day trip
Visiting the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is very affordable. For RM35, you get a boat ticket to one island; for RM65, you can visit all four. You don’t get to choose the timing of the island transfers — the boatman will tell you what time to be back at the entrance to catch the next boat.
When you arrive at the first island, you’ll pay a one-time Marine Conservation Tax of RM25 (RM20 for children). You’ll get a ticket, but you won’t need to show it again for the rest of the day.
You can rent snorkeling gear on each island. You return it before leaving. The full set costs RM16, or RM11 if you just need a mask (same price for just fins). A RM50 deposit is required and refunded when you return the equipment. Payment is in cash only.
How to get there?
You can easily visit the islands independently by boat. Just head to the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal (in central Kota Kinabalu) and buy your tickets on the spot. The prices are fixed — your only choice is whether you want to visit 1, 2, 3, or 4 islands. Boats run throughout the day.
From experience, we’d recommend picking two islands, ideally Sapi and Manukan (Sapi for great snorkeling in the morning, Manukan for lunch and activities). If you try to visit more than two islands, you’ll spend more time waiting around for the next boat.
The first boats leave at 8:00 AM, and it’s best to go as early as possible — things get crowded later in the day. All boat rides take around 10–15 minutes, since the islands are roughly the same distance from Jesselton. You can also book boat tickets online (up to two weeks in advance) and select a specific time slot.
Try to avoid the last boat back to Kota Kinabalu — it’s often overcrowded, and you may have to wait longer for a spot. We returned around 1:00 PM, which gave us a great morning and a relaxing lunch in the park. (The first boat back leaves around 12:00 PM.)
You can also book a diving or snorkeling trip via Klook.com, on-site, or through your hotel/resort or directly at Jesselton Point. These tours usually start mid-morning and include a nice lunch. You’ll visit several snorkeling spots and beaches, and most trips are highly rated.
How/where do you arrange the boat?
Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal is the main harbor in Kota Kinabalu and the departure point for boats to Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. It’s easily reachable by Grab.
As you enter the terminal, you’ll see a building with several ticket counters on your right. That’s where you buy boat tickets. Besides counters for TAR trips, there are also ones for snorkeling tours and tickets to other islands like Labuan and Pulau Tiga.
Buy your ticket at one of the counters — there’s a large signboard listing all the options and prices. You’ll need to provide your passport number and phone number (in case of emergency).
After getting your official ticket, you’ll be directed to the boat coordinator (they usually come to you). You’ll receive a handwritten ticket with your boat time and island(s). You might need to wait a bit for the boat to fill up. Once it’s time, you’ll get a life jacket and line up to board.
The process went pretty smoothly for us, but don’t be in a rush. Also, it’s best not to book a flight on the same day, just in case the weather changes and you get stuck on an island for a while.
An alternative departure point is Sutera Harbor. You can arrange a boat at the SeaQuest office there. Tickets are a bit pricier, but the crossing is quicker and much less crowded.
Tips
- If you travel to Malaysia between November and February, the beautiful islands on the east side of the peninsula are not accessible due to the heavy monsoon. However, the islands within the marine park are perfectly fine to visit. Since you can easily visit the islands from Kota Kinabalu, it’s just a matter of waiting for a day with clear weather (TAR also has a mild rainy season between roughly July and December).
- Make sure to check if boats are sailing, as they don’t operate in very bad weather.
- The islands are very shady, with large trees everywhere that provide plenty of shelter from the sun. Most eateries also have canopies (sometimes in the form of large tents).
- You can snorkel without a life jacket, but you’ll need to sign a waiver with the lifeguards (just walk over to the lifeguard station).
- On the islands, you can use lockers to safely store your belongings for RM10. You’ll get a wristband with a key, and you can access your stuff as often as you like. Since the islands can get quite busy, it’s not uncommon for things to go missing — so using a locker is your safest option.
- Apply plenty of sunscreen, because spending the whole day (especially snorkeling) in the sun can easily lead to sunburn.
- Consider wearing a rash guard — a type of swim shirt with UV protection.
- Bring your own mask and snorkel. Flippers are useful too, but they take up space — and you can rent them easily on the island.
- Go as early as possible so you’re ahead of the big crowds. Most organized snorkeling tours only arrive later in the morning, so if you catch the first boat (usually at 8:00 AM), you’ll enjoy a quieter start.
- If possible, avoid taking the last ferry back to Kota Kinabalu — everyone will be returning around that time, and it can be harder to get a Grab.
- Always stay within the areas marked by buoys — there are a lot of boats on the water, and not all drivers are careful about swimmers.
- Drones are not allowed, and we noticed that this was strictly enforced on Sapi Island.
- If you don’t rent flippers, bring water shoes. BUT NEVER STAND ON THE CORAL!
- Some tourists feed the fish — they lure them with bread or other food to get them to come closer. But this is not allowed, and the lifeguards do keep an eye on it.
- In the areas where most day-trippers go, the islands of the marine park may not be the most beautiful in Malaysia. However, if you’re just looking for a quiet beach, it’s still a great destination — especially so close to the big city of Kota Kinabalu.
Suggestions?
Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Sabah, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below or join our private Facebook Group Friends of Malaysia.