Within sight of Kota Kinabalu' s boardwalk lie five tropical islands, surrounded by coral reefs that make for an ideal day trip from Kota Kinabalu. Today, they are a very popular tourist destination, so in addition to the beautiful beaches and clear water, you'll also find crowds of (mostly local) tourists in brightly coloured vests in the water.

It's best to take a day trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. You can also find accommodation on three of the islands.

Search for accommodation in Tunku Abdul Rahman

How to visit Tunku Abdul Rahman Park?

If you want, you can book an organised trip to the islands, but it's not very worthwhile. On the other hand, you will get your own boat and maybe full board as well.

Trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park

However, even a day visit to the islands is relatively easy to arrange on your own. Boats to the park leave from the pier at Jesselton Point harbour.

You can buy your ticket on the spot and choose how many islands (1 - 4) you want to visit during the day. From our own experience, we recommend only 1 - 2 islands in a day, otherwise you will be constantly on the boat and won't enjoy the islands at all.

The boat ride to the islands takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes. You can buy tickets in advance online at eticketing.com if you want to avoid the queue on site.

It's also worth keeping an eye on the tide times, some islands (such as Sapi) have coral reefs closed at low tide.

Entrance fees and opening hours

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is open daily 08:00 to 16:00.

The first boat towards the islands departs at 08:00 and it is necessary to catch the last boat at 16:00, and it is possible to use the skips between the islands from 10:00 to 13:00.

The price of entry to the islands varies depending on how many you plan to visit:

1 island - 35 myr
2 islands - 45 myr
3 islands - 55 myr
4 islands - 65 myr

When you arrive at the islands, you still need to pay the conservation fee 20 myr (5 myr for Malaysians). Only pay the fee once during the day on the first island, keep the receipt and just present it on any other island.

Which island in Tunku Abdul Rahman to choose?

With four islands to choose from, it can sometimes be hard to decide. The different islands are characterised as follows:

Pulau Gaya - The largest of the islands, it is suitable as a base for further exploration and also for island hopping.
Pulau Sapi - A small island with a beautiful beach and a nice coral reef, accessible from the beach.
Pulau Mamutik - A less visited islet with a nice reef but less visibility due to rough seas.
Pulau Manukan - An island with good infrastructure and several larger beaches, there is also a small aquarium on the island.
Pulau Sulung - A virgin island not accessible by organized tours or regular cruises.