Getting to Sabah

Sabah is on the island of Borneo, separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. Almost everyone arrives by air. The main gateway is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI).

By Air

Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) is the primary airport, located about 8 km from the city centre. Sandakan (SDK) and Tawau (TWU) also have airports with limited domestic routes.

Flight time from KL to KK is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

Airlines Flying to KK

Airline	Type	Key Routes
AirAsia	Low-cost	KL, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuching, Singapore, Manila, Shenzhen
Malaysia Airlines	Full-service	KL, Sandakan, Tawau, Labuan
Firefly	Low-cost	KL (Subang)
Batik Air Malaysia	Full-service	KL, Kuching
Scoot	Low-cost	Singapore
Royal Brunei	Full-service	Brunei (connecting to London, Melbourne)
Korean Air / Jin Air	Mixed	Seoul (seasonal)
Cebu Pacific	Low-cost	Manila

From Kuala Lumpur

This is the most common route. Options:

• KLIA / KLIA2 → BKI — Multiple daily flights on AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, and Batik Air. Flight time: 2h 30m.
• Subang (SZB) → BKI — Firefly operates this route. Subang is closer to KL city centre if you're staying in town.

Book early during school holidays, Hari Raya, and Christmas — prices can triple.

International Routes

KK has direct international flights to:

• Singapore — AirAsia, Scoot (daily)
• Brunei — Royal Brunei (useful for connections to London/Melbourne)
• Manila — Cebu Pacific, AirAsia
• Seoul — Seasonal charter flights, Korean Air (check availability)
• Shenzhen / Guangzhou — AirAsia, seasonal routes
• Jakarta — AirAsia (seasonal)

For destinations not served directly, connect through KL (most options) or Singapore.

By Sea

There's no regular passenger ferry from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah. However:

• Labuan ↔ KK — Daily ferry service from Jesselton Point (about 3 hours)
• Labuan ↔ Brunei — Ferry to Serasa/Muara, Brunei
• Cruise ships — KK occasionally receives cruise ships, but this isn't a practical travel option

By Land

You can drive or take a bus from Sarawak to Sabah via the land border. The main crossing point is at Sindumin (Sabah–Sarawak border). From Kuching, it's a very long drive (12+ hours). Most people fly instead.

From Kalimantan (Indonesia), there are land border crossings but these are not commonly used by tourists.

Entry Requirements

• Malaysian citizens — no passport needed for domestic travel, but carry your IC (MyKad)
• Foreign visitors — valid passport required. Sabah and Sarawak have immigration autonomy — you'll go through immigration control even if arriving from Peninsular Malaysia
• Visa — most nationalities get visa-free entry for 90 days (Malaysia) or 30 days (Sabah/Sarawak). Check your specific nationality requirements