MY · Sabah · 6.88°N 116.83°E

kudat

Windswept north for the Tip of Borneo, Rungus longhouses and empty beaches.

Best time
February to April is usually driest. The year-end months bring more rain and wind to the coast.
How long
2 days, 1 night
Getting there
Fly from KL to Kota Kinabalu (about 2.5 hours), then drive about 3 hours north via Tuaran and Kota Belud. Buses and shared vans also run from KK.
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MY · Sabahkudat6.88°N 116.83°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Windswept north for the Tip of Borneo, Rungus longhouses and empty beaches.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKudatMY, Sabah
KLkudat
≈ 1,728 km from KL, as the crow flies
View of downtown Kudat in Sabah, Malaysia.

Photo: Adamc92 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Kudat sits on a peninsula at the northern tip of Sabah, about three hours' drive from Kota Kinabalu. It was briefly the first capital of British North Borneo, and today it's a quiet base for the Tip of Borneo, long empty beaches and the villages of the Rungus people.

Makan

  1. Tuaran meeStop in Tuaran on the drive up for its springy fried egg noodles.Map ↗
  2. SeafoodFresh fish and prawns, cooked simply at the town's seafood restaurants.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Tip of BorneoTanjung Simpang Mengayau, the northernmost point of Borneo, where the South China Sea meets the Sulu Sea. Go for sunset.Map ↗
  2. Kalampunian beachA long, quiet beach near the Tip, better for a swim than the rocks.Map ↗
  3. Rungus longhousesVisit the Rungus villages around Matunggong; some longhouses take overnight guests.Map ↗
  4. Kampung SumangkapThe gong-making village, where families still hammer out gongs by hand.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Swimming at the Tip itself is risky because of rocks and currents; use the beaches nearby.
  • Heading out to Banggi or the other islands? They fall within the Eastern Sabah Security Zone, so check current advisories first.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.