MY · Sabah · 5.97°N 116.68°E

ranau

Highland market town with Sabah's tea garden and big Kinabalu views.

Best time
Any time of year; February to April is usually driest. Mornings give the clearest mountain views, and nights get chilly.
How long
2 days, 1 night
Getting there
About 2 hours' drive from KK over the Crocker Range, past Kinabalu Park. KL to KK is about 2.5 hours by air.
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MY · Sabahranau5.97°N 116.68°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Highland market town with Sabah's tea garden and big Kinabalu views.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingRanauMY, Sabah
KLranau
≈ 1,691 km from KL, as the crow flies
Ranau, Sabah: View over the Ranau Plain from Sports Complex Ranau)

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A highland district on the eastern side of Mount Kinabalu, with farms, a tea estate and cooler air than the coast. It takes in Kundasang, Poring and the mountain's eastern slopes, so it's a natural base for Kinabalu Park.

Makan

  1. Sabah teaThe local tea, best drunk at the estate with a view.Map ↗
  2. Fresh milkMilk and ice cream at Desa Dairy Farm in Kundasang.Map ↗
  3. Highland vegetablesCabbage, greens and fruit grown on the slopes, sold at the Kundasang market.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Sabah Tea GardenA big tea estate outside town with rows of tea bushes and Kinabalu in the background.Map ↗
  2. Poring Hot SpringsSulphur hot spring tubs and jungle trails in Kinabalu Park's lowland section.Map ↗
  3. KundasangDairy farms, vegetable markets and close-up views of the mountain.Map ↗
  4. Kundasang War MemorialGardens remembering the prisoners of war who died on the Sandakan–Ranau death marches.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Pack a jacket. It gets cold at night.
  • Climbing Mount Kinabalu needs a permit and a licensed guide, booked well ahead.

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