MY · Sabah · 5.13°N 115.95°E

tenom

Sabah's coffee town, with an agriculture park full of orchids.

Best time
Any time of year. The Murut Kalimaran festival, held in Tenom each year, is a good time to see Murut culture up close.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Kota Kinabalu (about 2.5 hours), then drive about 3 hours via Keningau.
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MY · Sabahtenom5.13°N 115.95°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Sabah's coffee town, with an agriculture park full of orchids.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingTenomMY, Sabah
KLtenom
≈ 1,597 km from KL, as the crow flies
Township Tenom and the outskirts, taken in 2012 from Perkasa Hotel

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

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Tenom is a small town in Sabah's southern interior, the unofficial capital of the Murut community and famous for its coffee. It's quieter than Keningau, with a large agriculture park, the Padas River and a bit of colonial history: the town was once called Fort Birch.

Makan

  1. Tenom coffeeStrong, dark-roasted local coffee. Drink it at a town kopitiam before buying a bag.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Sabah Agriculture ParkA huge park outside town with orchid gardens, crop collections and plenty of space to wander.Map ↗
  2. Coffee roastersTenom's roasters sell freshly ground local coffee, the classic thing to take home.Map ↗
  3. The Padas Gorge railwayThe old line between Tenom and Beaufort follows the river through a steep jungle gorge; check whether passenger trains are running before you plan around it.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Combine Tenom with Keningau and Tambunan for an interior loop from KK.

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