Backpacking to East Malaysia, where to start? where to end?

Question

When travelling to East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), what is the recommended starting town? and which town should be the final landing point? I will be flying from KL and going back to KL afterward.

The plan is to at least visits the famous towns.

Answer 1

For Saba, Kota Kinabalu is a good starting point. It's a convenient small town with a good range of accommodations and easy access to the rest of Saba (plane, bus, vans, cabs). You will also be able to reserve tickets for Mount Kinabalu.

All in all, a good place to start your trip and get some nice food before diving in the wilderness.

Can't give any advice about Sarawak, though.

Answer 2

Ok, Since I travel to Sabah a lot, here is my take on your plan.

1. Fly from KL to KK and make that your start/end point.
2. Explore KK Town
3. Check out the islands (Manukan and Sapi which are only 15 minutes from town)
4. Explore Kinabalu National Park (2 hrs away from KK)
5. Fly KK to Sandakan (45 mins)
6. Explore Sandakan, filled with Eco Tourism. Places like Sepilok Orangutan Center, Gomantong Caves, Kinabatangan River, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, Turtle Island.
7. Move down via road to Lahat Datu
8. Explore Danum Valley (Pricy)
9. Move down to Tawau
10. Explore Tawau Hills
11. Move down to Semporna
12. Get on a boat to Mabul and Sipadan Islands if you dive
13. Back to Tawau, then fly Tawau to KK.
14. KK to KL Done!

Hope you make it to these stunning towns in Sabah Borneo! I have visited most of the places there and they are amazing in my opinion.

David

Answer 3

I have visited Borneo many times and its a beautiful destination. The major draws for me to Borneo are the jungle scenery and the native tribal cultures.

If you have a lot of time and want to experience all of Borneo, I would recommend flying into Kuching and out of Kota Kinabalu (or vice versa) with a stop in Brunei.

In Kuching, Bako National Park, the crocodile farm, and the longhouse tribal tours are pretty cool.

Bako National Park:

In Brunei, there is an incredible patch of virgin rainforest in Temburong National Park that has a nice jungle treetop walk.

In Kota Kinabalu, you can climb Mt. Kinabalu and visit the Sipadan Islands for nice diving/beaches.

You could take buses or fly between each city depending on how much time you have. Brunei is relatively expensive to fly to but there is a cheaper airport in Miri, Malaysia which is very close.