Great Hiking Spots in Sabah You Need to Know
Introduction
Sabah is the third largest island in the world, well-known for its rich culture and NATURE. Sabah's rich nature has made it into Top Global's list, such as Sipadan, known as the Top 2 Dive Site in the World. The primary thing that proudly represents Sabah is Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. It is so popular that even when we typed "mountains in Sabah," "other hiking places in Sabah," the results are mostly about Mount Kinabalu.
Follow me along, and I will bring you to many other great hiking places in Sabah besides Mount Kinabalu. For those who never climbed Mount Kinabalu before, let this be your challenge. Challenge yourself to conquer all these mountains in Sabah and go for the Mount Kinabalu climb at last! Without further ado, let's begin our journey!
Length: 900 - 1000 Meters
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Bukit Tirig is located in Kampung Lapasan, Telipok, which will take about 35 minutes to ride from Kota Kinabalu. There is no entrance fee needed to pay to hike, but you can show your support to the locals by buying drinks from one of the houses after the hike.
Bukit Tirig is a great hiking place for beginner hikers, as it only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to hike to the peak. There is only one trail to the peak so that you won't get lost. On your way up, there are quite some attractions to keep you entertained. Once you're on the peak, you can spot Bukit Botak, Bukit Janggut, Nuluh Lapai, and many other mountains in Kota Kinabalu. The golden hours to hike in Sabah are always either sunrise hours or sunset hours, around 5am and 5pm.
*I would recommend driving a bigger car, as the road to get there is quite bumpy and bad.
Length: 1.5 - 2 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Bukit Kopungit is a historic and iconic mountain in Kota Kinabalu. It is located at Kepayan, just 10 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu town, depending on the traffic. It is one of the locals' favorite hiking places in Kota Kinabalu. There are 2 main trails to the peak. The short trail only takes about 15 - 20 minutes hike to the peak, whereas the long trail takes about 40 - 50 minutes.
Bukit Kopungit is a mountain that is suitable for all levels of hikers. What makes it historic and iconic in Kota Kinabalu? It is the Japanese tunnels that were built during World War II. Two Japanese man-made tunnels can be found there; one is located at the long trail, and the other is upon reaching the peak. At the peak of Bukit Kopungit, you get to see the former Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 2 (KKIA2), Tanjung Aru flyover, Kepayan town, and breathtaking sunset view!
*It is crowded almost every day, but it's better on weekdays.
Length: 720 Meters
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Bukit Merah Karambunai is probably the easiest mountain in Kota Kinabalu, so it is the best start off for fresh hikers. It is also located at Sepanggar, about 35 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu town. Bukit Merah Karambunai is well maintained and easy to conquer. It offers some instagrammable attractions that give you to BOOM your social media!
Length: 1.5 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Bukit Botak is the most famous mountain in the Sepanggar area. It takes about 25 minutes to ride from Kota Kinabalu town, depending on the traffic. It has only one trail to the peak, which is at the side of the main road. The starting trail is not easy to find, so you should find someone that has been there before to accompany you. Also, it's not safe to go alone for a sunrise hike or during at night.
It is roughly a 35 - 45 minutes hike to the peak, depends on your physical endurance and stamina. From the peak, you were able to see the overview of Sepanggar town, Sepanggar & Gaya islands, as well as Mount Kinabalu.
*There is another trail at the peak that leads to Bukit Gentisan. If your physical allows, you can try challenging it.
Length: 690 Meters
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Length: 0.59-1.5 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Bukit Padang also is known as 𝗧𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸. Anyone that lives in Kota Kinabalu must have heard about this mountain or park before. It is a park that 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 because of its 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. First is the 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲. There is a marketplace at the parking lot that sells 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 and 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀. By the way, some of them taste 𝗔𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘!
Next are the 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. Bukit Padang offers different sports activities, such as 𝗷𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗧𝗮𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗶, 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. For 𝗷𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, completing a loop will take about 𝟮𝟬 - 𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. There are 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 that leads to the peak for 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, counting from 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝟮 𝘁𝗼 𝟲. It is 145-meters in height. The shortest trail is 0.59KM, and the longest will be 1.5KM. It is a great 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 for hikers who are planning to 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗹𝘂. However, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 from the peak is 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 when compare to the 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 in Kota Kinabalu.
*There is a seafood restaurant in the middle.
Length: 980 Meters
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Nuluh Lapai absolutely one of my favorite and highly recommended mountains in Sabah besides Mount Kinabalu. The view on top looks like somewhere in Thailand! It is located in Jalan Sulaman, Tuaran, just the opposite of Restaurant Makanan Laut Gayang.
There are two trails to the peak of Nuluh Lapai, the short one is 980 meters, and the long one is 1200 meters. The long trail is much relax compared to the shorter trail; the ground for the short trail is much more slippery when after rain. It takes about 25 - 35 minutes for the short trail to hike to the peak, and the long trail takes an additional 10 - 15 minutes. On top, you can see Mount Kinabalu, lush mangrove swamps, and Sepanggar town.
*There is a small stall at the peak that sells beverages daily around 7am, depending on the weather.
Length: 0.87-1.5 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Bukit Helang is located nearby University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which will take about 15 minutes ride from there. The starting point is situated in a Kampung area with a big open field for parking.
There are two peaks in Bukit Helang. One is 0.87KM, and one is 1.5KM. There is only one trail to the peaks, and it will take about 30 minutes to reach the first peak and another 10 - 15 minutes to the second. Along the way up, there are few stops for you to rest. We have only gone up to the first peak. On top of Bukit Helang, you can see the wide-open west coast and Mount Kinabalu on the other side.
*The time we went there, the trail is not well maintained; many overgrown kinds of grass.
Length: 2.5 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Moderate - Hard
Bukit Bongol is located at Kota Belud, which will take about 1 hour 30 minutes ride from Kota Kinabalu. Three starting points lead to the peak of Bukit Bongol. The shortest trail is 2.5KM length and is called Mandap Trail. The longer trail is 3KM length and is called Pirasan Trail. The longest trail is 4KM and is called Kinasaraban Trail.
We've chosen the Mandap Trail; although it is the shortest trail, it's also the most challenging trail as well. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to finish, and just about 2KM you'll able to see some incredible views of Kota Belud. On top of Bukit Bongol, you were able to see the majestic Mount Kinabalu, rivers, hills, and some Kota Belud town.
*There is a total of 4 peaks, and each of them is just about 10 - 15 minutes away only.
Length: 6 Kilometers
Level of Difficulty: Moderate - Hard
Aura Montoria is an extraordinary and adventurous mountain in Sabah. It is located at Kota Belud; it will take about 2 hours ride from Kota Kinabalu. It's a long ride, but it is WORTH IT! Aura Montoria is still considered a hidden gem as not many people heard about Aura Montoria because they only started in 2017.
It looks like a mountain you can only found in Sarawak, where there are wooden bridges, caves, and waterfalls! There's even a cliff that is about two stories high for you to jump into the river to prove you're the TARZAN! Also, there's a river by the campsite and little to no mosquitoes!
I have written a blog specifically about Aura Montoria. The price, inclusion, activities, and itinerary. Also, there is a video of our full experience at Aura Montoria. Watch it before you go!
*Please drive a bigger car like Hilus because the road is pretty bad.