If you are ever in this part of the world and don’t have more than four days, then Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is a destination you can visit in that amount of time. Before I go into the details, I’d like to shed some light on exactly where is Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Kota Kinabalu, is located in east Malaysia and is in the northern part of the Borneo island – the third largest island in the world! If you didn’t already Sabah is known and famed for being home to Mount Kinabalu, a 4059 meters tall peak. In 1964 the Kinabalu Park was the first National Park in Malaysia and in the year 2000 was declared a World Heritage Site.
This map shows you the exact location of Kota Kinabalu.
How to get to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur?
Fly from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu
Now this all depends on which airline you plan to fly with from Kuala Lumpur. Flights to Kota Kinabalu with Firefly departs from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and flights with Malindo Air, AirAsia, or Mas Airline departs from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
ROUTE | KUL (Kuala Lumpur) > BKI (Kota Kinabalu)
TRAVEL TIME | 2 hours and 35 minutes
COST | From as low as MYR 421
If you are already in Kuala Lumpur, there are regular KLIA Express schedules that can take you to KLIA airport from KL Sentral. While you can always walk-in to the counter on the day of departure to get your tickets, I would recommend you getting your tickets in advance online or if you have the time, get them at the KLIA Express counter itself before your departure day.
A one way ticket with KLIA Express is MYR 55. Keep in mind that the KLIA Express only goes to the Kuala Lumpur International Aiport and not the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport.
Alternatively, you can catch a Grab or Taxi and go straight to KLIA airport or the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport. If traffic goes smoothly and depending on which part of Kuala Lumpur you are coming from, you can expect to reach the airport within 1 hour. Setting off from where I stayed which was in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in Kajang, took us approximately one hour and costed us MYR 60 – 65 per car ride. It would be higher if it was during peak hours.
Day 1 – Getting to Kota Kinabalu
Since we opted for a flight with AirAsia, the departure airport was at KLIA 2. Most domestic flights with AirAsia typically departs from KLIA Terminal 2 instead of KLIA Terminal 1.
We landed in Kota Kinabalu just before lunch. With no time to waste, we looked for snacks while waiting for another good friend of ours to come pick us up at the airport, get settled and then grab lunch. Lunch was noodles with prawns, fish cakes, crabs and some veggies. Awesome start to the trip!
Day 2 – Paragliding in Kota Kinabalu
We woke up early on this day too. Despite having a long night the night before, we were determined to make sure we spent our 4 days in Kota Kinabalu the best we can before heading back home. So, we decided to do tandem paragliding. Our friend who picked us up at the airport the day before, hooked us up with Jonathan, an experienced para glider and an amazing extreme sportsman. Lucky for us, we got a decent discount.
Before taking off, Jonathan briefed us on the safety measures of using the glider and how to get the right wind when taking off. In paragliding, taking off is the most crucial, once you’re in the air and if your wind is strong, you can expect to experience flying in the clouds. I was super excited.
During the briefing, Jonathan pointed towards a flag, explaining to us that the flag needs to point at the opposite direction of where you will be running to lift off – Guess where the flag was pointing? No where near the direction that we needed. The wind was blowing everywhere, it was strong, but just not the right direction.
At this point it was only 10 am and Jonathan soon explained to us that there’s another part to paragliding – its known as para waiting. Para waiting is a situation where para gliders would wait for hours till a good strong wind comes along.
Tip | bring food and drinks to keep you full and hydrated while para waiting.
Warning | Waiting for the perfect wind conditions may take a whole day. In some instances, you may not end up doing any paragliding due to the weather conditions.
Its now 3 pm and after many hours of whistling – an old belief to call for a good wind and some rain, we finally had some luck and my best friend was first to go.
I was next. The wind was blowing strong and it was blowing at the right direction. Wow, I have a chance to paraglide into the clouds and take amazing thrilling selfies with a selfie stick that doesn’t belong to me. This is it. My first extreme sports experience! There was only one problem. My best friend and Jonathan was still paragliding. Apparently we had to take turns because there is only one glider. Great. – there goes my wind.
At 4 pm we headed back down to Kota Kinabalu city from Kundasang and along the way we stopped at a cow farm, which was already closed when we arrived. However the cool air was a breeze and we got to see Mount Kinabalu very closely – without actually climbing it.
Day 3 and Day 4 – Sea Kayaking in Dinawan Island
Since I didn’t get to paraglide, we went sea kayaking on day three to compensate. One can sea kayak at Dinawan island where you will find reef and sandbanks surrounding the island. The island is also well known for its private family getaway. To get to Dinawan, we had to take a boat ride from a jetty at Sungai Kudat.
On day four we decided to take a chill pill and enjoy the remaining hours we had in Kota Kinabalu. Although the trip was only 4 days, I had the best time. We got to do the activities that we’ve been talking about for months before we went, we got to eat good food, enjoy good air, met with new friends and got to live life.
The Best Sabah Tours
Tuaran Countryside Cycling Day Ride | This experience takes you exploring the beauty of Borneo nature in Tuaran and Tamparuli, both located just an hour away from Kota Kinabalu city. You’ll get quality mountain bikes included in the price and lunch.
One Day Semporna Islands Visit – Bohey Dulang Hike With Mantabuan & Sibuan Snorkel | This experience is not in Kota Kinabalu, this is an experience in Semporna and I highly recommend including a two night stay in Semporna to experience the true Borneo islands and the chance to meet Bajau Laut people or the nomadic Sea-Gypsies who live on boathouses.
Mari Mari Cultural Village | This tour offers transfers and pick ups from any hotels in Kota Kinabalu city.
White Water Rafting in Sungai Padas | If you’re looking for an adrenaline packed adventure, try white water rafting with Riverbug. This can be done as a day trip and Riverbug provide transfers from your accommodation in Kota Kinabalu. From then on it is a two hour drive to Sungai Padas. As a bonus attraction, you get to experience a delightful detour into the past by riding an old train from the Tenom station with the historic railway track in your path to the Riverbug point.
Did you find the itinerary useful?
Leave a comment below or share it with your friends!
PS: Follow my travels on Instagram @yasminandworld for more reels, stories and pictures.
If you enjoyed this travel guide, you can buy me a virtual coffee!
What a nice write up regarding ur impromptu trip. Next up where to yasmin?
Greatttttt..
Sounds amazing! A friend of mine recently went and loved it. Looks like another one to add to my ever growing list!
Hi Nikki, thanks for reading my blog. Another thing to do in Sabah, is white water rafting at sungai padas…im sure you’ll love it.