Taking the bus from KK to Sandakan was a mistake. It seemed like a smart way to make the most of a long journey, and I assumed it would be cheaper than flying. It wasn’t. But by the time I’d found this 12-hour bus adventure that stopped at hot springs, a rafflesia flower garden, and a tea plantation, the extra time and money felt worth it. Unfortunately, I can’t say it was. Here’s what to know before booking the bus to Sandakan.
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The bus to Sandakan in a nutshell
The KK to Sandakan bus isn’t going to be one of your biggest life regrets or anything. But if you’re a budget-conscious traveller, this isn’t an efficient way to spend your time or money.
We had a good enough time — we got to see Mount Kinabalu, breathe some fresh highlands air, see blooming rafflesias, and visit the Sabah Tea plantation. There’s no doubt the journey itself is beautiful! However, on top of the pretty steep cost of transport, we had to pay at least 30 MYR in extra fees along the way. And bouncing around in the back of a crowded van for hours on end does indeed get old.
Pros: Scenic journey through Sabah’s central highlands, fits several activities into one day.
Cons: At least twice as expensive as flying, tiring 12-hour journey, no control over your own time, 6 AM start time.
The morning/afternoon is the most active part of the trip, with all the activities clustered near Mount Kinabalu. But from 2 PM onwards, you’re just in the van until you get to Sandakan around 6 PM.
What to expect at each stop on the Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan bus trip
Here’s a quick run down of each stop along the KK to Sandakan bus route.
Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And I’m not against paying for conservation efforts, but in this case when you’re basically just driving past, it’s not a great use of your money. The cost? 50 MYR per person.
On a clear day, you’ll get a great view of Mount Kinabalu. And you can see some hardcore hikers getting prepped for the three day, two night climbing excursion. You’re here for about 20 minutes.
Adenna Rafflesia Garden
They’ll only make this stop if its worthwhile, but the driver briefed us in the morning that there were three rafflesias in bloom and asked if we wanted to go. I was dead keen because they’re super unique and this is one of very few places in the world where you can find them.
Rafflesias are parasitic plants and the biggest flowers in the world. Each bulb takes around nine months to develop, and only blooms for about five to seven days before decomposing. This stop was a highlight for me, but the 30 MYR for a 20-minute walk around to see the flowers is objectively extortion. The garden has 4/5 stars on Google, and every negative review is about the price lol.
But I’m still glad I did it. Bucket list tick!
Poring Hot Springs
It’s more than just hot springs! You get the most time here — around two hours — but you could easily spend more.
The national park fee you just paid gives you access to the Poring Hot Springs area because they’re part of the Kinabalu UNESCO site. But once inside, individual activities are priced separately at 10 MYR each: the hot springs, the butterfly garden, and the canopy walkway (currently closed for renovation). There’s also a 4km trail, but you don’t have time to finish it on the Sandakan bus trip.
The only free activity on site is a walk to a small waterfall. You can swim here, and I would argue it’s more refreshing than hopping in a hot spring at noon in the Borneo sun. (However, I can imagine it slaps to get in and sooth your muscles after a gruelling summit mission to Mount Kinabalu.)
Sabah Tea Plantation
I’m a tea gal so I was looking forward to this one. It’s your lunch spot before hitting the road for the longer stretch of the bus to Sandakan.
The setting is gorgeous, and our lunch was good. But as you can imagine, it’s set up for these buses and vans of tourists so the prices reflect that. We paid 60 MYR between the two of us, which is more than we’d usually spend on a meal in Borneo.
The Sabah Tea Plantation offers some fun activities, like batik painting and a tea harvesting experience, but your Sandakan bus visit won’t overlap or allow time to join them. You really just have time to eat and soak up the views. Like the Poring Hot Springs, I’d say the plantation is worth a visit if you’re doing it independently with more time, but less so as a quick bus stop.
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Total cost of the bus to Sandakan vs. flying from KK
Here’s the quick price breakdown of the pretty significant price difference of flying vs. bussing between Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. A flight will save you at least 100 MYR.
Cost of the bus to Sandakan
We paid 280 MYR each through Seek Sophie. Booking directly with River Junkies (same price) lets you customize the trip and make it a bit of a hop-on-hop-off situation.
If you stay a night or two at the Poring Hot Springs or the Sabah Tea Plantation, you can break up the drive and actually see what there is to see. In this case, I’d say the bus trip is much more worthwhile.
Keep in mind that 280 MYR doesn’t include the mandatory 50 MYR for the national park, 30 MYR for the rafflesia garden, 10 MYR for the hot springs, and any other added costs. So that’s easily an extra 100 MYR you need to tack on.
Cost of flying to Sandakan
We paid 180 MYR each for our flight back from Sadakan to KK. It’s around the same price no matter which direction you’re flying.
Air Asia runs multiple direct flights per day between KK and Sandakan. The trip takes about an hour, and the prices are pretty consistent — it’s super easy to find one under 200 MYR.
I always use Skyscanner to compare flights, but you’ll almost certainly fly Air Asia.
Of course, the cost of the flight doesn’t include transport to/from the airport. A Grab on the Kota Kinabalu side runs about 10 MYR, and a Grab on the Sandakan side will cost 20-30 MYR depending on whether you stay in Sepilok or the city. So lets say an added 50 MYR to be generous.
Is the KK bus to Sandakan worth it?
No, the bus to Sandakan isn’t worth it you ask me. The stops are interesting but the time and costs add up fast. If you just want to see rafflesias or the hot springs, there are easier ways to get to Poring without committing to a 12-hour journey.
But if you’ve got the time and low expectations about value for money, it’s a memorable way to move between cities. I will note the bus journey has 4.9 stars on Seek Sophie, so it isn’t that bad.
If you still want to visit the highlands, do a day trip from KK to Mount Kinabalu. Even if you’re not doing the big climb, you can go for the views, botanical gardens, and surrounding trails.
One last tip: Stay in Sepilok
Sandakan doesn’t have much going for it (sorry). And I’m assuming you’re heading to the Sepilok orangutan and sun bear rehabilitation centres or going straight to your Kinatanaban River lodge the day after the bus trip. If so, staying in the city adds a 30-minute drive each way for kinda no reason.
We decided to stay in the city — I guess just to see it — and arrived at our accommodation around 6 PM. We got dinner along the waterfront (which did not smell great and was littered with garbage), did a little walk around, and went back to our hotel to sleep after a long day on the bus.
There isn’t exactly a vibrant nightlife scene and you’ll have an early morning the next day anyway. Staying in Sandakan meant we had to start the day with a 30 minute drive — if I could do it again, I’d definitely stay in Sepilok.
I feel like I’m being unnecessarily negative in this article, and I have no personal beef with Sandakan. But this was my honest experience and I want you learn from my mistakes!
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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