Sabah islands: seasons and permits

We hold no verified season dates for Sabah islands, so the honest way to check is to ask your operator or resort for its dates in writing. What our research does confirm is a set of Sabah Parks fees and permit rules, set out below. Anything not listed here is a question.

Sabah islands depend on an operator for permits, boats and sometimes the stay itself. Read our guide to which Sabah island suits a first Borneo trip alongside this page.

What do the Sabah Parks pages confirm?

Place	What our research confirms
Sipadan	About 45 minutes from Semporna by speedboat in calm seas, no accommodation on the island since gazetting in 2004 [1]
Sipadan permits	Booked by registered operators at Sabah Parks, up to six months ahead, 50 per cent deposit, full payment two weeks before [2]
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park	Five islands about 3 km offshore from Kota Kinabalu [3]
Pulau Tiga	Park fees and a mud bath charge listed by Sabah Parks [5]

The Sipadan details cover diving permits. Our research did not confirm what applies to snorkelling there.

What do the fees look like for Malaysians?

For Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Sabah Parks lists an entrance fee per person per day. A Malaysian aged 18 and above pays RM8 and one aged 13 to 17 pays RM5 ^[4]. It is free for 12 and below, 60 and above and disabled visitors ^[4].

For Pulau Tiga, it lists RM6 for a Malaysian adult and RM2 for 13 to 17 per day ^[5].

Sabah Parks pages say to confirm before travel, so ask your operator whether the amount is in the package or paid on arrival. Our Sabah island budget guide shows where the other costs sit.

How do you check seasons and dates for a Sabah island?

Do these in order.

1. Name the island and your exact days.
2. Ask the operator or resort for its operating dates in writing.
3. Ask whether the permit is needed, who books it and by when.
4. Ask what happens if the sea is too rough to sail.
5. Keep the reply with your confirmation.

Our Sabah island weather guide describes the patterns, and the broader method is in the guide on how to check whether a resort is operating on your dates.

What about cancellation and deposits for Sipadan?

Operators book Sipadan permits with Sabah Parks, and the reported rules are strict. A cancellation more than two weeks out keeps 10 per cent, and one under two weeks forfeits everything ^[2]. Ask the operator how those rules pass through to you before you pay a deposit.

What do Peninsular Malaysians need?

A MyKad is reported to be enough to enter Sabah, with a stay capped at 90 days ^[6]. The source is a news report from 2022, so verify the current rule with Sabah immigration.

A better fit if…

Tunku Abdul Rahman Park may be a better fit if you want short boat trips from Kota Kinabalu and clear park fees. Confirm the island and the boat.

Semporna islands may be a better fit if diving is the point, and you are happy for the operator to handle permits well ahead.

Either may be a poor fit if your dates are fixed and you cannot get written operating dates in time. Ask first, and book after.