Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP) is a park off the coast of the island of Borneo in Malaysia made up of five islands: Gaya, Manukan, Sapi, Sulug and Mamutik. The islands are popular destinations for snorkeling, diving, and spending time on the beach, and they also have resorts, jungle trails, and wildlife. They are very close to Kota Kinabalu, so they're easy to reach on a day trip or to spend a few nights.

Understand
The marine park is under the administration of the Sabah Parks Authority, which has the mandate to oversee designated protected areas and ensure their maintenance and upkeep as reserves while catering to tourists wanting to enjoy the natural beauty that Sabah has to offer.

The largest amongst the island group is Pulau Gaya at 15 km2 of untouched dense rainforest. The Kampong at the Eastern end is a Kampong Laut with 6000 villagers.

Gaya Island boasts some of the best coral and un-spoilt beaches in the entire park. It has three resorts.

Landscape
All five islands are partly forested, with a mixture of rocky coastlines and white sand beaches. They are located closely together, well within sight of each other and of the Kota Kinabalu city on the mainland. Gaya is by far the largest of the islands it has walking trails on it at 300ft, stray from the poorly marked route and you will very quickly be stuck in the deep ravines that drop away down to the sea, a guide is recommended. With Manukan coming in at a distant second, with a very good reef at the rear of the island.

Flora and fauna
The TARP islands are home to some areas of old growth forest. The Dipterocarpaceae family of tropical lowland rainforest trees can be found especially on the Gaya Island, the biggest of the group of five TARP islands. Tongkat Ali, a small ever red treelet growing to 15 m and Eucalyptus trees can be found on a nature walk within the islands. Mangrove trees also make up an important part of the coastal ecosystem within the park.

The Marine Park also has diverse wildlife. Pulau Gaya is home to hairy pig, long-tailed macaques, hornbills, monitor lizards which swim between the islands and the mainland, there are also snake, the green pit vipers are stunning, there are sea crates in the water, the yellow banded mangrove snake. Macaques aren't hard to spot if you hang around, as they like to come steal food. An albino python has also been seen there.

Pulau Sapi has much of the same wildlife, especially monitor lizards, which are easy to see on the trail.

Climate
The climate within the marine park is generally very good, clear, hot and sunny in the morning, cooling into late afternoon. The marine park is near the mainland and partially sheltered by the harbour and the Crocker Range.

The state of Sabah (and Borneo) is below the wind (typhoon), but, can still receive some rough weather and heavy rainfall during the Western and Eastern Monsoon seasons.

Every now and then the weather rolls in from the South China Sea and the water can be rough and murky.

With the available internet weather sites you will find more accurate real time information there to plan your days out.

Visitor information
Visitor information from Sabah Tourism

Get in
Travel to the TAR Marine Park can be done by speedboats that can be caught at the in the northern end of Kota Kinabalu, along Jalan Fuad Stephens. There are about a dozen tour boat companies operating inside the terminal. All of them offer different boats with different departure times from both the terminal and back from the islands. Once chosen, passenger will have to stick to that boat and according operator for all his rides inside the national park. Prices are fixed: return boat trip to any of the islands costs RM35, two island hops RM45, three island hops RM55, four island hops RM65 (as of 2024). A compulsory terminal fee of RM7 per person must also be paid at the terminal before departing. Your admission fee (usually RM25, but see below) is payable upon arrival to the first visited island, paid tickets should be kept and shown at the reception desk on any second island. Boats depart roughly every hour, with earliest departure at 8AM (but arrive a half hour early to get the tickets) and last departure at 4:30PM. The last return boats are at 4PM. You can choose to spend as little as an hour on one island, or all day, or hop in between islands depending on how many trips you purchase at the terminal. The trip takes 15-25 minutes depending on the island.

The boats are scheduled, so you must book the time you want to come back when you buy the tickets.

Equipment such as snorkels and life jackets can be rented at the Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. If you want to swim off the beach, rent a life jacket there, as it is mandatory to wear life jackets while swimming. This will cost RM10 each (2024), although you can also rent one for RM11 (plus a RM20 deposit) on Manukan if you forget.

For unscheduled trips one can charter a boat for RM300-350, with up to 12 people.

It is best to try and go to these islands during the week as the islands are a popular destination for locals and it can get busy during the weekend. The further the island is that you visit the less amenities on the island and also the more secluded. An alternative that avoids the hassle and expense of staying on the islands is to stay in Kota Kinabalu and head over to the islands on day trips. If don't want to face the crowds then pre-book your trip with one of the operators below.

Unless you are spending the night on the islands or have chartered a boat, the last boats back to the city leave at 4PM. Be on time, because the boat operators will charge you a large fee for after hours pickups.

Fees and permits
Admission fee (Feb 2019): Non-Malaysian adults RM25, children under 18 RM15, children under 6 RM10, seniors over 60 RM15. Malaysians adults RM5, children under 18 RM3, children under 6 free, seniors RM3. Visitors with disabilities free.

The admission fee is separate from the boat fare and terminal fees (see above). Pay it at the first island you arrive at, and you'll receive a ticket which you can show at any other islands you visit to avoid paying twice.

The camping fee is RM5 for adults and RM2 for children.

Diving permits are RM50 for Non-Malaysians and RM20 for Malaysians.

Get around
If you paid for it when you booked your tickets, boats can take you from island to island.

Do

 * Some of the islands have jungle trails:
 * Sapi: A single 1.5– to 2-km trail through the jungle that circles the island. It's not overly strenuous, but it is a hike, so probably best to wear something other than flip flops. It takes an hour, give or take, depending on how fast you hike and how much time you spend stopping to look at animals. It's easy to spot two-meter monitor lizards, which will waddle away from you when they hear you coming. You can also see hermit crabs, smaller lizards, and hornbills.
 * Manukan: A 1.5– to 2-km trail.
 * Gaya: Extensive network of trails. It's possible to see macaques here—take the trail to the right, behind the toilets. Also look out for brown lizards, hornbills, and sleeping bats.
 * Marine informative museum is also found here and options for those not inclined to swim in the sea can opt for swimming in the pool or take a hike along the nature trail.
 * Water sports including boat and beach toy rentals are available on Manukan, Mamutik and Sapi.
 * Zipline from Gaya to Sapi. If you're on Sapi, a boat will take you to Gaya and you zipline back; if you're on Gaya, you can zip over first and a boat will take you back. They say it's the longest island-to-island zipline in the world, but it's pretty fast – only about 20 seconds, over the water between the two islands. Unless you've never done a zipline before and you're dying to try, it's probably not worth the money. RM86 for non-Malaysians, RM64 for Malaysians (2019). Operates 10AM-3:30PM.
 * Zipline from Gaya to Sapi. If you're on Sapi, a boat will take you to Gaya and you zipline back; if you're on Gaya, you can zip over first and a boat will take you back. They say it's the longest island-to-island zipline in the world, but it's pretty fast – only about 20 seconds, over the water between the two islands. Unless you've never done a zipline before and you're dying to try, it's probably not worth the money. RM86 for non-Malaysians, RM64 for Malaysians (2019). Operates 10AM-3:30PM.

Diving and snorkelling
Scuba diving & Snorkeling is offered on all of the islands, but Sapi & Mamutik are now the busiest. Many of the boat operators will offer to rent mask and snorkel/ other equipment for RM10, or just bring your own if you have it. Life jackets are required for swimming.

Diving is offered by the several dive centers offering certification courses like PADI, SDI, Scuba :School International and open water beginner courses. Coral beds and marine flora is abundant here and dive spots can be found along all the designated dive sites in the Park. Several dive operators with offices in Tanjung Aru Plaza, Wisma Sabah, Plaza Tanjung Aru & KK Times Square (South KK) in Kota Kinabalu organize day dive boat trips to these islands. During late January - mid March the diving conditions in TARP can be impacted by plankton blooms and jelly fish.

Two full service dive centres provide services to TARP: Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures, based on Gaya Island, and Borneo Dream based in Kota Kinabalu). Both centres have good access to the surrounding dive sites.



Buy
Sapi Island has a small shop with snacks, beach equipment, and a few souvenirs.

Eat
Restaurants are available on some of the islands. Expect the food to be overpriced and not especially good, but it'll fill you up.

There are a variety of hawker stalls and minimarkets at the ferry terminal, so it is advisable to purchase something in advance.

Sleep
You can stay on 3 of the islands, either camping or staying in lodges.

Lodging

 * Gayana Resort catering to tourists wishing to stay the night and enjoy the excursion in Gaya or island hop to the other islands is built on stilts and is sited in a bay on the island and offer chalet style accommodations complete with restaurant, souvenir shops and conference facilities.
 * Manukan Island Resort For the avid diver, the reefs at Manukan Island offers excellent crystal water and beautiful corals. For those who want to enjoy the scenery, take a leisurely stroll along the nature trail or simply laze by the long stretch of beautiful beach.
 * Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spais the award-winning property that sits on Gaya Island. With 52 timbered villas that sits over the hills of Police Bay.

Stay safe
If wishing to travel to Sulug, Gaya and other islands please ensure you check with authoritative and reliable sources as to the safety of the trip prior to booking. The waters surrounding the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park can be subject to extreme weather events, especially in the middle of the Monsoon season when the seas may become quite rough.

As always, swimmers should be careful of dangerous ocean creatures, especially jellyfish. The park authority posts warning signs during jellyfish season (October - May), although you should stay vigilant at all times. Most jellyfish will cause a very painful sting or burning to the skin. A Jellyfish sting should followed up with first aid then treated with vinegar, further medical help at hospital should be given immediately.

The Eastern tip of Gaya Island, directly opposite the city of Kota Kinabalu, is populated by a Kampung Laut of 6000 mostly illegal immigrants. This part of the island is locally considered to be a dangerous area due to a high risk of crime. Most other locations on Gaya Island, however, including the Gayana Resort, Police Beach, and the dive center, are far from this part of the island.

Go next

 * Kota Kinabalu