For those beach lovers looking for a weekend getaway, look no further than your neighbouring country! White soft sands, crystal clear azure waters, gorgeous villas, the perfect relaxation beach holiday for you!

Easy to get there

There’s a direct flight from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu City and it only takes a 10 minutes ferry ride from the city to get to Manukan Island! As compared to some other islands, you have to take a 8-10 hours bus ride just to get there!

Short 10 minutes ferry ride from the city to the island!

Upon arrival, get greeted by paradise!

Delicious food that satisfies your taste buds

You can have your lunch at the BBQ buffet which serves really good grilled lamb, satay and even crab!

Dinner was really good too! We dined at the restaurant that was next to the place where we had our BBQ lunch. The beef rendang here was really tender and tasty!

The beef rendang is highly recommended!

Buffet breakfast with a wide variety of choices.

Enjoy the luxury of your double storey dream villa

We were super impressed the moment we entered the villa, it was much larger than we expected! Although we only stayed 1 night here, we felt rejuvenated and well-rested. All ready and revved up to carry on the rest of our adventure in Sabah 🙂

View of our villa at night

First up, the living room!

The really spacious toilet which comes with a personal jacuzzi!

We honestly had one of our best sleeps here! Especially when we just finished climbing Mt. Trusmadi, this sleep was really well needed.

Extremely soft and comfy bed with so many pillows!

The beautiful sea view right straight from our room’s balcony

Feast your eyes on the gorgeous sunset at the island

You have to hike a short 30-45 minutes to get to the sunset viewing point. Definitely worth the walk! 🙂

Tip: It’s a must to bring insect repellent if you’re planning to do this hike! Mosquitoes are desperate here! Daniel got bitten like crazy!

Enjoying the sunset view at Manukan Island!

Pretty clouds pattern formation around the beautiful sunset

If you’re more daring, you can even climb down the rocks to get a different view! We didn’t bother to, but well, this family here definitely seem to be enjoying themselves.

Enjoy the peace and quiet at your villa’s private beach

For residents staying at the villa, you’ll get to enjoy your own private beach. Quite a delight actually, considering that there are plenty of day-trippers but they will be at the other side of the beach.

Peace and quiet at our own private beach!

Night view of the beach

Plenty of beach activities for everyone to enjoy

You can choose to snorkel, dive, helmet diving, island hop or simply just relax at the beach and enjoy the sea breeze!

Overall, we highly recommend Manukan Island to anyone who’s looking for a nearby beach getaway that’s not too commercialised. This is also a great place to rejuvenate yourselves especially for those that have just completed an intensive climb like Mt Kinabalu or Mt Trusmadi.

Essential information

How to get here
Direct flight from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu and then take a ferry (10 mins only) from either Jesselton Point or Sutra Harbour.

Where we stayed at
Manukan Island Resort, we stayed in the Hill Side Villa.

However if you prefer a fuss free experience, you can consider booking your package with Amazing Borneo and they will be able to help you book everything from the ferry tickets, accommodation, meals to activities. 

Which is your favourite nearby beach getaway? Share with us in the comments below!