You can either fly or catch a bus from Semporna. Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines offers multiple flights daily from Tawau, which is just a one hour drive away from Semporna, and take approximately 50 minutes to get to Kota Kinabalu.

If you’re on the backpacker circuit, buses leave daily for Kota Kinabalu at 7:30AM/7:30PM from the Semporna Bus terminal. It takes about eight hours to reach Semporna by bus and costs approximately RM75. From the Kota Kinabalu bus station, you can either take a taxi or a local bus to get to the city centre.

From Sandakan, you can get an express bus to Kota Kinabalu which takes around six hours and costs approximately RM50. From the Kota Kinabalu bus station, you can either take a taxi or a local bus to get to the city centre.

You can also fly from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. Air Asia has two flights daily and Malaysia Airlines have six flights daily. The flight takes about 1.15hr.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and the major transport hub for the country (you’ll likely arrive here if you’re flying from overseas). You’ll want to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in order to get to Scuba Junkie. Air Asia provides 14 flights a day that fly directly to Kota Kinabalu, and Malaysia Airlines offers 10 flights that go directly to Kota Kinabalu. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu takes approximately 2 1/2 hours.

If you’re coming from Europe, North America, or anywhere else outside of Asia, you’ll want to book flights to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and the major transport hub for the country. Many major airline carriers offer flights to Kuala Lumpur including Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines. Check with your travel agent for cheapest prices, or visit some of the many online ticket vendors including cheaptickets, lastminute, Expedia, Orbitz, and more. Don’t forget your passport!