Tawau Travel Guide

Tawau is Sabah’s southernmost city, sitting on the coast of the Celebes Sea near the Indonesian border. With a population of roughly 400,000 in the wider district, it is the third-largest urban area in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Most international visitors encounter Tawau primarily as an airport: it is the air entry point for the Semporna dive area and serves as a transit hub for travellers moving between peninsular Malaysia, the Sipadan diving grounds, and Indonesian Kalimantan. The city itself is a working commercial centre — a mix of Sabahan Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, and Filipino communities engaged in plantation agriculture, fishing, and cross-border trade.

Getting to Tawau

Tawau Airport (IATA: TWU) handles direct domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur (AirAsia and MASwings, approximately 2.5 hours) and Kota Kinabalu (approximately 50 minutes). The airport is practical and functional, handling significant passenger volume given its role as the Sipadan dive gateway.

There is no realistic overland route to Tawau from the rest of Sabah — the road north through Kunak and Lahad Datu covers significant distance and takes a full day. Flying is the standard approach for virtually all visitors. From the airport, taxis to Tawau town cost RM20–30; Grab also operates in Tawau. Transfer to Semporna (90 minutes north) is available by taxi (approximately RM80–120 per car) or by bus from the Tawau long-distance bus terminal.

Semporna and Sipadan Access

The primary reason most visitors come to Tawau is to transit to Semporna for diving. Semporna is the launch point for the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, which contains Sipadan Island — consistently rated among the top ten dive sites in the world. Sipadan is an oceanic island surrounded by a wall that drops to over 600 metres; its fish biomass, shark populations (white-tip, grey reef, hammerhead on occasion), and large turtle populations make it exceptional.

Entry to Sipadan is controlled by a permit system with a daily limit of 120 divers. Permits are allocated by dive operators in Semporna, not individually; to dive Sipadan you must book through a licensed operator in Semporna or Mabul. Permits for popular periods are frequently sold out months in advance. If Sipadan is the objective, book before arrival — turning up and hoping for availability is not a viable strategy for peak season.

For those whose main goal is Sipadan, Tawau is simply the airport. Arrange a transfer to Semporna on arrival and proceed directly.

Tawau Hills Park

Tawau Hills Park is a 28,000-hectare protected forest reserve on the outskirts of the city, notable among foresters and ecologists for containing some of the tallest tropical trees on record — several specimens of Shorea faguetiana have been measured above 90 metres, making them among the tallest flowering plants in the world. For general visitors, the park offers short to medium walking trails through lowland dipterocarp forest, a hot spring (Bombalai Spring), and birdwatching along the river margins.

The park entrance is approximately 24km from Tawau town centre, accessible by taxi or private transport. Entry costs RM10 for foreign nationals. There are basic facilities at the entrance but no accommodation within the park itself. Half a day is sufficient for the main trails; the hot spring and the canopy viewpoints are the highlights.

The City

Tawau’s central area has a Chinese-dominated commercial core with several active wet markets, coffee shops, and seafood restaurants. The Tawau Morning Market (Pasar Tawau) is the most productive entry point to the city’s daily rhythm: fresh fish, tropical produce, Indonesian imports, and a variety of cooked breakfast food available from around 6am.

The Tawau Central Wharf area handles the Indonesian ferry traffic and has a busy informal market adjacent to the departure terminal. The Indonesian influence on the city is visible in the food (several warungs serving Indonesian-style rice and noodle dishes), the products in the markets, and the mix of languages audible on the streets.

Cocoa and Palm Oil

Tawau and the surrounding Tawau District were historically Malaysia’s most important cocoa-growing region, and the area remains significant for cocoa despite competition from other producing countries. Several plantation estates are accessible for tours, though these require advance arrangement and are typically done through tour operators rather than independently. Palm oil is the dominant crop across the wider region; the drive north from Tawau to Semporna passes through continuous plantation landscape.

Food

Tawau’s food scene reflects its mixed population. Chinese coffee shops concentrated around the Tawau Market area serve wonton noodles, pork rice, and the full range of Sabah Chinese breakfast staples. Malay and Indonesian stalls provide an alternative for pork-free options. Seafood is fresh and well-priced given the city’s coastal location — grilled fish, mantis prawn, and local shellfish are available at the restaurants along the waterfront. The Indonesian influence also shows in several Ambonese and Javanese-style rice dishes available in the market area.

When to Go

Tawau is accessible year-round. The diving season at Sipadan runs throughout the year, with visibility consistently good given the oceanic setting. Tawau Hills Park is accessible in any season; the hot spring and forest trails are not significantly affected by seasonal rainfall patterns. The Indonesian border crossing by ferry operates year-round, though rough weather in the Celebes Sea can occasionally delay or cancel crossings.