Cheap flights to Kota Kinabalu

• China Southern Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Royal Brunei Airlines
• British Airways
• Emirates
• Lufthansa
• Singapore Airlines

• The journey from London Heathrow Airport to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo is about 18 to 20 hours long. The cruise can have one to two stopovers, depending on the airline you chose to fly with, and the layovers might be in Brunei Darussalam or Kuala Lumpur.
• Your trip from Manchester to Kota Kinabalu will reach completion in about 19 to 21 hours. These flights have stopovers in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.
• Flights taking off from Birmingham for Kota Kinabalu again take 19 to 21 hours to reach their destination. The flight comes with two stopovers, one in Europe and the other in Pacific Asia.
• The journey to Kota Kinabalu from London Gatwick Airport also takes 21 hours to complete. Doha or Dubai can be the first stopover of the flight but the second stopover is always in Kuala Lumpur.

No, as of right now, there are no direct flights from any airport in the UK to Kota Kinabalu. The passengers to the tropical destination, however, have a preferred route. The cheapest and quickest way to Kota Kinabalu is via a Pacific Asian flight like China Southern Airlines, Malaysia Airlines or Royal Brunei Airlines. You can take a direct flight from London to Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur or Brunei Darussalam and then hop on to a connecting flight to the airport in Kota Kinabalu.

The cheapest time to come to Kota Kinabalu is in early summer when the city, instigated by the rainforest in the surroundings, receives rainfall. Coming to Kota Kinabalu in the rainy season has its own rules and benefits. Not only can you get cheaper accommodations right on the beach front, but air travel is also affordable as the demand decreases. However, do come to Kota Kinabalu or KK, as it is affectionately called by the locals, with an umbrella as it will rain almost half of the time of your stay. The rainy season may make a few puddles on the road, but it would not bore holes in your pocket, at least that much is guaranteed.

The international airport serving Kota Kinabalu is named after the city. Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) has seen a significant increase in air traffic as more and more tourists find Malaysian Borneo an exciting place to visit. Kota Kinabalu is essentially a strip of land between the Crocker Ranger in the south-west and the South China Sea in the north-east. The airport is located on the southern half of the city, but the most densely populated and historical half of the town is in the north –which is seen as the city centre. Taking the Jalan Coastal Highway, you can reach the city centre, close to the Jesselton Point, in about fifteen minutes after covering 9 kilometres from the airport.

From December to March is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu since it is the driest time of the year in the city. Kota Kinabalu is on the island of Borneo, which is famous for the last remaining Asian rainforests in the world. Apart from cleansing the air, a rainforest produces its own rain. However, from December to March the showers get blown inland, leaving the coastal city of Kota Kinabalu dry and fresh. This period is also the busiest time of the year for tourists, and one can expect to see the prices of the hotels and the air tickets rise. To be on the safe side, plan your visit well in advance to get an edge and grab cheaper tickets and accommodations.

Kota Kinabalu is located in western Malaysia, ideal for people who want to get away from their lives and enjoy some downtime. The jungle and the sea squeeze the city from either side, making a cul de sac for vacationers and tourist to rejuvenate in supreme nature.

• The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park is only 8 kilometres from downtown Kota Kinabalu, due west. The national park is among the few in the world that mostly comprises an area over the open sea –almost two-thirds. The area above sea-level includes five islands that include Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik, Sulug and the largest Gaya Island. You can visit the watery national park by first taking a ferry from Jesselton Point. There are many services available there, and tourists can choose to snorkel and scuba dive to see the thriving coral reef right off the coast. Drive to the bottom of the sea to visit the Atlantis of the vibrant water-breathing populace of Kota Kinabalu.
• Mount Kinabalu is the twentieth highest with regards to topographic prominence. In layman's terms, the peak juts abruptly to reach a tremendous height and is a sight to behold. The ecology and the biodiversity is unique and profound, to say the least. The flora and fauna of the Mount Kinabalu region is the most diverse on the planet. It is one of the last places on earth where plants and animals of all three Himalayan, Australasian and Malayan origin thrive. To give the reader an inkling there are only five hundred species of ferns in all of Africa, but in the forests around Mount Kinabalu alone there are six hundred fern species growing roots and competing for sunlight. Kota Kinabalu is the most important biological site in the world.
• The Kota Kinabalu City Mosque is one of the masterpieces of modern Islamic architecture. The mosque was built in the year 2000 and now serves a total of 12,000 worshippers at any given time. A manmade lagoon encircles the mosque and provides the structure with its nickname – the floating mosque. The Kota Kinabalu Mosque is a tourist destination since the administration of this institution has invested heavily in integrating the mosque with society. You can visit the mosque and take a boat ride on the lagoon and admire the green and gold dome of the Mosque.

Kota Kinabalu, as mentioned above, is on a narrow strip of land between the Crocker Range and the Sea. You can walk from one side of downtown to the other in about 30 minutes. If you are an athletic person who likes to walk, then you can always move between the airport in the south to your hotel in the north on foot in just an hour or two. There is still Uber and Grab -a Malaysian variant of a call-in taxi service. Most foreigners use these mobile applications to move around because they are safe, cheap and reliable. A bus is also an excellent option for a trip around Kota Kinabalu. The bus stations dot along the Tun Razak Road. Sometimes they are not as clearly designated, but you can ask around for the nearest bus station. Usually, bus tickets do not cost more than half a Malaysian Ringgit. When planning a visit to Mount Kinabalu, please acquire the services of certified climbers, who would guide you through the living UNESCO World Heritage site.

The sunsets are incredible on Kota Kinabalu especially when you view them from a balcony of a five-star hotel on the right on the coast, surrounded with palm trees. Here are a couple of options; choose your pick!

• Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa
• The Pacific Sutera Hotel - Sutera Harbor Resort
• Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu
• Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
• Hilton Kota Kinabalu