Hostels in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

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Get to know Kota Kinabalu (no more "I wish I knew this before")

This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Kota Kinabalu.

Kota Kinabalu (often called KK) is a beautiful city in Malaysia and the capital of Sabah region. Kota Kinabalu is well known for its beautiful scenery (Mount Kinabalu and Pulau Sipadan), shopping malls, budget accommodation, good nightlife, and a lot of restaurants with amazing fresh seafood. Kota Kinabalu is easily reachable by all transports (flight, boat, bus, and train), but probably the best way is by air –- there are a lot of low cost companies that fly here from different parts of Southeast Asia. The airport is located only about six kilometers from the city center –- you can take a taxi or minibus.

Kota Kinabalu has a lot to offer, depending your tastes and budget. During your stay in Kota Kinabalu city, you should visit the old area to see the remains of its colonial past, including the Sabah State Museum and Heritage Garden and the Waterfront Markets. If you are into more outdoor activities, you should try to do water rafting (do a one-day tour that can be easily arranged in every tour agency in the city), dive in Pulau Sipadan (recognized as one of the best places in the world to do dive -– here you can see barracudas, sharks, turtles, and amazing reefs), or climb the huge Mount Kinabalu (more than four thousand meters high). There are a lot of tours operated by different agencies in Kota Kinabalu organizing trips to the summit (the average is two days/one night).

Kota Kinabalu has a lot of hostels available, where you can have a good time, and in most of them you can also organize your tours. Kota Kinabalu hostels are on a budget, but clean, friendly, and in a relaxed environment.

Written by local enthusiast for Kota Kinabalu hostels

Written by local enthusiast for Kota Kinabalu hostels Grace

Kota Kinabalu Hostel Cheatsheet

Above we list every single hostel there is in the city. Let us take a broader look at what you can expect - and what not. We created this cheatsheet for you to get a more complete picture of the hostel quality in Kota Kinabalu, average prices and types of hostels to choose from.
19 Total number of hostels
$9 Average dorm price
$25 Average private room price
$4.5 Cheapest hostel in Kota Kinabalu
H2 Backpackers is the cheapest
2 Party hostels in Kota Kinabalu
TOOJOU Kota Kinabalu is the best rated
6.1 Average rating of all hostels

Other Nearby Cities

Poring (17 Km / 11 mi.)
Kinabalu Park (53 Km / 33 mi.)
Ranau (65 Km / 41 mi.)
Kudat (132 Km / 82 mi.)
Bandar Seri Begawan (169 Km / 105 mi.)
Kampong Gadong (174 Km / 108 mi.)

Travel Tips for Kota Kinabalu - from the Community

Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Kota Kinabalu. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Kota Kinabalu. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!

Kota Kinabalu comments only. Don't discuss the hostels here, post a review on the hostel's page instead.

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