Manukan Island
Pulau Manukan is a beautiful island resort featuring unspoiled beaches and superb class facilities.
Manukan is the second largest island of the Kota Kinabalu islands and the administrative centre for Sabah Parks.
Visitors can opt to stay in a variety of chalet accommodations which offer nearby proximity to some of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park's best beaches.
It is thought that the word Manukan means fish, however it could also be derived from the Kadazan word manuk, which means chicken.
There are also some short hiking trails to explore, most of which lead towards the south-west tip known as Sunset Point. Hikers can enjoy a magnificent view of the expansive ocean as well as nearby Sulug Island, and even have the chance to encounter exotic birds, insects and monitor lizards along the way.
Note: Don't miss the must see islands of Sipadan and Mabul (Tawau airport).
More about Manukan Island
Pulau Manukan is the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park's flagship — the second-largest island of the Kota Kinabalu group, the administrative centre for Sabah Parks, and the one park island that works as a destination rather than a stop: unspoiled beaches backed by genuinely good facilities, and the only substantial overnight option in the park, with a range of chalet accommodation strung along the shore.
The day-trip version is the classic KK outing: twenty minutes by boat from Jesselton Point to a long southern beach with swimming-pool water, easy snorkelling on the house reef, a proper restaurant, and jungle trails for the restless. Facilities are the park's best — showers, equipment rental, shade — which is exactly why families and first-time snorkellers default here.
The overnight version is the underrated move: when the last boats leave in the late afternoon, chalet guests inherit the island — sunset over the South China Sea, the beach to yourselves, and morning snorkelling before the first day-trippers land. For a honeymoon night or a gentle finish to a Sabah trip, it punches far above its logistics.
Honest note: snorkelling here is pleasant rather than spectacular — fish-rich shallows, modest coral. The park is the warm-up act; Semporna is the show. Treated as such, Manukan is a delight.