# Things to see in Tawau (Malaysia): 13 places and when to go > Tawau is a city in Malaysia with around 306,000 inhabitants, and this site lists 13 places in and around it, mainly Nature (9), Mountains (7), Wildlife (1). The best known are Mount Bombalai, Mount Magdalena and Mount Maria. The best time to come is February to April and June to August; also possible: January, May and September to October. There are about 12 h 15 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tawau/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **Where:** Malaysia · 4.271, 117.896 - **Population:** About 306,000 - **Places:** 13 places on this site, in the town and around it. - **What people come for:** [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/naturaleza/) (9) · [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/montana/) (7) · [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/fauna/) (1) · [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/historia/) (1) · [Architecture](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/arquitectura/) (1) · [Temples](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/espiritual/) (1) - **Best time:** February to April and June to August. - **Also possible:** January, May and September to October. - **Nearest airport:** BKI Kota Kinabalu, 276 km as the crow flies - **Highest point:** Mount Magdalena, at 1,311 m. ## What to see in Tawau The places in and around Tawau, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies. - [Mount Bombalai](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-bombalai/): Mountain in Malaysia · 13 km - [Mount Magdalena](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-magdalena/): Mountina in Sabah, Malaysia · 25 km - [Mount Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-maria/): Mountain in Sabah, Malaysia · 19 km - [Tawau Hills National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tawau-hills-park/): Natural park in Tawau, Sabah · 20 km - [Mount Lucia](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-lucia/): Volcanic cone in Malaysia · 23 km - [Tawau Bell Tower](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tawau-bell-tower/): Tower in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia · 3.3 km - [Batu Tinagat Lighthouse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/batu-tinagat-lighthouse/): Lighthouse in Malaysia · 11 km - [Fo Guang Shan Temple, Tawau](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/fo-guang-shan-temple/): Buddhist temple in Tawau, Malaysia · 2.4 km - [Middle Hill](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/middle-hill/): Hill in Malaysia · 3.5 km - [Mount Andrassy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-andrassy/): Hill in Malaysia · 11 km - [Mount Pyramid](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-pyramid/): Mountain in Sabah, Malaysia · 29 km - [Muul Hill](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/muul-hill/): Hill in Malaysia · 25 km - [Swirl Patch](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/swirl-patch/): Reef · 10 km ## When to go to Tawau The best time to visit Tawau is **February to April and June to August**; also possible: January, May and September to October. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 11 h 47 | | February | Best time | 11 h 52 | | March | Best time | 11 h 58 | | April | Best time | 12 h 06 | | May | Possible | 12 h 12 | | June | Best time | 12 h 15 | | July | Best time | 12 h 13 | | August | Best time | 12 h 08 | | September | Possible | 12 h 01 | | October | Possible | 11 h 54 | | November | Better not | 11 h 48 | | December | Better not | 11 h 45 | There are about 12 h 15 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. In February, 13 of the 13 places are at their best. When to go to Malaysia in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#cuando-ir). ## Getting to Tawau The nearest main airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI, Kota Kinabalu), 276 km as the crow flies. How to get around Malaysia (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/#antes-de-salir). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=4.271%2C117.896) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=4.271%2C117.896) ## Other towns nearby - [Sandakan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/sandakan/): 12 places · 177 km - [Kota Kinabalu](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kota-kinabalu/): 16 places · 275 km - [Kuching](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kuching/): 26 places · 895 km - [Johor Bahru](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/johor-bahru/): 43 places · 1,605 km - [Kuantan](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kuantan/): 6 places · 1,619 km - [Kluang](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/kluang/): 5 places · 1,639 km And all of Malaysia, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is there to see in Tawau? The best known: [Mount Bombalai](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-bombalai/), [Mount Magdalena](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-magdalena/), [Mount Maria](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-maria/), [Tawau Hills National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/tawau-hills-park/), [Mount Lucia](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/malasia/mount-lucia/). In all, 13 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one. ### When is the best time to visit Tawau? February to April and June to August; also possible: January, May and September to October. There are about 12 h 15 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. ### How do you get to Tawau? The nearest main airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI), 276 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=4.271%2C117.896) opens the route on the map. ### How do I add it to my trip? Create a trip with Tawau as the destination and these 13 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby. Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).