Bohey Dulang Viewpoint Hike and Island Hopping Tour in Sabah, Borneo
This is a comprehensive guide to visiting Bohey Dulang island and hiking to the viewpoint. It includes all the details about the hike and our recommendations for having the best experience when hiking on Bohey Dulang.
The Bohey Dulang hike is the only trail in Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Sabah, Malaysia. At the top, you'll enjoy an incredible 180-degree panorama over a crater-shaped lagoon. Hiking on Bohey Dulang island was one of the highlights of our trip to Sabah, and adding a hike to an island-hopping itinerary was a great way to diversify the activities on that day.
Information about the Bohey Dulang Hike in Sabah
The Bohey Dulang hike is a short and steep trail. The route is a clear dirt path, and there's no way to get lost. Starting from the ticket counter, every couple of hundred meters you will pass a park guide, who's keeping an eye on whether you're breaking any rules. The biggest challenge of this trail is the steep incline, which you have to ascend over a very short distance, especially on a hot day. To prevent damaging the trail, the hike is closed during and after rain.
Distance: 1.6KM (point to point)
Incline: 200M
Duration: 25 - 45 minutes
How to Get to the Bohey Dulang Hike in Sabah
The Bohey Dulang hike is located on an island with the same name. To get to Bohey Dulang island, you'll first need to reach the town of Semporna in northeast Borneo. The closest airport to Semporna is located in Tawau. You can also reach Semporna from other airports in northern Borneo (Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan) with a long-distance bus. It's also available to hire a local driver to take you from Sandakan to Semporna, but as the roads aren't in the best condition, besides being a bit more comfortable, you won't arrive much faster than with the bus.
If you're already in Semporna, the best way to get to Bohey Dulang is by joining a group day tour, which will also include a visit to another nearby island - Mantabuan, lunch, and two times snorkeling. When choosing a tour, always ask about the number of participants, as the fewer people, the better organized the tour will be. We tried three different tours to three different destinations with three different companies and can recommend Seabunny Scubacations and Blue Ocean, as we had a very positive experience on the tour with them.
To join the tour, you can contact the companies mentioned above by WhatsApp or head to one of the tourism jetties (Public Jetty next to Dragon Inn or Jetty Pelancong) to get your deal. The earlier you sign up, the more certain you'll find a place in the tour you want. There are many tour operators on both jetties, so you'll also get a place somewhere if you come right before the meeting time (between 8am to 9am).
There's no possibility to start the tour at sunrise or finish at sunset, even if you'd like to sign up for a private boat, as there's a security curfew in Semporna that doesn't allow any boat transportation after dark.
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The Hike to Bohey Dulang Viewpoint in Sabah
To enter the Bohey Dulang trail, you must pay a fee for entering the Tun Sakaran Marine Park and also buy a ticket for the hike. These prices should be included in the day tour, so you'll find this option slightly more expensive (around 250 MYR/person) compared to other tours. Be sure to ask the tour operator if these payments are included in the package.
The path to the top of Bohey Dulang is very straightforward. It starts from the ticket counter, where you can also find a souvenir shop and free toilets, and heads up to the top without any alternative options. It's a steep dirt path with occasional stairs in the steepest places. The whole trail leads through dense jungle, so until you get to the top, you'll be covered from the strong sun. Even though you'll walk in the shade, it's very exhausting to hike up in hot temperatures, so make sure you have enough water with you. Take care of the right footwear. People in flip-flops aren't allowed to enter the hike. You don't need to have any specific shoes, so any sport shoes will be just fine. I walked up the whole trail in sandals, and nobody pointed me wrong.
Visit to Mantabuan and Snorkeling
During our one-day tour to Bohey Dulang and Mantabuan, we snorkelled in two different locations. Compared to other places we visited while island hopping in Sabah, these were the worst diving spots of all. Don't get me wrong; the waters of Sabah are some of the best diving spots in the world, with clear water and a huge variety of sea life. However, we enjoyed snorkeling more at Mabul and Mataking. We were still fortunate to see many different fish and even sea turtles, so don't be discouraged by our opinion. Instead, consider choosing a tour to the diving spots I mentioned above if you really want to focus on snorkeling or diving.
Mantabuan is a very small island. It's an ideal location to stop for a lunch break. Although the views of the endless ocean are beautiful, there's not much to do on Mantabuan island besides seeking shade under tall palm trees to protect yourself from the strong sun. Due to a military post, using a drone on Mantabuan isn't allowed.
Our experience at Bohey Dulang Hike in Sabah
Together with Maria, we agreed that combining a hike between island hopping was a very refreshing change. We found the hike to be very easy and quick, and as we reached the top in 20 minutes, we also had a nice workout. The viewpoint didn't disappoint us. From the top of Bohey Dulang, you can feel like you are a human drone. This viewpoint allows you to see an incredible 180-degree panorama over the crater-shaped lagoon and many other nearby islands far in the horizon. We really enjoyed both the hike and the view, and it was one of our favorite things we did during the whole trip to Borneo. We spent 20 minutes taking photos and just admiring the view before we returned down to the boat to continue our tour.
Thanks for this guide! It helped me a lot in organising my own trip! Cheers guys! Keep up the good work!