Maritime traders gave Sabah the name 'Land Below The Wind' because it lies below the typhoon belt towards the northeastern part of Borneo. Sabah's coastline of 1,440 kilometres consists of beautiful sandy beaches on the west coast, mangrove swamps on the east coast and 38 islands scattered around the state.

The South China Sea on the west and the Sulawesi Sea towards the east baths Sabah's coastline. The deep oceanic nature of the Sulawesi Sea brings rich nutrients and water clarity.

Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
Named after Malaysia's first Prime Minister who was instrumental in the merger of Sabah with Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is located merely 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu. The park headquarters located on Pulau Manukan oversees Pulau Gava, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sulug. Of the five islands, Pulau Gava is the most developed with floating villages. Connected by a sand bar from Pulau Gava is Pulau Sapi, an ideal snorkelling and diving site. The largest of the islands is Pulau Gaya, with its rich flora and fauna, sea eagles and reptiles. Beautiful white sandy beaches encompass the shoreline. The most popular beach is at Bulijong Bay, popularly known as "Police Beach". Regular boat and ferry services from mainland make the islands an attractive tourist destination.

Diving
The convenience of a mere 15 minutes boat ride to the dive sites around the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park Islands makes excellent day trip dives. Much of the diving in the area is a gentle slope with hard coral gardens, sandy bottom and sporadic coral blocks. Several colourful species of nudibranchs, damsels, fttsiliers and occas iou al visits of the whale shark spice up the dives. Encounters with pelagics are infrequent and are usually around submerged reefs.

Getting There
Sabah is served by several international airlines with direct flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Brunei, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. It is also accessible worldwide via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines and through Singapore via Singapore Airlines. Flights to major towns in Borneo like Kuching and Miri are also served by Malaysia Airlines.