Hostels in Sabah, Malaysia

Semporna is an interesting place to visit, with several islands surrounded by coral reefs for snorkeling and diving, more beautiful than many other snorkeling spots worldwide. Staying at this hostel instead of moving to an island resort is a good way to budget. And not only that, the fish market in Semporna is the most incredible one I have seen, seafood like lobsters, large shrimps, crabs so fresh, not even the one at Kota Kinabalu can be compared good as it was too. The DZ hostel lady staff was very helpful and can arrange for island trips at a reasonable price. The dorms are separated into boys and girls, something I truly appreciate. The bathrooms faced the afternoon sun, so they were dried easily and kept clean. Laundry by machine was offered free, a super plus for swimmers. The hostel also offered local Malay snack food for breakfast, and coffee or tea were always available. To be honest, it's a good budget place to stay while splurging on the island tours. It's a bit sad that no cooking is allowed here, even though there was a kitchen. Sad because the seafood mentioned above was so available. The facade of the building is nothing to boast about, and like many places, the external (streets, pavement, eyc) can be a mess. That should not deter visiting this part of the world mainly because the sea in this area is astoundingly replenished with marine life.

Location is centrally placed in the Town and with that comes some annoyances: street noise, stray fighting dogs and loud neighbours, including some guests who ignore the ” from 10pm quiet rule ” ear plugs are essential. Outdoor shoes to be removed at the front door. 100Riggit is taken at checkin and reimbursed on check-out. I had the double bunk bed room. Comfortable wide bed with bedside lamp ,a bonus. No wardrobes,could do with more hanging hooks. Shared bathrooms. There were three showers and three toilets which I never had to queue for one. Each shower room and toilet was supplied with flipflops. Loads of 'do's' and 'don'ts” notices everywhere with threats of heavy monetary penalties. AC worked well, I hate hard floors so used soft slippers in my room. Everywhere is spotlessly clean in the common areas as mentioned, although my room wasn't or rubbish emptied in the three days I was there. The kitchenette was adequate for hot drinks but someone else was cooking breakfast in the microwave. Resident cat's still present. The bus terminal for Tawau is about 50metres down the road,extremely convenient!

I had a great stay! The capsule-style bunk beds were clean, comfortable, and provided good privacy with personal lighting and charging ports. The room was cozy and well-maintained, and the shared space felt safe and quiet. Perfect for budget travelers. Would definitely recommend!

My trip to Kota Kinabalu was unplanned and I bought my tickets only two days before flying. With such a last minute plan, I decided not to spend much on accommodation. I looked through a few hostel options online and this one stood out mainly because of its central location, so I went ahead and booked it. The hostel is very easy to locate. Just follow the signs and you will find it without any issue. It is on the first floor, which means you only need to go one level up from the ground. When I arrived, the staff were friendly and check in was fast. The same can be said about check out. Everything was simple. The bed was okay and quite standard for hostel stays. My bed was comfortable enough, had a window and came with a charging port which made things convenient. The bathroom was also fine. I only wish guests, especially ladies, would throw their hair into the dustbin instead of leaving it on the wall. It would make the bathroom nicer for everyone. All in all, it was a reasonable stay and matched what I expected for the price. Everything was generally good and okay.

It's not far from RDC and the Orangutan Conservation Center. The sanitation is good, the environment is nice and quiet, and the front desk service is good. One thing to note is that it's not so easy to get a taxi from there to the city. I waited for 20 minutes before I got one.

The room was clean, very clean. The air conditioner and bathroom were also very clean. Two people cleaned, and the sheets were changed immediately after each person left. The location is convenient for island hopping, about 800 meters away.

hye. the lady at front counter very amazing, very friendly and helpful. the room is also tidy, just nice for 1-2 traveller. however, there are some amenities that are broken..the plug in the room is broken, so i can only use one plug. and the door at the ladies toilet also broken and very dangerous because it can. falll and hit others. i hope the technical and management team are aware of this. they need to check often. other than that im satisfied. especially the location since it is very very near to the entrance of imago mall.

The cleanliness and hygiene were on par with the price, but the bed, at least by my standards, was clean. The staff were very friendly and the location in a bustling area was a plus. If you're just looking for a place to sleep, it's fine for a one or two-night stay.

I arrived in Tawau at 3 PM, but the airport didn't allow overnight stays, so I had to head to Semporna three hours earlier. Coincidentally, the front desk staff that day didn't speak Chinese or English, so we communicated using a translation app. It went smoothly; they allowed us to rest in the lobby and use the public restrooms. They were really kind and friendly throughout. After daybreak, we left our luggage there and went island hopping. We checked in upon our return in the evening. The cleanliness was good, and I didn't find any mosquitoes. My only minor regret was not having a place to hang my washed clothes, but thankfully, summer clothes dry quickly. The location is great, with plenty of food and drink options downstairs, including restaurants and supermarkets. Overall, for the price, I was very satisfied. If I go back, I'd definitely consider staying here again. I forgot to take photos of the hotel, so I'll just use my island hopping pictures instead.

Great Location, Resraurant downstairs, supermarket nearby, 10mins walk to waterfront anf all the waterfront/ water sports attractions. Bed/warm showers OK. Room very small, just enough to walk in/out, no wardrobe, glass door opens outwards, thin walls, can hear noisy neighbours.