Simpang Mengayau Tip of Borneo

The Tip of Borneo, or Simpang Mengayau, is the island’s northmost point in the Kudat district of Sabah. For some reason, I have visited this place thrice: the first time in 2012, the second time in 2015, and my recent trip in 2023.

This iconic and historical place in Kudat has been a natural tourist attraction similar to the Tip of South Africa but with a less stressful journey than the latter. Curious visitors usually come here mainly to see what the northmost tip looks like.

In the Rungus language, this place is called Tanjung Sampang Mangazau, and it is stated that a fierce battle defending the territory from invaders took place at this exact site.

Once you arrive here, you will see a large open car park, and from here, you need to walk around 1 kilometre to the Tip of Borneo. The road is tarred; it is easy, but take it slow. It may be very hot if you come late, so come prepared with a hat, umbrella or sunscreen.

At the main section of the area, there is a massive bronze globe showing some information and a small access area to the Tip of Borneo. From this section, it is advised to be extra careful when going down the rocks for your photos. If you have kids, please keep an eye on them.

Drone flyers will find this place quite interesting to get photos and videos; therefore, don’t be surprised if you see not only one but several of them flying their drones around the area.

But apart from just visiting Simpang Mengayau Tip of Borneo, many other tourist attractions are found around the Kudat area, namely the Sumangkap Gong Village and several other homegrown and community-based tourism products.

For those who want a lot of action, Simpang Mengayau is not the place to find it as it is more laid back and relaxed than Kota Kinabalu and other cities in Sabah. Kudat is also one of the least visited cities in Sabah, so many things are still very original here.

The journey from Kota Kinabalu takes approximately four hours to get here, so it is quite a drive, considering you self-drive. There are no trains or airports in this part of Sabah. Some local bus services operate from KK and Sandakan to Kudat.

For the record, I also wrote about the Tip of Borneo in Sabah back in 2012 on my other travel blog, Malaysia Asia. Ten years ago, I actively travelled all over Sabah and Sarawak, discovering interesting places like this and documenting it on my site.

Google Maps to Simpang Mengayau, Tip of Borneo

Conclusion

The Simpang Mengayau Tip of Borneo is one of the icons of Sabah just after Mount Kinabalu and should be visited if you love all things nature. This place can be done on a day trip by yourself, provided you rent a car to get here, or you can take a day tour package here from any travel counters around KK town.