Mahua Waterfall : The Hidden Gem of Tambunan (Ultimate Guide)

If you haven’t been in Sabah long enough, you probably would not know about Mahua Waterfall (Air Terjun Mahua), one of most beautiful waterfalls in Tambunan, Sabah. Even though Mahua Waterfall isn’t the most powerful or highest waterfall in Sabah, it is definitely the most assessable waterfall to visit without breaking a sweat.

When should you visit Mahua Waterfall?

Since Mahua waterfall is part of the Crocker Range National Park (Taman Negara Banjaran Crocker), it is open to the public daily between 8am – 5pm. As the waterfall can get a little crowded on the weekends, we suggest to plan your trip here on a weekday if you want to have the place to yourself.

Entrance of Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Entrance fee to Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Entrance fees :-

Malaysian

18 years & Above – RM 3

Below 18 years – RM 1

Below 16 – RM 0.50

Non-Malaysian

18 years & Above – RM 10

Below 18 years – RM 6

Below 16 – RM 6

How to visit Mahua Waterfall?

Even though Mahua Waterfall is located at the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu (KK) city, there are a quite a few options to choose from. You can either rent a car, take a taxi/e-Hailing or join the local tours available.

Start your journey early to avoid the jam

How long is the journey to Mahua Waterfall?

Located around 88km East of Kota Kinabalu city, you can expect to travel around 2 hours to get here. The roads to Mahua Waterfall initially passes by Penampang which is an easy going drive. However as you enter Tambunan area which is where the waterfall is situated, there will be lots of road construction going on and to make it even more challenging the roads here are very windy and steep.

Ongoing construction – Tambunan, Sabah

During our trip here, the roads leading into Tambunan area was so foggy, dark and quiet even though it was a bright sunny day in Kota Kinabalu. There was only a handful of cars passing by the area every few minutes, so you can imagine how eerie the atmosphere must be driving there at night or alone. For those planning to drive here yourself, we suggest to use Waze/Google Maps to get here as some parts of the road have no signboards.

The journey from Kota Kinabalu to Mahua Waterfall – Sabah

Can I stay overnight at Mahua Waterfall?

Yes, you can choose to either camp or stay at the accommodation available at the national park. For bookings and enquires, you can contact Mahua Rainforest Paradise.

Accommodation at Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

There is also a restaurant located just beside the entrance in case you get hungry after swimming at the waterfall. So don’t worry if you forgot to pack up some food for your picnic.

Restaurant at Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Useful tips

If you plan to drive here, ensure that your car tyre and brakes are working well
Take your time when driving and don’t speed as there are plenty of blind corners and ongoing roadworks
We suggest leaving the area before it gets dark as there are no street lights at certain parts of the road
If you are not a strong swimmer, stay on the shallower area as the water currents can be strong at times
Be careful when you walk here as the rocks and walkway can be slippery when wet
Please keep the waterfall and rivers clean so others can enjoy its beauty too
Make sure to carry along your camera to snap memorable photos

5 Safe Driving Tips (Image credit: Good Year)

Lookout for fallen branches – Mahua Waterfall, Tambunan, Sabah

Be careful, slippery steps – Mahua Waterfall, Tambunan

So getting that out of the way, let’s find out what you can do at Mahua Waterfall?

1. Take a scenic stroll along the Mahua river

To get to the waterfall , you will first have to register at the park’s entrance and then take a 400m stroll along the scenic river view of Mahua. Here, you can find various flora and fauna as you make your way to the waterfall. The view here is so mesmerising that we made multiple stops along the way just to take photos.

Scenic Mahua river view – Tambunan, Sabah

The walkway to Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

The weather here is nice and cool even on a hot day – Mahua Waterfall

2. Have a picnic or BBQ by the waterfall

What better way to spend time with your loved ones than to have a picnic here at Mahua Waterfall. As BBQ pits and gazebos are readily available along the river, you can rent them for a small fee ranging from RM 15 (quarter day), RM 30 (half day) to RM 45 (full day).

Have your picnic here

One of the many gazebos available at Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Have a BBQ feast with friends & family here – Tambunan, Sabah

3. Take a dip in the freezing cold water

After travelling for over 2 hours, why not make the trip worth it by taking a dip in the freezing cool water of Mahua Waterfall. The waterfall has a height of 17 metres (56ft) with a depth of 1.2m, which is quite shallow if you plan to jump off the top off the waterfall (not recommended).

Most breath-taking view of Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Beautiful view of Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

Picture with the amazing Mahua Waterfall – Tambunan, Sabah

The waterfall is quite strong that it fogged up our camera lens multiple times even though we stood at the gazebo which is at least 20m away. So do take extra precaution if you are swimming right next to the waterfall especially on a rainy day.

The hidden waterfall of Tambunan, Sabah

Our camera lens fogged up even from this far away – Mahua Waterfall, Sabah

4. Hike up Mount Alab (Gunung Alab)

To all nature lovers, if you are feeling adventurous enough, why not take up the challenging Mount Alab hike which begins its trail at Mount Alab Crocker Range Substation and ends at Mahua Waterfall. The 12 km trail takes you right to the heart of Crocker Range which is made up of muddy and rugged terrain along the way. You can only take up the hike with a tour guide so prior booking is required if you plan to do so.

Mount Alab Substation (Image credit : Sabah Parks)

Have any experience or tips on visiting Mahua Waterfall? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!

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