The Tip of Borneo, the northernmost part of Sabah, is located at a place called Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. It is a headland at the end of a wide bay about 40 km to the north of the town of Kudat. The famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan is believed to have landed there and stayed for 42 days during his round-the-world voyage. That took place somewhere between 1519, when the expedition left Spain, and 1521, when Magellan was killed by the natives in Cebu, Philippines.
Tanjung Simpang Mengayau is a windswept promontory rising out of the sea. Until a few years ago, it was forested. Recently however, the place has been spruced up into a park. There is a monument here in the shape of a truncated globe, looking like a melon with one side sliced off. I have to say I find it totally adorable! The very northernmost tip are just clusters of boulders in the sea. Posted sighboards warn against any foolhardy attempt to reach it - if you feel foolish enough to clamber there, go ahead, but watch for the waves.
Getting there
Aside from signing up for a local tour, the only other way to reach here is by taxi or rented car. A round-way taxi trip will put you back RM50, including waiting time, while a local tour from Kudat will cost you RM140.
Related Sight
As a related destination, visit also Tanjung Piai in Johor, the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
About this website
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.