Pulau Banggi
Discover Pulau Banggi
The only way to reach Banggi without your own boat is via the ferry from Kudat town which arrives at Karakit. The journey takes 90 minutes and costs around 41RM (April 2025) for a foreigner. Runs twice a day at 9am and 2pm from Kudat, and both 8am and 2pm from Karakit.
What to Experience in Pulau Banggi
Taste of Pulau Banggi...
There are several small places to eat at the port in Karakit. There are some homestays, a hotel in Karakit and Tammoyo Place. As this is an island, checkin / checkout times tend to align with the ferry schedule. There is ok mobile network coverage on the island, though not everywhere has coverage. Maxis / Hotlink worked ok, and able to do video calls of variable quality depending on the location. Connections can be intermittent, where locations that previously worked stop working, potentially power related. You can't swim off most beaches due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe only way to reach Banggi without your own boat is via the ferry from Kudat town which arrives at Karakit. The journey takes 90 minutes and costs around 41RM (April 2025) for a foreigner. Runs twice a day at 9am and 2pm from Kudat, and both 8am and 2pm from Karakit. The ticket office in Kudat is at the port, on the right side of the building (the left side is the juice shop, the side with the toilets). In Karakit the ticket office is at the port, opposite the building with "Banggi Point" written on it. Bring your passport when buying the ticket. Roads are terrible outside of Karakit, go slow if you have your own transport. There seem to be some pickup trucks going around the island, which seems to be how locals get around. Come with all the cash you need, no ATMs on island. There are some stores around the island, seem to be closer to Karakit way. Didn't see one on the far side. There are several small places to eat at the port in Karakit....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Roads are terrible outside of Karakit, go slow if you have your own transport. There seem to be some pickup trucks going around the island, which seems to be how locals get around. Come with all the cash you need, no ATMs on island. There are some stores around the island, seem to be closer to Karakit way. Didn't see one on the far side. There are several small places to eat at the port in Karakit. There are some homestays, a hotel in Karakit and Tammoyo Place. As this is an island, checkin / checkout times tend to align with the ferry schedule. There is ok mobile network coverage on the island, though not everywhere has coverage. Maxis / Hotlink worked ok, and able to do video calls of variable quality depending on the location. Connections can be intermittent, where locations that previously worked stop working, potentially power related. You can't swim off most beaches due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.
Where to Stay
There are some homestays, a hotel in Karakit and Tammoyo Place. As this is an island, checkin / checkout times tend to align with the ferry schedule. There is ok mobile network coverage on the island, though not everywhere has coverage. Maxis / Hotlink worked ok, and able to do video calls of variable quality depending on the location. Connections can be intermittent, where locations that previously worked stop working, potentially power related. You can't swim off most beaches due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.
Money & Budget
Come with all the cash you need, no ATMs on island. There are some stores around the island, seem to be closer to Karakit way. Didn't see one on the far side. There are several small places to eat at the port in Karakit. There are some homestays, a hotel in Karakit and Tammoyo Place. As this is an island, checkin / checkout times tend to align with the ferry schedule. There is ok mobile network coverage on the island, though not everywhere has coverage. Maxis / Hotlink worked ok, and able to do video calls of variable quality depending on the location. Connections can be intermittent, where locations that previously worked stop working, potentially power related. You can't swim off most beaches due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
You can't swim off most beaches due to the presence of saltwater crocodiles.