Is there data on the Sipadan and Mabul dive islands?

Expect little to none. Semporna town on the mainland has fair coverage, but the outer islands are remote with minimal signal. Download bookings, transfers and maps before your boat leaves the jetty.

Does this eSIM cover both Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia?

Yes. It's one national Malaysia plan, so the same eSIM works in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and across Borneo as well as KL and the peninsula - useful if your trip combines both.

Sabah eSIM.

Name: Sabah travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

Sabah: Borneo's wild north - Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan diving and Kota Kinabalu's sunsets.

from $2.80/day · unlimited dataAll of Malaysia →

Unlimited data5G where availableInstant QR by emailKeep your number

1 · How many days?

10 daysOther:days

2 · How much data?

3GBBest pricevalid 15 days$6.80$0.68/day

Cheapest plan covering your trip: 3GB, valid 15 days.

Travellers (one eSIM each)

1 × 3GB (valid 15 days) · 10-day trip$6.80

Good to know in Sabah

Mobile data is a lifeline in Sabah but genuinely disappears on the Mount Kinabalu summit push and around the outer dive islands. Download your trail notes, dive schedules and offline maps in Kota Kinabalu before heading out.

Best time to visit Sabah

March to September is driest - best for climbing Mount Kinabalu and diving Sipadan - while October to February brings heavier rain and rougher seas.

Two simple ways to buy

Sabah eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every Sabah eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in Sabah — you can always top up or switch on your next trip.

Traveller streaming and browsing freely on an unlimited-data travel eSIM

Unlimited plans

High-speed data, nothing to count

Priced per day — the longer you stay, the better the daily rate. Ideal for streaming, hotspot and longer trips where you'd rather not watch a data meter. A fair-use policy keeps speeds fast for everyone; see each plan for the detail.

Best for streaming, video calls & hotspot
Great for longer or open-ended trips
One price per day — no GB anxiety

By-the-GB plans

3GB10GB20GB

A set bundle, brilliant value

A fixed data allowance (say 3 GB or 10 GB) valid for your travel days. The best-value pick for lighter trips built around maps, messaging and a bit of browsing. Running low? Top up in a couple of taps — nothing to reinstall.

Best value for lighter, shorter trips
Clear allowance — pay only for what you need
Top up any time from your phone

Compare plans →Not every destination has both types — the picker shows what's available where you're headed.

Plan your data

How much data do you need in Sabah?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your Sabah eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in Sabah are comfortable on 3–5 GB a week — heavy streamers just go Unlimited.

Traveller checking maps and messages on her phone using a My Holiday SIM eSIM

Not sure? Start with a 5 GB plan — you can top up in seconds if you run low.

Light

~1 GB / week

Maps, messaging & email

Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and the odd search. Plenty for a city break where you mostly need directions.

Suits 1–3 GB plans

Balanced

3–5 GB / week

Everyday holiday use

Everything above plus social scrolling, music, cloud photo backups and a little video. Where most travellers land.

Suits 5–10 GB plans

Sabah eSIM: your local data guide.

Sabah spans Kota Kinabalu's waterfront, the granite peak of Mount Kinabalu, the orangutans of Sepilok near Sandakan and the world-class diving off Sipadan and Mabul. A Sabah eSIM keeps you booking climb permits, island-hopping the Tunku Abdul Rahman park and arranging Semporna dive transfers - though you'll want offline maps for the remoter reserves.

One eSIM for Sabah and all of Malaysia. It's the national Malaysia eSIM — from $2.80/day with unlimited data, working the same in Sabah as it does the moment you leave it.

Landing at Kota Kinabalu International (BKI)?

Install the QR at home, then switch the eSIM on as you taxi in — you're online before you reach the arrivals hall.

Sabah eSIM pricingbest-value plan · per day

Days

Per day

Total

Saving

3 days1GB

$0.67

$2.00

—

5 days1GB

$0.40

$2.00

−40%

7 days1GB

$0.29

$2.00

−57%

10 days3GBPopular

$0.68

$6.80

—

15 days3GB

$0.45

$6.80

−33%

30 days5GB

$0.38

$11.50

−43%

Each trip length shows the best-value plan that covers it. Total always shown before you pay.

eSIM vs the old ways in Sabah

eSIM

ROAMING

AIRPORT SIM

Data allowance

Unlimited

Usually capped

Rarely unlimited

Price known upfront

Prepaid

Billed after

Varies at the desk

Ready when you land

Instantly

After the queue

Keep WhatsApp number

SIM swapped

Sabah eSIM from $2.80/day — the whole bill, agreed before you fly.

Across the region

Where you'll lean on data in Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu

The state capital has the strongest 5G in Sabah for flights, dive bookings and waterfront dining.

Kinabalu Park

Coverage reaches the park HQ and Kinabalu's lower stations, but fades badly on the summit trail and at Laban Rata.

Semporna & Sipadan

Signal is fair in Semporna town but drops to little or nothing on the dive islands, so plan boat logistics ashore.

Sandakan (Sepilok)

Reasonable town data near the orangutan and sun-bear centres, thinning along the Kinabatangan River cruises.

The practical bit

Getting around Sabah on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in Sabah

Grab— The main ride-hailing and food app in Kota Kinabalu and larger Sabah towns.
Maxim— A widely used ride-hailing alternative in Sabah, often with cars where Grab is thin.
Touch 'n Go eWallet— Cashless payments accepted across Sabah's shops, cafes and tour operators.
AirAsia MOVE— Books the frequent flights linking Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau.

How long to stay in Sabah

Sabah rewards a longer trip - five to eight nights lets you climb Kinabalu, dive or island-hop and add a wildlife leg at Sepilok or the Kinabatangan.

How much data for Sabah

Cities and resorts need only a balanced 3-5 GB, but because remote areas cut out entirely, download offline maps and consider unlimited if you'll hotspot or share trip photos daily.

Coverage in Sabah

Kota Kinabalu and the main towns run solid 4G and 5G, but coverage thins fast on Mount Kinabalu's slopes, along the Kinabatangan River and on the outer dive islands off Semporna.

Where you're headed

Discover Sabah.

Mesmerizing sunset over a river in Tuaran, Sabah, Malaysia with vibrant sky and reflections.

Modern architectural building with Malaysian flag and greenery in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Breathtaking view of Mount Kinabalu with clouds at sunrise, featuring lush green forest and clear blue sky.

Stunning landscape of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, with a reflective puddle and clear blue skies.

Cities in Sabah

Zoom in on Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu eSIM

How to activate your Sabah eSIM.

Full installation guide →

A traveller happily planning her next trip with a map and phone

Buy your plan

Choose your days — the QR code arrives by email in seconds.

A traveller installing her eSIM from the sofa in two minutes

Install at home

Scan the QR on Wi-Fi before you fly. About two minutes, no app needed.

Friends laughing together while packing for a holiday

Fly relaxed

Nothing counts down yet — your days start only at first connection.

A joyful family reunion at the airport arrivals hall

Switch on in Sabah

Turn the line on when you land. Connected before baggage claim.

New to eSIM in Sabah?

What is a Sabah eSIM?

A Sabah eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local Sabah data plan installs alongside your home SIM — no plastic, no tray tool, no swap. Your number and WhatsApp stay exactly where they are.

✓ 2-minute install✓ Keep your number✓ Works on phones from 2018+

How eSIM works →Check my phone

A traveller with a backpack smiling at her phone — online abroad with My Holiday SIM

Connected · 5G

Home SIM · calls & WhatsAppHoliday eSIM · unlimited data

30-day refund promiseUnused, uninstalled eSIM? Full refund, no questions.

The price is the billPrepaid and final — roaming charges can't happen.

Days start when you landInstall early with zero pressure; counting begins at first connection.

Humans, 24/7Real people answer, before, during and after the trip.

Why travellers choose My Holiday SIM for Sabah.

Instant eSIM deliveryQR code in your inbox seconds after checkout — even at the departure gate.

No physical SIMNothing to collect, lose or poke out with a paperclip. Your home SIM stays put.

Keep your WhatsApp numberData flows through us; WhatsApp stays on your home number. Family always reaches you.

A traveller at the departure gate, eSIM ready on her phone

eSIM ready in ~2 minutes

No bill shock, everOne clear price before you fly. Roaming charges simply can't happen.

Secure paymentsCards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna — encrypted end to end.

Real human supportReal people — before, during and after your trip. Live chat and email, no bots. Easy top-ups too.

Coverage in Malaysia.

5G where available, fast 4G everywhere else

Connected · 5G

Your eSIM joins Malaysia's partner networks automatically — no settings to choose, no manual network hunting. If signal drops in a remote spot, toggling Airplane Mode for a few seconds forces a fresh connection.

Maxis
CelcomDigi
U Mobile

Popular places covered

Kuala LumpurGeorge Town (Penang)LangkawiMalaccaKota KinabaluKuchingIpohJohor Bahru

Keep data roaming ON for the eSIM line only — that's the switch travel eSIMs use, and it never adds charges on our plans.

Trusted networks, honest numbers.

No invented star ratings behind your Sabah eSIM — just the numbers we actually stand behind.

Friendly globe with location pins — coverage on every continent

My Holiday SIMSTAY CONNECTED. ANYWHERE.

200+

destinations — every continent covered

regions covered by a single regional eSIM

~2 min

typical install — QR to connected

Live

chat & email support

Before you fly

Sabah eSIM questions, answered.

Only partly. There's coverage around Kinabalu Park HQ and the gateway town of Kundasang, but it fades on the ascent and is unreliable at Laban Rata and the summit, so tell family your schedule beforehand.

Your Sabah eSIM glossary.

eSIMA SIM built into your phone's hardware. Plans install onto it digitally — no plastic card involved.

QR profileThe code we email you. Scanning it downloads your holiday plan onto the eSIM. One scan per device.

Data roaming (the switch)The toggle travel eSIMs use to join partner networks abroad. On our plans it never adds charges — keep it ON for the eSIM, OFF for your home SIM.

Hotspot / tetheringSharing your phone's data with laptops and tablets. Included on our plans wherever networks allow.

Top-upExtra days added to a live plan from your account. They append to the end — nothing overlaps.

First connectionThe moment your eSIM first joins a network at the destination — that's when your days start counting, not before.

Travelling wider in Malaysia?