Tawau: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Tawau is a city of 372,615 people in Malaysia (Sabah), 12 m (39 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Tawau Airport (TWU), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Tawau runs from about 11 h 55 min a day in late December to 12 h 24 min in late June (computed for 4.24° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Tawau is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Tawau Airport (TWU), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,800 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Lahad Datu Airport (LDU, 100 km).
Flights to Tawau: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Tawau · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kota Kinabalu, 279 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Sandakan, 179 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tarakan, 109 km (Indonesia)
- Lahad Datu, 99 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Jolo, 399 km (Philippines)
- Bandar Seri Begawan, 335 km (Brunei)
Common questions
Which airport serves Tawau?
Tawau Airport (TWU), 27 km (17 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Tawau?
About 372,615 people live in Tawau, across 55,900,000 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Tawau in?
Asia/Kuching, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Tawau?
The Ringgit (MYR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Tawau?
Kota Kinabalu (279 km), Sandakan (179 km), Tarakan (109 km), Lahad Datu (99 km), Jolo (399 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.