Car hire and driving in Tawau
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Malaysia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at TWU means 27 km (17 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3086706.
Drives from Tawau
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawau to Lahad Datu | Malaysia | 99 km (62 mi) | about 1 h 31 min |
| Tawau to Sandakan | Malaysia | 179 km (111 mi) | about 2 h 44 min |
| Tawau to Kota Kinabalu | Malaysia | 279 km (173 mi) | about 4 h 15 min |
| Tawau to Miri | Malaysia | 433 km (269 mi) | about 6 h 36 min |
| Tawau to Bintulu | Malaysia | 552 km (343 mi) | about 8 h 25 min |
| Tawau to Sibu | Malaysia | 708 km (440 mi) | about 10 h 48 min |
| Tawau to Kuching | Malaysia | 891 km (554 mi) | about 13 h 35 min |
| Tawau to Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm | Vietnam | 1,274 km (791 mi) | about 19 h 25 min |
| Tawau to Cam Ranh | Vietnam | 1,285 km (798 mi) | about 19 h 36 min |
| Tawau to Nha Trang | Vietnam | 1,306 km (812 mi) | about 19 h 55 min |
| Tawau to Phan Thiết | Vietnam | 1,310 km (814 mi) | about 19 h 58 min |
| Tawau to La Gi | Vietnam | 1,324 km (823 mi) | about 20 h 11 min |
| Tawau to Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 1,440 km (895 mi) | about 21 h 58 min |
| Tawau to Singapore | Singapore | 1,594 km (990 mi) | about 24 h 18 min |
| Tawau to Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 1,644 km (1,021 mi) | about 25 h 4 min |
| Tawau to Cần Thơ | Vietnam | 1,482 km (921 mi) | about 22 h 36 min |
| Tawau to Huế | Vietnam | 1,763 km (1,096 mi) | about 26 h 53 min |
| Tawau to Da Nang | Vietnam | 1,686 km (1,048 mi) | about 25 h 43 min |
| Tawau to Biên Hòa | Vietnam | 1,429 km (888 mi) | about 21 h 47 min |
| Tawau to Johor Bahru | Malaysia | 1,600 km (994 mi) | about 24 h 24 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Tawau?
The left, as everywhere in Malaysia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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.