Best Time to Visit Kota Kinabalu

February to April: your best shot at dry days

Kota Kinabalu sits near the equator, so it's warm all year. The real question is how much rain you'll get. February is the pick on our comfort score, with 13 rainy days and the most sun of the year. It's still humid, and "best" here means "least wet", not "dry".

March and April stay warm, but showers come more often. If you want island time, this is the window. Boats leave from Jesselton Point for Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a group of islands just offshore. Sea trips are far more pleasant when the sky isn't grey. Snorkelling is easier too.

May to September: wet, but not a write-off

Rain falls on around 24 days a month here, and June to September bring heavy totals. But showers often come in sudden bursts, with breaks between them. Mornings tend to be your best bet for the islands or a trip to Kinabalu Park, where Mount Kinabalu rises. Cloud can hide the summit, so don't count on a view.

This is a decent time for city days. Browse the Filipino Market and the handicraft stalls, eat seafood along the waterfront, and duck into a mall when the sky opens. If you're on a tight budget, low-season rooms are easier to find.

Late May is Kaamatan, the Kadazan-Dusun harvest festival, with music, rice wine and the Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant. It's the best cultural event of the year, so it's worth the wet weather. Rooms can fill up around it.

October to January: the wettest stretch

Be honest with yourself here. October has the most rain of the year, at 316 mm on 27 days. November and December are nearly as wet, and January is the soggiest of the early months. Expect grey skies, little sun and sticky evenings.

Sea conditions can be poor, and island trips are more likely to be cancelled. Hiking trails get slippery. If you come anyway, plan around indoor stops, like the Sabah State Museum, and enjoy the quieter streets. Christmas and the Chinese New Year period, which falls in January or February, bring more domestic visitors, so prices may rise.

Travelling with kids? Pick February or March, when beach days are more realistic.