Covid-19
Updated 1st June 2021
What is the current situation in Sabah?
Sabah, along with the rest of Malaysia, is currently under "MCO" (Movement Control Order), all non-essential businesses are closed or working remotely for the time being to help stabilise the number of new infections. All tours are currently suspended, bookings for later in the year and for 2022 are open as usual and we look forward to welcoming you to Sabah!
What should I expect when visiting Sabah under the "New norm"
The Malaysian government has implemented a series of Standard Operating Procedures covering all aspects of doing business and travelling in Malaysia, the common elements are very similar to what you will find in many countries throughout the world:
- Temperature checks are frequent and mandatory upon entering public buildings such as malls & offices.
- You will need to register your details when entering public buildings, this can be done quickly via the MySejahtera app (scan a QR code upon entry) or you can opt to write your details in a register instead. We advise bringing your own pen if you won't have internet or won't be able to access the MySejahtera app during your time here.
- Hand sanitiser is readily available at the entrances to all buildings including hotels, offices, tour agencies, national park registration counters etc.
- Wearing a mask is currently mandatory in public buildings such as malls, supermarkets, hotel or national park reception counters as well as on all forms of public transport. The official guideline is that if you cannot socially distance, even in an outside environment, then you must wear a mask, failure to do so may result in a fine. Most Malaysians wear a mask at all times whilst in public, except for during exercise or when eating & drinking.
- The number of visitors in most areas has been reduced to assist with social distancing. Mount Kinabalu is currently limited to 50% of previous climber numbers and the capacity of dormitory accommodation on the mountain has been halved.
I'm coming from overseas, when can I plan to visit Sabah?
The simple answer is that we don't know. At this time, Malaysia's borders are closed to overseas visitors and we haven't been provided with a timeline for re-opening. Vaccination is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021, we therefore hope that by 2022 travel in and out of Malaysia will have resumed. In view of this, we are working to make our booking terms as flexible as possible, in the event that borders haven't reopened in time for your planned holiday, we will be happy to assist you to postpone until such time as you are able to visit. We are also offering deposit-free bookings for a number of our tours, please just contact us to find out more or view our flexible booking policy here.
