How to get fromResearch Triangle to Kota Kinabaluby plane, car or bus

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There are 3 ways to get from Research Triangle to Kota Kinabalu by plane, car, or bus

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

Fly to Kota Kinabalu Airport
best
1. Fly from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI)RDU - BKI
26h 6m
RM 2,178–7,855
Fly to Brunei International Airport, drive, bus
1. Fly from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Brunei International Airport (BWN)RDU - BWN
2. Drive from Brunei International Airport (BWN) to Limbang
3. Take the bus from Limbang to Kota Kinabalu
43h 11m
RM 2,734–7,338
Fly to Sandakan Airport, bus
1. Fly from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Sandakan Airport (SDK)RDU - SDK
2. Take the bus from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu North Bus Terminal Inanam
38h 52m
RM 2,345–6,347

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) flights

19Weekly Planes

27h 57mAverage Duration

RM 2,158Cheapest Price

Questions & Answers

Launch map view

Distance: 15,122.3 km
Duration: 26h 6m

What companies run services between Research Triangle, NC, USA and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia?

Delta, Jin Air, and four other airlines fly from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) 3 times a day.

Airlines

Bus operators

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Kota Kinabalu(opens in a new window), Malaysia(opens in a new window)

Kota Kinabalu, colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census; when the adjacent Penampang and Tuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725. The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.

Things to do in Kota Kinabalu

Sabah Museum(Opens in a new window)

The Sabah Museum (Malay: Muzium Sabah) is the state museum of Sabah, Malaysia. It is sited on 17 ha of land at Bukit Istana Lama in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. The complex contains not only the museum proper, but also an ethnobotanic garden, a zoo and a heritage village. The main building also houses the Sabah art gallery. Other galleries cover Islamic civilisation, archaeology and history, natural History, and ceramics and Brassware. The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, conserve and document ethnographic, archaeological, historical, numismatic, art-historical, botanical, zoological and mineralogical collections from throughout the state, and to conduct research on important and interesting aspects of Sabah's history, culture, and social and natural history.

Manukan Island(Opens in a new window)

Manukan Island (Malay: Pulau Manukan) is the second largest island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Malaysia's first marine national park. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu and is easily accessible by boat.

The Green Connection(Opens in a new window)

The Green Connection is an aquarium and science discovery centre in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The Green Connection opened in May 2010 and is located just outside down-town Kota Kinabalu in the North west corner of the island of Borneo.

Atkinson Clock Tower(Opens in a new window)

The Atkinson Clock Tower is the oldest standing structure in Kota Kinabalu. It was originally known as the Atkinson Memorial Clock Tower and sits in solitary on the bluff along Signal Hill Road overlooking this seaside city and capital of Sabah, Malaysia.

Places to stay in Kota Kinabalu

Marina Court Luxury Penthouse(Opens in a new window)

10.0Exceptional

Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel(Opens in a new window)

8.3Very Good

Hilton Kota Kinabalu(Opens in a new window)

8.9Fabulous

The Magellan Sutera Resort(Opens in a new window)

8.3Very Good

Rome2Rio makes travelling from Research Triangle to Kota Kinabalu easy.

Rome2Rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Find all the transport options for your trip from Research Triangle to Kota Kinabalu right here. Rome2Rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. Rome2Rio also offers online bookings for selected operators, making reservations easy and straightforward.