Fishing Spots ＞ Borneo
Snakehead (toman)（汽水/paddy field・SWSabah）
3 captains listed · freshwater category. A spot in Membakut/Bongawan (Sabah) (Borneo) targeting Snakehead (toman). Check the tide, captains and recent catches, then contact them directly via public social accounts. Access, climate and lodging are in the details below.
Membakut/Bongawan are river-mouth, riverside towns in the southern part of Sabah's west coast, about 70-94 km south of Kota Kinabalu (BKI). The gateway is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI); drive south on the A2 trunk road, about 1.5 hours by car. For rail fans, the Sabah State Railway's Tanjung Aru-Beaufort line passes through both towns, and you can alight at Bongawan Station or Membakut Station.
| From | Route | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu (BKI airport / city) | South on the A2 trunk road (via Putatan-Tanjung Aru) | About 1 h 20 min - 1 h 50 min by car (about 70-94 km) | Bongawan is about 70 km south of KK, and Membakut a further 8 km or so south. Private car, ride-hailing, or long-distance bus are common. |
| Tanjung Aru Station (Kota Kinabalu) | Sabah State Railway Tanjung Aru-Beaufort line (alight at Bongawan Station / Membakut Station) | About 1 h 20 min by train (KK-Bongawan) | Only a few services per day; schedules may change due to suspensions, etc., so checking the timetable in advance is recommended. Stop order: Tanjung Aru-Putatan-Kinarut-Kawang-Papar-Kimanis-Bongawan-Membakut-Beaufort. |
Coordinates: 5.5, 115.85（Open in Google Maps）
Snakehead (toman)
Fishing in the river mouths and freshwater areas of Sabah's west coast is generally considered best from January to May (when the northeast monsoon weakens and west-coast sea conditions are relatively calm); rivers (freshwater) are best from January to May, and August to October (into early November) is also a target window. In river-mouth and mangrove areas, barramundi and mangrove snapper can be targeted year-round, but the northeast monsoon period from October to December tends to bring rough conditions with rain and rising water.
○ in season: Jan–May, Aug–Oct
See what else is in season now →
Fish the brackish waters and channels from Membakut to Bongawan in southwestern Sabah for toman (giant snakehead). The fish surface every 5-10 minutes to gulp air, so you seize that split second to place a popper or frog accurately into the shoreline brush. They grow big, up to 1.3 m and nearly 20 kg, and the prime windows are early morning and dusk. Overcast or rainy days keep them active all day long.
Full how-to & tackle on each species page：Snakehead (toman)
*Photos are not re-hosted; we link to each social account (R8). Auto-updated with the latest posts.
Sabah's west coast has a tropical rainforest climate (Koppen Af), hot and humid year-round with little temperature variation. The figures below are 1991-2020 normals for Kota Kinabalu (the KK area), used as representative values for nearby Membakut/Bongawan. Rainfall increases from October to December under the northeast monsoon. As for clothing, light, breathable short sleeves plus rain gear are the basics year-round.
| Month | Avg ℃ | High ℃ | Low ℃ | Clothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.4 | 31.3 | 23.5 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear. Relatively little rain | |
| 27.5 | 31.4 | 23.6 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear. Drier season, comfortable | |
| 28.0 | 32.1 | 23.9 | Short sleeves, light clothing + hat / sun protection | |
| 28.8 | 33.0 | 24.5 | Hottest period. Short sleeves, sun protection, frequent hydration | |
| 28.9 | 33.1 | 24.7 | Hottest period. Light, breathable clothing / sun protection | |
| 28.5 | 32.6 | 24.4 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear | |
| 28.2 | 32.3 | 24.1 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear | |
| 28.2 | 32.4 | 24.1 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear | |
| 28.1 | 32.2 | 24.0 | Short sleeves, light clothing + rain gear | |
| 27.9 | 31.8 | 24.0 | Short sleeves, light clothing + solid rain gear (start of the rainy season) | |
| 28.0 | 31.9 | 24.0 | Rainy season. Short sleeves + rainwear essential | |
| 27.8 | 31.7 | 23.9 | Rainy season. Short sleeves + rainwear essential |
| Class | Property | Price (approx) | Highlights | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-end | Beringgis Beach Resort & Spa (Papar/Kinarut) | About RM250-400/night | An 8-acre beach resort about 25 km from KK, facing the South China Sea. Spa, pool, suites. Top-class in the area | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| High-end | Langkah Syabas Beach Resort (Kinarut, Papar) | About RM150-280/night | A beachfront 3-star resort in Kinarut. Free breakfast, WiFi, parking. For families and couples | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| High-end | Artitaya Borneo Golf & Resort (Membakut) | — | One of the few resorts in central Membakut. 18-hole golf course, outdoor pool, sauna, spa, restaurant on site. Garden, free WiFi | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Standard | The Gem Hotel Beaufort | About RM125/night | A 3-star in central Beaufort town. 49 rooms, air conditioning, LCD TV, free WiFi/parking. Convenient as a base for Padas River rafting | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Standard | Nanu Homestay & Cafe (Membakut) | About RM200/night (from US$53) | Air conditioning, WiFi, garden. Each unit has a seating area and flat-screen TV. Breakfast (continental/Asian) available, with an attached cafe | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Standard | Ridhuan Homestay 4 (Kg. Sungai Damit, Membakut) | — | Along the KK-Beaufort trunk road. A whole-house rental of about 1,300 sqft (2 rooms, with kitchen). Playground equipment, bicycle rental, badminton/basketball/soccer facilities. For families and groups | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Budget | Rumah Singgah Beaufort Homestay (Membakut/Beaufort) | About RM63/night | 3 bedrooms, living room, fully equipped kitchen, flat-screen TV, free parking. Whole-house rental type. Rated 8.0/10 | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Budget | Mar'Wanis Homestay Beaufort Sabah | About RM63/night | A popular homestay in Beaufort. Rated 8.0/10. For affordable long stays and families | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Budget | E&R Membakut Homestay (Bongawan/Membakut) | — | A local homestay around Membakut/Bongawan. Simple and low-priced. For local stays | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Name | Cuisine | Budget | Highlights | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoran Foh Chuan (老伙船面粥小馆) | Local Chinese / noodles | About RM7-15 | A renowned shop for Beaufort's signature Beaufort Mee (saucy fried noodles). A standby always named by locals. Popular and sells out early in the morning. Mon-Sat 7:00-14:30 / Sun 7:00-13:00 | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Beaufortの海鮮店(Tamu/市街周辺) | Seafood | Varies by shop | Fresh fish and shellfish are available around Beaufort town and the weekend market (Fri evening-Sat). Local seafood eateries have a reputation for fair prices (specific shop names should be confirmed locally) | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
| Nanu Cafe (Membakut) | Cafe / local | About RM10-25 | Cafe attached to Nanu Homestay. Continental/Asian dishes. For snacks and breakfast during a Membakut stay | Google reviewsTripAdvisor |
* A “seasonal posting trend” based on public social posts we track (3 accounts, period 2022-02–2026-07, 15 posts). Not actual catch statistics—posting frequency ≠ real catch; treat as a reference indicator with biases (popular-account skew, etc.). Sources are the linked posts.
* Auto-extracted from tracked public accounts (tag-matched, high-confidence only). These are links to the original posts, not re-hosted media. Please verify content/species at the source. Removal requests via contact.
Nearby spots easy to combine into one trip (straight-line distance). See the map above for locations.