Similar to other states in the peninsula, such as Penang and Melaka, are popular among Indonesians from Sumatra seeking medical treatment and studying at various tertiary institutions.
Malaysia airlines used to fly directly to Tarakan, Indonesia, the largest city of the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan, along the coast of Tawau. A similar situation exists in other parts of the east coast of Sabah, where travelers go to various islands in the southern Philippines.To illustrate how close these towns are to Tawau, a journey by ferry to Tarakan takes about 3.5 hours, while flying takes less than 30 minutes, covering a distance of 120 km.