The town center is 3 kilometers inland from the South China Sea and approximately 70 kilometers south of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital.

It is located on the A2 highway connecting Kota Kinabalu and the southern part of Sabah, and Bongawan railway station is one of the stops for Sabah State Railway.

Bongawan is noted for its two blocks of wooden shoplots, which were completed in 1939.

Most of the shops are operated by Chinese traders, most of whom belong to the Hakka dialect group.

These birds are commonly seen in the paddy fields surrounding the town.