Sandakan
Travel Guide > Asia > Malaysia > Malaysian Borneo > Sabah > Sandakan
In this Article
- Introduction
- Neighbourhoods
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Work
- Learn
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Sandakan is a bustling commercial town of 440,000 people that acts as the gateway to the eastern part of Sabah. It is however famous for being a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during WWII and being the starting point for the infamous Sandakan death marches. Currently, Sandakan acts as an access point to eastern Sabah, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and Turtle Islands Park.
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
- Sandakan Memorial Park - the site of the former Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and the start of the Sandakan death marches.
- The Sandakan Market - newly renovated market located on the waterfront.
Around Sandakan
The world-renowned Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, 25 kilometres from Sandakan, was set up in 1964 to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned baby orang-utans from logging sites, plantations and illegal hunting. These orang-utans are taken care of, brought up, and trained to survive in the wild. They will be released into the wild once they are ready. Visitors will be able to see these orang-utans up-close in their wildlife habitat as well as going on trekking and river expeditions.
Located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the centre also educates the public on conservation, and conducts research on other endangered species such as the rhinoceros. The sanctuary is one of the top tourist attractions in Sabah.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Sandakan has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures usually are around 32 degrees Celsius during the day and around 24 degrees Celsius at night. The months of November to January stand out in having more rain and the drier months are March and April. In general though, rain is possible anytime and sometimes up to 500 mm of rain a month is not unheard of.
Getting There
By Plane
Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia fly daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan.
MASwings has connecting to flights to and from Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Kudat.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
Daily buses leave from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu (6 hrs), Lahad Datu (2.5 hrs) and Tawau (5.5 hrs). Long distance buses leave from the bus station located about 4 km outside of town. The bus station is accessible by local bus or by taxi.
By Boat
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ease Hotel | HS12 Sandakan Harbour Square, | Hotel | 80 |
| Bilit Rainforest Lodge | Kampong Bilit Sukau, Kinabatangan River Sandakan | Hotel | - |
| NAK Hotel | Jalan Pelabuhan Lama | Hotel | 89 |
| Nature Lodge Kinabatangan | Kampung Bilit Kinabatangan | Hostel | 85 |
| Nipah Lodge | Labuk Bay Nature Tours MIle 8, Jalan Lintas Labuk | Hostel | 88 |
| Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat | Mile 14 Jalan Labuk | Hostel | 95 |
| Premier Hotel Home Lodge | Lot 80, Semi Detached Mile 4, North Road | Guesthouse | - |
| Sandakan Backpackers | Lot 108, Block SH-11 Sandakan Harbour Square | Hostel | 77 |
| Sepilok Jungle Resort | Km 22, Labuk Road P.O.Box 2082 | Hostel | 75 |
| Winho Lodge Sdn Bhd | Lot 8&9, Block 19, 1st & 2nd Floor, Second Avenue P O Box 178 | Hostel | 84 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
This is version 11. Last edited at 14:27 on Aug 18, 09 by Utrecht (+58). 9 articles link to this page.
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