What to do there?
What to do there?
Sandakan is a place that brings you close to nature. It is home to wildlife sanctuaries and also for people who wants to experience the untouched beauty of its green tropical rainforest.The activities that can be done in Sandakan are mostly outdoor activities such as hiking, nature exploration, wildlife viewing and even educational programmes.
Just around 30 minutes from Sandakan city centre, you can visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. There is also Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary located nearby the area to complete your wildlife exploration. The conservation centre give visitors memorable experience to see the adorable endangered species that can be hardly found today.
For more challenging activities, head to Rainforest Discovery Centre where there are jungle trails and canopy walk that will also give visitors the chance to enjoy birdwatching. Other than than, tourist can experience more wildlife attractions at Kinabatangan River’s wildlife corridor. Some of the activities there are river cruise and jungle walk.
The Gomantong Cave also provide visitor the experience to see how the edible bird’s nest are harvested. This place is also great to try caving, or for spelunkers and fellow geology enthusiasts to discover its grounds. Not to forget, the Turtle Island Marine Park is also located off the coast of Sandakan where you can visit and experience to be close to baby turtles.
Just around 30 minutes from Sandakan city centre, you can visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. There is also Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary located nearby the area to complete your wildlife exploration. The conservation centre give visitors memorable experience to see the adorable endangered species that can be hardly found today.
For more challenging activities, head to Rainforest Discovery Centre where there are jungle trails and canopy walk that will also give visitors the chance to enjoy birdwatching. Other than than, tourist can experience more wildlife attractions at Kinabatangan River’s wildlife corridor. Some of the activities there are river cruise and jungle walk.
The Gomantong Cave also provide visitor the experience to see how the edible bird’s nest are harvested. This place is also great to try caving, or for spelunkers and fellow geology enthusiasts to discover its grounds. Not to forget, the Turtle Island Marine Park is also located off the coast of Sandakan where you can visit and experience to be close to baby turtles.
What to see there?
What to see there?
Sandakan is also popular with its historical story from before the period of World War II. There are also some places that tourist can visit for sightseeing and also gain local history lesson. One of the places is the Sandakan Memorial Park, a museum located in the park that fills in as a commemoration to the Australian and British who died in WWII killed by Japanese.
A warm welcome through green lawns in the surroundings of Agnes Keith House will surely add up to your Sandakan trip highlights. Agnes Keith is a female author who has made Sabah famous through her writings and stories of her experiences living here. In this dedicated museum, visitors can witness viewing classic furniture and antiques while learning interesting story of Agnes Keith in the gallery.
Make yourself free to take the Sandakan Heritage Trail to see plenty of other attractions. This comprehensive trail will lead tourist walking throughout top places in Sandakan by using a self-guided map. The map of this trail includes a Stairs of 100 Steps that lead to a scenic view of Sandakan Town. You can look up for this trail online as there are a few route suggestions. Then, just pack your bags and make yourself ready to walk up along these trails and explore the beauty that Sandakan has to offer you.
A warm welcome through green lawns in the surroundings of Agnes Keith House will surely add up to your Sandakan trip highlights. Agnes Keith is a female author who has made Sabah famous through her writings and stories of her experiences living here. In this dedicated museum, visitors can witness viewing classic furniture and antiques while learning interesting story of Agnes Keith in the gallery.
Make yourself free to take the Sandakan Heritage Trail to see plenty of other attractions. This comprehensive trail will lead tourist walking throughout top places in Sandakan by using a self-guided map. The map of this trail includes a Stairs of 100 Steps that lead to a scenic view of Sandakan Town. You can look up for this trail online as there are a few route suggestions. Then, just pack your bags and make yourself ready to walk up along these trails and explore the beauty that Sandakan has to offer you.
When is the best time to go there?
When is the best time to go there?
- January
- February
- March
- April (Sabah Festival)
- May (Kaamatan Festival)
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Who should I travel with?
Who should I travel with?
Solo , Couple , Friends , Family , Group
What to eat?
What to eat?
- Fresh Seafood(mostly all seafood restaurant serve the freshest and tastiest seafood)
- Fishball Noodle
- Steamboat
- UFO tart
- Spring Noodles
Where to eat?
Where to eat?
- Fresh Seafood(mostly all seafood restaurant serve the freshest and tastiest seafood)
- Fishball Noodle
- Steamboat
- UFO tart
- Spring Noodles
Useful local terms
Useful local terms
Sabahan has their own language which is the local’s rendition of the Malay language spoken throughout Malaysia. However, most of people in Sandakan still able to speak Malay, converse in English and also Mandarin. Some of the basic Sabahan language is:
- Sia - I
- Durang - They/Them
- Tulung - Please
- Ndak - No
- Bah - Yes
- Salamat Pagi - Good Morning
- Salamat Tengahari - Good Afternoon
- Salamat Petang - Good Evening
- Berapa harga - How much?
- Kau duduk di mana? - Where do you live?
- Mangan - Eat
- Nginum - Drink
Insiders’ tips
Insiders’ tips
- Make early plans to go to Sandakan and try to avoid wet season that is usually between October and January.
- Bring enough pairs of suitable clothing as you may have a lot of outdoor activities. Also consider waterproof storage bags and action cameras to record your journey.
- It is important to prepare extra amount of cash because some local shops and markets do not accept credit/debit card payment.
- Try and make friends and ask the locals for directions to recommended places to eat and other travel tips.
- To experience the Kaamatan Festival, which is the local cultural activities involves the Unduk Ngadau (traditional beauty pageant) and Sugandoi (singing competition), do check the time as different city in Sabah celebrates it on different dates. Pesta Kaamatan in Sandakan usually will be held between 18-20 May.
- There are many accommodation options in Sandakan to suit your budget and they are easy to find. From 5 star hotels and resorts to backpackers lodge, the city definitely welcomes any kind of traveller.
- For transportation, local taxis are very easy to find with reasonable price. You can even try to negotiate the price and ask if they can arrange to drive you on day trips. They will also assist visitors to the tourist spots. Alternatively, you can rent a car from airport if you prefer to drive.
The ecological paradise for adventurous visitors is undoubtedly Sabah’s best ecotourism destination that offers a fruitful experience for all travellers.
The ecological paradise for adventurous visitors is undoubtedly Sabah’s best ecotourism destination that offers a fruitful experience for all travellers.
What to do there?
What to do there?
Sandakan is a place that brings you close to nature. It is home to wildlife sanctuaries and also for people who wants to experience the untouched beauty of its green tropical rainforest.The activities that can be done in Sandakan are mostly outdoor activities such as hiking, nature exploration, wildlife viewing and even educational programmes.
Just around 30 minutes from Sandakan city centre, you can visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. There is also Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary located nearby the area to complete your wildlife exploration. The conservation centre give visitors memorable experience to see the adorable endangered species that can be hardly found today.
For more challenging activities, head to Rainforest Discovery Centre where there are jungle trails and canopy walk that will also give visitors the chance to enjoy birdwatching. Other than than, tourist can experience more wildlife attractions at Kinabatangan River’s wildlife corridor. Some of the activities there are river cruise and jungle walk.
The Gomantong Cave also provide visitor the experience to see how the edible bird’s nest are harvested. This place is also great to try caving, or for spelunkers and fellow geology enthusiasts to discover its grounds. Not to forget, the Turtle Island Marine Park is also located off the coast of Sandakan where you can visit and experience to be close to baby turtles.
Just around 30 minutes from Sandakan city centre, you can visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. There is also Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary located nearby the area to complete your wildlife exploration. The conservation centre give visitors memorable experience to see the adorable endangered species that can be hardly found today.
For more challenging activities, head to Rainforest Discovery Centre where there are jungle trails and canopy walk that will also give visitors the chance to enjoy birdwatching. Other than than, tourist can experience more wildlife attractions at Kinabatangan River’s wildlife corridor. Some of the activities there are river cruise and jungle walk.
The Gomantong Cave also provide visitor the experience to see how the edible bird’s nest are harvested. This place is also great to try caving, or for spelunkers and fellow geology enthusiasts to discover its grounds. Not to forget, the Turtle Island Marine Park is also located off the coast of Sandakan where you can visit and experience to be close to baby turtles.
What to see there?
What to see there?
Sandakan is also popular with its historical story from before the period of World War II. There are also some places that tourist can visit for sightseeing and also gain local history lesson. One of the places is the Sandakan Memorial Park, a museum located in the park that fills in as a commemoration to the Australian and British who died in WWII killed by Japanese.
A warm welcome through green lawns in the surroundings of Agnes Keith House will surely add up to your Sandakan trip highlights. Agnes Keith is a female author who has made Sabah famous through her writings and stories of her experiences living here. In this dedicated museum, visitors can witness viewing classic furniture and antiques while learning interesting story of Agnes Keith in the gallery.
Make yourself free to take the Sandakan Heritage Trail to see plenty of other attractions. This comprehensive trail will lead tourist walking throughout top places in Sandakan by using a self-guided map. The map of this trail includes a Stairs of 100 Steps that lead to a scenic view of Sandakan Town. You can look up for this trail online as there are a few route suggestions. Then, just pack your bags and make yourself ready to walk up along these trails and explore the beauty that Sandakan has to offer you.
A warm welcome through green lawns in the surroundings of Agnes Keith House will surely add up to your Sandakan trip highlights. Agnes Keith is a female author who has made Sabah famous through her writings and stories of her experiences living here. In this dedicated museum, visitors can witness viewing classic furniture and antiques while learning interesting story of Agnes Keith in the gallery.
Make yourself free to take the Sandakan Heritage Trail to see plenty of other attractions. This comprehensive trail will lead tourist walking throughout top places in Sandakan by using a self-guided map. The map of this trail includes a Stairs of 100 Steps that lead to a scenic view of Sandakan Town. You can look up for this trail online as there are a few route suggestions. Then, just pack your bags and make yourself ready to walk up along these trails and explore the beauty that Sandakan has to offer you.
When is the best time to go there?
When is the best time to go there?
- January
- February
- March
- April (Sabah Festival)
- May (Kaamatan Festival)
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Who should I travel with?
Who should I travel with?
Solo , Couple , Friends , Family , Group
What to eat?
What to eat?
- Fresh Seafood(mostly all seafood restaurant serve the freshest and tastiest seafood)
- Fishball Noodle
- Steamboat
- UFO tart
- Spring Noodles
Where to eat?
Where to eat?
- Fresh Seafood(mostly all seafood restaurant serve the freshest and tastiest seafood)
- Fishball Noodle
- Steamboat
- UFO tart
- Spring Noodles
Useful local terms
Useful local terms
Sabahan has their own language which is the local’s rendition of the Malay language spoken throughout Malaysia. However, most of people in Sandakan still able to speak Malay, converse in English and also Mandarin. Some of the basic Sabahan language is:
- Sia - I
- Durang - They/Them
- Tulung - Please
- Ndak - No
- Bah - Yes
- Salamat Pagi - Good Morning
- Salamat Tengahari - Good Afternoon
- Salamat Petang - Good Evening
- Berapa harga - How much?
- Kau duduk di mana? - Where do you live?
- Mangan - Eat
- Nginum - Drink
Insiders’ tips
Insiders’ tips
- Make early plans to go to Sandakan and try to avoid wet season that is usually between October and January.
- Bring enough pairs of suitable clothing as you may have a lot of outdoor activities. Also consider waterproof storage bags and action cameras to record your journey.
- It is important to prepare extra amount of cash because some local shops and markets do not accept credit/debit card payment.
- Try and make friends and ask the locals for directions to recommended places to eat and other travel tips.
- To experience the Kaamatan Festival, which is the local cultural activities involves the Unduk Ngadau (traditional beauty pageant) and Sugandoi (singing competition), do check the time as different city in Sabah celebrates it on different dates. Pesta Kaamatan in Sandakan usually will be held between 18-20 May.
- There are many accommodation options in Sandakan to suit your budget and they are easy to find. From 5 star hotels and resorts to backpackers lodge, the city definitely welcomes any kind of traveller.
- For transportation, local taxis are very easy to find with reasonable price. You can even try to negotiate the price and ask if they can arrange to drive you on day trips. They will also assist visitors to the tourist spots. Alternatively, you can rent a car from airport if you prefer to drive.
