Sandakan is known well for its wildlife attractions and nature. There are so many things to do in Sandakan, and if you are looking for a wonderful time admiring the natural beauty of pristine rain forest and its wildlife, it is then your ideal wildlife destination. Sharing with you here, an attraction list of things to do in Sandakan.
One of the Sandakan attractions are its rich biodiversity of wildlife, a perfect encounter with Borneo’s wildlife up closed and to experience the primates in their natural habitat, feeding, nesting, hunting and every lucky moment of this surely shoots an adrenaline rush making your Borneo holiday tours an unforgettable moment.
We would highly recommend for you, while in the east coast of Sabah to make sure you include these Sandakan attractions in your Borneo itinerary trip.
Take a nature walk into the wilderness of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, where Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is. This centre main objective is to cared for orphaned orangutan and to rehabilitate them therefore they can re-adjusted back into the wild.
At the centre, visitors gets to learn and understand on the rehabilitation programs facilitated by their dedicated staff, which includes the Sun Bear and the Sumatran Rhino. Highlight that surely make your day, is having to make your way to the feeding platform and be greeted by our wild-man of Borneo closed up!
While in Sandakan, another attraction that should not be missed is the Kinabatangan River, Malaysia’s second longest river! Hop in the boat and enjoy the thick pristine, lush jungle landscapes. Throughout your ride stand a chance to spot some incredible primates, such as the Proboscis Monkey socializing and feeding on young leaves of the trees by the Kinabatangan River bank, langurs swinging from trees to trees, crocodiles and if you’re lucky, you may get to experience the Borneo pygmy elephants!
Fancy on combining beaches and wildlife trip, well head on and make your way towards Selingan Turtle Island. Beautiful white sandy beaches to walk on and stunning sunset to combine an awe-inspiring evening when the turtles came up to lay their eggs. The Turtle Island park is a protected marine conservation area, and it takes about 50 minutes boat ride from Sandakan town to this turtle sanctuary. During the day it is a down time where you have time a chance to enjoy a lazy afternoon by the hut or sun-basking under the sun to work on that perfect tan, and as the evening comes it is an exhilarating experience to wait for the rangers call when the first turtle coming on shore to lay her eggs, a totally priceless experience.
Other things to do in Sandakan, is to discover her rich heritage. Wander yourself into a piece of Sandakan ancient past, with these iconic landmarks that are not to missed:
Agnes Keith House, a relic from a by-gone age of British colonial rule but kept well preserved until today. The house is authentically and widely known for holding on so much history contained within her. Holds an interesting insight about the life of Agnes and her family during the British North Borneo era. It is an ideal trip for those who enjoys history, walking down the memory lane of how Sabah came to shape today.
Sandakan War Memorial, a beautiful park dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand prisoners of war soldiers during the world war 2. As one of the most important historical sites in Sabah, where the Dawn Service Anzac Day is observed here. A yearly collaboration from both local communities and the Australian government.
St. Micheal and All Angels Church known for being the oldest monument stone church in Sabah. This Anglican church itself is a magnificent relic from the past, a combination of beauty and history from the British Colonization period in Borneo.
Sandakan is accessible by road from Kota Kinabalu that takes about 6 hours drive or simply by air domestic flights from Kota Kinabalu which takes about ( 40 – 45 minutes ) or Kuala Lumpur (2 and half hours ) with airlines such as AirAsia or Malaysia Airlines.
In any way, if you interested in visiting Sandakan on your upcoming vacay to Borneo, feel free to reach out to us. For more information, kindly click on the link attached to visit our Sandakan tour packages.