Popular Tourist Attractions to Visit and Things to Do in Sandakan

Sandakan district is located in the central west coast of Sabah state of Malaysia on the Borneo Island. Sandakan faces the Sulu Sea and the Philippines across the water body. It is one of the most popular day trip and weekend getaway destination for those living on the Borneo island. If you are traveling to Kota Kinabalu or any other major city in Sabah you can include the places to visit in Sandakan along with that trip. There are several things to see in Sandakan to please every kind of tourist. Sandakan tourist attractions include historical monuments, mosques, temples and museums. At the same time Sandakan attractions also feature forests, islands, nature reserves, caves and islands. You can begin Sandakan sightseeing from the capital city of the district of the same name. You can then move southwards for nature exploration and east wards to visit the beaches and islands. If you are interested in only the historical tourist spots, then all interesting places in Sandakan are located in the capital city itself.

The most popular places to go in Sandakan trip are Orangutan Sanctuary and Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. Both these species of apes are one of the prime attractions of the district. The sanctuaries are so designed that the animals can be in their natural habitat. At the same time they are among top things to do in Sandakan because you can see the animals in form of a guided jungle hike trails along special pathways and even more special viewing platforms. These sanctuaries are not typical zoo. They provide a hike safari kind of experience when you visit Sandakan.

Another poster boy for Sandakan travel is the Turtle. There is an entire island dedicated to conservation of turtles breeding ground. Seligan turtle island is the best place to visit in Sandakan to see Green Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle. The best time to visit Sandakan to see baby turtle hatchlings is late summer. You can see beautiful little hatchlings making their way to the ocean from the coast of Seligan island.

Besides monkeys and turtles, bear sanctuary and crocodile sanctuary are also among things to see in Sandakan. If you are looking to go for hiking, trekking, camping, and other adventurous things to do in Sandakan, you have several options to choose from. There are nature parks and forest reserves all over the district. Besides nature exploration in jungles, spelunking is also among top things to do in Sandakan. You had straight to Gomantang to explore the grand caves. It is one of the largest cave networks on the Borneo Island. The caves have constructed pathways to help you navigate the difficult terrain. There are certain parts of the caves which are restricted to experienced cave explorers alone.

There are several other places to visit in Sandakan as you would see below. Majority of Sandakan tourist attractions are accessible from the capital city. The district itself is good enough for a weekend getaway. A day trip might be too short to fully explore various things to see in Sandakan. If you are an explorer looking for adventurous things to do in Sandakan, even of couple of days might seem short.

Things to do in Sandakan

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Sandakan

1. Sandakan Memorial Park
2. Pu Jih Syh Temple
3. Agnes Keith House Museum
4. St. Michael Church
5. Sam Sim Kung Temple of Three Saints
6. Sandakan Liberation Monument
7. Sandakan Heritage Museum
8. William Pryer Monument
9. Masjid Jamik as Sheikh Hasabollah at Tohiri
10. Sandakan District Mosque
11. Malaysia Fountain
12. St. Mary Cathedral
13. Agnes Keith’s Memorial
14. Bao Gong Temple

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Places to Visit in Sandakan

1. Rainforest Discovery Center
2. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
3. Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary
4. Turtle Island National Park
5. Sandakan Rainforest Park
6. Sepilok Forest Reserve
7. Mount Walker
8. Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
9. Segama Wetlands
10. Gomantong Caves
11. Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Places to visit in Sandakan

1. Sandakan Crocodile Farm
2. Indah Jaya Water Park
3. Buli Slim Slim Water Village

Shopping in Sandakan

1. Sandakan Central Market
2. Harbour Mall

Beaches & Islands in Sandakan

1. Selingan Turtle Island
2. Berhala Island
3. Bai Island
4. Pulau Libaran Island

Offbeat Places, Tours & Adventurous Things to do in Sandakan

1. Hiking
2. Camping
3. River Cruise
4. Spelunking

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Sandakan

1. Pasir Putih Baru
2. English Tea House & Restaurant
3. Mei Mei Restaurant
4. Hung Fatt Restoran
5. Kedai Makan Kong Teck
6. Sim SIm 84
7. Ikan Bakar Sederhana
8. Kedai Makan Ngee Lee
9. Kedai Roti Gold Crown
10. Urban Cafe
11. Fisherman’s Association
12. Heaven Dessert Parlor
13. Kedai Kopi Fui Chiew
14. Pukat Fisherman Village
15. Kedai Yap Syn Kee
16. Tau Fu Fah
17. Good Taste Restaurant
18. San Da Gen Kopitiam
19. Ba Lin Roof Garden Bistro & Bar
20. Pasar Tanah Merah
21. H84 Kon Lo Mee
22. Moon & Star Restaurant

How to Reach Sandakan?

By Air

Sandakan Airport received flights from Tuwau, Kudat, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Only three airlines (AirAsia, Malaysian Airlines, and MASWings) serve at Sandakan. The airport is fairly close to the capital city of the district, it is the best alternative for Sandakan travel. You can get buses and cabs to reach places to visit in Sandakan. If you are traveling from anywhere else you will have to get a connecting flight for Sandakan trip.

By Road

If you are traveling by road, you have the option of route 22 or route 13 to visit Sandakan. Both these roads lead to the capital city of the district, where most of Sandakan tourist attractions are located. You will be able to rent a car or hire a cab from nearby major cities for Sandakan attraction. Some of the cabs come with Sandakan travel guide as a driver. You will also be able to rent a car to drive yourself around for various things to do in Sandakan. But you will have to be cleared to drive in Malaysia. Road trip to the district is also great for Sandakan sightseeing.

The second best option is to travel by bus. There are both public buses and private tour buses running you can choose for Sandakan travel. You can get direct buses to visit Sandakan from almost all major cities in Sabah. If you are traveling from other towns, cities or villages on the Borneo island, you will have to take a connecting bus.

By Water

You can get a ferry for Sandakan travel from Zamboanga and Mindanao in Philippines. These are the only options to visit Sandakan by water. If you are traveling from anywhere else, road and air route are your best bet for Sandakan trip.