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Sandakan
Malaysian town

Sandakan

Sandakan formerly known at various times as Elopura, is the capital of the Sandakan District in Sabah, Malaysia.

Plan a trip to Sandakan→From Kota Kinabalu

It is the second largest city in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. It is located on the Sandakan Peninsula and east coast of the state in the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo. In 2010, the city had an estimated population of 157,330 while the overall municipal area had a total population of 396,290. The population of the municipal area had increased to 439,050 by the 2020 Census.

Get in

Getting to Sandakan

Daily direct connections with Kuala Lumpur (by AirAsia) and to Kota Kinabalu (by Malaysia Airlines and its subsidiary MASWings). MASWings also has connecting flights with Kudat, Lahad Datu, and Tawau.

  1. 01
    Sandakan Airport
  2. 02
    Stesen Bas Ekspres

    Jalan Utara.

  3. 03
    Terminal Bas Ekspres Sandakan

    Aleson Lines runs a ferry from Zamboanga City in the Philippines every Monday at 1PM.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Sandakan Memorial Park

    Negotiate a taxi to take you there (15 min), and expect to pay around RM 30 including waiting time.).

  2. 02
    Puu Jih Syh

    A Chinese temple on top of a hill behind Sandakan where you can get beautiful views of Labuk Bay.

  3. 03
    St Michael and All Angels Cathedral

    Erected in the late 19th century, it is one of the oldest stone buildings in Sabah.

  4. 04
    Agnes Keith House and Museum

    Former home of author Agnes Newton Keith, now restored as a museum.

  5. 05
    Gomantong Caves
  6. 06
    Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary
Do

Things to do

Cruise on the Kinabatangan River. The 560 km Kinabatangan River, the longest in the state, flows pass some of the richest ecosystems on earth, especially just before it meets the sea. The Lower Kinabatangan and Sukau areas are known for its mangrove swamps and flood plains, and is home to its most famous inhabitants, the proboscis monkeys.

Eat

Where to eat

Sandakan has good and fresh seafood. Restoran Ajmeer Located at mile 3 (Hing Lee) and mile 4 (Bandar Prima). Specialize in South Indian food and Malay-styled fried food. Also serve lamb briyani, fish head curry, dosai, idli, vadai and other Indian traditional food. They have been awarded as Cheap and Best Restaurant in town by Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

  1. 01
    English Tea House

    Mile 1 of Jalan Utara, info@englishteahouse.org.

How locals move

Getting around Sandakan the local way

  • Get inAleson Lines runs a ferry from Zamboanga City in the Philippines every Monday at 1PM.
  • Get aroundThere is a water taxi from Buli Sim-Sim to Pulau Berhala.
  • Get aroundFor individual explorations of the islands within Sandakan Bay, it is highly recommended to book local boats only via tour agencies or experienced guides.
  • Get aroundThere is a walking trail which covers all the main sites.

From Wikivoyage: Sandakan, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-03.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.