Sandakan Hotels

Sandakan, is in Sabah, Borneo. It is the gateway to Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary [1] and the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.Sandakan was the former capital of British North Borneo until 1946. The town prospered in the early days due to its port with visiting traders from about the world. Sandakan is an important town to Australian and British WWII history with the infamous Death Marches commencing here in 1945. After WWII the capital moved to Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu). "Sandakan" is derived from the Suluk word "sanda" meaning, to pawn and "kan" being the suffix. So "Sandakan" means the place that was pawned. Who pawned it, and to whom, remains a mystery. Sandakan is a busy commercial centre at the entrance to a beautiful, island-studded bay. Most activity centres on the docks and wharves that sprawl along the waterfront. Barges, ferries and motorboats of every description buzz around, unloading fish and other produce, and taking away rattan, timber, rubber, copra, palm oil and bird's nests. West of town, passenger ferries shuttle back and forth to Zamboanga in the Philippines. In the bay, container vessels ride at anchor awaiting their turn to unload.Sandakan has character and even a certain downmarket charm, though once the shop shutters come down at night the centre can feel disconcertingly deserted. The real attractions lie outside town, but there's excellent seafood to enjoy and beautiful views from the hills at sunset.