Labuan, Malaysia

Pulau Labuan is situated off the coast of East Malaysia, near the state of Sabah. It is also quite near to Brunei Darussalam. You can reach Labuan by flight from Kuala Lumpur, which will take around 2 1/2 hours. There are also flights from Miri (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Brunei. Another alternative is to reach Labuan by express boat or ferry from Limbang (Sarawak), Lawas (Sarawak), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) or Menumbok (Sabah). Going by boats will take around 3 hours, depending on weather and sea conditions. Labuan Island, with an area of only 92 square kilometres, packs a wide range of sights and activities to do. Bird lovers can go to the Labuan Bird Park which is free for the public. Not too far from there is also the Labuan's Chimney, a landmark built in the 1800s. There is a marine museum at the Labuan Sports Complex and also facilities to hire boats. Don't forget to visit the Labuan Water villages - a whole village of wooden homes buit on water! The best way to see the sights in Labuan is to rent a car and drive yourself around the island. Get yourself a good Labuan Map or map-brochures of Labuan from the tourist information centre or hotel that you're staying. Of course, it's better to stay in the hotels around the main town so that you'd have easy access to the shops, airport and ferry / boat terminal. There are many duty free stores in Labuan where you can purchase duty-free goods such as chocolates, liquor, cigarettes and leather products