Sandakan, Port city in Sabah, Malaysia.
Description
Sandakan is a coastal city in Sabah state on the northeastern shore of Borneo, stretching along an inlet of the Sulu Sea. Development runs from the reclaimed downtown area up into forested hills that limit growth to the west and south.
History
The British North Borneo Company founded the settlement in 1879 as an administrative center, drawing Chinese traders from Hong Kong. During World War II the city endured heavy bombing that destroyed much of the original built fabric.
Culture
The name comes from a Suluk word for pawnshop, referring to an earlier settlement on this site. Today markets and streets echo with a mix of Malay, Chinese dialects, and local languages that reflect the mixed ancestry of residents.
Practical
Three bus terminals link the city to destinations across Sabah and over the border into Indonesia. The airport lies several kilometers from the center and offers regular connections to major Malaysian cities.
Did you know?
The downtown area sits on seafloor reclaimed in the 1920s, creating flat building ground where open water once stood. That artificial extension remains visible today along the waterfront, where the ground drops sharply into the bay.
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Kinabalu Park
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Gomantong Caves
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Agnes Keith House
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Kundasang War Memorial
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Agop Batu Tulug Caves
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Puu Jih Shih Temple
3.3 km
Tawau Hills National Park
162 km
Sam Sing Kung Temple
256 m
St. Mary's Cathedral, Sandakan
489 m
Sandakan Jamek Mosque
363 m
Sandakan District Mosque
1.7 km
Sandakan Heritage Museum
72 m
Tam Kung Temple, Malaysia
2.2 km
Quailey's Hill Memorial
148.3 km
Sandakan War Monument
191 m
Chartered Company Monument
163 m
Tun Sakaran Museum
161.1 km
Mardanas
168.8 km
Batu Sapi
9.4 km
Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok
19.4 km
Christian Cemetery Sandakan
930 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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