Sandakan, on the northeast coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, was once the bustling capital of British North Borneo and a timber port known as “Little Hong Kong.” Today it’s your front-row seat to Southeast Asia’s greatest wildlife: orangutans swinging through ancient rainforest, proboscis monkeys leaping across mangrove rivers, sea turtles nesting under starlight.

The city’s story is layered—colonial-era homes, WWII memorials, stilt villages over the water. Between museum stops and sunset temples, you’ll taste Sandakan’s seafood legacy, sip kopi at old-school kopitiam cafés, and hunt down the local UFO tart, a beloved custard-meringue pastry.

Practical notes: Wildlife viewing is best at dawn and dusk; bring insect repellent, light rain gear, and closed shoes. Eastern Sabah operates robust maritime security (ESSCOM); tours to islands and river lodges run daily, but book ahead in peak months (June–September). Respect wildlife distances, follow ranger guidance, and carry small bills for park fees.

Sandakan

Sandakan is compact, friendly, and wonderfully food-driven. Its waterfront looks out toward the Sulu Sea; uphill, the Agnes Keith House recalls the city’s pre-war days. A short drive places you among Borneo’s big names: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the Rainforest Discovery Centre canopy walk, Labuk Bay’s theatrical proboscis monkeys, and the crocodile-lined Kinabatangan River.

• Top sights: Sepilok Orangutan Centre; Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre; Rainforest Discovery Centre; Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary; Kinabatangan River; Gomantong Caves; Agnes Keith House; St. Michael and All Angels Church; Puu Jih Shih Temple; Sandakan Memorial Park; Sim Sim stilt village.
• Where to stay (town + nature bases): In town, consider resort-style pools and easy dining access; in Sepilok, wake to gibbon calls; in Sukau/Bilit, sleep on the riverbank.

Book stays: Browse stays in Sandakan on Hotels.com or Sandakan on VRBO. For a forest base, try Sepilok on Hotels.com or Sepilok on VRBO. For river lodges, search Sukau on Hotels.com.

Getting there: Fly into Sandakan (SDK) from Kuala Lumpur (≈3 hrs) or Kota Kinabalu (≈45 mins). Check fares on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. In-town rides via taxi or e-hailing; Sandakan–Sepilok is ≈40 minutes by car; Sandakan–Sukau/Bilit is 2–2.5 hours by shared van or private transfer.

Day 1: Arrival, Waterfront Stroll, and Sunset Temple

Afternoon: Arrive in Sandakan and check into your hotel. Stretch your legs along the Waterfront Promenade and pop into the Central Market for a first taste of Borneo—try fresh coconut, grilled satay, or steamed buns upstairs at the food court.

Evening: Ride up to Puu Jih Shih Temple for sweeping views over the Sulu Sea as the sky turns gold. For dinner, choose between the stilt-house seafood of Sim Sim (ask for butter prawns, steamed grouper, and Sabah veg) or a relaxed garden setting at the English Tea House & Restaurant, where colonial-style verandas and scones meet local curries. Cap the night with a kopi-o at a nearby kopitiam.

Day 2: Sepilok Orangutans, Sun Bears, and the RDC Canopy Walk

Morning: After breakfast at San Da Gen Kopitiam (order the UFO tart and kaya toast), drive 40 minutes to Sepilok. Catch the 10:00 feeding at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre—arrive 20–30 minutes early to browse the exhibits on rescue and release. Cross the lane to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to spot the world’s smallest bear rummaging for fruit. Expect combined entry fees around RM30–60 per site for non-Malaysians.

Afternoon: Lunch at Sepilok Nature Resort’s lake-front bistro (ginger chicken, pineapple fried rice, icy lime juice), then head to the Rainforest Discovery Centre. Walk the botanical garden trails and climb the canopy towers for hornbills and red giant flying squirrels. If skies are clear, stay for golden-hour birdwatching.

Evening: Join the RDC night walk (book at the counter) to look for luminescent fungi, sleeping kingfishers, civets, or a slow loris. Dine nearby at Sepilok Forest Edge’s open-air restaurant—simple Sabah favorites like ikan bakar (grilled fish) and sayur manis with garlic—before returning to town.

Day 3: Proboscis Monkeys, War History, and Heritage Hill

Morning: Set out to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary (≈1 hour; last stretch is on estate roads). Plan around feeding times—typically 9:30 and 11:30 at different platforms—when the “Dutchman” monkeys, with their pendulous noses, bound from mangroves to feed. Bring a zoom lens and keep quiet; you may also see silvered leaf monkeys and hornbills.

Afternoon: Return to town via Sandakan Memorial Park, a serene, sobering site built on the WWII POW camp. Continue to St. Michael and All Angels Church, one of Sabah’s oldest stone churches, then to the Agnes Keith House museum to trace the author’s life and post-war reconstruction.

Evening: Sunset stroll through Sim Sim stilt village to watch fishermen bring in the day’s catch. Dinner at Ocean King Seafood (signature salted egg crab, steamed clams with garlic, and local seaweed salad). For dessert, hunt down ais kacang or cendol at a neighborhood dessert stall.

Day 4: To the Kinabatangan River—Afternoon Wildlife Cruise

Morning: Transfer 2–2.5 hours to a lodge in Sukau or Bilit on the Kinabatangan River (shared van RM60–120 pp, private car RM300–400 per vehicle). Check-in, drop bags, and settle into your river-view deck. Most packages include meals and two boat safaris daily (approx. RM700–1,200 per person for 2D/1N).

Afternoon: Board a small boat for your first safari along blackwater tributaries. Scan for proboscis families, long-tailed macaques, crocodiles, oriental darters, and—if fortune smiles—wild orangutans building nests.

Evening: After a hearty buffet (think stir-fried veggies, chicken curry, and fresh pineapple), opt for a night cruise to find buffy fish owls, sleeping kingfishers, and glittering croc eyes. Lights out early; dawn comes fast here.

Day 5: Sunrise on the River, Gomantong Caves, Back to Town

Morning: Coffee at 5:30 and onto the river as mist lifts off the water. This is prime time for hornbills (rhinoceros, wrinkled, Oriental pied) and the occasional pygmy elephant herd on the move. Return for breakfast and check out.

Afternoon: Stop at Gomantong Caves en route to Sandakan (boardwalk access; bring a hat and closed shoes). The cathedral-sized chamber houses swiftlets and bats; watch for red-naped trogons in the forest fringe. Continue 1.5 hours back to Sandakan.

Evening: Easy dinner on the waterfront—try grilled stingray with sambal, fried noodles, and fresh sugarcane juice. If you want something refined, the English Tea House also serves excellent evening curries on the terrace.

Day 6: Selingan Turtle Island Overnight

Morning: Be at the Sabah Parks jetty for the boat to Selingan (Turtle Islands Park). Most departures are in the morning; permits are limited—book well in advance via licensed operators (packages usually RM900–1,300 pp including boat, chalet, meals, and ranger-led viewing).

Afternoon: Check into the simple park chalet and spend the day snorkeling the shallow reef. You may spot juvenile blacktip reef sharks, parrotfish, and giant clams. Rest up; nighttime is the main event.

Evening: After dinner, wait for the ranger’s call. You’ll observe, in small groups, a mother green turtle laying eggs, the careful transfer to the hatchery, and—if conditions allow—the release of hatchlings to the moonlit sea. No flash photography; follow all instructions to minimize disturbance.

Day 7: Return from Selingan, Last Bites, Departure

Morning: Boat back to Sandakan mid-morning. Pick up souvenirs—local coffee, dried seafood snacks, handmade beadwork—from the Central Market.

Afternoon: Lunch before your flight: choose the market food court for Sabah-style noodles and fish soup, or a quick kopitiam set (soft-boiled eggs, kaya toast, kopi). Transfer to the airport for your afternoon departure.

Where to Stay: Curated Picks

• In Sandakan (town convenience): Resort-style properties with pools and easy access to the Waterfront and heritage hill. Search availability on Hotels.com Sandakan or browse apartments on VRBO Sandakan.
• In Sepilok (forest ambiance): Wake to gibbons and kingfishers; ideal for early feeds and RDC night walks. Compare stays via Hotels.com Sepilok or VRBO Sepilok.
• On the Kinabatangan (Sukau/Bilit): Riverfront lodges with included safaris and naturalist guides—book early in July–August. Start with Hotels.com Sukau.

Getting In and Around: Practical Tips

• Flights: Kuala Lumpur–Sandakan ≈3 hrs; Kota Kinabalu–Sandakan ≈45 mins. Compare options on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com.
• Transfers: Sandakan–Sepilok ≈40 mins (RM35–60 by e-hailing/taxi). Sandakan–Labuk Bay ≈1 hr (arrive before feeding times). Sandakan–Sukau ≈2–2.5 hrs (ask your lodge to arrange).
• Costs & essentials: Park entries typically RM30–60 for non-Malaysians per site; RDC night walks extra. River packages RM700–1,200 pp (2D/1N). Turtle Island packages RM900–1,300 pp. Pack light rainwear, insect repellent, quick-dry clothing, and a dry bag for boat trips.

Seven days in Sandakan offers the essence of Borneo: rainforest canopies and river oxbows by day, nesting turtles and star-pricked skies by night. With wildlife moments balanced by heritage, markets, and memorable meals, this itinerary leaves you full—heart, camera roll, and appetite alike.