Best Time to Visit Sandakan for 2 Days Itinerary, What to Do & Where to Go

Day 1 | Morning

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Opening Hours: Open on Mon-Fri,Sun,9:30am-4:00pm

Ticket Price: 30 MYR

Recommended Length of Stay: 3-3 Hours

Location: Sabah Wildlife Department, W.D.T. 200, Sandakan, Jalan Sepilok, Sepilok, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia

The Sepilok Ape Man Reserve specifically protects the orangutan, known as the "Borneo Savage", which researchers believe is one of the primates that are closer to humans. The reserve was established in 1964 and occupies an area of 45 square kilometers. It is currently the largest ape reserve in the world. In the reserve, there is also the opportunity to see endangered animals such as the Malay rhino.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Win Bkk: Interesting twice daily feeding session and the expo about how the centre rehabilitates orangutan saved from diminishing forests

Trip.com User: Very quiet and friendly and atmosphere place. It's good to realize that visitors contribute to preserve this species

Day 1 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: Turtle Islands National Park.

Turtle Islands National Park

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: 60 MYR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Days

Location: Malaysia

Turtle Island National Park consists of several islands located in the Sulu Sea off the east coast of Sabah. As an important spawning and hatching ground for sea turtles in Southeast Asia, it is a breeding paradise for the endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles. Among them, PulauSelingan, PulauBakunganKecil and PulauGulisan are good places to watch sea turtles. Turtle Island may not be the most beautiful scenery in Sabah, but it is a very moving place. At night, turtles will climb up from the sea to lay eggs on the beach, which is the reason for the mother turtles to go ashore. Hatching baby turtles break out of their shells and try to crawl into the sea late at night until dawn, and you can watch it all in silence from the beach. Usually turtles lay their eggs seasonally, but in Turtle Island National Park, turtles come here to lay eggs every day, and July-October is the peak period for turtles to lay eggs. All the turtle eggs laid will be collected, hatched and released by the staff to protect the reproduction of the turtles.

Day 1 | Evening

If you want to explore other popular attractions later, Home Suites & Residence Natural City Sandakan is a suitable place for you to stay and refresh.

Home Suites & Residence Natural City Sandakan

The Home Suites & Residence Natural City Sandakan provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. Visitors to Sandakan will find that the Home Suites & Residence Natural City Sandakan is a fantastic accommodation choice.

From the hotel, Sandakan Airport is approximately 17km away. The nearest airport is Sandakan Airport, approximately 17km from the hotel. With Bao Gong Temple, Goddess Of Mercy and Sandakan Heritage Trail all within a short distance, there is no shortage of things to do in the area.

This hotel makes a great place to kick back and relax after a long day of sightseeing.

Day 2 | Morning

Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC)

Opening Hours: Open from 8:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 15 MYR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-3 Hours

Location: Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sandakan, Malaysia

This is a good place to learn about the uniqueness and importance of the tropical rainforest. Due to its unique environment, it is home to one of Sabah's rare birds, the Borneon Bristlehead and 250 other species of birds, such as hornbills, spotted broadbills, pitta, There are many birds such as kingfishers, so this is a paradise for bird lovers.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Win Bkk: I can have a convenient, quick glimpse of what a rainforest can offer at RDC. Several routes are possible depending on your style (and physical fitness).

Day 2 | Afternoon

Having the chance to enjoy the charming Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), Klias Wetland next to it is another great place that you will never want to miss!

Klias Wetland

Opening Hours: Open from 9:00am-9:30pm

Ticket Price: 5 MYR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-3 Hours

Location: Off Jalan Labuk, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah

The huge mangroves of Klias Wetland are the habitat of the precious Proboscis Monkey. Proboscis monkeys are only found in Borneo. They mainly live in the mangroves at the junction of the estuary and the ocean. They love to forage at dawn and dusk. There are only a few thousand left. They are endangered animals, and their preciousness is comparable to that of pandas. The proboscis monkey has an oddly long and drooping nose, a thick waist, and a thick white tail. It looks like it is wearing a gray tights, an orange jacket and white bottoms. It is huge and looks weird. Proboscis monkeys are found only in Borneo and live in coastal wetlands, where a male proboscis monkey often lives in groups of up to eight females. The female proboscis monkey's nose is not as pronounced as the male's. You can track the proboscis monkeys if you take a boat along the mangrove channel in the afternoon. But not every time with good luck. After dark, sitting on the same boat and passing the same river, you will witness a very grand firefly show with your own eyes, and you will find that the little fireflies gather together to light up the sky, how beautiful it is . Kelis Wetland is a wild ecological area, and the staff cannot control the number and distance of proboscis monkeys, but you can learn a lot from this ecological environment. During heavy rain and moon, the number of fireflies will decrease, so please be considerate to those who do not see many fireflies.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.