Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 503

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Regular buses run between KK and nearby Ranau;
Ranau is a short taxi ride from Poring (RM35). You can also
flag down Ranau- and KK-bound buses by the entrance to
Kinabalu National Park.

Chinese World War II memorial and the
“100 steps”, up to Agnes Keith's house
(daily 9am-5pm; RM15 - free with
KK Sabah State Museum ticket). his
beautiful two-storey colonial residence
was built on the site of the home of the
American author who lived in Sandakan
with her English husband between the
1930s and the 1950s. Her first book,
he Land Below he Wind , gave Sabah
an endearing epithet that stuck, while
hree Came Home told the story of the
family's internment in Japanese prisoner
of war camps.
Just to the east of Sandakan is
Kampung Buli Sim-Sim , the water
village around which Sandakan expanded
in the nineteenth century, its countless
photogenic shacks spread like lilies
out into the bay - a colourful place
to wander around, with some great
seafood restaurants.
Most travellers use Sandakan as a base
from which to visit or a brief stopover
en route to the Sepilok Orang-utan
Rehabilitation Centre and Bornean Sun
Bear Conservation Centre , or as a
jumping-off point for wildlife-watching
along the Kinabatangan River and the
Gomantong Caves , connected to
Sandakan by handy transfers.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
At Poring itself, the accommodation scene is limited to
overpriced options, so you're better off visiting Poring en
route to or from Mt Kinabalu or else staying at Lupa Masa
(see p.505). There's a café with a limited menu at the
springs, and a couple of restaurants just outside the gates
serving Malay food from RM10.
★

6

Lupa Masa T 01 820 8981 or T 012 845 1987.
The eco-camp features a covered lounge and open-air
kitchen; sleeping arrangements range from tents on a
raised platform with a roof, a mattress on a raised platform
overlooking the river, with mosquito netting, or a rustic
two-person pondok (hut) with mattress on the floor for
couples. Besides generating its own electricity using a
nearby river, Lupa Masa also composts organic waste
and meals incorporate organic, locally sourced produce
(including various jungle plants). Don't e xpect wi-fi, and
bring a torch to light your way at night. RM85-100 per
person per day, including food.

SANDAKAN
Sandwiched between sea and cliffs on the
northern lip of Sandakan Bay, SANDAKAN
is a gritty port, founded in 1878 by
Englishman William Pryer and spread out
around the bay. here's little left of the
attractive architecture from its colonial
heyday, as it was destroyed by Japanese
bombing. During the Japanese occupation
between 1942 and 1945, Sandakan was
the site of a large prisoner of war camp,
and more Australian prisoners died during
the death march to Ranau than during
the construction of the Burma Railway.
Every year on ANZAC Day (April 24),
former servicemen and their descendants
come to visit the Australian war memorial
at Mile Seven on Labuk Rd, towards
Sepilok (take buses #8, #12 or #14, get off
at the “Taman Rimba” signpost and then
take Jln Rimba; taxis cost around RM35).
he Sandakan Heritage Trail (pick up a
brochure from the tourist o ce) loops
around the town centre, taking in
Sandakan's historical buildings, such as
the William Pryer monument, the St
Michael and All Angels Church, the

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The airport serving Sandakan is 11km north of
town and connected by taxis (RM35) to the centre. You can
also take bus #7 which stops around 500m from the airport
along the main road.
Destinations Kota Kinabalu (4 daily; 1hr 45min); Kuala

Lumpur (6 daily; 3hr 30min).
By bus Sandakan's local bus station is situated on the
waterfront at Jln Pryer. Local buses run along Jln Utara
from 6am to 6pm, their number, Batu 7 (Mile 7), telling
you the distance they travel from town. A short walk
west along Jln Pryer brings you to the minibus area.
Most Kinabatangan nature lodges arrange daily pick-
ups from Sandakan.
Destinations From the long-distance bus station at
Batu 2.5 (taxis cost RM15) there are buses to and from
KK (approximately hourly 7am-2pm with an evening
departure around 8pm; 7hr); Lahad Datu (several daily;
2hr 30min); Ranau (3 daily; 4hr); Semporna (daily at
7.30am; 5hr 30min); Tawau (several daily; 5hr 30min).
By long-distance taxi Long-distance taxis operate from
the area around the local bus station.