Sandakan

90000 Sandakan
Sabah
East Malaysia

Located on the east coast of Sabah, Sandakan is the jumping off point for eco-tourism destinations such as the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley, Gomantong Cave, Turtle Islands National Park and many more.   The town was known as "Elopura", which means 'the beautiful place", for more than 200 years before it was given the name Sandakan.

Developed by the British Chartered Company about a hundred years ago, it developed and grew quickly as one of the largest settlements in North Borneo (Sabah). The reason for its rapid growth was due to the many - in fact as many as 43 - commodities that could be exported in the late 19th Century. Sandakan was once the capital because of its bright prospects and the need for an administrative centre on the East coast.

The port was important for the lucrative tobacco, cocoa, coffee, manila hemp and sago exports. Even before the advent of the tractors and chain saws the timber industry boomed as early as 1890s. In the mid 1930s, Sandakan's timber export reached the record figure of 180,000 cu m, making it the largest timber exporting port of tropical wood in the world.

Updated On: 04.11.14