Sandakan Itinerary 2019

26^th September 2019 (Thursday)

Labuan >> Menumbok : Ferry ticket RM 2.50 & Depart 8:30am

Menumbok >> Kota KInabalu Sentral (KK Sentral): Menumbok Express RM 18

When in KK Sentral, I bought return ticket with Sipitang Express which cost me RM 18 (Depart 1:30pm).

27^th September 2019 (Friday)

Kota Kinabalu >> Sandakan 10:20am-11:05am

Unexpected the flight a bit early reach Sandakan, before 11am. We took Grab to OYO Hotel London. As the room is not yet prepare so, we walked to San Da Gen Kopitiam (opening hour 8am-5pm) for lunch. At there do not have printed menu. The menu written on a black board. Besides main dishes, it also sell some desserts such as UFO tart, avocado cream puff, durian cream puff and egg tart (RM 2.50).

The environment in San Da Gen Kopitiam is so beautiful and suitable for photo taking. At here, you can get Sandakan Heritage Trail map. I ordered traditional laksa (RM 11.90). The presentation is special as has bean curd skin.

If you wish to go Lubuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary Malaysian (Adult RM 15), you can ask more information with staff in San Da Gen Kopitiam as it provide shuttle bus to there. The nearest hotel with San Da Gen Kopitiam is NAK Hotel.

After lunch, we walked to Genting Mas Mall that near with bus stop. Although “Genting Mas Mall” has the word of “Mall” but I feel like it is a supermarket. That time I went, the mall was blackout so I just go around in ground floor.

Out from Genting Mas Mall, we walked to Sandakan Harbour Mall. Besides mall has the big word of “I love (Symbol of heart) Sandakan” that you can take picture. Inside mall did not has many shops; we stopped a while in Popular Book Store.

After came out from Sandakan Harbour Mall, we direct to our hotel. Around 5pm, we started our Sandakan Heritage Trail but chose some place to go by car. It is not advice to start by 5pm, as many temples and museum were close.

As it was still early, so we went to Kim Fung Market that operates 24 hours. My friend bought Chinese Dumplings. In Sandakan must try for seafood bakuteh and the two most popular restaurant are Nam Cha Seafood Bakuteh (Business Hour: 830am-2pm; 6pm-9pm) and Good Taste Restaurant (Business Hour: 8am-2pm; 6pm-9pm). These two restaurant located in same row.

We chose to go Nam Cha Seafood Bakuteh. As we did not know what to eat so the staff recommended us that every dishes come with a small plate for a taste. The vegetable is so special as also in Bakuteh soup. When you ordered single portion of seafood bakuteh, you will get a whole fish inside of bakuteh soup.

After dinner, my friend suggested to Home Garden Café. This café located in front of house. I like the environment of café which surrounding by plants. I ordered a cup of lemon tea with chocolate macaron. The macaron is taste good with chocolate filings.

28^th September 2019 (Saturday)

Early in the morning, we went for Sandakan Central Market (near Sandakan Harbour Mall) for breakfast. The 2^nd floor of market has Malay food while 3^rd floor has Chinese food or non-halal. We straight away to 3^rd floor and look for 1940 Fried Pork Kway Teow 家传正宗炸肉大粉 (5am-11am).  This kway teow come with small portion. The meat is nice!

Besides that, I saw online review that the food in stall No.33 also delicious. It has seafood noodles come with prawn and fish cakes. After breakfast, my friend drove us to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and Bornean Sun BearConservation Centre.

For lunch, we went to Sim Sim Floating Water Village. We looked for house number 84 (Business Hour: 6:30am-1pm). Inside of house has small restaurant that sell century egg dumplings, fish spring roll, sparingly noodle with fried pork.

After that, we look for number 90. At there has sell some dried seafood that is a good souvenir. I bought some dried food for my mum.

This was my first time to see salted fish hanging on the rack under the sun. 

For dinner, my friend suggested went to 傅贵临门 because many people recommend eating prawn noodle. Besides that, we ate Dongfeng snail, squids and vegetable.

After dinner, we went to Kim Fung Night Market. At there, I bought my first ever UFO tart for try. It goes by the name of UFO tart or Cowdung tart just so because of its cute shape. A true Sandakan dessert, this tart is made up of a thin cake base and with sweet custard and meringue top.

29^th September 2019 (Sunday)

Sandakan >> Kota Kinabalu 11:30am-12:20pm

Before went to airport, we were having lunch at Kedai Roti Gold Crown 金冠面包中西饼店 (Business Hour: 8am-5pm). At there has many pastries. We ordered fish soup for breakfast.

Many people come to this shop for UFO tart. I also bought UFO tart that is fresh from oven.

The Sandakan airport is quite small. Inside waiting hall, has a small bookstore that sell many types of illustration book. The flight also early reached KK which on 12pm.

From airport, I took Grab to KK Sentral. This was my first time to use KK Sentral so I not sure where is the place for bus departure. Luckily has kind people to give a direction. When at departure hall, I went down use stairs and wait for bus.

That time around 1pm, the bus was coming and I went inside. As I did not have time for lunch after the flight so I ate inside the bus. After finished eating, the bus depart. I was quite surprised when saw bus depart as the ticket that I bought was depart on 1:30pm.

As beside my seat has an enough seat so the bus stopped at bus stop and one man went into the bus. After that, the bus conductor started checked the ticket.  All the people in bus were holding red color ticket but my ticket was white color.

I wrongly went into the bus!! The bus initially depart on 12:45pm and the bus was late so depart on 1pm. The conductor gave me 2 options, one is go down from bus and another is buy the red color ticket. The red color ticket (Munumbok Express) and white color ticket (Sipitang Express) are not in same company.

Last, I bought a new ticket. When in ferry terminal, I took speedboat (RM 9.70) back. That time seems like want raining and luckily, no raining at the time I reached Labuan.

Future Listing:

• Mei Mei Restaurant/ Soup Ladies (Business Hour: 6:30am-3pm) : Many choice of soup such as seafood/pork spare parts, goji, salted vegetable, tomyam etc. All come with noodle. When use Grab, plot the place at “Equator Café” and walk to here.
• Foodcourt Sandakan Futsal
• Restoran Hung Fatt (Hong Kong Roasted Meat): Opposite Kim Fung Market
• Kedai Makan Kong Teck (Business Hour: 6:30am-11am& Monday close) –fish noodle & seafood cakes
• 7 Heaven Desset Partor (Business Hour: 12pm-10:30pm) : Frozen Yogurt Ice-cream
• Kedai Kopi Fui Chiew (Business Hour: 7am-4pm) : Fried Pork Kway Teow
• Kedai Kopi Baru Bar Lock Yuen (Business Hour 8am-5pm): Red bean paste bun with kaya & butter
• Pasar Makan 1.5 Batu: Near Tam Kung Temple
• Tropical Garden Steamboat