{"schema_version":1,"title":"Sandakan","type":"portabout","url":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/","collected":"2026-10-18","alternates":{"markdown":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/index.md","json":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/index.json"},"data":{"portPath":"/p/malaysia/sandakan","country":"Malaysia","guidance":[],"months":[{"value":"2027-01","path":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/timetable/2027-01"},{"value":"2027-02","path":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/timetable/2027-02"},{"value":"2027-03","path":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/timetable/2027-03"}],"totalCalls":3,"aliases":[],"month":"2027-01","page":1,"rows":[{"date":"2027-01-12","ship":"Silver Muse","arrival":"01:00","departure":null,"departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/silversea-cruises/silver-muse","voyages":[{"url":"/v/silversea-cruises/silver-muse/20261220-20270117/","label":"28 nights \u00b7 Round trip to Singapore \u00b7 2026-12-20"},{"url":"/v/silversea-cruises/silver-muse/20270103-20270117/","label":"14 nights \u00b7 Hong Kong to Singapore \u00b7 2027-01-03"}],"anchor":"call-3468cfef72b58104"}],"rowStart":1,"rowEnd":1,"monthTotal":1,"pagination":[{"number":1,"path":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/timetable/2027-01"}],"timetablepath":"/p/malaysia/sandakan/timetable/2027-01","about":{"currency":"MYR","currencyurl":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=MYR","portmap":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=5.83672946612273,118.11669588089","facts":[["Getting ashore","Dock in the town centre"],["Into town","Walk, the centre is small"],["Best starting point","Central Market"],["Currency","Malaysian ringgit \u00b7 MYR"]],"sections":[["Getting ashore","The cruise dock is right in the centre of town, and the Central Market and Milimewa Superstore are a short walk from the port. Arrival is described as docked rather than tendered, with walking possible only in limited city and waterfront areas. Silver Muse is listed arriving at 01:00 and leaving at 23:00 on 12 January 2027. Those times are unusual for a call, so confirm them with the cruise line and ask whether your ship berths or tenders. Turtle eggs in luggage are treated very seriously by police and customs, so do not buy or carry them."],["For walkers and architecture fans","Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, on the east coast of Borneo. It has about 160,000 residents, or more than 400,000 with the metro area. Between 1881 and 1897 it was the capital of the British North Borneo Company. The city has long been predominantly Chinese, and Cantonese is the main Chinese dialect. Most residents speak at least basic English. A walking trail covers the main city sites. Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple sits on a hilltop above Tanah Merah, with a view over the town and harbour, and it is free and open 08:00 to 16:30. Sam Sing Kung Temple is the oldest building in the city. St Michael and All Angels Cathedral costs RM10, and Agnes Keith House costs RM15. Walking times for the temples are not known, so check the route before you set out."],["For nature and outdoor fans","Sandakan is the gateway to ecotourism in Sabah. The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is the main draw, where young orphaned orang-utans learn the skills they need to survive in their shrinking natural habitat. The foreign-visitor entry fee was RM30, last reported in 2024. Nearby are the Rainforest Discovery Centre, Turtle Islands Park, the Kinabatangan River and Gomantong Caves, about 100 km away. The Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary costs RM60 and is open 08:00 to 18:00. Eastern Sabah travel advice has included a 2017 warning about pirate kidnapping risks, a night curfew on vessels, and the closure of a seafood restaurant after a 2015 kidnapping. Check current advice before booking any boat trip, including trips to offshore islands."],["For eaters and drinkers","Seafood is fresh and inexpensive. Restoran Ajmeer serves South Indian and Malay food, and the Sandakan Curry House is known for fish head curry. Hawker centres at the Central Market serve food, and Nature Vegetarian offers vegetarian meals from RM15. Kampung Buli Sim Sim is a water village on stilts, where you can eat fresh seafood at a floating restaurant. The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre charges RM50, and its opening hours are not known, so check the day's times locally."],["Getting around and money","The city sprawls west and north toward the airport, so a rental car or Grab is more practical for longer trips, although the centre is easy to walk. Taxis usually have no meters, so agree the fare first. A round trip to Sepilok and the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary is listed at RM160. A taxi into town from Sandakan Airport, about 13 km from the centre, should cost around RM15. Sandakan Memorial Park is free and about 12 km out, with a taxi trip of roughly RM30 including waiting. Minivans and buses run around the city, including to the airport, Sepilok and Buli Sim Sim, but timetables are not known. Express buses from Kota Kinabalu take about 5 hours and cost RM33. The currency is the ringgit (RM). Exchange and card acceptance are unclear, so check both before going ashore."]],"access":"The sources read do not describe step-free routes at the dock or in town, and Wikivoyage says the city sprawls and taxis usually lack meters. For Sepilok and the wildlife sites, book a van or a taxi with a fixed fare, and ask the cruise line whether the excursion uses a coach with a lift.","links":[{"label":"WhatsInPort port guide (2024 archive)","url":"https://www.whatsinport.com/Sandakan.htm","detail":"Archived port guide, dated 2024"},{"label":"Sandakan on CruiseMapper","url":"https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/sandakan-port-729?tab=wiki","detail":"Port wiki and calendar snapshot"},{"label":"Convert ringgit to your currency","url":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=MYR","detail":"Daily reference rates","currency":"MYR"}],"maps":[{"label":"Sandakan dock on Google Maps","url":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=5.83672946612273,118.11669588089","detail":"Dock coordinates from the archive"},{"label":"Sandakan on Wikivoyage","url":"https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sandakan","detail":"Town guide with transport and sights"}]}}}