The best way to explore Sandakan Heritage trail is by foot and it should take about 2 hours to complete the whole trail…

Naturally the most ideal time to go for this trail is early morning… But the best thing is you can enjoy the Sandakan Heritage Trail at your own pace…

Overall, it is a comprehensive walk that covers the Sandakan’s most historical and interesting sites..

The recommended walk starts with the 100-over years old Masjid Jamik, the oldest mosque in Sandakan, built back in 1887…

… and then next to the Pryer Memorial, a granite structure erected to honour the founder of Sandakan, William Pryer… William Pryer cleared the bay of pirates and took the first steps to eliminate slavery which was rampant at the time.

Sandakan Heritage Museum (Muzium Warisan) is also located here… There some of the old photographs of Sandakan which can be interesting to those who want to learn more about how Sandakan came to be as well as an exhibition hall about Martin & Osa Johnson’s North Borneo safari of the 1930s. This American couple was known to travel to far off and exotic countries and wrote books and made films of their experiences….

Entrance to both the exhibition and museum are free.

From there, you can climb the Stairs with a Hundred Steps just across the Sandakan Heritage Museum towards Agnes Keith House and also the quaint English Tea House and Restaurant, a lovely place to take refreshment, enjoy the views over the town…

The English Tea House is located next door to Agnes Keith’s House which is one of the highlights of the tour. Agnes Newton Keith wrote her famous three-part autobiography, “The Land Below The Wind”, “Three Came Home” and “White Man Returns” about her experiences in Sandakan and the house plays a big role in her tales. The original house was destroyed during the war but was one of the first permanent timber structures to be rebuilt in 1947.

From Agnes Keith’s House, you can trek downhill until you reach the Clock Tower roundabout.. The remains of Foundation /stairs, supposedly the remains of the Consulate building of a prewar Chinese Government…

You can take the downhill road towards the Goddess of Mercy Chinese Temple, which was built in the late 1880s….

Futher down the road is a pathway to a beautiful quaint stone church of St Michael’s and All Angels…

St Michael’s is one of the very few buildings in all of Sabah to be made of stone. This  Gothic style church would make you feel like you have suddenly time travelled to an English village…  The church is one of Sandakan’s most attractive historical monuments…

You can continue to the Sam Sing Lung a Chinese Temple, which was constructed in 1885… And then to the Malaysia Fountain and back to Sandakan Heritage Museum….

You can also join the free walking tour done by Borneo Sandakan Tours… Happening on Wednesday and Friday only from 10 am to 12 pm…

To know more WhatsApp 0165205754

www.borneosandakan.com/free-walking-tour

Thanks to Sabah Tourism Board, Sandakan Tourism Association and Tourism Malaysia for the opportunity..