Sandakan was the capital of North Borneo until it was devastated by Allied bombing at the end of the Second World War. Some of the sights of Sandakan include the extravagantly ornate Puu Jih Shih Buddhist Temple built on the hilltop just South of the town centre.

Buli Sim Sim - the birth place of Sandakan in 1879

View over Sandakan Harbour from Puu Jih Shih Temple

The site of the original town of Sandakan, which began in 1879, is located a short walking distance from the centre of town at Kampung Buli Sim Sim, which is a large water village where the neat wooden houses are perched on stilts above the sea and reached by plank walkways. 

Sandakan was also the starting point of the infamous "Death March" of the Second World War. For further information, refer to: Australians in Borneo During World War II

Sandakan Central Market is one of the most interesting produce markets in the region, and is certainly worthy of a look. 

Additional photograph on this page is courtesy of Katie Seeger