Labuan
Table of Contents: Regions / Cities / Other destinations / Culture and History / Talk / Travel to Labuan, visa requirements / Get around / Labuan attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Labuan nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Stay safe / Get out More from East Malaysia: Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak More from Malaysia: East Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia More from Southeast Asia: Borneo, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, One month of Southeast Asian diving and culture, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands, Thailand, Vietnam More from Asia: Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Southeast Asia |
Labuan are a group of one large and six smaller islands in East Malaysia that lie off the coast of Borneo.
Regions
- Pulau Labuan - the main island
- Pulau Daat
- Pulau Burung
- Pulau Kuraman
- Pulau Papan
- Pulau Rusukan Besar
- Pulau Rusukan Kecil
Cities
Labuan is an Island with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Its quite a small community where everyone knows everyone. Labuan was proclaimed Federal Territory on 16/04/1984 and declared an International Offshore Financial Centre on 1/10/1990. A few of the major business that is run on the island are the International Offshore Bankings, Steel mills, Methanol plant, floor tiles production, flour mill as well as offshore supplies.
Other destinations
Understand
Labuan island is located off the northwest coast of Borneo, north of Brunei Bay and faces the South China Sea. It comprises of the main island of Pulau Labuan and six smaller islands namely Pulau Kuraman, Pulau Daat, Pulau Rusukan Besar, Pulau Rusukan Kecil, Pulau Papan and Pulau Burung. It is located at 05 latitude North and 115 longitude East, and lies approximately 10 km southeast off the coast of the East Malaysian state of Sabah.
Labuan is only 8km or twenty minute boat ride from Menumbok, a small fishing town in Sabah. High speed air-conditioned ferries ply daily to Labuan from Sabah, Sarawak and Negara Brunei Darussalam. The trip from Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah takes about 3 hours and about an hour from Negara Brunei Darussalam. It is roughly equidistant from Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore. There are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur as well as from Brunei.
The island is mainly flat and undulating and the highest point is only 85 metres. More than 70 percent of the island is still under vegetation. Due to the fact that land utility is geared more towards property and industrial use, there is less agricultural activity in the area. Most of the island's prime land, waterfront and suburbs are utilised for residential and tourism development. A sizeable area on the south western side of the island is utilised by shipbuilding, manufacturing and oil and gas industries.
Labuan has a tropical climate with two annual monsoon seasons - the South West monsoon from April to June and the North East monsoon from September to December. It is free from hurricanes and typhoons and enjoys good climate all year round. Daily temperatures average between 28 to 32 degrees celsius.
Talk
English & Malay is widely spoken. Major chinese dialects (especially Hokkien) are spoken among the Chinese community.
Get in
There are daily flights from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia as well as thrice daily flights to Miri with Fly Asian Xpress (FAX)
Get around
Ferries run regularly between Labuan and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Muara, Brunei There are also regular flights from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu . All flights land at the Labuan Airport or Lapangan Terbang Labuan.. a taxi to the town costs around RM 8
See
- Duty-Free Shopping - This is one of Labuan's known attractions. Its modern shopping centres carry a wide range of locally-produced as well as imported goods. Most popular are spirits and tobacco, textiles and appliances. Every end of the year, the island hosts a month-long shopping carnival with attractive discounts. Cultural shows add to the excitement
- International Offshore Financial Centre - Pulau Labuan is Asia's newest international offshore financial centre. The 65 foreign banks operating on the island offer sophisticated offshore banking services and numbered accounts facilities to the world's rich and famous.
- World Class Sport Fishing Destination - Pulau Labuan is surrounded by six smaller islands namely Pulau Kuraman, Pulau Daat, Pulau Rusukan Besar, Pulau Rusukan Kecil, Pulau Papan and Pulau Burong. The blue clear water around these idyllic islands is home to one of the world's richest coral and fishing grounds which offers unlimited deep sea tackling and coastal table-fish catches.
- World War II Site - Pulau Labuan is a significant historical destination particularly from the time of World War II. The Labuan War Memorial, Allied Landing Point and Japanese Surrender Park are three major World War II sites attracting foreign and local visitors alike. A "Remembrance Day" is held every November at the WW II Memorial to honour the 3,900 recorded graves of Fallen Heroes of World War II. This event is attended by Malaysian and foreign war veterans and family members of the Allied soldiers killed in action during the war between 1942 and 1945.
- International Sea Sport Complex - Besides the various activities already mentioned, Labuan also hosts the International Sea Challenge in May every year which comprises of four events - the Underwater Treasure Hunt, Jet Sport Challenge, Cross Channel Swim Challenge and Big Game Fishing Tournament.
- Wreck Diving - Pulau Labuan has one of the best wreck diving sites in Asia. There are four wreck sites on the island's locally known as The "Australian" Wreck, The "American" Wreck, The "Blue Water" Wreck and The "Cement" Wreck.
- The Chimney - The Chimney is just a short drive from the town just like any other destination due to the island size. It is where the coal mining was done in the early days.
- Bird Park - The bird park is just opposite of the Chimney. Consist of 3 major dome connected together. Houses a number of species of bird. Entrance is free.
- Beach - As the Pearl of South China Sea, it has beautiful stretches of beach. The famous ones are Pohon Batu and Pancur Hitam where the locals hang out and have a BBQ picnic during the weekend.
Do
Eat
All food, especially fresh seafood, is extremely well priced.
BBQ chicken wings are a Labuan delicacy. They are cooked on skewers over smoky charcoal and wood barbeques. 6 chicken wings for RM6.
Drink
Labuan is well-known for its duty free especially alcohols. The main entertainment in Labuan is its night clubs and lounges
Some of the famous places where people go:
- POPIN - http://www.popin-labuan.com
- Sheraton's Some Place Else (SPE)
- Jungle Park
- Kings KTV
- Strawberry KTV
- The Relax
- Crossroads
- Jupiter 8
Stay safe
Labuan is a very safe town. It is a very peaceful place and the people are very nice and friendly
Get out
More from East Malaysia: Labuan, Sabah, Sarawak More from Malaysia: East Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia More from Southeast Asia: Borneo, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, One month of Southeast Asian diving and culture, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands, Thailand, Vietnam More from Asia: Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Southeast Asia |
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