Sandakan

Sandakan, the second largest city in the state of Sabah was my final destination for this month of May. Once I was informed that I will be going to Sandakan, I went online and asked my friends especially RLJM to find out A-Z about Sandakan.

First on the menu is the Yau Char Kwai with Kaya from this place called Mile 4. This simple dessert can be DIY at home. Taste quite good actually. Once you ate one, you can't stop. Haha..

Kaya Yau Char Kwai

Sandakan is located on the east coast, therefore the seafood is cheap there. The locals came up with this dish called Seafood Bak Kut Teh. During lunch, we went to Kedai Syn Lok Bak Kut Teh which is situated at Bandar Nam Tung to solve our taste bud's curiosity...

Prawn Kut Teh?


Bak Kut Teh with meatballs


Fish Kut Teh?


Vege Kut Teh?

You must really try this dish if you happen to be in Sandakan, really taste delicious. You can also DIY at home but seafood in Sandakan is cheap. Total bill for the lunch is RM 33.80.

Nearby Bandar Nam Tung and up above the hill, PUU JIH SYH Temple offers a great view of the Sandakan town and the sea.

Unlike the Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai, the entrance into the PUU JIH SYH temple is free. But will be closed around 6pm onwards.

If you get hold of the Sandakan Map, you will find the icon or details of the famous Agnes Keith house and the English Tea House accessible using the Tangga Seribu or One Hundred Steps path. Confusing?

I think so too. Of course its not One Hundred Steps, its One Thousand Steps. Experiment will be done later.


Oh tragedy..look at the Tangga Seribu

Its been quite some time since I last exercised and going up the hill and Tangga Seribu almost killed me instantly (exaggerate). I am damn fit ok?! Let's visit the English Tea House and Restaurant first.

Entrance into the English Tea House and Restaurant

Nice view of the Sandakan town from the top

Next, the Agnes Keith House. The famous author who stayed in this house during her time in Sandakan. To name a few of her famous books, Land Below The Wind, Three Came Home and White Man Returns.Click here to find out more about her.

Entrance into the Agnes Keith House is only RM2 and closes at 5pm

At the entrance of the house, tourists are reminded not to snap pictures or record anything using their video camera or handphones. I am someone who follows such instructions because I do not want to see any unwanted images in my camera. Some say that the house is haunted although it has been refurbished but I had this spooky feeling when I stepped into the house.

During my visit there, there was no one in the house and it was darn quiet. After reading the history and admiring the old photos in the kitchen and living room, we went up to the second floor. I was the first to step into the master bedroom and once I stepped into the room, a lady in a blue baju kurung was slowly combing her long hair infront of the oval shape mirror. Upon seeing me, she slowly turned around and smiled then I realised she's actually the cleaner of the house. Damn it..why must she comb her in that manner?!?!

In that masterbed room, there is a small article about the haunted house. Obviously I read it and to make things worst, the freaking lady scared the shit out of me again. She walked around without a single creaking sound from the wooden floor. As I turn out of the room, there she was, walking in front of me again.

Dear Readers, I know she's a human because her feet is touching the ground ok?!

The Agnes Keith House

On our way back, my friend suggested that we should calculate the steps we take to reach the foot of the hill using the same way, Tangga Seribu.

After One Hundred Steps, he is not even halfway. LOL

Ok, its time for seafood dinner. RJLM suggested me to have seafood dinner at Pasir Putih and after checking with the local people, they gave us the direction using the map and advised us to take the taxi which can cost us up to RM 1O for one way for a 3-4 km distance. Being an adventurous and jimat-cermat guy , I decided that taking a bus with the locals are more fun. The fare was only RM1.50 for both ways.

Terminal Bas Sandakan


Pusat Makanan Laut Pasir Putih (Baru), Mile 2 1/2



Black pepper mantis shrimp (RM 35.00)


Kam Heong Crab (RM 12.00)


Steamed Grouper (RM 25.20)

Yau Mak (RM 6.00)

Next time I will make my way back into Sandakan again to visit the world-famous Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, precious home of the last wild Orang-Utans of Northern Borneo. Anyone wanna tag along to visit their cousins??