Sandakan

Sandakan, once the capital of British North Borneo, occupies the northeastern coast of Sabah on the island of Borneo — a region of such extraordinary biological richness that it has been called the "Land Below the Wind," sitting just south of the typhoon belt in waters so calm and forests so ancient they seem to exist in a different geological era. This city of 500,000 is the primary gateway to some of the planet's most important wildlife sanctuaries and the last stronghold of several critically endangered species.

The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, just 25 kilometers from Sandakan, is arguably the most famous primate sanctuary on earth. Established in 1964, Sepilok rescues orphaned and displaced orangutans — victims of deforestation for palm oil plantations — and rehabilitates them for release into the surrounding Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve. The twice-daily feeding sessions, where semi-wild orangutans swing through the canopy to platforms laden with fruit, provide emotional encounters with one of humanity's closest relatives. Adjacent facilities include the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, which rescues the world's smallest bear species, and the Rainforest Discovery Centre with its canopy walkway.

Sandakan's human history is as layered as its ecology. The city was almost completely destroyed during World War II — first by Allied bombing, then by retreating Japanese forces — and the Sandakan Memorial Park commemorates the infamous Sandakan Death Marches of 1945, in which over 2,400 Australian and British prisoners of war perished. Only six men survived, making it the worst atrocity suffered by Australians in the war. The memorial, built on the site of the original POW camp, is deeply moving and historically essential.

The Kinabatangan River, accessible by road from Sandakan, is Borneo's longest river and one of the finest wildlife-watching corridors in Southeast Asia. Boat safaris along the lower Kinabatangan reveal proboscis monkeys — the bizarre, pot-bellied primates endemic to Borneo — along with pygmy elephants, crocodiles, hornbills, and, with luck, the occasional orangutan in wild habitat. The river's oxbow lakes and flooded forests create a mosaic of habitats that support an astonishing density of species.

Cruise ships dock at Sandakan's port, located close to the city center. The port can accommodate mid-sized vessels, and transportation to the wildlife sanctuaries is readily available. The climate is equatorial — hot and humid year-round, with temperatures averaging 27 degrees Celsius. The driest months are March through September, offering the most comfortable conditions for forest walks and river safaris, though rain can occur any day. Sandakan is a destination that confronts visitors with both the magnificence and the fragility of tropical nature — a place where encounters with endangered orangutans in ancient forest remind us what is at stake in the battle for Borneo's future.