And then what?
Labuan is really just stop over for me. I could have easily bought an Air Asia ticket
to Miri and asked my parents to accompany me for a weekend Brunei getaway by
car (they live an hour away) but I really wanted to try the ferry from KK.
Since my flight arrived in the late afternoon, I just went to Borneo BeacHouse
to spend the night. I reached Labuan by ferry the next day during lunch time.
For directions regarding the ferry, just refer to the Brunei Through Labuan Via
Ferry article where the trip is discussed in detail.
Labuan is referred
to as the Pearl of the South China Sea. It is composed of the main island and
surrounded by around five or six smaller ones that serve as weekend getaways
for both locals and foreigners alike. It is also known to be an offshore
financial center. I've read somewhere that there are around 65 foreign banks in
here. I don't know if it's true though. The place is also popular for Duty Free
shopping and is well connected to the rest of Malaysia through its
international ferry port with connectiona to Brunei, and its airport with daily
flights to KL.
After checking in
at Uncle Jack's, I had my typical nasi goreng lunch in a bar nearby where the
waitresses were Filipinas. There are a lot of Filipinos here and it should no
longer be a surprise to anyone. When in doubt, talk to them in Tagalog. Again,
physical appearance is not the best indicator of nationality here. You could
also try to distinguish them through their accents, which is a bit hard to do
because some of them are proficient in Malay.
I ended up not
seeing a lot. Just like its neighbor Kota Kinabalu, Labuan has the same set of
tourist attractions which mostly consist of beaches and vacation islands. I
decided to do a city tour in lieu of island hopping. The city center is small
and most sights could be reached on foot. For tourist spots located north of
the island (mostly beaches and historic structures) you can ride one of the
vans which they call Mini Bas.
Heading east I was
able to visit Labuan Square, the Labuan museum (did not go in), Labuan Walk
behind it, and the Tourism Info Center next to it. The Financial Park is just a
few steps away in front of the Grand Dorsett. The said business center has a
handful of skyscrapers that make up a good looking skyline, specially when
viewed from the ferry offshore. The Grand Dorsett seems to be the most
expensive accommodation here as per the Tourism Bureau list, with rates going
upwards of 390 ringgit per night. I only paid 20 for Uncle Jack, haha.
Farther east are
the Labuan International Sea Sport Complex and the Marine Museum. Both could be
reached on a leisurely stroll from the Waterfront although a ten minute bus
ride is also an option. The corresponding bus would be Mini Bas 1, which go
farther north to reach the Botanical Garden and the World War II Memorial, none
of which I was able to visit. I'm lazy. And it was hot! I just wanted to find a
public pool and jump in, but it didn't happen. Instead, I went to the Bus
Station and boarded Mini Bas 6 to the Chimney.



The said van could
bring you to three tourist locations: the Chimney and the Labuan Bird Park
which are just next to each other, and the Pancur Hitam beach, which the flyer
claims to be the most developed on the island. The Chimney is a tall tower of
red orange bricks, a remnant of the
British occupation and had something to do with the coal mining industry. I had
to spend some time looking at it because buses were infrequent, and I did not
walk around to discover soon enough that the Bird Park was just three
cartwheels away. The Chimney has a museum by the entrance by the way. For the Bird
Park I just took a photo before heading to the bus stop once again to wait for
the van. I never reached Pancur Hitam in fear that a bus wouldn't come to pick
me up. The place is a good 15 km away from the Bandaraya if I'm not mistaken.
It was time for
rest and two iced Milo glasses after that. I just stayed at the guest house and
finished my Osaka backlogs before falling asleep. Some more tourist spots in
Labuan if you are interested: Layang-Layangan Beach, Peace Park, and Surrender
Point, all of which are to the north and could be reached by Mini Bas 4. If you
are a diver, Labuan has around four wreck dive spots that you could visit,
seems like fun but most likely to be expensive.
LABUAN: 02 - So There's a Chimney Made of Bricks
2 creature/s gave a damn:
Hi. How where can i find the bus to chimney? Or how to i reach the city centre? By bus from the ferry terminal? Or can i just walk? Thanks
@Anonymous - Hi. Too far from city center if you walk. I took Mini Bas 6 to get to the Chimney. That is the better option. :)
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