In the late eighties a young man in his twenties arrived in Labuan to look for a job. The island of Labuan is a new Wilayah Persekutuan. Thanks to Datuk Harris Salleh the then Chief Minister of Sabah who gave it to The Fedral Government so that Labuan will one day be developed. Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed (Now Tun) was the Prime Minister of Malaysia at that time. The young man Feisal found job at Asean Supply Base opposite the town of Labuan along Jalan Patau-patau.
Life was hard then and renting a terrace house in Taman Layang-layangan not far from the Peace Park or The Surrender Point next to it. 
Feisal had to commute daily by bus to his place on the other side of the island. He barely made enough to save money even for fares to get back home to in Selangor. Even Hari Raya was spent in Labuan due to the expensive airfare back then. Remember AirAsia wasn't around yet back then. Through sheer hardwork Feisal now has moved up the ladder in the Oil and Gas Industry earning him a much better pay now. He works on a drilling barge in the swamps of Kalimantan trying to pump out as much oil as possible when the price of oil is hovering around USD140 to the barrel, a price never heard of even a few years back. On this barge Feisal will live and work for 3 long months before he can take a break to be with his loved ones in Petaling Jaya. To many of us, Feisal is known as Mat Salo with the blog Borneo Blues. Borneo Blues has a collection of stories which I found to be very interesting to read and Mat Salo has his own way of telling stories of his past. To Feisal aka Mat Salo, I dedicate to you this blog Labuan Revisited Part 3 as a token of our friendship. We have met once and InsyaAllah we will be meeting again sometimes in the near future.
There are several ways you can get to Labuan. Flying in via MAS or AirAsia is of course one of them. This is the new Airport of Labuan.
There are several ways you can get to Labuan. Flying in via MAS or AirAsia is of course one of them. This is the new Airport of Labuan.
Another way is by ferry from four points. Kota Kinabalu, Sipitang and Menumbuk are all from Sabah while Brunei Darul Salam is the only international point. You can also drive a car to Labuan from Borneo. Drive a car over the ocean? Yes via a ferry from Menumbuk.
The car ferry. Many passengers to Sabah use the car ferry to take advantage of the lower fare of only RM5.00 and upon arrival at Menumbuk, they will take a bus to anywhere they want to go. They dont mind the slower ride as the amount of saving is substantial to them.
Cars entering the ferry for a ride across the strait.A speed boat from Menumbuk will take about 20 minutes cost you RM15.00. If you bring your car in, the ferry carrying the car will take one and half hour and cost you RM54 one way inclusive of landing tax and for every passenger another RM5.00.Make sure you buy your car pass early as a walk in may prove to be a futile effort as the ferry is usually fully booked in advance. No phone booking is accepted as the booking must be paid up in advance. The locals will take a bus to Menumbuk and pay RM5.00 per head which is cheaper compared to the fares of other ferries.
From Kota Kinabalu it will take you 3hrs 15 minutes and the fare starts from RM28 for students and Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU). Adults fare is RM34. for economy class and business class is RM39.00. There are childs fare at RM21 for economy class and business class is RM26.
From Brunei the adult fare for econy is RM35.00 while business class is RM40.00.
Get the full list of the ferry schedules and fares at the ferry terminals.
Get the full list of the ferry schedules and fares at the ferry terminals.
So what is there to see in Labuan?
Tourism Malaysia brochures will tell you there are 15 places of interest on the island. I have given some glimpse of them in my previous blogs but for those who are reading my blog for the firs time these are the full list of them taken from their brochure.
I will try to explore the areas around the places of interest so that you will know of anything interesting things to be found and see at those places. Click on the topic and you can read more about the subject.
1. The Chimney and the tunnel.
2. Labuan Bird Park
1. The Chimney and the tunnel.
2. Labuan Bird Park
Although I wanted very much to go to the above two places, time and transport constrain didn't allow me to see them. Taking photographs of the birds at the bird park will definitely satiate my lust for taking pictures of this beautiful creatures.
3. Labuan International Sea Sports Complex.
3. Labuan International Sea Sports Complex.
This is the main building but sad to say I didn't explore the whole place.
This is the lawn bowl arena. Lawn bowl must be a serious game in Labuan.4. Peace Park
Peace Park is located in Layang-layangan and very close to the Surrender Point but they are two different attractions. The most delicious beef satay I have tasted is found near to Peace Park at stall no.1. The coconut tasted the same at any of the stalls. They are served whole with no sugar or ice.
IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES ON LAND AND AT SEA IN AND AROUND BORNEO DURING WORLD WAR II AND IN DEDICATION TO WORLD PEACE.
View as seen from another perpective.
A boulder with the words Peace Is The Best etched into it. I guess those letters in Kanji means the same.
A beautiful arch bridge over the lake.
House No 12 on row no 2 from Peace Park used to be lived by Feisal aka Mat Salo. This 2 rooms terrace is being rented out at RM700 a month now and any vacancy will be snapped up immediately. My son in law failed to rent one because he was second in the queue.
Not far from the Peace Park is the Telekom Teleport. Thanks to it, Labuan is connected to the world. Infact even this blog is being uploaded via this teleport.
When eveing comes, this is the sight that can be seen from where Mat Salo used to live. Provided the clouds are there to reflect the light of the sunset.With thousands of Allied Forces being buried here during World War II and this monument being erected as a respect to them, the descendants and relatives of the dead will visit Labuan year in and year out to pay respect to the deceased. This is the single most important attraction to people from Australia. New Zealand and Britain which never fail to bring repeat visitors to Labuan.
The maintainence of the Memorial is immaculate. If only we could say the same about our other tourist attractions in Malaysia, kudos to the authority who did this magnificient job.
Neat rows upon rows of the name plaque in membrance to them.
This Australian soldier is unknown.
A circular fencing surrounds the point.
HERE, ON THE 9TH SEPTEMBER 1945, THE COMMANDER OF THE 9TH DIVISION, AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES, RECEIVED THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF THE 32ND JAPANESE SOUTHERN ARMY IN NORTHE BORNEO AND SARAWAK.
A pair of brother and sister was playing on a fallen tree trunk while the mother sweeps the beach. Beach maintainence is serious business in Labuan and you can see people doing cleaning up all form of trashes and dead woods washed up ashore. Even the sea algae which were washed ashore are removed.
This is a RM5,000,000.00 9th Malaysia project is being constructed next to Surrender Point. I think it is a rural clinic for the people of Lyang-layangan and its vicinity.
This Australian soldier is unknown.The Surrender Point is located very close to Peace Park.
A circular fencing surrounds the point.HERE, ON THE 9TH SEPTEMBER 1945, THE COMMANDER OF THE 9TH DIVISION, AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES, RECEIVED THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF THE 32ND JAPANESE SOUTHERN ARMY IN NORTHE BORNEO AND SARAWAK. A pair of brother and sister was playing on a fallen tree trunk while the mother sweeps the beach. Beach maintainence is serious business in Labuan and you can see people doing cleaning up all form of trashes and dead woods washed up ashore. Even the sea algae which were washed ashore are removed. This is a RM5,000,000.00 9th Malaysia project is being constructed next to Surrender Point. I think it is a rural clinic for the people of Lyang-layangan and its vicinity.
Maybe there was a Gerakan Desa Wawasan competition going on and the villages around this area was spick and span. This one was taken from Kampung Sungai Labu near to Peace Park/Surrender Point.
The botanical Garden is very well maintained and a popular jogging area. Rosdi, how do you find this picture? 8. Water Villages.
The main ones are Kampung Bebuluh Laut and the nearest to the town is Patau-Patau.
This is Kampung Bebuluh Laut. Upon entering the village it dawned upon me that I have visited this village some 10 years ago with my wife when I first visited Labuan. Azril and his friend asked me to take their picture. While I was groping for a pen in my camera bag, the contents of the bag spilled out at a point behind those two boys. My extra lens, handphone, wallet and house keys fell out but luckily only the house keys managed to slip down between the gaps on the boardwalk. I had to comeback later to get the key from Kak Maimunah who lives near there after she promised to ask some boys to look for them when low tide occurs at 4 PM. I came at 6.00 PM and gave her RM5.00 to offer to the boy who searched for the key in the mud. A small price to pay for something so important.
Four Astro disks in a row. The occupants of this house must have wanted the freedom to choose their own individual channel.
A family was preparing for a feast on the day that I arrived at Kampung Bebeuluh Laut. With their permission they allowed me to take pictures of them.
Ekin a contestant of Akedemi Fantasia comes from this village hence the support from the village folks.
Patau-patau is the other Kampung Air in Labuan and it is nearer to the town. In fact it is visible from the waterfront of Labuan.
What a lovely sight I saw outside of Kampung Bebuluh Laut.
Labuan Square as seen from the Post Office side.10. Labuan Museum
The museum is located near the Post Office and close to Tourism Malaysia's office.
The cannons are the first item that will greet you upon entry to the museum. Entrance to this museum is free.
Remnants of WW II killing weapons. These are depth charges that are used to fight a submarine.
A window to the picture of a damaged building as a result of the war.It is a component of the Labuan Sea Sport Complex.
12. Labuan Weekend Tamu
The Tamu is held every Saturday and Sunday on Jalan OKK Awang Besar. I didn't get to see the tamu as I was over in Kota Kinabalu for the weekend.
13. Marine Parks
Located 14 kms to the south of Labuan Island, the park is comprised of Pulau Rusukan Besar, Rusukan Kecil and Pulau Kuraman and reputed to be a world class fishing destination.
14. Duty Free Shopping.
The whole island of Labuan is a duty free area but the only discernible items with a price difference are ciggarettes, liqour and motorcars. You will have to pay tax if these items are to be brought out of Labuan.
Is that cheap enough for you?15. Sea Sport Activities.
Labuan is the place for recreational fishing. Kayaking are available on many beaches. I saw some kayaks on Pulau Papan and on the beach infront of University Malaysia Sabah branch. In some places some corals may still be seen.
If I were to add to the list I would like to add the following places or subjetcts of interest:
16. Pulau Papan
I think the island belongs to the Ministry of Federal Territory and Labuan Corporation is managing the resort on the island. It is about 15 minutes boat ride from Labuan town. A return trip to the island cost about RM15. The boat will send you there and fetch you later when you feel like coming back. (Wait for my blog on it)
For use of the chalets please contact Labuan Corporation. A 3 bedroom chalet with a furnished kitchen costs RM350 a night. Electricity is generated from a generator.17. The Beaches of Panchor Hitam, Pohon Batu and Pantai Manikar
Go to any of the beaches and they are well maintained.
Waited for an hour for these shots.
Ujana Kewangan Komplex.
Gold Plated Crystals anyone?
Queen of the House will shop till she drops here.
Bowling for the energetic.
Take note of the numbers if you need to rent a car in Labuan.19. Houses of Worships
a. An'Nur Jameq MosqueThe An'nur Jamek Mosque, featuring futuristic architecture, is the pride of Labuan's Muslims and symbolises the progressive spirit of the people and island of Labuan. Cuti.com.my
b. The Sikh Temple
I was on my way to te Botanical Garden when I saw this building.At first sight I thought it was a mosque. Upon closer look I found it was a Sikh Temple.
This Gurduwara temple was designed after the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the Labuan Sikh temple built in 1998 is said to be the largest in Malaysia- Visitors Guide To Malaysia .
c. The Chinese Temples
c. The Chinese Temples
This temple is located quite close to Taman Mutiara when I am staying with my son inlaw. It was earlier quite small but when the road infront of it was constructed much higher than the temple, the committee decided to build a taller one to exceed the height of the road.
The above temple is nearer to townThis Chinese temple is one of the many Chinese “Tao” temples on the island. Most of them are built by the Hokkien community. Every year in March, the Hokkien community conducts a diety procession with devotees dress in colourful costumes displaying their various dieties- http://www.labuantourism.com.my/
20. The People
Met a number of people especially those who are doing retail businesses at the fish market, the Bazaar Labuan and those who were waiting to go back to Pulau Daat after a day shopping at the pasar. They are friendly people. Those waiting to go back to Pulau Daat even invited me to go to their homes on the island, which is a very tempting proposition. Gay Leona cautioned me against such trips because of safety. as these people are mostly Filipinos.
This lady sells bananas in the market and was game for a photograph.
He was one of the 25 Ketua Kampung who signed the handing over of Labuan to the Federal Government at Hotel labuan during the time of Datok Haris Salleh, the then Chief Minister of Sabah when Sabah was under Berjaya.
He lamented that there were many more industries during Datuk Harris Salleh's reign than now. Many had moved out he said. I beg to differ as I saw many more sprouted up.
Auntie Goh as she is known around the Bazaar Labuan will accept orders for pearl necklace to be made to order. I ordered a special one for my son who is giving it to his wife Ijjah. My son called Auntie Goh to do him a good one and Auntie Goh was impressed by my son's fluent Manadarin.
The name of her shop is Perak Stor. The family must have hailed from Perak. Auntie Goh has a son in Kuala Lumpur and if Tony Chong were to read this blog, you have a great mum.
This teenager helps around at a stall in the bazaar. She posed twice before she was happy with her picture. She smiled too much for the first pose that her eyes were reduced to a slit.Soon Bazaar Labuan which I first visited about 10 years ago will be demolished to make way for a better building. The present structures are definitely an eyesore and doesn't add to the charm of Labuan.
These peoples were returning to Pulau Daat. We struck a conversation when I requested permission to take their pictures.
I saw this huge mansion along Pantai Manikar. I asked the guards as to who owned the mansion. He mentioned the name of a Chinese Tan Sri. Well some people are rich.
Leaf from pisang abu is used for making of cakes or wrapping of nasi lemak. In Kelantan only the pisang tenggala is used. Unlike pisang abu, pisang tenggala is solely cultivated for their leaves as the fruit is full of seeds and not suitable for eating when ripe.
Ikan aji-aji is quite a large fish. The one in the picture is almost 2 feet long. I cooked it in curry and the flesh tasted fine.
They call this ikan uji rashid. Can you discern the semblance?
Near to the pasar there is a public toilet that is pretty well decorated. At the time of my visit the toilet didn't smell much but a ciggarette butt was found on the floor. How insensible some people can be.
The fishing boats are quite a site to see. They are located quite close to the fish market.
On the day that I went I saw one boat coming home with some catch of ikan merah. They are sold at RM15.00 per kg. at the jetty while the price at the fish market is RM18.00. Furthermore they are fresh.
f. Labuan Nightlife
To the ladies, if your husband is going to Labuan for a business trip, do tag along for some shopping. He might get lost in the darkness of Labuan.
j. On Pulau Enoe next to Asian Supply Base I saw Petronas Methanol Labuan a gargantuan plant to produce methanol.
While trying to finish this post AirAsia sent a SMS to inform me that my flight back to KL tomorrow morning is cancelled and I will be put on the evening flight meaning I will miss the onward flight to Kota Bharu which will depart at 8.20 PM long before I reach KL. The flight to Kota Bharu will be moved to the next day. Lucky thing I have a son staying in Enstek Labu which is about 20 minutes drive away. What if I don't have any place to stay?
These peoples were returning to Pulau Daat. We struck a conversation when I requested permission to take their pictures.21. Off The Beaten Track
You will never see anything unless you are willing to go off the beaten track. Look what I found.
a. Large mansion.
I saw this huge mansion along Pantai Manikar. I asked the guards as to who owned the mansion. He mentioned the name of a Chinese Tan Sri. Well some people are rich.b. The Pasar
Where ever I tavel to I never miss visiting their pasar. The pasar will reflect the life of the people. If the price of things are expensive, it may show the buying power of the people.
Leaf from pisang abu is used for making of cakes or wrapping of nasi lemak. In Kelantan only the pisang tenggala is used. Unlike pisang abu, pisang tenggala is solely cultivated for their leaves as the fruit is full of seeds and not suitable for eating when ripe. Ikan aji-aji is quite a large fish. The one in the picture is almost 2 feet long. I cooked it in curry and the flesh tasted fine.The baby lobster is full of eggs. They should have been released so that they can breed further. I missed the lobsters as they are very sougt after in Labuan.
This large tiger prawns cost a whopping RM75 per kg.
They call this ikan uji rashid. Can you discern the semblance? Near to the pasar there is a public toilet that is pretty well decorated. At the time of my visit the toilet didn't smell much but a ciggarette butt was found on the floor. How insensible some people can be.c. Deep Sea Fishing Boats
d. Small Fishing Boat Jetty
At KM 1 to Sungai Bunton, there is a small fishing boat jetty with boardwalks extending deep into the mangrove forest. The place will be crowded on a Sunday morning as many people with boats there will go out to sea to fish.
On the day that I went I saw one boat coming home with some catch of ikan merah. They are sold at RM15.00 per kg. at the jetty while the price at the fish market is RM18.00. Furthermore they are fresh.f. Labuan Nightlife
Labuan used to be a dull place at night. Well not anymore. If you love singing, drinking and a good company, head for the KTV joints. At the last count there are over 35 such joints in this comparatively small town with a total island population of 70,000 people.
The above pictures show how the place look during the day time. Look how the place is transformed at night.
Uncleawang, do I need to say more? Hey I went there to shoot photographs and enjoy the sunset while having dinner with my son daughter, her hubby and daughter. Anyway I was the only one in the whole area who seemed to enjoy the sunset.
To the ladies, if your husband is going to Labuan for a business trip, do tag along for some shopping. He might get lost in the darkness of Labuan.g. I went over to Kiamsam and saw the ghost like housing area for Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia. The place is deserted now since TLDM is moving to Sabah. What are they going to do with these homes? Renting them out to civilians will of course bring in some revenues.
h. At the end of the road in Kiamsam I saw the depot for Shell and Petronas sharing a common gate 
i. Backtracking I found Petronas Carigali.
i. Backtracking I found Petronas Carigali.j. On Pulau Enoe next to Asian Supply Base I saw Petronas Methanol Labuan a gargantuan plant to produce methanol.
While trying to finish this post AirAsia sent a SMS to inform me that my flight back to KL tomorrow morning is cancelled and I will be put on the evening flight meaning I will miss the onward flight to Kota Bharu which will depart at 8.20 PM long before I reach KL. The flight to Kota Bharu will be moved to the next day. Lucky thing I have a son staying in Enstek Labu which is about 20 minutes drive away. What if I don't have any place to stay?
Now you know why AirAsia will never have to pay out the guarantee that they will pay RM300 for a delay exceeding 3 hours from the scheduled time. They will inform you of any delay and cancellation. Flying half a plane load of people with the price of jetfuel reaching sky high is just not in.
Wait till you read about my stay at Tune Hotel at One Borneo, Kota Kinabalu and you will know why Tune Group of Companies will survive no matter how hard times are to other airlines.
78 comments:
Zawi,
Thank your for sharing the beautiful photos from Labuan. Kampung Bebuluh Laut reminds me of some parts of Kuala Kurau (I can't remember the name of the village)where my father's younger brother used to live. And those tiger prawns :))
Ana,
I am happy that you enjoy looking at the pictures. I remember enjoying a grilled tiger prawn of that size at Eden KL along time ago once. With a half a cob of boiled corn the meal cost RM50 at that time and it was filling. The prawn was grilled with butter.Yummy.
Kg. Bebuloh Laut has some semblance of Kuala Kurau eh?
Well, Mr. Traveller sure can't stay put. I see that they have Ferraris for rental?
I hope you enter these places via the front door. Because there's just a lot of back door entry talk lately around here. It is sickening.
Your son speaks Mandarin, eh? Good for him.
Oh, that "ikan Uji Rashid." I wonder if the current generation can tell. They may instead call it "ikan Heliza." No?
If you don't have a place to stay, you have lots of friends here in Bandar Baru Bangi. Even with free KLIA pick-up service.
Mazle,
I was wondering myself because I dont see any extremely posh car running around. Despite the tax free ststus why aren't there any Ferraris or even a Mercedes? Maybe the island is too small for such cars to be used and you will eat up the road in no time.
I believe there are many back door entries but they prefer to stay on smaller islands like Daat where any raids will be clearly visible to them. For that reason my friend at Tourism Malaysia advised me against visiting their homes in Daat.
I guess those fishmonger were of Uji Rashid's generation and may not even identify with Heliza. Maybe they will rename the fish when the younger generation of fishmonger takes over.
My son studied in a chinese primary school when we were in Gua Musang. His younger sister was registered for that school too as we thought the knowledge of another language could put them in a better position in life but she refused to join the school after her mum put her for a year in a Malay school.
I was just thinking aloud on what will happen to people who may not get free accomodation just because AirAsia found on the losing end when a flight is not economical to fly due to low payload. Well I guess we have t bear with them for wanting to fly on budget airlines.
Anyway thanks for the offer. I will keep that in mind ho knows one day that maybe necessary hehehehee.
Hi Zawi, wow, I certainly enjoyed going thru every picture very slowly seeing places never seen before. Love the ferry pics...and tarek my handbrake when saw your duty free drinks.
Did some calculations...not that cheap...boleh la, but slightly cheaper than what I can buy here.
Used to love Chivas Regal too one time.
I love ikan merah...
Your camera really takes beautiful pictures, very sharp too...can see now it's have camra will travel, ha ha.
Have fun, Zawi, Lee.
Lee,
It is easier to use the pictures to describe things as I can cram in as many things as I want. Furthermore I am enjoying myself taking those pictures which you can review immediately.
As to the price of the drink, I can't comment them as I am not aware of the price elsewhere. Anyway it seems to be the most sought after items beside cigarettes.
Today will be my last day in Labuan and by 8.40 PM tonite I will be flying off to KL and the flight to KB will be around noon tomorrow.
I really enjoyed my stay here as the sky can easily burst into a myriad of colors when evening comes.
Take care.
Pak Zawi,
Another lovely post. Thank you so much for sharing it....:)
Nightwing,
This should help to convince people that Labuan is worth revisiting. Have you decided when to come? Be reminded that select the trip out of Labuan on weekdays to be the evening flight if you have something urgent the next day. They canceled this morning's flight which I am supposed to be on. I can only assume it to be because of low passenger load on both incoming and outgoing flight.
Pak Zawi,
So many beautiful and interesting places in Labuan, and so many beautiful shots as well :)
Pardon my ignorance by the heck the fish got to do with Uji Rashid? And I don't know Heliza either alright haha.
Have a nice day.
Akmal,
Lihat mata ikan tu. Di situ la jawapannya.
Macam mana kat Kuantan?
Wah masa saya kat Sabah juga banyak gambar matahari terbenam dan juga gambar Gunung Kinabalu. Kalu Akmal balik nanti tak cukup masa kita nak main nagn Photoshop untuk edit gambar gambar tu. Mungkin saya kena mula ambik gambar dalam RAW mode sekarang.
Pak Zawi,
Tak perlu guna Photoshop dah rasanya. Gambar2 tu semuanya menarik dah. Kombinasi kamera berkualiti dan teknik fotografi yg baik (he he jek sket).
Akmal, whilst it is acceptable you dont know who Uji Rashid is, I'm quite surprised you have no idea about Heliza. Whoa memang seorang kaki study atau ulat buku
Rauhan,
Thanks for appreciating the pictures.
Heran juga ya Akmal tak kenal Heliza. Entah sapa la yang dia kenal.
PW,
Gambar sunset tu mmg kemah molep!
Ambo ado tgk pok wi ambik gambar di pasar. pasar salah satu tempat ambo suko ambik gambar, banyok subject hok bulih kito fokus. selain dari 'still subject' subject orang pyn come2 dipasar dengan expresi muko yang pelbagai (duk tgk na'war :-)) balik ni ambi nak shoot dekat pasar siti khatijah ajak2 tu kalu de, sokmo balik kelate gak loghat tok de nak tubik g ambik gambar.
Rusdi,
Kalu sifu kato kemah gak kemah la tu. Ado so lagi sunset di Kinabalu cuma ambik dari kereta yang sedang laju bab nak cepat sampai hotel semasa balik dari kawasana Tanah Tinggi Kundangsang.
Ambo minat juga nak ambik gambar orang dalam pasar tu tapi takut kena marah oleh tuan tubuh. Kita cuba tubik sekali la gi ambik gambar di Kota Baru tu seolah-olah ada sessi bergambar. Kita buat wi dan la.
Pak Zawi and Rauhunt,
...OUCH! Hahaha.
And by the way, yup, if you give me the pictures, I don't know what else can I do with my very limited 'Photoshop-ping' skills. Those pictures are breathtaking alright :)
Akmal,
We can always manipulate the picture to produce something more extraordinary.
We will leave it as it is for the time being.
Zawi....great pics, Tourism Malaysia should learn a thing or two from you!
Sorry to hear bout your ankles...would have been great if you could have made the trek!
Tony,
Ankle is OK now. Actually it was the return trek from the waterfall. You will get to see the picture of the waterfall when I blog about Sabah soon. I am happy that you like the pictures.
Well I am just doing my bit to promote Malaysia. The more images we put on the internet, the more people will get to see of Malaysia.
Sdra Zawi,
You sure can put Tourism Malaysia to shame not only in the coverage of the places of interests but also in the photos. They should consider paying you for doing their jobs for them and better at it.
Have a safe trip home.
Sallam
HBO
Pak Zawi,
Thank You for sharing with us your visit to Labuan.I enjoy reading your trip.The Labuan airport similar to Kuching(KIA)and I guess must be design by same architect.Your shots on night spot well definitely no entry for you and me.Tapi Dangdut ada tak????hehehe.Btw if you go to BKI why not venture to Kudasang .Nice view there(Tapi saya belum lah sampai sana).Anyway we are loking forward on yr visit to BKI.
whoaaa...with only one entry like this, i believe i can learn everything about not just labuan, but even Sabah as a whole. hats off to you pak Z. pak feisal would be honoured to learn this one's for him.
the thing is kan, pak zawi, i've never bothered to learn why labuan isnt part of sabah when the island is smacked right off the sabah coastal area until now. very informative this. you'll make a great travel show host pak Z. all the pics are lovely, especially of tht huge satellite dish. it looks so overwhelmingly colossal. definitely not an everyday sight.
oh and one more, if i were you i would not just seek their permission to snap a few shots, i'd put on my thick face and request to have a taste of what they were having! one travel show host, anthony bourdain did exactly that. if you want to get to know the locals, dine with them!
lagi2 makan macam tu mesti lebih berselera.
with all the political hype going on currently, reading this entry is certainly a welcome change. definitely one of the best posts in recent times.
thanks pak Z.
Zawawi
Impeccable insight on Labuan , all the sights and names are exotic . That includes the Shell/Petronas depot at Kiamsam that I used to go to . If I ever set foot in Labuan again I would definitely follow your tracks . Life seems so simple and serene there . The photography was professional and coverage complete . Keep up the good work and I will keep on following your blog .
Salam Pak...
Looking at each photo is so mesmerising... I didn't know Labuan is such abeautiful place. been to KK and Likas but found those places as very ordinary...
I love the calm and serene beaches... I think I would love to have Labuan as my holiday spot in the future
What a grand entry this is!! if i do get achance to visit Labuan, at least I'll know what not to miss. Thanks a bunch for being very generous with your information!
House rental in Labuan is very expensive, I guess. But I wouldn't complain about the seafood - wow!
Jange panggil kawe sifu pw, ambo tok pandai pun kalu tok cayo tanyo pok payne.
InsyaAllah PW kalu de kito g skali.
Photographer tok leh g doh PW, ambo pernah kena delete gambar on the spot (Di Dubai) sebab ambik gambar dlm bangunan. katanya intelectual property. Keno hambat ko org, keno maroh ko arab sbb ambik gambar hehehehe tak po lumrah doh.
hussin,
Hehehehehe,
Thank you for the high regards.
I am back home in Pasir Mas. Will be going back to Labuan for the Dec School Holidays cos my wife now wants to revisit Labuan too after seeing all the pictures.
Must be very effective eh?
Assalamualaikum Ayoh Awi
After reading your post I think Labuan is a must place to visit. Sightseeing, shopping, swimming, relaxing.........etc are the activities that we can plan for.
friendly people of Labuan as you said make it more meaningful to visit. A visit without human interactions would be less meaningfull. Better to look at the photographs. Communications is vital for us to appreciate more what we have seen and visited
Thank you
Uncleawang,
Dangdut? You better bring your own CDs incase they don't have it.
For your information I took the ferry to Menumbuk on 27th June, went to Keningau, then to BKI. Tasted Tune Hotel and sampled One Borneo on its opening day. The next day went to Kundasang by the Jambatan Tamparuli, took a dip in the hotspring of Poring, took photos of Kipungit Waterfall, went up to the trekking point to Mt Kinabalu ( by car, don't tell anybody OK?) and returned to BKI to take glorious pictures of sunset in BKI. Next day my gout was so bad I cant walk around the Tamu in Gaya Street and just managed to peek at Filipino Market. Had an analgesic injection at Poliklinik Rakyat around Sadong Jaya and returned to Labuan. Heheheh wait till I blog about it after the blog on Pulau Papan. Yes Awang I already did Kundasang.
Sorry for not informing you earlier but I did tell toiletpaper who went to Ranau on 28th June.
kerpov,
Sad to tell you Feisal aka Mat Salo has been out of connection for the past week. He is now crying on the barge somewhere in Kalimantan full of regret for choosing such a profession that pays good money but nowhere to spend the money.
Kerp I have another haunting pic od the satelte dish taken from the Peace Park side but since there were already two pics of them, cant put in another one.
Frankly I am up to my neck with the political things in Malaysia. Read my comment in Elviza's post.
sj,
Labuan is truly a place to melt it out. After your 65th birthday you should consider retiring in Labuan. You can just jet hop in and out of Labuan whenever you fell like it with AirAsia providing cheap fares. Be prepared for flight cancellation though like they did to my 10.40 am flight on 2nd July and pushed me on the eveing flight so I had to overnight in KLIA for my next flight to KBR cos I missed the 820 PM flight on 2nd June to KB.
Keep coming, I have loads more to tell.
Raden,
Every effort is done to keep the beach clean but as long as they are felling the trees in Sabah and plastic is used freely both on the island and the bigger island of Borneo, they will have a tough time to keep them clean.
Do come over for a sojourn in Labuan. There is alot of serenity here and you can even experience homestay in Kg. Bukit Kuda.
Queen,
Did I answer your earlier question on where to shop? I hope I did.
House rental is indeed very steep. My son-in-law is lucky to get a flat on the 1st floor at the rate he is paying. Otherwise house rental alone would eat up into his budget.
I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Rusdi,
Kalu takleh panggil sifu panggil Chegu buleh?
OK kita gi photoshoot bilo demo balik nanti.
Mamadou,
Please visit Labuan at least once in your lifetime. With direct flight from KL, the off season fare should be dirt cheap. Anyway make sure you get hotel rooms first before you come as rooms can be pretty tight in Labuan even for weekdays. For singles like you I would recconment the homestays, who knows you may meet a beautiful wife to be here.
Salam Pak Zawi
I love the war memorial. It is well-maintained. It is peaceful and serene.
I can lepak there for hours but on occasions reminded of the fact that it is a cemetery!
Bro Zawi
YOu are doing a wonderful job promoting Labuan. Labuan to be honest bores me to death as it was always hotel to the Methanol plant and back and nothing else. Now I would know where to head, if only I can find time.
Fauziah,
I have never seen anything so well maintained myself. If it is done by our own people, I am very proud of them.
I dont think it is really a cemetery. The plaques are put there as a sign I think.
For your reading pleasure, I would recconmend you Pulau Papan.
Rahman,
You had anything to do with PML? My son in law Lokman is an engineer there.
If you have time then you will enjoy Labuan cos you need to go off the beaten track.
Riding a motorbike around is the best.
Pak Zawi,
I have been to Labuan a number of times, all work related and I havent even seen half of the places you visited. Thanks for the great photos.
Salam Pak Zawi
FYI, it is a cemetery. You can read the info here:
http://www.labuantourism.com.my/places/WarCemetery.htm
Captain,
I am happy that despite your number of visits and seeing the place yourself, you still enjoy looking at the pictures. I wanted very much to post pictures of Mariners Hotel and Mariners Yards which I presume must have been places you have been to and holds many memories of your time there. Unfortunately I have too many pictures already. Maybe I will find space in futures posts.
The difference between our visits are that, you went there to work where as I went there to explore the place, so I manage to see more.
Thank you for the moral boosting comment.
Salam Ayoh Awi ..
Gambar2 ni buatkan kawe berazam utk beli DSLR hehe ..
Tapi lepas beli kapcai la ... tok rok naik keta dah di KL ni .. haha
wah,i'm killing my time reading blogs at the lab com.
nice picture you've got there.
thanks for sharing it.
make me wanted to go to labuan and be a traveller.
just walk until it's time to stop.
have a good day. ;))
drizzter,
It took me 58 years to own a DSLR, you can do it in a shorter time of course hehehehehe. It is a real joy shooting photographs with it. Now aiming to buy a telephoto. Bila la orang pencen nak dapat durian runtuh?
A kapcai is getting expensive now. Luckily I already have one.
izzah,
Nothing easier to tell the world how beautiful a place is than by showing photographs of them. Anyway be cautioned that photographs sometimes make a place look lovelier than the place is actually is.
Labuan maybe a small island but it is not small enough to walk around. You will need a motorbike at least.
You can walk around Pulau Papan. it is small enough and there is a walking track around. Do go to Labuan if you havent been there. After that hop over to Sabah for more adventures.
Uncle..
Nice pictures..
where your Ranau chronicle day pictures??
hehe..
toilet paper
I am not done with Labuan yet. I still have to cover Pulau Papan and only after that I will do Keningau and KK. Ranau will be last.
There is so much to tell about Sabah.
Bang!
Dah tak sabar ni.. finally able to get on the net on client's pc. Tapi waktu terbatas laa Pak...
Oh, brought back lots of bittersweet memories during my days when I was down and out. Even my ahem, back in 'samananjung' had left me for being a 'loser'. Heh, which is a good thing because then I wouldn't have met wife! God works in mysterious ways, I suppose, Bang.
Thanks for the photos - especially the ones of perumahan Kg. Layang Layangan. Those days I only paid RM200 rental and now it's 700 you say? Well that's inflation and it's set to rise some more.
There was once a village maiden who local folks say was the fairest of them all between Bebuluh and Layangan. Of course, this was a period when I was 'lajang' - as the Indos say. She lived in the kampung just across where I lived and was a clerk in the admin bldg. of the ASB. We often shared the same minibus to and from work and that's how we became acquainted. In this present age of Arabization it was a breath of fresh air for she had a nice 'Malay' name - named after a flower. Lily, Mawar, Kuntum.. I'll let your readers guess..heh.
But there was also some animosities back then between the locals and us 'orang Malaya'. The chief culprit was the army lads from the base who had got 'involved' with the local maidens, and then being irresponsible about it. So I too was painted with same brush even though our 'friendship' was innocent. One day she noticed that the coveralls I wore were torn (yes this is what I wore to and from work) and offered to sew them for me. That was the only time I went to her house to send the offending garment and on the way back I was met by some hostile stares by her neighbors.
But I was in no position to do anything about it even if I wanted to. My take home pay did not even reach 4 figures then and I didn't even own a bike.
But all this came to an end one day when I noticed that she wasn't outside the shop (the shop also serves as the bus stop) one morning. Next morning I went out earlier and noticed a strapping young man in a Honda Accord waiting for her. He worked for Shell in the Logistics dept. just next to ASB. Good for her, she had snared a fine catch...
Ha Bang, you certainly turned my memories lose on this one...
P.S. Bang, tak usah photoshop. Your in-camera settings dah good enough. My advice is get used to taking 'continuous' shots - and then pick the best one. Your camera is 5 fps right? and use a bigger memory card.
Mat Salo,
Thanks for coming in. I have been waiting for you. I can understand how you feel without internet connection over there.
Labuan defintely evoked lots of fond memories with you especially when a maiden was involved.
Since you enjoyed the photos I feel overjoyed for you. The effort was really worth it.
Actally my camera can do about 3 fps which is really more than sufficient. I did use that techniques as you suggested. Take lots of shots even if I am only going to use just one of them. Fortunately my camera comes with an 8 GB memory card and I have a 160 GB external HD to keep them (As advised by my Guru Steven Lee).
With you having made the comment, I can now move on to the next blog about Pulau Papan.
PAk Zawi,
Today I was at Gaya St tamu trying to spot you tho I don't know how you look like. I imagine you toting camera and kindly looking Malay gentleman among the crowd.
I stopped a Malay gentleman and from the look he was dari Penang attached to Maktab Gaya. Was hoping he said he was from Kelantan.
Aiyoh, why didn't I give you my hp nombor earlier. Anyway, I don't even know my hp nombor. I left it at home recharging battery.
hi&lo,
Did you say you went to Gaya Street Tamu today? Today I am in Pasir Mas! You missed me by a week. I was in KK last week. Anyway even if you were there last week you wouldn't be able to meet me as my leg was hurting so much from the gout attack that I didn't even manage to see the Tamu as I was busy looking for a clinic to get my medication.
Sorry for not emailing you about my visit to KK otherwise we could have met at One Borneo on its opening day.
Now just to be in contact please not my HP no 019 9125647 as I am planning to go back to KK this coming December.
Hello Zawi,
Woo..what a lovely detailed account of your visit. Lovely. I loved seeing the pearls..duh! They must be reasonably priced I'm sure. Goodness, in my few trips there, I never made my way to Bazaar Labuan. Where is it Zawi? Maybe when I do visit the next time I will hop over, just for the pearls..ha ha.
Ruby,
Bazaar Labuan is just beside the fish market or the taller landmark of Global Hotel next to it. Look for Perak Store and auntie Goh will be willing to have one custom made for you. You will of course will want the better quality marine pearls as against the cheaper fresh water pearls. Marine pearls are priced from RM180 for a 60 cm length and the price increases with quality and size of the pearls. Rest assured that Auntie Goh won't cheat you with the quality of pearls she sells you.
You will enjoy shopping for pearls at her place as the pearls you buy are not merely plastic 'manek'. Of course people will say the pearls at Pasar Filipino in Kota Kinabalu is cheaper which I found to be dubious.
Pak Zawi memang boleh jadi tourist guidelah :)
I love how you tell your story.
trueblue,
I will try to guide any of our friends who come to Kota Bharu. Puteri and her hubby Douglas will be here this August so I will put it to the test and let us see how I fare.
I am so happy you like the way I tell the story. It was worth the effort then. Thanks for the kind words.
Hi Pak Zawi,nice photos you have. After read your post, Labuan will be in the list of my next trip.. :) BTW, you mentioned Air Asia SMS informed you that your flight cancelled, that's very smart, so that you don't need to go airport early.. But my friend told me, this maybe one of a tactic for them to avoid paying the RM200, because same thing happened to my friend..I feel they should pay you the RM200, because you have waited almost half a day to get your next flight, which is more than 3 hours. If you checked their website, they said this, "if we keep you waiting, you'll get RM200".
ariel,
Thank you for the beleiving me.
About AirAsia, they will inform you by SMS and email. They will only pay you if they fail to inform you by SMS or email. They know they can avoid paying you but keep you waiting for less than 3 hrs. So now any delay of less than 3 hrs is considered as no delay. Some business tactic which we will have to put up with if we have to go with budget airlines.
Still lucky that we have AirAsia, at least we can still afford to fly.
Hi Pak Zawi,
It's sound unfair to the passengers that any delay of less than 3 hrs is considered as no delay..I'm sure no one will like a delay flight, not even an hr delay.. Maybe we can consider MAS airlines, so far I have never heard any delays from them. And now they have the everyday cheap fares, somemore it's an on-going promo, quite good deal..
Bernard,
We have to face the fact that they are always trying their best to avoid delays as delays can upset many things. Flight cancellations can be also be expected for various reasons.
It is good for the travelers that MAS is competing heads on with AirAsia either by MAS itself or its subsidiary of Firefly. The competition is so intense that I saw banners belonging to Firefly on lamp posts leading to LCCT urging travelers to make a U turn to Subang where it operates from in KL.
We now have choices.
Zawi,
You have been to more places in Labuan than I have been to.
Great photos.Many of those buildings in Labuan are white elephants.The Water Sport Centre,the Financial Centre and a few others were under-utilised.I must say it's a nice town with clean town centre,can't stay too long though,it gets boring after a while.
See you next time.
HL,
I was fortunate in that small mundane things excite me. Using the motorbike gave me the mobility as well as the ease to stop and back track when I needed too. As to any place other than heaven itself, staying too long can be boring. Only way to overcome boredom is to find activities.
The authorities must continue to find ways and mean to stimulate some life into those places that are fast turning into a white elephant.
You are right, the water sport center is definitely underutilised.
I will be back in Labuan on 5th Dec and should be in KK on the 7th. Dec. Will call you when I am there.
Dear Zawi,
I have just spent the past hour reading every word you have written in your Labuan post and think you have a real knack for travel journalism! Witty, non-judgemental and honest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am going to Labuan this weekend and had done a search to find things to do (I am a British tourist!) and your blog has given me my list of things to do.
I like the way you see life.
Warm regards,
Tracy
Tracy,
You are the first foreign tourist to have made such a comments. Thus far I have had similar comments from freinds or locals though I know many tourists may have read on what I wrote. Your comment is so heart warming and will spur me on to carry on doing what I am doing. I regard it as a part of my small contribution to my country's tourism promotion by sharing what little experience that I personally had. I did a similar write up on Kota Bharu so if you happen to come this way in your travel, please take abit of time to read it.
Thank you for the comment. Have a good stay in Labuan and Malaysia in general.
Warm regards from me too.
Hi Zawi,
Spent 3 days in Labuan armed with the names of all the places you mentioned in your blog and saw them all!! My favourite was the War Memorial - though it was sad, it was such a nice way to remember what those men did - and so well kept! I didn't like the the Bird Park - for me, the bigger birds like the Eagles in particular were in such small cages :-(. We stayed at the Mariner Hotel which was quite reasonable (but the air con was so loud!!). The food at Double Three restaurant was lovely - steamed fish, yum.
Now we are in Kota Kinabalu - a place we have been to before and like very much. A question for you Zawi - do you know any thing about an event called the Double tenth? I am told that during the war on the 10th October - a large group of local people rose up against the Japanese and for just that day, took Kota Kinabalu back for themselves - they were all killed. Do you know if there will be some kind of memorial service held on this coming 10th of October?
Anyway, I just wanted you to know that we really did use your blog as our travel guide and felt we saw everything that Labuan had to offer. Until next time,
Tracy
Tracy,
I am very glad that what I wrote was of use to you. Hopefully there are other tourists like you who may stumble upon it and find it to be useful.
Since I didn't visit the bird park I will have to take your word that the cages for the larger birds were too small. It would have been great if you manage to put in writing your feelings about the inadequate cage size. I can imagine how stressful it will be for the birds to be confined to such a small cage and not be able to fly around to excercize their limbs.
Haven't heard anything about the Double Tenth event. You may try to find out about it from the tourism office. Since nobody has written about it in the print media or the internet, my guess is that they have stopped holding the event, which is sad really as such an event would be really appreciated by both the tourists as well as the locals.
I am sorry to hear you had such a loud airconditioner in your room. Maybe you should complain to the management and they should be able to relocate you to another room.
Knowing where to go in advance will of course help you to plan your visit. I have been contemplating to write about my other trip to Keningau, Kota Kinabalu and Poring Hotspring but it had been overtaken by other events to the extent that I may not be able to do it at all. Since Sabah is also a revisit for you, you should be able to get around well.
On behalf of other Malaysians, we wish you a happy stay in Malaysia.
Pak Zawi
Excellent presentation on Labuan
I am moving to Labuan on 1 Dec 2008, and looking for rumah sewa
any contact?
mdhafizi,
Call my son in law Lokman on 0139813835. He may enlist other friends to help. Be prepared for a pretty steep rental. If you don't have a family, be prepared to share.
Thank you so much Pak Zawi for the help
I will contact him ASAP
I am moving with my wife and one 3-year old son
anyway, I read most of your other stories in your blog...very nostalgic..will follow your blog from now on..
hafizi
salam...
mdhafizi,
Somebody posted this comment in my other blogs on Labuan. Check if the place is still available as Taman Mutiara is where my son inlaw lives and it is a good place.
Hey , anybody looking for a Brand New 3 bedroom flat to rent in Taman Mutiara - Labuan ? Pls call Mr Chok 019 872 3141
Thank you again Pak Zawi
I called En Lokman, and he also suggested the place where he lives...
hoping the price is not skyrocketing..
Salam Abe Zawi,
Come tu cerito pasal Labue.
Zahidi,
Terimo kasih.
lots of info about Labuan, very interesting & lots of tips...thanx to the blog owner...InsyaAllah wanna visit Labuan early Feb 2010
Mampir nich dari JAKSEL
Nice blog. Nice pics too.
best picture,
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