Sandakan : Sandakan Historical Trail - St Michael's & All Angels Church 【山打根游】 历史行踪 - 教堂 之 1888年

Sandakan, Sabah. 沙巴， 山打根。

St. Michael's and All Angels Church was listed as one of the historical trail to be visited when visitors came to Northen Borneo - Sandakan (Sandakan Historical Trail). It is one of the oldest building in Sandakan and non the less, it was the first concrete building back in those days.

" Designed by New Zealander Mr. B.W. Mountfort, the building was first constructed with belian (ironwood) timber, followed by brick and finally stone, which is said to have from the nearby Buli Sim Sim, while the white stones that adorn the windows and doors are from Hong Kong.

The Church avoided major damage during World War II in the 1940s and remains one of the very few stone buildings in the whole of Sabah. The beautiful stained glass windows in the church were donated by Australians to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. " - Sabah Tourism

- St Michael's & All Angels Church -

The main entrance.

Thought that the church would be located some where crowded and easily accessible by public. Yes, it is accessible by public, however public transport might be slightly hard to get nor going there.

- Peeking the interior -

We were unlucky that the church was closed and we only could peek from the window. I always admire the interior of old churches, it was amazingly beautiful with the colourful art on the windows.

- Stones -

It was stated with years to open the stones.

-The Bell -

- Monument -

In remembrance.

- The side door -

- The main entrance -

An interesting fact that we had during our visiting to the church. A grumpy old man at the church was scolding visitors and we were one of them too. We didn't know that it was wrong to park as the way we were that fine day. 

As for us, how could we know that we suppose not to park to wrong side and as it was also the first time we were there. *shake head* He does grumpy.

Location :

main town.

Easily reacheable by using WAZE. We used a lot of WAZE when we were traveling, we won't get lost!

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Sandakan Eat : Pork Dim Sum at Sandakan Hotel 【山打根吃】 山打根酒店 - 点心记

Sandakan, Sabah. 沙巴， 山打根。

It is a norms that majority of the hotels now a days are serving halal/ serve no pork. Back to Sandakan foodie findout and it was also the fourth breakfast we had that morning, after pastries at Gold Crown. Oh gosh! Second day in Sandakan was scary and high cholesterol day, I was dizzy during night. *faint*

There we went and had breakfast with Mr. Hubs' relative at Palm Garden, Sandakan Hotel. One of the two or the only one hotel that serve pork Dim Sum. The restaurant was way crowded and the service unexpectedly very slow and they need to keep up with the crowd.

- Dim Sums -

Who doesn't love Dim Sum? We could see when there's Dim Sum in local shop areas, there will be crowd!

About the taste, portion is big or normal. There's a few tray that we never tasted before in KK. :)

- Hotel Sandakan -

One of the recommended one in Sandakan. If you have the time, just be there and wait! haha! Good food are meant to wait. To avoid crowds, you might opt to be there during non peak season.

Location :
Hotel Sandakan, Town area.

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Sandakan : Local Hot Pastries by Gold Crown 【山打根吃】 金冠面包中西饼家

Sandakan, Sabah. 沙巴， 山打根。

If you read our previous foodie find out in Sandakan, this post will be the third breakfast we had on the second day. Luckily pastries were in small portion and sharing between two. 

- Pastries -

Gold Crown pastries were selling like hot cakes and there were so many people went there for take away before heading any places. Such an eye opener to see such in Sandakan town. Hot pastries simply is the magic to delicious breakfast and tea time.

- Salted Egg Pastry, Egg Tart and Chicken Cookie 咸蛋酥， 蛋挞 & 鸡仔饼 -

- Salted Egg Pastry 咸蛋酥 -

So good! Good food don't have to describe much especially hot pastries!

- The Menu -

- Century Egg Pastry 皮蛋酥 -

Century Egg pastry was my first trial at Sandakan. It was extraordinary and I didn't felt uneasy after having it. :) The ginger in it was well blended together.

- Kedai Kopi Gold Crown -

Returning to the coffee shop will be a must in future. Totally love the old coffee shop. It's a gem.

Location :

Tanah Merah.

The coffee shop can easily seen from the road side!

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Sandakan Central Market : Bowl of Deep Fried Pork 1940 家传正宗炸肉大粉

Sandakan, Sabah 沙巴， 山打根。

Good morning, Sandakan! It was our second breakfast after a light breakfast at Four Point Sandakan. And there we were stepping in to the Central Market of Sandakan. :) 

Do you know that us from Kota Kinabalu are hardly seen having breakfast at our KK City market, only elder and foodies knew that we could find authentic taste of those days!

- Sandakan Central Market -

- Inside of the Central Market -

Vegetables market and meat market are located at the ground floor, while seafood wet market is located at the other end apart from the building where we went. First floor is local malay food and some groceries while second floor is CHINESE FOOD! Where there's Chinese, there's pork. It's just norms.

- Empty and Occupied Stall -

Guess some of the stalls has moved to a better spot at other places.

- The Original Homemade Kueh Teow with Deep-Fried Pork (Since 1940) -

The main purpose to visit Sandakan Central Market, deep fried pork in Sandakan is a must try! Indeed taste quite different in term of the taste and texture. I like to well marinated fried-pork. As for the noodle, we ordered the wrong one as homemade Kueh Teow is the highlight of them too. *tsk tsk*

- Deep Fried-Pork -

- Kon Lou Noodle with Deep Fried Pork -

Like what we sees here, something original to have here.

- A Walk at Town area -

It was still early and we went for a walk at the town area, very vintage look of buildings around town. And that's how Hong Kong looks like in the olden days.

Sandakan. It is recognised at small Hong Kong by us Sabahan. Fluent Cantonese by the locals there. 

Next - Third breakfast!

Location :

Sandakan Central Market

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Sandakan Eats : "Cow Dung" Ice Cream & Desserts by 7-Heaven, Mile 4

Sandakan, Sabah. 沙巴， 山打根。

Immediate after our dinner at Four Points, we went to the well known 7-Heaven Dessert Parlor for desserts. And guess what? :) I met few of my KK friends who also went to Sandakan for short trip. That's how we laugh when we met each other!

- 7-Heaven -

Located at Mile 4 of Sandakan, whereby the area is one of the favourite spot of the locals, especially the Chinese. And just to let you know, few good cafes and restaurant are there!

- Crepe and Ice Cream -

The ice cream we choose was Green Tea. About the taste, I think the taste of green tea is quite light, unlike the one we had from Crowd Nine which green tea tasted generously. 

- Waffle Ice Cream -

Basically, the flavour of the ice cream is chosen by the customer, not fixed. ;)

- Mango Yogurt Ice Cream -

I named it the "Cow Dung" Ice Cream. It's a must to have this if you happen to visit Sandakan. We heard so much about 7-Heaven and saw the above ice cream for quite sometime, thought that it's an ordinary ice cream flavour. Now that I knew.

Its a healthy ice cream for sure.

- The Station -

Crowded place for ice cream. Heard that the restaurant next door - 5 Fingers is also owned by the same owner and recommended as well, we shall try it during our next visit then.

Location :

Mile 4

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Sandakan Fun & Eats : Sepilok - Lindung Sepilok & Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre 【山打根玩】

Sandakan, Sabah. 沙巴， 山打根。

It's been ages since the last I went to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Basically, blurry memories that I once had since primary. So, we finally made the decision to have a visit to both rehabilitation centre and also Lindung Sepilok, which one of the reason to make me decide to visit Sandakan for short trip.

- Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre -

We were lucky and unlucky to see only few Orang Utan at the centre, while didn't realised that there's a unit that covered with glasses and separate visitors from the Orang Utans, whereby we can watch the Orang Utans play around under the guidance of the care taker. So, we missed to see those babies Orang Utans as well.

The following would be what I have experience during the visit at the outdoor. Once, there were plenty of Orang Utans will appear during feeding time, but now... we can't see many as the jungle is not a closed area, but an open jungle. Sepilok is just middle of the whole jungle.

- Orang Utans -

Ain't they beautiful? There's a baby hugging its mother which was on the right!

While we were walking back to the exit, there's a wild young Orang Utans which walk just besides us! Well, it was quite worrying as they might snatch our belonging or maybe a slap to your face? hahaha :D

- The Time Table and Entrance Fee -

Reasonable and luckily we are just in time for it!

- The Orang Utans behind -

Visitors and especially those who appreciate the nature are in love with our Sabah nature. Do love and care your surrounding, instead of developing too much, the wild needs a home, or else after couple of years, our future generation will not be able to see what we saw today. :) 

After the visiting, we went to Lindung Sepilok, which was the left building once exiting the Rehabilitation Centre's gate.

- Inside Lindung Sepilok -

I have received an email from Lindung Sepilok but in the end it doesn't have any reply anymore. About the details... nay... not going to share. Cut story short, I went there personally without notifying the person who contacted me, making myself not that rush with that prefixed time table. It's holiday anyway, right? 

When I was there, I did email the person, but she is not around. I also understand that traveling from one place to another in Sandakan will be time consuming. :) And me and Mr. Hubs grab a drink and back to town for food again!

- Lindung Sepilok -

It was an eye opener atmosphere and design that Lindung Sepilok have inside and when you look outside the window, there's a lake. I love the design with the blend of nature inside and out. It just worth to have a look if we happened to visit Sepilok. :) Just to let you know that walk further down, there's a cafe as well!

About the drinks that we had, it's quite normal though and there's more space to improve! Once improved and that would be a great place to be for food and nature!

Location :
Both located at Mile 14.
Both Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and Lidung Sepilok located side by side.

Facebook :
Lindung Sepilok
Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre

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Sandakan Fun : The Buddhist Temples of Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 & Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 【山打根玩】

Part 3 : Sandakan, Sabah 山打根

Immediate from our scrumptious breakfast, the first must visit that we went was Puu Jih Shih, a well known temple at the highest spot of Sandakan and placed at the mountain with the breathtaking panoramic view of Sandakan Bay and Town.  

Puu Jih Shih is approximately 2.5 Miles away (located at 5KM 五厘) away from town and you might think of renting a car in Sandakan, as it takes time to travel one place to another. We were lucky that we have relative who is kind to borrow us their vehicles to made us convenient to travel around and more food to explore!

 

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 -

We were definitely just in time to see the newly furnished Puu Jih Shih, building were uplifted as explained by Uncle. Gorgeous and clean.

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 -

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 -

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 -

The detailed sculpture and goddess.

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 - 

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 -

 

- Puu Jih Shih 普济寺 - 

Next visiting...

shall be the Hokkien Temple - Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 that I never heard before, Uncle drove us there and temple just beautiful and mystery as always. We could smell the burnt joss stick that we believe the locals prayed for themselves and all.

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

At Feng Shan Shi, we still can see the view of Sandakan bay, but slightly lesser. Anyway, the goddess sculptures are more than Puu Jih Shih if I'm not mistaken.

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

A bridge above the water. It was under service when we were there, can't see any Kois that day. :(

- Feng Shan Shi 凤山寺 -

These are the two temples that we have visited during our trip to Sandakan. 

That's all! Happy visiting to Sandakan! One of my mission was completed! ;)

Location :
Mile 5

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