How To Spend 48 Hours In Labuan – Best Guide
Located approximately 10km off the northwest coast of Borneo, Labuan is known for its sandy beaches, historical sites, tax free shopping and top diving spots. Also known as “The Pearl of Borneo”, Labuan is the main hub for deep water oil and gas activities in the region and attracts mainly tourists from Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.
So when should you visit Labuan?
Since Labuan has a tropical climate, there are only 2 seasons throughout the year, the wet season (October – February) and the dry season (March – September). Your best bet, is to come here during the dry season and even then, you will have days with heavy downpour as the weather here can be unpredictable. Pack an umbrella or a raincoat with you and consider spending an extra day or two here to cater for any unexpected weather.
Tropical climate in Labuan, Malaysia |
Wet season in Labuan |
How many days should you spend in Labuan?
Generally speaking, spending 2-3 days is more than enough to cover all the sites in Labuan. However, if you are planning to dive at the wrecks, you will probably need to extend your stay a few days longer.
Labuan has one of the best diving spots |
How to get around Labuan?
Since Labuan is a small town, you can get around by foot, bus or taxi. Another option would be to rent a car/bike at the airport/ferry terminal. In our opinion, we suggest you to either rent a car/bike or just take the ride-hailing service (Grab) while you are here as the public transportation here isn’t as frequent and efficient.
Labuan Map |
How to visit Labuan Island?
i) Take the MAS Wings flight
– Most expensive way to travel
Take the MAS Wings flight (Image credit: Maswings) |
ii) Take the ferry from Jesselton Point (Kota Kinabalu) direct to Labuan Island
– Cheaper option
– Only does 2 trips a day (Less flexible timing)
Ferry from Jesselton Point |
iii) Take the bus from KK Sentral to Menumbok
– Catch the bus from KK Sentral
iv) Drive to the Menumbok Jetty. From there choose either the ferry or speed boat to reach Labuan Island.
– Use the ferry (Journey time of 2 hours) if you plan to bring your car to the island
Speed boats in Menumbok |
If you haven’t read our post on 18 BEST THINGS TO DO IN LABUAN, MALAYSIA, we highly recommend you to check it out. Labuan, which is a Federal Territory of Malaysia has a time zone of (GMT+ 8), which is the standard time throughout the country.
Day 1 – Visiting the Duty Free Island
For us, since we were already in Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), we decided to go for the more economical and relaxing option (ii), which was to take the ferry at Jesselton Point to Labuan Island. Being the main ferry terminal in Kota Kinabalu, Jesselton Point also offers various boat trips to Brunei and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park which consists of nearby islands (Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi, Sulug and Gaya Island).
Boarding the ferry at Jesselton Point |
Ready for Labuan |
Our “Business Class” tickets 😆 |
We managed to get some shut eye in the ferry as the ride was quite smooth that morning. Upon arrival at the Labuan Ferry Terminal, we rented a car as it was much more convenient to get around the island. After checking in our hotel, we headed to the first location of the day, the Labuan War Cemetery which is located at Tanjung Batu, 4km away from the airport.
You might be wondering why visit a cemetery? Well, the cemetery is a memorial place for Commonwealth World War II fallen heroes which were made up of militaries from various countries such as Australia, British, Malaysia, New Zealand and so on. Here, the memorial place is well kept with neat rows of plaques and flowers for each soldier.
We then continued our journey to the Labuan International Sea Sport Complex which is located not far away from the memorial site. The complex is a world class sports centre and used to host various international fishing tournaments and kayak challenges annually.
Labuan International Sea Sport Complex |
Explore the 4 shipwrecks in Labuan |
Financial Park Complex |
One of the popular duty free shops in Labuan |
Hot Air Balloon Festival – Labuan Square |
Malaysian Flags – Labuan Square |
Located at the other end of the island isChimney Museum, which was our next destination. The museum has a 2 storey gallery showcasing the Labuan’s history as the biggest coal mineral producer in the region. The chimney here was built in the 19 century and its existence has been a controversial topic for many people over the years. As the chimney does not have any traces of smoke, there were many claims on what the chimney was originally used for. Claims that the chimney was used as a ventilation shaft, a light house or an unfinished mansion was one of the more common misconceptions of the chimney.
Chimney Museum |
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Yes, I can fit right in ! Chimney Tower |
Creative surf boards design – Palm Beach Resort Labuan |
Try out the Ais Batu Campur (ABC) on a hot day (Image credit: palmbeachresort) |
Enjoy your dinner here by the sunset bar |
Day 2 – 48 Hours Done! Till we meet again Labuan
The Peace Park which is beside the Surrender Point was built to pay tribute to the fallen heroes during World War II. This park signifies the end of the war and marked the beginning of Malaysia and Japan friendship.
Once we were done checking out the area, we drove back to the Labuan Ferry Terminal to catch the afternoon ferry ride back to Kota Kinabalu. To sum it up, even though it was a short trip, we enjoyed our time here as we got to do a bit of exploring, whilst taking our time to relax and unwind from the busy city life.
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Have any experience or tips on travelling in Labuan? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!
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