Travelling to the island of Labuan is made maybe once a year due to the hassle of boarding the stuffy, and often cramped ferries.
However, there are bigger and more comfortable boats, where even the motion of the sea is hardly noticeable, during the 45-minute- to one-hour journey from the Serasa terminal in Muara. Labuan is about eight kms off the Sabah coast, at the mouth of the Brunei Bay.
Ninety two-square kilometre Labuan has one main and six smaller islands centrally located in the middle of the Asia-Pacific region. Its inhabitants are very cosmopolitan. They come from all walks of life and from various regions around the world, and create a diverse and stimulating society.
Buses and taxis are readily available in Labuan to take you anywhere around the island. It is, however, important to note that their fares are fixed. Car rental is also available for those who wish to travel on their own.
Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre and a tourist destination for Bruneians and scuba divers.
The An'Nur Jamek Mosque, built at a cost of US$11 million, is the pride of the Labuan's Muslim community. Its futuristic architecture symbolises the progressive spirit of the people and island of Labuan.
The War Memorial, a beautifully landscaped cemetery, the War Memorial is located at Tanjung Purun on the outskirts of Labuan town (formerly Victoria Town). The memorial is the final resting place of fallen Allied soldiers. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Commission, it is a poignant memorial to the 4,000 Australian, New Zealand, and British Allied servicemen who had lost their lives during the World War II. A section is also dedicated to the Indian Soldiers of the Punjab Regiment. Many visitors, especially those from Australia, often return annually to pay their respects to lost friends and relatives.
At the Labuan Bird Park is where exotic as well as local birds are kept. The park is open to the public and admission is free.
Once a part of the Sultanate of Brunei, Labuan was ceded to the British in 1846. It remained under the British rule for 115 years except for the three years when it was under the Japanese occupation. With the increasing change in colonisation, Labuan was ceded to the state of Sabah in 1963. Subsequently, its administration was handed to the Federal Government of Malaysia in 1984.
Recognising Labuan's strategic location and proximity to major shipping routes and offshore oil and gas fields, the Federal Government launched a long-term development programme to jump-start its stagnating economy and to encourage the influx of both domestic and foreign investments.
As Malaysia's only deepwater anchorage, Labuan is a free port, a Federal Territory, and an International Offshore Financial Centre (IOFC).
However, there are bigger and more comfortable boats, where even the motion of the sea is hardly noticeable, during the 45-minute- to one-hour journey from the Serasa terminal in Muara. Labuan is about eight kms off the Sabah coast, at the mouth of the Brunei Bay.
Ninety two-square kilometre Labuan has one main and six smaller islands centrally located in the middle of the Asia-Pacific region. Its inhabitants are very cosmopolitan. They come from all walks of life and from various regions around the world, and create a diverse and stimulating society.
Buses and taxis are readily available in Labuan to take you anywhere around the island. It is, however, important to note that their fares are fixed. Car rental is also available for those who wish to travel on their own.
Labuan is best known as an offshore financial centre and a tourist destination for Bruneians and scuba divers.
The An'Nur Jamek Mosque, built at a cost of US$11 million, is the pride of the Labuan's Muslim community. Its futuristic architecture symbolises the progressive spirit of the people and island of Labuan.
The War Memorial, a beautifully landscaped cemetery, the War Memorial is located at Tanjung Purun on the outskirts of Labuan town (formerly Victoria Town). The memorial is the final resting place of fallen Allied soldiers. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Commission, it is a poignant memorial to the 4,000 Australian, New Zealand, and British Allied servicemen who had lost their lives during the World War II. A section is also dedicated to the Indian Soldiers of the Punjab Regiment. Many visitors, especially those from Australia, often return annually to pay their respects to lost friends and relatives.
At the Labuan Bird Park is where exotic as well as local birds are kept. The park is open to the public and admission is free.
Once a part of the Sultanate of Brunei, Labuan was ceded to the British in 1846. It remained under the British rule for 115 years except for the three years when it was under the Japanese occupation. With the increasing change in colonisation, Labuan was ceded to the state of Sabah in 1963. Subsequently, its administration was handed to the Federal Government of Malaysia in 1984.
Recognising Labuan's strategic location and proximity to major shipping routes and offshore oil and gas fields, the Federal Government launched a long-term development programme to jump-start its stagnating economy and to encourage the influx of both domestic and foreign investments.
As Malaysia's only deepwater anchorage, Labuan is a free port, a Federal Territory, and an International Offshore Financial Centre (IOFC).
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday
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