Labuan

Located off-coast of Sabah, East Malaysia, Labuan is a duty free island and federal territory of Malaysia. The main island of Labuan and six other small islands together make up the Federal Territory of Labuan. These six smaller islands are Daat Island, Papan Island, Burung Island, Kuraman Island (alternatively called Keraman Island), Big Rusukan Island, and Small Rusukan Island. This Pearl Of Borneo, which is known for oil and gas, is also very popular for snorkeling and diving deep but remains to be one of the lesser-explored parts of Malaysia.

A duty-free shopping haven for shopaholics, people often purchse chocolates, cigarettes, alcohol, silk, stuffed turtles, leather bags, souvenirs and a lot more at cheap discounted prices in Labuan. Given the importance of its strategic location during World War 2, it comes as no surprise that this island has an interesting past. 

Labuan has the world’s largest war grave that pays its respect to fallen soldiers of world war 2 in the form of the Labuan War Cemetery. The island is popular for its extravagance which lets you dive deep and witness four iconic shipwrecks namely the Cement wreck, the American wreck, the Australian wreck, and the Blue Water wreck. A few other memorials that give an essence of its past include the Royal Navy coaling station, the Chimney Museum, Peace Park, and the Labuan Maritime Museum. 

Another very famous attraction in Labuan are its water villages. Labuan has two water villages, Kampung Bebuloh and Kampung Patau-Patau. The houses in these water villages are built with high stilts and only woods, with wooden walkways that connect every house. These villages also have seafood restaurants and the residents are warm enough to offer you delicious local food as well. 

Activities like snorkeling at Big Rusukan Island (Pulau Rusukan Besar), watching birds at a hand's distance at the Labuan Bird Park, catching the hues of yellow, red, and orange during sunsets at Pulau Papan Island, and a laid back lifestyle makes Labuan truly worth a visit!