Sandakan: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Sandakan is a city of 439,050 people in Malaysia (Sabah), 10 m (33 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Sandakan Airport (SDK), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 176 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Sandakan runs from about 11 h 49 min a day in late December to 12 h 30 min in late June (computed for 5.84° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Sandakan is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Sandakan Airport (SDK), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,202 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Lahad Datu Airport (LDU, 93 km).
Flights to Sandakan: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Sandakan · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 176 places to stay in Sandakan. Of the 97 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (37). Across 38 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.1 out of 10. Guests have left 14,446 reviews in total.
Hotels in Sandakan: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kota Kinabalu, 227 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tawau, 179 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Tarakan, 287 km (Indonesia)
- Lahad Datu, 94 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Jolo, 320 km (Philippines)
- Bandar Seri Begawan, 367 km (Brunei)
Common questions
Which airport serves Sandakan?
Sandakan Airport (SDK), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Sandakan?
About 439,050 people live in Sandakan (GeoNames).
What time zone is Sandakan in?
Asia/Kuching, currently UTC+8.
What currency is used in Sandakan?
The Ringgit (MYR). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Sandakan?
Our booking partner lists 176 places to stay in Sandakan, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Sandakan?
Kota Kinabalu (227 km), Tawau (179 km), Tarakan (287 km), Lahad Datu (94 km), Jolo (320 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.