While this trip is a must do for most, the sheer distance from Sandakan to the Kinabatangan River can make this journey seem very daunting – It shouldn’t be!
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- Grab: Best for families and groups
- A local named Mr Choy: Best for solo travellers
- Planning a one-way trip to Sukau and heading somewhere else after?
Grab: Best for families and groups
If you are in Sandakan, then you are probably already using Grab. This ride hailing app is a great way to get around the Sandakan area, including for that essential visit to Sepilok.
If you are travelling with your family or in a group to Sukau, then Grab is the best option. A one-way Grab ride from Sandakan town to Sukau will cost around 120 MYR. If for example there are 4 of you travelling – then a 4 way split at 30 MYR per person is a good deal. The journey will take between 2 and a half and 3 hours.
A local named Mr Choy: Best for solo travelers
I had heard of a guy and his daily minibus trips from Sandakan to Sukau – Sukau is the best area to stay if you want to take a cruise on the Kinabatangan River. My experience using Mr Choy to visit Sukau was good overall.
How to contact Mr Choy
Choy is a normal guy who simply noticed a gap in the market for daily minibus trips from Sandakan to the Sukau area. As I did, you can contact him directly though WhatsApp on +60195361889. He will arrange transport for you, this will be a minibus usually with other passengers, and will pick you up at the entrance to your hotel or hostel in Sandakan.
How much does he charge
A one-way trip costs 50 MYR per person. This minibus departs Sandakan around midday and the journey will take around 3 hours. On the day I made this trip from Sandakan to Sukau, one of Choy’s family members was the driver.
The journey
The driver arrived promptly at where I was staying and had arranged to be picked up with Choy. We then make a stop to pick up another couple who were staying somewhere else in Sandakan, and we left for Sukau. We stopped around 30-minutes in to the journey to grab some food – no one’s complaining about that here!
Great for solo travelers
The service Choy operates is great for solo travelers. However, just be aware that it will most likely not be Choy himself who actually drives or makes the journey with you. In my experience this was absolutely fine – but something to be aware of as it wasn’t made clear to me when I made arrangements with Choy. This is simply because so many people contact him now that he actually runs the business – as opposed to being a driver himself.
The return trip from Sukau to Sandakan
If you plan on returning to Sandakan after your stay in Sukau, you can pre arrange this with Choy, or with the driver on trip to Sukau. The return journey back to Sandakan departs Sukau around 8:00AM. Again they will pick you up at your lodge.
They depart at this time because cruises on the Kinabatangan River are run in the evening and morning – these are the best times to be on the water to catch a glimpse of the wildlife here. You would make the return journey after you finish your morning cruise if you’re leaving that day.
Planning a one-way trip to Sukau and heading somewhere else after?
Not a problem. Personally, I went from Sandakan to Sukau and then back to Sandakan the next day. On the return journey I made from Sukau to Sandakan, a couple got off on the main road just before we arrived in Sandakan to catch a long distance bus towards Ranau on their way to Kota Kinabalu. I’m also aware of travelers being dropping off after leaving Sukau at the right place to catch a bus down to Lahad Datu or to Semporna.
Looking for advice on how to get to your next destination?
As with how Choy will make arrangements for where you will be picked up and at what time in Sandakan, he will also give advice and make arrangements for your onward trip after – if required.
Choy is a great option if you plan to head on somewhere else after Sukau. At the stop my minibus made on the way back to Sandakan, the driver reiterated what Choy had already mentioned when dropping the couple off at the side of the road – explaining what time the next long distance bus would arrive.
Want to know how to get from Sandakan airport to the town?
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