Besides being an international hub of the region, Labuan is a great place to visit with its own set of attractions and other interesting sites.
Labuan Marine Park
Situated about 2km off the southern region of the main Labuan island, the Labuan Marine Park is covers 10 square kilometres of some of the most natural surroundings of the wild in the country. There are 3 islets here which are:
- Pulau Rusukan Besar
- Pulau Rusukan Kecil
- and Pulau Kuraman.
Here is where you can see the long sandy beaches which seemed to be untouched as well as many types of different species not seen in other natural parks around Malaysia including birds, insects and fishes.
Take note though that fishing and anchoring are banned around here although you could enjoy snorkelling and enjoy the underwater wonders here, which are beautiful, rare and totally awesome. If you head out to Pulau Papan which is the smaller islands here you will come to the most developed one among all of them.
Keraman Island has its own jetty and some chalets which you can stay in while Rusukan Besar is a great place for a day trip of picnicking and swimming. Rusukan Kecil is where you can enjoy nature at its best because there are no chalets here, so you need to bring your own tents for camping and enjoy the natural surroundings.
Labuan International Sea Sports Complex
Situated along Jalan Tanjung Purun on the waterfront, the Labuan International Sea Sports Complex is part of the waterfront beautification project for the Federal Territory that cost RM25million to build covering 5.91 acres of land very near to the city center of Labuan.
It was opened in 2001 and is hose to the Labuan Sea Challenge that year. The facilities here are international standard where it could host more events of this kind where there are 3 main structures. The Sea Sports Center is used for sea sports events where there is a storage area for large boats. You would enjoy the permanent exhibition here of all types of sea sports.
The Main Plaza is where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the events and sea sports taking place. This building was designed as a windbreaker which can hold any type of weather conditions especially from the strong gushing winds coming in from the sea. Meanwhile, the Museum of Marine Biology here is where you can also visit the Martime Museum. Among other facilities here include rooms for meetings, offices as well as galleries. There is also a handicraft center and some small eateries for those who would like some shopping and snacks while enjoying the shows.
The Labuan Financial Park
Located in the town center of the Labuan Federal Territory, the Financial Park was officiated in 1996 to further cement its position as a financial hub of the country and region. As Labuan is an island, the Financial Park is located very near the city while it is also within walking distance to the seafront. On top of that, it is also located very near to the airport which makes it a convenient stop for those coming here for business. A 1,800 capacity convention hall is available here where exhibitions and performances are held throughout the year.
There Financial Park complex has 2 16 storey office towers and another one which has 18 floors. Apart from that, it also has its own podium that has 130 commercial and retailers. This means that the Financial Park is not only a business and commercial center but one that offers entertainment and leisure too. This includes boutiques, a department store as well as cinemas. Banks, insurance companies, accounting firms and companies in the financial sectors too operate here as the name suggest. For the people working here the Alpha and Beta Park Towers are typically condominiums that come with gyms, swimming pools and other high-class facilities.
Peace Park, Labuan
The Peace Park in Labuan is a memorial built to remember the horrors of war and how the Japanese terrified the place during World War II. Here is where one is reminded how the country fell on hard times during the war where there are very beautifully and mesmerizing landscape gardens. The pavilions and ponds here are built and designed in some Japanese inspired motif. Located very near to Surrender Point at Layang-Layang, this was the place in 9 September 1945 when the 32nd Japanese Southern Army surrendered after having been here for about 4 years.
During the Japanese occupation here, Labuan was called Maida island named after the Chief commander of the Japanese forces in Borneo then, General Maida who died in an air crash in Bintulu en route to Labuan. The Allies attacked Labuan when it was under Japanese occupation in June 1945 and that was when the surrender ensued.
This park was a project which was funded by the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation and was handed to the state of Sabah in 1984. The Foundation is still a heavy funding member of the park until today. There is a stone slab at the entrance of the Park which seeks to remind everyone that ‘Peace is the Best’.