TAWAU

 

Overview

Tawau, situated along the south eastern coast of Borneo is the third-largest town of Borneo. Its former name is Tawao. Tawau is bordered by the Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea and also shares a border with Kalimantan.

The region where Tawau stands today was disputed over by the British and the Spanish. The town's sea port was opened in 1893 when the first British vessel sailed in. A settlement was established by British North Borneo Company in 1898 with immigration of Chinese increasing the population. During World War II the town was destroyed completely by Allied bombing against the Japanese occupation. With the end of the war, Tawau was rebuilt but it was once again the point of dispute during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation between 1963-1966 when it was twice bombed by Indonesia and attempts were made to poison the water supply.

In the late 1900s timber was the major export industry and at present Tawau's economic activities are additionally centered around palm oil plantations, prawn farming and a global-scale production of cocoa. Historical attractions include Tawau Bell Tower built by Japanese after World War I, Japanese War Cemetery and Twin Town Memorial. Every chocolate lover must visit Teck Guan Cocoa Museum with the cocoa processing plant and manufacturing ground in site for a closeup view. Cocoa products such as chocolate jam and hot cocoa drinks are available for purchase at the museum.

Places of Attraction

Locations that will make outdoor enthusiasts and nature photographers ecstatic are: Tawau Hills National Park inclusive of picnic areas, vast camping ground and cabins; hiking up Bukit Gemok through a forest reserve with a canopy walkway at the top giving an uninterrupted panoramic view of Tawau; and  jungle-trekking and bird watching in the Maliau Basin, an unusual assemblage of twelve forest types including rare montane heath forest and hill dipterocarp forest topped by the majestic 7-tier Maliau Falls. Tawau Harbour acts as a gateway to neighboring islands of  Sebatik, Nunukan, Tarakan, Jolo, Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and Mataking which have widely gained popularity as diving and snorkeling destinations.

The annual Tawau International Cultural Festival showcases the diversity of the people in the area and acts to uphold the cultural heritage while uniting various races, religions and cultures. For shopping head over to Eastern Plaza, Sabindo Plaza, Tawau Bazaar or the more popular, Tawau Tanjung Market, Malaysia's largest indoor market offering a plethora of goods spread over 6000 stalls.

Accessibility and Transportation

Tawau is connected to other places in Sabah via the Pan Borneo Highway. Tawau Airport connects locally to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. A ferry port links to the Indonesian cities of Nunukan and Tarakan.