From: Sandakan, Sabah
To: Kota Kinabalu
Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights
Departs: 23rd April 2027
Departure: Guaranteed
Tour type: ‘Join-in’/ Small Group

Overview:

Attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Sandakan, the site of the start of the infamous Sandakan Death Marches in WWII. In the following days, learn the story of the death marches and visit Ranau, the POW’s destination. Visit the Kundasang War Memorial nestled near the foot of Mt Kinabalu and on your last day, honour these gallant men at the Labuan War Cemetery.

Highlights:

• Anzac Day Dawn Service & Gunfire Breakfast

• Sandakan Memorial Park (the site of the Sandakan POW Camp)

• St Michael’s and All Angels Church, Sandakan

• Chinese WWII and Sandakan Liberation Memorials

• Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

• Sun Bear Conservation Centre

• Kundasang War Memorial

• 1st POW Campsite & Gunner Albert Cleary Monument, Ranau

• Last POW Campsite Memorial, Ranau

• Labuan War Cemetery

• Surrender Point Memorial, Labuan

If you find that you are unable to join a tour that has been booked, confirmed and paid in part or in full, the paid amount of that tour less any unrecoverable costs, may be converted to a voucher. The value of that voucher may be used towards the same tour with a later departure date or any other HWT tour.

If a refund is requested, the following cancellation fees may be deducted from the paid amount:

• Greater than 45 days prior to tour start date - 10% of total tour amount + any unrecoverable costs

• Greater than 14 days but less than or equal to 45 days prior to tour start date - 50% of total tour amount + any unrecoverable costs

• 14 Days or less (including ‘no show’) prior to tour start date – No refund

• Registration with the Australian Department of Veteran Affairs, for the Anzac Day Dawn Service, is compulsory. However, Historic War Tours will pass on your details already provided by you when making your booking. This information will assist the organisers with crowd control and catering for the Gunfire Breakfast. You will be advised when this has been done.

   

• All customers must have comprehensive travel insurance for the duration of the tour.

• This tour is conducted in accordance with the Terms, Conditions and Policies (Terms) of Historic War Tour Pty Ltd (HWT). By booking a tour with HWT, you acknowledge that you have read and understand these Terms and accept them.

What level of fitness is required?

Fitness level is very subjective and can vary for everyone. As a guide,

Day 2:

• Sepilok Orangutang Rehabilitation Centre - Low-Moderate

• Sun Bear Conservation Centre - Low-Moderate

• St Michael’s and All Angels Church - Low

• Chinese WWII & Sandakan Liberation Memorials - Low

Day 3:

• Anzac Day Dawn Service – Low-Moderate

• Gunfire Breakfast - Low

Day 4:

• Kundasang War Memorial – Low-Moderate

• 1st POW Campsite Memorial - Low

• Cleary Monument – Low

• Last POW Campsite Memorial – Low-Moderate

Day 5:

• Labuan War Cemetery – Low-Moderate

• Surrender Point Memorial – Low

Do you cater for single travellers?

Yes. All our tours welcome single travellers and provide single-occupancy accommodation.

Do you have a schedule of planned tours?

Our Anzac Day tours in Sandakan, Thailand, and Vietnam have set departure dates. All other tours are private and run year-round, with departure dates arranged to suit your travel plans.

What is the maximum number of people on tour?

Most of our tours are private, so only you, your group, the guide, and the driver will be on tour. Group Anzac Day tours range from 4–5 people in a minivan to around 30 people on a 40-seat bus.

Can I customise an advertised tour?

Yes. All tours, except our group Anzac Day tours, can be tailored to suit your preferences. We can adjust itineraries, extend stays, change hotels, and add or swap tours. Changes may require a revised quote, but we’ll work with you to avoid unexpected costs.

What meals are included?

Your tour itinerary shows which meals are included each day. When meals are not included, your guide can recommend suitable places to eat. Meals are usually a mix of local cuisine. Please let your guide know about any dietary requirements.

I have specific dietary needs.

Our tours visit countries known for their diverse and sometimes spicy cuisine. Please advise us of any dietary requirements when booking and inform your guide at the start of your tour. Your guide will do their best to arrange suitable meals throughout your trip.

Do I need to take any medication (e.g. malaria tablets)?

We recommend consulting your doctor about any vaccinations or medications you may need when travelling overseas.

I have prescribed medication.

While pharmacies are becoming more common throughout Southeast Asia, you should bring enough prescribed medication for your entire trip. We also recommend carrying a doctor’s letter listing your medication for customs purposes if required.

How much should I give the Guide and Driver as a tip?

Tipping is not compulsory and is entirely at your discretion. Guides and drivers are paid a salary, but any additional tip for good service is always appreciated. If you choose to tip, give an amount you feel comfortable with. If splitting between guide and driver, please present tips separately.

Thursday, 23rd April 2027

Arrive Sandakan where you will meet your driver for your transfer to your hotel. The rest of your day is free.

Hotel included: Sabah Hotel, Sandakan - Superior Room (or similar)

Friday, 24th April 2027

Depart Hotel: 8:15am
Return: about 5:00pm

Travel about 30 minutes west of Sandakan, to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre where the orangutangs are prepared for introduction back into the wild. Walk along the boardwalk through the jungle and look out for these amazing animals. Arrive at the ‘Nursery’ where you will see firsthand, mothers and babies undergoing their daily routine. Next door, visit the Sun Bear Conservation Centre and observe the smallest of the bear species.

Return to Sandakan late morning and have lunch (own expense) at a local restaurant.

After lunch, visit the Sandakan Memorial Park, the site of the Sandakan POW Camp in WWII and where the Anzac Day Dawn Service will take place the following day. Use this time free of crowds, to walk around this lush and serene park seeing relics that still exist today. Visit the park’s Interpretive Pavilion which tells the story of the camp and the infamous death marches.

Visit to the St Michael’s and All Angels Church and discover the magnificent stain glass Windows of Remembrance and the Friendship Windows before having a moment of quiet reflection in the POW Chapel.

Finish the day with a stop at the Chinese WWII Memorial and the Sandakan Liberation Memorial.

Return to your hotel with the rest of your day free as you wish.

Meals included: Breakfast
Hotel included: Sabah Hotel, Sandakan - Superior Room (or similar)

Saturday, 25th April 2027

Depart Hotel: 4:15am
Return: 8:15am

Travel to the Sandakan Memorial Park for the moving Anzac Day Dawn Service. After, attend the Gunfire Breakfast and mingle with other Anzac Day travelers, before leaving at about 8:00am to return to your hotel.

Depart Hotel: 11:30am
Arrive Hotel (Kota Kinabalu): 3:30pm

Check-out in time for your transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight to Kota Kinabalu. Arrive at Kota Kinabalu where you will be transferred to your hotel. With the early start to the day, the rest of your day is free.

Meals included: Breakfast
Hotel included: Grandis Hotel, Kota Kinabalu - Superior Room (or similar)

Sunday, 26th April 2027

Depart Hotel: 8:00am
Return: about 5:00pm

Depart your hotel but before leaving Kota Kinabalu, visit the Australian Armed Forces Memorial which commemorates the role that Australian Forces played in the liberation of Borneo in WWII.

Leave Kota Kinabalu on your day trip to Ranau, to learn more on the tragic story of the infamous Sandakan Death Marches. About 90 minutes into your journey, visit the Kundasang War Memorial. Established in 1962 and nestled in the highlands of Kundasang below Mt Kinabalu, this memorial was one of the first to honour those who perished during the death marches. Comprising of four interconnecting gardens – the Australian Garden, the British Garden, the Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden and Pool – each symbolises the peace that the POWs never found. A black marble Memorial Wall lists the names of all the POWs who died at Sandakan, on the marches and at Ranau.

Another 25 minutes on, arrive at Ranau, the destination of the death marches. Only about half the POWs who left Sandakan arrived at Ranau. The others had died along the route, from starvation, disease or execution, and their bodies left where they fell. Visit the 1st POW Campsite Memorial and beside it, the Cleary Monument which honours Gunner Albert Cleary who was brutally bashed by the Japanese and later died of his injuries. A short distance away is the Last POW Campsite Memorial which commemorates the tragic end of the death marches.

Have lunch (included) at a local restaurant before starting your return journey to Kota Kinabalu.

Arrive at your hotel in Kota Kinabalu late afternoon with the rest of your day free.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel included: Grandis Hotel, Kota Kinabalu - Superior Room (or similar)

Monday, 27th April 2027

Depart Hotel: 4:30am
Return: 6:30pm

Transfer to the airport and your early morning flight to Labuan. On arrival at Labuan, meet your guide and, with the early start, go for breakfast (own expense) at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, visit the Labuan War Cemetery and Labuan Memorial. Take time for a moment of quiet reflection and walk amongst the rows of graves. Perhaps find the grave or memorial listing of someone of interest to you.

Continue about 15 minutes, to the west coast of Labuan and visit the Surrender Point Memorial. Here, on the 9th September 1945, Major General George F Wootten, Commander of the Australian 9th Division formally accepted the unconditional Japanese surrender to end the war in Borneo.

Travel back to the East coast of Labuan and if time permits, visit Brown Beach, the landing site for the Australian forces, in the liberation of Labuan and the start of the Borneo campaign.

Return to the airport early afternoon, to meet your return flight to Kota Kinabalu.

Hotel included: Grandis Hotel, Kota Kinabalu - Superior Room (or similar)

Tuesday, 28th April 2027

Your day is free until your driver arrives to take you to the airport to meet your outbound flight from Kota Kinabalu.

Meals included: Breakfast