Labuan beckons visitors with seafood, beaches, war sites
PUTRAJAYA: Upon finding out the Putrajaya Media Club’s plans for a threeday two-night trip to the Federal Territory of Labuan, this writer could not help but wonder what the island has to offer.
Unfamiliar with the island, she sought some enlightenment but discovered there were only few articles and photos on tourist attractions in Labuan in the mainstream and social media.
Compared to Malaysia’s other islands, Labuan appears to be lesser known and only a few choose the duty-free island as a holiday destination despite its beautiful beaches and other attractions.
Curiosity got the best of this writer who finally joined 20 other members of the Putrajaya Media Club to Labuan on Nov 11.
The group boarded Malaysia Airlines flight MH2608 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 8.40 am and landed at the Labuan Airport at 11 am.
After leaving the airport, the group settled for fish noodle soup as their first meal on the island.
Three options are available, either regular fish soup, fried fish soup or a combination of both to eat with the noodles.
Patrons are served a bowl of noodles and a bowl of fish soup for them to mix together. Chili is also available for those who want to spice up the food.
Though it was their first taste of fish soup noodles, all members of the Putrajaya Media Club concurred that the soup was delicious as it used fresh fish.
Rejuvenated, the group checked into a resort located on Jalan Batu Manikar.
The resort’s swimming pool lies only several hundred metres from Pantai Batu Manikar’s panoramic white sand beach and the crystal blue water.
Hammocks also dot the beach, inviting holidaymakers to laze and relax while basking in the scenery and South China Sea winds.
For the writer, lounging on the hammock while listening to the waves as the wind caressed the skin was soothing to the soul.
Their next destination in Labuan was Pantai Layang-Layangan, that was recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Sept 20, 2008 as a clean and pollution free beach.
Pantai Layang-Layangan has also been listed in the list of the 101 Best Beaches Asia. The local authorities in Labuan make sure that the beach lives up to the their image.
Not far from this beach is Taman Damai, a park built by the Japanese as it was the location where a Japanese military commander signed a letter surrendering Labuan to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1945 at the end of World War II (WWII).
Located close to the beach are food stalls serving deer satay (deer meat on skewers), known to the locals as ‘satay payau’, as well as other food and drinks like fresh coconut and ‘air batu campur’.
Enjoying food by the beach was an unforgettable experience for members of the Putrajaya Media Club.
The long stretch of beach at Pantai LayangLayangan which is free of rocks is perfect for evening walks while waiting for the sunset.
An island trip would not be complete without a seafood spread and the members of the Putrajaya Media Club got to savour more seafood at the Anjung Ketam Kampung Tanjung Aru.
Anjung Ketam is a waterfront restaurant on stilts that serves a wide array of seafood dishes for dinner. It opens for business at 4pm.
There the group feasted on buttermilk crab, boiled crab, chili prawns and fish with rice.
The freshness of the ingredients used in the dishes really whet their appetite, what more with the sea breeze and waves crashing ashore, different from dining at seafood restaurants in the city.
It is said that there were many such restaurants in Labuan and some are named Anjung Ketam and Anjung Ikan Bakar.
These restaurants are located in villages by the sea in Labuan and allows visitors to look at the village houses and local environment on the duty-free island.
Anjung Ketam is definitely a must-visit spot for those who love seafood when in Labuan.
On the second day in Labuan, the media entourage stopped by the biggest WWII Memorial in Malaysia with the graves of 3,908 soldiers from the Commonwealth Army, namely Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, India and local defense units, who died in Borneo during the war.
The war memorial is beautifully landscaped with lush greenery like a flower garden. A plaque there also features the names of fallen soldiers.
The memorial was built and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is said that war veterans and their families still visit the memorial.
Each year, Memorial Day is celebrated here in November with the latest one in Nov 13.
Among the significant elements during Memorial Day includes placing of wreaths, propping up weapons upside down, playing the song The Last Post and observing a minute of silence.
When in Labuan, the best thing to bring back for family and friends is dried or frozen seafood.
The group was taken to the Labuan Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) where an assortment of dried and fresh seafood is sold.
Anchovies, dried shrimp and fish-based snacks are among the items they sought to bring back to Putrajaya.
At the Labuan UTC, visitors are spoiled for choice, from a selection of blue eyed anchovies, to fine anchovies, regular anchovies and anchovies that are cleaned and ready for consumption.
From the UTC the group proceeded to a seafood outlet selling frozen tiger prawns, fish, crab and fish dipped in seasoned flour.
Buyers pay first and inform the date and time of their flight and the packed seafood will be sent straight to the Labuan Airport before the flight.
Satisfied with their purchases, the entourage then savoured succulent lobster at another seafood restaurant not far from the Labuan International Ferry Terminal.
On their second and last night in Labuan, club members dined at Anjung Ketam Kampung Nagalang indulging in tasty seafood such as chili crab, butter prawns and salted egg squid.
All good things though, must come to an end and the media personnel prepared to return home after they left Pulau Rusukan Besar.
On their last day in Labuan the Putrajaya Media Club visited Pulau Rusukan Besar which is a part of the Labuan Marine Park, a 20 minute boat ride from the Labuan Marina jetty.
The 14 hectare island is situated close to the wreckage of sunken ships and is a haven for divers.
The clean beach and clear waters is certainly alluring to any visitor. In some locations, fish and reefs were visible. Pulau Rusukan Besar is also a landing spot for turtles and several species of seabirds.
Manager of Emma Glorious Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Lee Kun Fung said, he provided chalets, snorkeling and diving equipment for visitors who come to Pulau Rusukan Besar.
As they snorkeled, members of the club were mesmerised by the variety of coral reefs and colourful fish they found underwater. - Bernama