Labuan is a flat island that stretches itself up to a total of 95 square kilometers and is located at the northwestern coast of Borneo. The island is surrounded by Brunei towards the north as well as Kota Kinabalu towards the south. The name Labuan of the island has been derived from the Malay word Labuhan which means anchorage.
The total population of this island is 100,000 out of which 20 percent of the population is that of the foreigners. The total stretch of Labuan comprises of seven different islands. This island is majorly known as the offshore financial center. Apart from this, Labuan is also considered to be having amazing tourist attraction and therefore the footfall of tourists at this island is very common. Despite of being considered as a famous tourist spot, the island is yet to be discovered by the majority of people and the local government is constantly making its efforts where it can connect the island to the mainland of Sabah and later towards the expansion of the current airport so that it could grow into an international airport, thereby attracting more number of tourists towards the same.
One interesting thing about Labuan is that it is a duty-free island. There a tax-free prices and deserted beaches which make it a popular destination, but among a limited number of tourists. This island is void of the Western travelers and therefore the footfall mostly includes the Asian tourists and travelers. The local crowd of the island is very friendly and hassle-free.
Apart from providing the tourists with amazing secluded beaches, discounted shopping as well as a good deal of nightlife, there are a number of interesting things and activities that could be enjoyed by the tourists once and for all. Most sites on this island are absolutely free of cost and hence they are easily reachable by bus, bicycle or a rental car.
History of the island
The history of the island is a glorious once and Labuan was put into the rule of various empires. After the demise of the Majapahit Empire in the 14th century, the island came under the rule of the Sultanate of Brunei. Later on, it was ceded to the British in the year 1846. The British officially declared the island a colony of the British Empire and renamed it as Victoria. However, soon the British lost their hold. But after the Second World War, the British again resumed the control and later on joined it with Malaysia where it ended up becoming a part of Sabah. Eventually, the island was declared as the International Offshore Financial Center in the year 1990.
A great deal of tourist attractions
Although the island is yet to be discovered by the Western crowd, the Asian crowd still seems to be traveling to the island and having fun by indulging themselves in various tourist attractions. There are a number of places especially designed for the entertainment of the tourists at large. The Peace Park, the World War II Memorial, Royal Navy Coaling station, Labuan Museum, Gurudwara Sahib Temple, Jamek-An-Nur Mosque, etc. are the major tourist spots here.