TAWAU
An aerial view of Tawau Port.
The district of Tawau is one huge plantation that
supports, rubber, copra, cocoa and oil palm on its rich volcanic soil. Timber is
logged from the more accessible parts of the jungle.
Tawau was once a small coastal fishing village under the Sultan of Sulu
until it was ceded to the North Borneo Company in 1878.
The town lies at the south-east corner of the state on a stretch of coast.
The town is now the administrative and service centre for a agricultural
district (oil palm, cocoa, rubber and coconut). It has a fine mosque and avenues of shaded shops. Open-air stalls along the sea
front serve delicious seafood. This last port of call before Indonesia has a
small bustling traffic of shipping made up mainly of Filipinos and Indonesians.
The town's
fish market is a hive of activity where fresh produce is sold and Bajau
woman display their handicraft of multi-coloured mats, hats and baskets.
The Tawau Hill Park is another nature sanctuary located nearby which
offers some stunning views, a swimming and picnicking area and a hot
spring.The new Central Market on Jalan Dunlop near the harbour
is renowned for prawns and fish.
An interesting Street Market is held
every Sunday morning on the corner of Jalan Apas and Jalan Kuhara. The
open-air night stalls opposite the Sabindo Shopping Complex on Jalan
Chen Fook is also another favourite. |
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Tawau |
A visit to the Teck Guan
Cocoa Museum is a must when visiting Tawau. The moment you set foot in
this cocoa kingdom you will sense the lovely aroma of cocoa permeating
the air. Housed within a cocoa and chocolate manufacturing compound.
There is no admission fee to the Teck Guan Cocoa museum.
Next to the museum
is the factory processing raw cocoa seed to cocoa powder. The
cocoa processing plant is one of the largest in Southeast Asia and the largest
in East Malaysia. Experts claim the cocoa plants in Tawau are the most
productive in the world.
The new Tawau airport, situated 31 Km away from the city was
officially opened in December 2001. With a runway length of 3000 metres, the
airport can accommodate Airbus aircraft.
