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TAWAU
SCHOLZ The Flying Dusun Sdn Bhd
E
ven though in prehistoric times the area around Tawau must have been known to early man little to nothing is yet know about that era. It is a bit further to the north where we find more testimony and proof of prehistoric settlements: the Baturong, Tapadong and Madai Caves have yielded pottery and other remains of ancient inhabitants, going back 25,000 years. For probably as long as 2000 years Chinese traders have sailed along Sabah's coast and traded for damar and other in perfume and incense industry used tree saps, rattans, medicinal plants, hornbill `ivory', rhinoceros horn and birds nests (from Baturong, Tapadong and Segarong) with the coastal dwelling people, who in turn traded with the interior people of Sabah.Due to its strategic location and safe harbour Tawau got the attention of the English and the township's foundation goes back to
1893. It became quickly an important port for the export of jungle `colonial' products such as spices, cocoa and tobacco. We must not forget that before WWI Borneo tobacco was traded at the London stock exchange!When Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in
1963 Tawau became one of the major ports for the export of ?6 opical timber, and a lot of cocoa was planted, the volcanic soil around Tawau being ideal for this crop. With the decline of the cocoa price on the international market many cocoa estate holders have changed to palm oil and Tawau's surroundings offer now a rather uniform aspect throughout - palm oil plantations as far as the eye can reach and beyond.
With its busy port and market nearby Tawau is a bustling town, yet you never feel any hectic. It is most interesting to visit the town early in the morning when the markets are liveliest. In the evening Tawau comes alive with hawker stalls at every street corner but goes to sleep early.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Even though Sabah's third largest town Tawau is usually only visited by divers on their way to Sabah's dive paradises Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and other islands, which are in the world's `epicentre of marine biological diversity'. As such the town offers good hotels but not much worth while visiting there except of course the restaurants that offer, like everywhere in Sabah, a huge variety of highly delectable specialities. For those who stay a day or two there are, however, a couple of things to do: Sabah's foremost rainforest interpretation centre is in Tawau, adjacent to a forest reserve that surrounds the landmark hill `Bukit Gemok'. Then there is the very well maintained `Tawau Hills Park', which is actually a national park! imple but clean and well conceived accommodation Ilows overnight travellers to stay there and explore :he many trails into the deep heart of the park. There re hot springs in pristine natural conditions - and enerally no tourists! Wildlife in the park, which itself s adjacent to Sabah's largest forest concession, the .ayasan Sabah Concession (ca
30% of Sabah's land ass), is abundant and the patient observer can spot any rare birds and mammals, including primates uch as the Borneo gibbon. One can also visit cocoa lantations and learn more about how cocoa powder, nd ultimately chocolate, is processed from cocoa eans at cocoa factories.Tawau is also the port from where you can take oats and speedy ferries to neighbouring towns in alimantan: Nunukan and Tarakan.
How to Get to Tawau & Accommodation Bus/share taxi (ca
560 km / up to 10 hours dependng on road conditions); flight (several flights daily, 1 our 20 mins from KK), boat/ferry (from Nunukan or arakan in Kalimantan - Indonesia); there are a coule of good hotels in Tawau, such as the `Marco Polo' nd the `Hotel Emas', and many `penginapan', which an loosely be translated as `hostel'.Homepage
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