Hotels in Tawau

Tawau was first mentioned on a map in 1857 by the name Tawao. Depending on where the story came from form the name Tawau. According to the Tidong community, it came from the fishing hook that they called ‘tawau’ which they left for the fish to be hooked when the British came to the river and asked for the name of the river. As they did not understand the exact question in English, they thought to mention ‘Tawau’ as to demonstrate what they were doing at the time. Hence, it became the name of the river and Tawau itself.

The Bugis community said that ‘tawau’ means ‘ownership’. As for the Cocos Islander community, they said it came from the word ‘tawar’ which means tasteless or powerless as whenever people entered Tawau, their power became useless or ‘tawar’.

Tawau is the third largest town in Sabah, Malaysia. Tawau is bordered by the Celebes Sea to the south, the Sulu Sea to the east and shares an inland border with north Kalimantan. Nearly 70% of the area surrounding Tawau is mountainous. The main town areas are divided into three sections, namely Fajar, Sabindo and Tawau Lama. Fajar is a commercial area, Sabindo is a plaza while Tawau Lama or Old Tawau is the original part of Tawau.

Locals in Tawau or the Bajau mostly speaks Bahasa Melayu with the Sabahan accent. Bahasa Melayu in Tawau also has been influenced by the Indonesian language spoken by the Buginese, Florenese and Timorese. The Bajau language on the west coast has been influenced by the Brunei Malay language while the Bajau language on the east coast has similarities with Phillipines’ Sama language and several borrowed words from Suluk language. Hakka Chinese is widely spoken by Tawau Chinese.

How to Get There

By Plane

Tawau Airport is the second largest airport in Sabah and has flights linking Tawau to domestic destinations which include Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. MASWings handle flight to smaller towns or rural areas in Sabah.

By Car

Most Tawau major internal roads are dual-carriageways. The only highway route connects Tawau – Semporna – Kunak – Lahad Datu – Sandakan. This is part of the Pan Borneo Highway.

Regular bus services and taxis operate in Tawau town. The short distance trips carry passengers to Sandakan and Semporna. The long distance trips carry passengers to Beaufort, Kundasang, Kota Kinabalu, Lahad Datu, Papar, Ranau, Simpang Ranau, Sipitang and Telupid. Other option is the daily ferry service between Tawau’s sea port and the northeastern Kalimantan.

Tourist Attractions

Among the tourist attractions in Tawau are Tawau Bell Tower, Tawau Harbour and Teck Guan Cocoa Museum. The Tawau Bell Tower was built to commemorate the close relationship between Japan and Great Britain post World War I. Tawau Harbour is popular among island hoppers as transit point to Sabah islands nearby including Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and Mataking islands as well as several Indonesian islands including Nunukan, southern Sebatik and Tarakan. Tawau is one of the top cocoa production centres in Malaysia founded in 1970s by Datuk Seri Panglima Hong Teck Guan. Visiting the Teck Guan Cocoa Museum allow visitors to gain knowledge on cocoa production in Tawau.

The Tawau International Cultural Festival is an annual event, first held in 2011. The festival feature a variety of exhibitions, vendors and entertainment targeting nearly 20,000 spectators around the world.

Hotels

Prince Hotel

A great hotel situated in Tawau. A simple hotel with decent facilities.

Hotel Emas Tawau

Hotel Emas Tawau has a very good location. It offers splendid service together with wide range of facilities provided.

Astana Hotel

One of the most common preferred hotel situated in Tawau. This hotel is likable by many tourist travelling solo, accompanied with friends or family.

MB Hotel

For family vacation or leisure, this place provides a satisfactory comfort during your stay in Tawau.

City Garden Hotel

This hotel is a perfect choice for people seeking a luxurious treat for holiday. Get the most excellent services and make your stay a memorable experience.