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Castaway Beach on Lankayan Island

Bite-sized trip

  • Itinerary:
    Sandakan - Lankayan - Sandakan
  • Duration:
    3 days / 2 nights
  • Price:
    from £ 645.- per person (excluding flights)
Lankayan Island is a secluded paradise hidden away in the tropical Sulu Sea just north of Sandakan, and the perfect place to rest up after your travels through Borneo. You can spend your days relaxing on the white sandy beaches or swimming in the crystal clear sea. The view beneath the sea is perhaps even more beautiful than above the water. Our local project, Reef Guardian is based on the island and if you're lucky you'll be able to watch the volunteers release baby turtles into the sea for their first swim!
Traveller on pier Lankayan Borneo
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Day 1 – Arrival on Lankayan

You’ll be picked up from your hotel, or the airport in Sandakan, and transferred to the pier where a boat will be waiting to take you to Lankayan. The journey itself is a memorable experience, and after around 1.5 hours the island will come into view. White sandy beaches and azure blue waters surround a tropical forest – truly paradise on earth. You’ll feel the sand between your toes as you hop onto land, before settling into your comfortable wooden bungalow overlooking the sea, with the beach at your front door. The rest of the day is yours to do as you please.

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Day 2 – Island life

There’s nothing scheduled in for today so you can spend it however you like, and if that involved drinking cocktails whilst doing precisely nothing, then nobody is going to judge. You can pull a beach chair up to the water’s edge and finish that book, and jump in the crystal clear sea whenever you get too hot. All your food is included, so you don’t even have that to worry about. If you fancy exploring then it’s pretty easy – you can walk around the whole island is about 20 minutes!

Lankayan is a breeding ground for sea turtles and is home to the local project we support, Reef Guardian. You can visit the charity base on your stay here, and may even be lucky enough to witness a nest of baby turtles being released into the sea. The hatching season is July to October.

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Day 3 – Departure

Unless you’ve chosen to extend your stay here, today’s the day to wave a sad goodbye to this little slice of paradise. You’ll travel back the same way you came, and can be dropped either at your hotel or the airport.

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Accommodation

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Castaway Beach on Lankayan Island

This bite-sized trip can be combined well with

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