As I mentioned in my last post about our Borneo adventure, the floods had started to return to Bilit once again, and there was talk that we may have to evacuate the next morning, sadly.

On the bright side, we were informed hotel accommodation had been arranged (joys of having a local tour operator like STWA, especially for a trip of this complexity) at Sabah Hotel, in downtown Sandakan.

We were up bright and early next morning for a spectacular morning cruise, before re-assembling, along with all other guests, for our final trek back across the river and onwards back to Sandakan.

On our way back to town, we stopped for lunch, along with a stop at the fascinating Labuk Bay proboscis monkey sanctuary, which I’ll cover in another post on what we did in Sandakan – which was quite a lot.

By late afternoon, we pulled into Sabah Hotel, a stone’s throw from downtown Sandakan, set on top of a hill in verdant gardens.

Check-in formalities in the breezy, airy lobby were handled quickly, and it seemed we were one of many groups of tourists relocated there as a result of the flood situation, as we were immediately given information on the included dinner, as well as breakfast for the next morning.

Up to our room, and after two nights in the wilderness, we were absolutely delighted. Our room was spacious, immaculately clean, and had everything needed for a comfortable, relaxing one-night stay before continuing our Borneo adventure the next morning.

Opposite the bed was a well-sized work desk, mirror, and TV, along with plenty of space to decant luggage.

The property generally seemed a little on the older side, but excellently maintained.

The bathroom came with a separate bathtub and shower, and plenty of space. After the sweat-fest of wandering around the proboscis monkey sanctuary, I couldn’t get into the shower fast enough.

By virtue of the hotels location, it was also blissfully quiet at night – perfect for a very rejuvenating sleep later on that evening. Our tour guide, Ray, was lucky to even see us at all the next morning!

Having already had lunch, we ultimately spent most of the remainder of the day basking in the sun by the pool, which was busy with fellow dispossessed wildlife-seekers, but certainly not packed.

Speaking of wildlife, we even had a monitor lizard come by and take a dip in the pool, much to the absolute horror and panic of anyone in the pool at that same moment.

Dinner was included with our rate, as a result of being relocated there by our tour agency, and there were several western options and, after Vannesha asked, several local options were also offered.

After dinner, and after a very busy day from start to finish, there was only one last inevitability for the day – and that was a trip to the lobby bar, where we reposed with a bottle of wine altogether for an hour or two before calling it a night.

After a warp-speed breakfast next morning, it was time to be collected and head on once again for our final day in Sandakan.

Overall, while very unexpected, we had a very enjoyable and relaxing stay at Sabah Hotel, and considering we started the day with no plans to stay there, it turned out to be just what we needed before another action-packed day on our Borneo adventure.