My Sabah: Tawau

When travelling by the national airline from KLIA to get to Semporna, Tawau is the gateway airport. One can easily dismiss Tawau and go straight ahead to Semporna, doing the same on the return trip. But then Tawau has an interesting history. In the 1980's, it was once the cocoa capital of Asia, and Tawau district the world's third largest producer of cocoa beans (after the Ivory Coast and Ghana). The fishing industry still remains important, with tiger prawn farming contributing to the export trade, especially to Japan.

The Tawau Mosque (CNB 2012)

A part of Tawau town (CNB 2012)

Anyway, Tawau is also the third largest town in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. From Semporna, we did not have much time to spare before our afternoon flight back to KLIA, so for us, it was straight to the town's central market in Tawau Lama or Old Tawau. In the market, we made a beeline for the dried fish stalls on the first floor. There were loads of dried anything (edible) from the sea - all sizes of prawns, all kinds of fish, etc.

The Tawau Central Market (CNB 2012)

Dried anchovies, prawns, etc., etc. (CNB 2012)

Dried fish, fish and more fish (CNB 2012)

Keropok  Amplang - crackers (CNB 2012)

We left the Central Market with plastic bagfuls and cardboard boxfuls of dried everything (I think the plane had to be deodorised after our flight landed at KLIA). Still, there was more shopping to be done - this time at the HS Crystal Wholesale shop in Jalan Masjid. But pearls (mainly from the Philippines) are the main attraction.

The traffic at the 'Eagle roundabout',  just outside the market
(CNB 2012)

Some interesting old wooden shops in Tawau (CNB 2012)

Some more interesting old shops (CNB 2012)

Pearls galore at the wholesale shop (CNB 2012)

Finally heading for the Tawau Airport, we stopped at an eatery nearby for lunch - sup payau. I know the word payau as something to do with taste (not so great), but this sup payau is actually venison soup.  The taste? Certainly not payau, but quite delicious!

Bibiq Corner that serves sup payau (CNB 2012)

Rice and sup payau (CNB 2012)

At the Tawau Airpot, there is ample opportunity to buy more Sabah souvenirs - the T-shirts here are most reasonably priced, the frozen seafood quite plentiful in choice, and do not forget the plush soft toys (monyet Belanda included), and cocoa products from Tawau itself. I bought some 3-in-1 cocoa packs here since we never made it to the Cocoa Museum or plantation. Maybe next time ...

Tawau Airport (CNB 2012)

Adieu, monyet Belanda. (CNB 2012)

22 April 2012