Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Sandakan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sandakan or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sandakan or Royal Chitwan National Park? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Sandakan or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Sandakan
Located on the Northeast side of the state of Sabah in Borneo is the city of Sandakan, which is the 2nd largest city in the country. Sandakan was a prosperous port town in the 1800s because of its exports of tobacco, timber, pearls, and ivory. However, this booming town that was formerly the administrative capital in North Borneo was bombed practically out of existence at the end of World War II.
Royal Chitwan National Park
The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.
Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.
This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Malaysia, The Best Adventure Tours to Malaysia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySandakan $58Royal Chitwan National Park $35
The average daily cost (per person) in Sandakan is $58, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Sandakan and Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSandakan $20Royal Chitwan National Park $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSandakan $40Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Sandakan and Royal Chitwan National Park
Looking for a hotel in Sandakan or Royal Chitwan National Park? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Sandakan Hotel Prices and Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sandakan $33Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park
Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Sandakan or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park and Sandakan change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySandakan $19Royal Chitwan National Park $9.44
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sandakan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sandakan.
- Mangrove Cruise with Fireflies Tour Including Dinner from Sandakan: $64
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sandakan $7.19Royal Chitwan National Park $9.63
Tours and Activities in Sandakan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Sandakan are as follows:
- 2D1N Sandakan Private Tour with Kinabatangan River Cruise: $290
- Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre & Sepilok Orang Utan Rehab Centre Tour: $105
- Borneo Kinabatangan River Cruise Day Trip: $78
- Borneo Wildlife Tour 2 Days 1 Night At Tanjung Bulat Jungle Camp Kinabatangan: $197
- Borneo Wildlife Tour 3 Days 2 Nights At Tanjung Bulat Jungle Camp Kinabatangan: $241
- Kinabatangan River Cruise from Sandakan: $90
- Labuk Proboscis, Sepilok, Sun Bear, Sandakan City Tour & Lunch: $138
- Private Full Day Sepilok Orang Utan, Bornean Sun Bear and Rainforest Discovery Center Tour: $125
- Private Tour: Half Day Sandakan City Tour Including Local Lunch: $51
- Sepilok Orang Utan & Bornean Sun Bear Centre with Sandakan City Tour with Lunch: $191
Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park
For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
- Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
- 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
- Chitwan Safari Tour : $160
- 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
- Chitwan Tour Packages: $200
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySandakan $6.59Royal Chitwan National Park $6.49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sandakan and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Sandakan is more expensive. And not only is Royal Chitwan National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Royal Chitwan National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Royal Chitwan National Park and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Sandakan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sandakan than you might in Royal Chitwan National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sandakan Expensive? and Is Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.