A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Sandakan vs. Whitsundays for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Sandakan or Whitsundays?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Sandakan or Whitsundays? 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 Whitsundays?

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.

Whitsundays

Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is a cluster of 74 different islands. These islands, the Whitsunday Islands, welcome over a half a million visitors every year to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the most famous destinations in the world, it's not uncommon to see expensive yachts sailing around among the private ferries. Most of the islands are designated as national parks with access to snorkeling and diving in the coral reefs, or just to lay in the sand on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

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 in Australia, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Australia.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sandakan and Whitsundays, we can see that Whitsundays is more expensive. And not only is Sandakan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sandakan is in Asia and Whitsundays is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Sandakan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sandakan 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 Whitsundays would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Whitsundays than you might in Sandakan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sandakan Expensive? and Is Whitsundays Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Sandakan or Whitsundays?

Whitsundays has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Sandakan experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Sandakan or Whitsundays in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Sandakan as well as Whitsundays. Sandakan attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In July, Sandakan is generally around the same temperature as Whitsundaysin January. Daily temperatures in Sandakan average around 27°C (81°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 26°C (79°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sandakan this time of the year. In the summer, Sandakan often gets less sunshine than Whitsundaysin January. Sandakan gets 221 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 285 hours of full sun.

It's quite rainy in Whitsundays. Sandakan receives a lot of rain in the summer. Sandakan usually gets less rain in July than Whitsundaysin January. Sandakan gets 195 mm (7.7 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 331 mm (13 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Sandakan or Whitsundays in the Autumn?

Both Whitsundays and Sandakan are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Sandakan throughout the year.

Sandakan is a little warmer than Whitsundays in the autumn. The daily temperature in Sandakan averages around 28°C (82°F) in October, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F)in April.

It's quite sunny in Whitsundays. Sandakan usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during autumn. Sandakan gets 191 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 207 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. It's quite rainy in Sandakan. In October, Sandakan usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin April. Sandakan gets 253 mm (10 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Sandakan or Whitsundays in the Winter?

Both Whitsundays and Sandakan during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Sandakan because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In the winter, Sandakan is much warmer than Whitsundays. Typically, the winter temperatures in Sandakan in January average around 26°C (80°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 16°C (62°F)in July.

In Whitsundays, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the winter, Sandakan often gets less sunshine than Whitsundaysin July. Sandakan gets 156 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 226 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Sandakan. Sandakan usually gets more rain in January than Whitsundaysin July. Sandakan gets 437 mm (17.2 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Sandakan or Whitsundays in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Sandakan and Whitsundays. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Sandakan year-round.

In April, Sandakan is generally a little warmer than Whitsundaysin October. Daily temperatures in Sandakan average around 28°C (82°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Whitsundays this time of the year. In Sandakan, it's very sunny this time of the year. Sandakan usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during spring. Sandakan gets 247 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 298 hours of full sun in the spring.

Sandakan gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Sandakan usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin October. Sandakan gets 107 mm (4.2 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Whitsundays and Sandakan