Gilwell Scouts Nature Park Sandakan

The land area of Gilwell SNP Sandakan is 12 acres with less than 2 acres developed. This minimal land use allows about 10 acres left untouched, preserving its natural environment and vegetative state. The 2 acres house permanent structures (e.g. Main Office, Main Hall, Amateur Radio Hut, etc.), roadworks, equipment and utilities (e.g. water pump hut, nursery), marked for three campsites; Meliau, Cengal and Belian. It is surrounded by natural primary and secondary tropical jungle and acts as a designated water catchment area for the district of Sandakan. The preservation of forest coverage in this area, including Gilwell SNP Sandakan, mitigates unexpected rising water level during the monsoon season from several tributary streams which borders Sandakan and neighbouring districts. Asides flood control, the protected area helps minimise landslides and thus ensures the safety of populations in Sandakan and nearby areas. In Jan 2022, Sandakan was among areas badly affected by the seasonal monsoon. == Impact of Covid-19 ==

In October 2020, Sabah was rated as having record the most COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia at 43 from a national fatality total of 167. This was due to Sabah suffering its second wave of the pandemic. Sandakan reported 97 new daily cases alone, the highest in Sabah on Oct 14, 2020. With the on-going vaccination programme, the number of infection subsided and Sandakan reported only 14 new cases on April 13, 2022. Giwell SNP Sandakan is re-opening in June 2022 after being closed since March 2020. ==Distance to Town and Airport==

Gilwell SNP Sandakan is located within a 5-minute drive from the centre of Sandakan, Sabah, with good access from public transport and a mere 12 minutes or 7.8 km from Sandakan International Airport. There are numerous direct flights to Sandakan making Gilwell SNP Sandakan easily accessible from various destinations like 45 minutes by flight from Kota Kinabalu, state capital of Sabah; 3 hours by flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia; 6 hours 25 minutes by flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand; 8 hour 10 minutes from Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia; 9 hours and 5 minutes from Incheon International Airport, Seoul, Korea and; 10 hours and 15 minutes from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines. ==See also==