Labuan Nightlife

A small and quiet group of islands, Labuan is a Malaysian federal territory that’s governed directly from Kuala Lumpur. The 92sqkm archipelago was originally intended to be turned into an offshore banking haven after its incorporation into Malaysia in 1984. Instead, as the years went by the island gained a name as a sordid getaway for smugglers and those seeking cheap beer. Now a key petroleum gas installation, the island’s struggling to shake off its once-unsavoury reputation. Older expatriate retirees comprise Labuan’s majority populace and its duty-free status makes it seem like a less glamorous version of Las Vegas but if truth be told, restaurants here see most of the island’s after-hours action.