If you have seen everything – on land and sea, we invite you under water! Diving and snorkeling on the islands of Malaysia is an incredible adventure that will amaze you with its splendor.
Sipadan
Sipadan Island, 500 meters long and 200 meters wide, formed by living corals growing on an extinct volcano over many thousands of years, located to the east of Borneo, is one of the best diving spots in the world. Back in 1933, the island was declared a bird sanctuary, in 1964 — included in the Sabah Turtle Nature Reserve.
Here, in the Sulawesi Sea, the underwater world is unusually rich in flora and fauna. Hundreds of varieties of corals, more than three thousand species of fish, whale sharks and manta rays – all this attracts tourists from all over the world. Especially after the film by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who called this island “an untouched work of art.” The Malaysian government was forced to impose restrictions on visitors to the island, and in 2004 all resort complexes were moved from the island. Now it is a real nature reserve, and divers who want to visit it stop at the neighboring islands — Mabule and Kapalai.
The weather here is hot and sunny almost all year round. The island does not experience monsoons or typhoons, but from January to March there are frequent heavy rains.
The best time to visit the island is from April to December, the peak tourist season is in July and August, and many tourists come here for New Year and Christmas, Chinese New Year.
Average temperature +30 °C +32 °C.
Water temperature: +27 °C +30 °C
The island can be reached from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Kota Kinabalu. From these cities you need to fly to Tawau, and then continue your trip to the port city of Semporna. The journey from here to the islands will take about 45 minutes by boat.
Sipadan itself is a real uninhabited island that can be walked around entirely in just half an hour, with magnificent tropical vegetation and beautiful white beaches.
There are no cafes or restaurants here, but you can admire the untouched nature: turtles, huge monitor lizards, exotic birds. Since 2005, only 120 people can visit the island at a time, requiring a permit issued by the Sabah Parks Authority. Stay on the island is limited in time from 06:00 to 15:00. All divers' dives are also limited to this time. Permission to visit the island can be obtained from the hotel where you have booked your stay, they all have quotas. Each hotel issues tickets according to its own rules, but in most cases the chance of being included in the list of lucky winners depends on the length of stay at the hotel. Those who are unlucky can get acquainted with the underwater inhabitants near the islands of Kapalai and Mabul any day.
Diving on Sipadan is limited to divers with an Advanced Open Water Divers certificate or experienced divers with at least twenty recorded underwater dives.
Unfortunately, the use of underwater cameras is prohibited. You should also not use gloves to avoid damaging the corals. Guests of Sipadan are provided with food, diving equipment, and transfers from the resort and back, which will last from 15 minutes from Kapalai Island to 30 minutes if sailing from the city of Semporna.
A unique accommodation option that offers daily diving permits on the island of Sipadan, except Sundays, is accommodation on board the MV Celebes Explorer. Its eight cabins can accommodate up to 16 divers. Every morning the ship, based off Mabul Island, arrives at Sipadan Island at 6 am. This accommodation does not require the use of land-based hotels, but will allow you to make up to 4 dives per day near Sipadan, one dive per week at Kapalai, a night dive in the Mabul Island area and a day in the Siamil Island area.
We recommend booking your trip in advance as small island hotels may be completely full.
Mataking Island
New diving resort located in Semporna Marine Park. In fact, these are two islands connected by a sandbar, along which you can walk during low tide. On a larger island — Besare — The private hotel Mataking Reef Dive Resort is located. The small island of Kesil is uninhabited. Real tropical jungle, white coral sand beaches and azure waves – all this creates incredible, heavenly beauty.
Reef Dive Resort offers accommodation in 5 villas, 8 chalets and 24 rooms, the maximum number of guests at the resort is only 32 people.
Getting into the hotel is not so easy, you need to purchase a stay package with diving or a package without diving, you need to book at least 2 nights. There is a “no shoes” rule throughout the complex. The Jamu spa complex is located in the north of the island. The hotel fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape, and the rooms provide everything you need for a comfortable stay. 16 hectares allow guests to feel secluded, and the “points of attraction” — a bar, cafe and dive center will not allow you to be sad alone.
Mataking Island seems to be created for snorkelers and novice divers. However, even more experienced divers will not be bored here.
The best time to travel is from February to November, the peak season is July August.
You can get to the island from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Kota Kinabalu. From these cities you need to fly to Tawau, and then continue your trip to the port
city of Semporna. The boat ride from Semporna to Mataking takes about 40 minutes.
The underwater world of Matakinga is incredibly diverse. Here you can see the blue-ringed octopus, blue-spotted stingray, flame cuttlefish, clownfish, frogfish, stonefish, seahorses, moray eels, parrotfish, red-toothed triggerfish.
Much attention is paid to the safety of divers. The first, trial dive is always carried out under the guidance of an experienced instructor on the “home” reef.
If desired, a trip to Sipadan Island can be organized from the island.
Lankayan Island
The island is located in the Sulu Sea, northeast of Borneo, almost at the border with the Philippines. It is part of the Marine Protected Area. The four and a half hectare island is covered in tropical forest and surrounded by white sandy beaches.
Accommodation on the island is possible in 23 chalets of the only hotel — Lankayan Dive Island Resort.
The best time to travel to the island is from February to September; the monsoon season begins in November. From March to May there is a lot of plankton and sand in the water, but at this time there is a high probability of meeting whale sharks.
You can get to the island by boat from the city of Sandakan, the largest Malaysian port on the Sulu Sea, in one and a half to two hours.
Diving in Lankayan is interesting not only for the exotic species of fish, octopuses and crabs, the opportunity to meet whale sharks, but also for the presence of three sunken ships in the immediate vicinity of the island – Lankayan Wreck, Jetty Wreck, Mosquito Wreck, the descents to which will delight researchers.
This island is also a great place for snorkeling lovers. The coral reefs around the island are filled with life. Here you can enjoy meeting exotic fish and turtles.
The disadvantage of the island is the presence of a poisonous species of jellyfish — physalia
From July to October, green turtles and hawksbill turtles, the only representative of the genus Eretmochelys, lay their eggs on the island's beaches. There is a turtle research station here.
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