:: Sabahtravelguide.com Newsletter January 2010 ::

We hope everyone has had a ‘roaring’ start to the Year of the Tiger and are enthusiastically embracing new challenges and opportunities. And after all that feasting and celebrating, this would be a great time to get active and burn off those extra calories.

Dive vacations in Sabah are concentrated at or around the islands of Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking and Pom Pom off the east coast of Sabah. Sipadan enjoys the lion’s share of visitors due to its exceptional underwater topography and rich marine life. Amazing wall dives, huge populations of pelagic and sea turtles – and a turtle tomb to boot – has placed Sipadan firmly on the Top 10 dive sites in the world.

In recent years, other islands have emerged to become outstanding dive destinations themselves and have given the dive industry in Sabah a much needed boost in diversifying its tourism products. There are a whole lot more to explore and discover of Sabah’s underwater paradise and facilities have improved tremendously to cater to a wider range of budgets.

There has never been a better time to take a dive vacation in Sabah so here’s a quick list of the best dive sites in Sabah.

Mabul

Mabul Island is a small oval shaped island fringed by sandy beaches and perched on the northwest corner of a larger 200-hectare reef. The reef sits on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef sloped out to 25-30m deep. Mabul is reknowned for its amazing array of macro life such as the flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, spike-fin gobies, frogfish and moray eels being some of the spectacular marine life you will encounter. More info…

Sipadan Kapalai

Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort is constructed on sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reef. The resort is located 45 minutes from Sipadan and is a combination of excellent dive sites and a truly relaxing holiday destination to just sit back and enjoy the spectacular seascape. The Ligitan Reef is a haven for macro life with dive sites located just mere minutes from the resort jetty and even right beneath the stilt chalets. More info…

Pom Pom

Pom Pom Island Resort is the latest addition to dive resorts on the east coast. Pom Pom is conveniently located close to Sipadan as well as the Tun Sakaran Marine Park which gives it access to a wide choice of dive sites. Muck diving is exceptional around the waters here with a healthy population of green and hawksbill turtles. Environmentally constructed accommodation is well appointed along the beach, in the forest and over the water for unrivalled views of the Celebes Sea. A turtle hatchery is another one the of the resort's commitment to conservation to help protect the marine life in the sea around the island. More info…

Mataking

Mataking Island is slightly removed from all the action around Sipadan which offers something different. While there are still plenty of opportunities to dive at Sipadan about one hour away, Mataking is an absolute picture of luxury and privacy. The Reef Dive Resort is the only resort on this beautifully forested island with sparkling white sand and clear clue water. As divers take to the delights of muck diving around Mataking or at nearby islands, non divers can pamper themselves at the spa, go kayaking, canoeing or batik painting. An interesting fact is that Mataking is actually 2 islands connected by a sandbar which is exposed at low tide. You can walk along this sandbar and enjoy the peace and solitude of the smaller Mataking which is uninhabited. More info…

Lankayan

Lankayan Island is another one island-one resort destination and is the only dive resort in Malaysia's Sulu Sea. Located about an hour by boat from Sandakan, Lankayan is still covered with tropical vegetation and blessed with long stretches of white sandy beach and spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Pelagics such as scads, yellow tail barracudas, jacks, and many more abound in the waters around Lankayan as do some of the rarer small creatures such as seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish and flying gunards. Apart from being a macro world paradise, Lankayan is the destination visited by migrating whale sharks that make their appearance between March and May. More info…

Mantanani

Mantanani Islands is a group of three islands off the west coast of Sabah and came into prominence for sightings of the sea cow or dugong in the area. This very rare marine animal is still being studied and monitored and is not a guaranteed sighting but there are other underwater life such as numerous species of nudibranch, shrimps, cuttlefish, turtles, seahorses, eels and lionfish to keep you entertained. Wreck diving is another attraction with sunken Japanese warships providing sites for underwater exploration. More info…

All accommodation facilities on Sipadan were removed in 2005 which saw the set up of dive operations on nearby islands. The decision was aimed at conserving and maintaining a balanced marine and land ecosystem on Sipadan's environments. However, Sipadan remains as a dive site and divers are ferried by operators operating from the mainland or nearby islands other than Sipadan and Ligitan. A limit of 120 entry permits is issued per day.

Access to these dive islands is via flight to Tawau and overland transfer to Semporna where boats depart for the islands.