Scuba Diving Holidays to Sipadan, Malaysia


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Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) sits north on the island of Borneo, which is the third largest island in the world. This is the home to thousands of species of trees, flowers and plants, wild animals, some of which are rare and others found only in Sabah. Most diving areas are in the north-eastern state of Sabah, a largely mountainous state with lush tropical rainforests, a long coastline dotted with powdery white beaches and some of the most spectacular coral reefs and marine life in the world. It was named 'The Land Below the Wind' by the maritme traders of old as it lies below the typhoon belt, making diving possible all year round.

Borneo's offshore islands are of legendary beauty. Remote dive Island resorts such as Pulau Sipadan, a small oceanic island off the eastern shore of Borneo, which rises in a sheer column more than six hundred metres from the seabed. Completely encircled by sheer drop-offs and walls, Sipadan is one of the world's foremost dive sites.

In many places, you can get 100 + feet of visibility. Also, the country has become increasingly aware of the biological and economic importance of its marine heritage, and each year brings better access to and protection for the unique marine life. Because of the hundreds of islands, there are many dive options.

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Itinerary & Highlights

You would be pleasantly surprised at the warmth of Malaysians for deeply entrenched within each of the different races is the engaging charm and traditional hospitality for which Malaysia is renowned.

It would be difficult to overstate the attraction of Malaysia for anyone who appreciates the natural world. Its primal forests, ranging from shoreline mangrove to mountaintop oak, are of the sort that most of the world now knows only in myth. Although Malaysia's size is similar to that of Norway, natural trees and forests cover almost three quarters of the land, an area equivalent to almost the entire United Kingdom. One can walk for hundreds of miles in Malaysia under a continuous canopy of green, marvelling at an abundance of plant and animal species equalled by no other location in the entire world. A single half-kilometre plot of land in Borneo's lowland dipterocarp forest, for example, may well contain more than eight hundred different species of trees alone, a stunning degree of variety that pales, however, in comparison to the profusion and diversity of flowers, birds, ferns, and insects.

Accommodation & Centre Details

Kapalia Water Village:
A few minutes by boat from Sipadan but a full world away it lies the exhilarating Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort , sitting on its sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reefs. Planned and built in full style as an airy, comfortable, sunny water village with no land in sight, it boats a mile-long sandbank of powdery blindingly white sand where one can suntan at complete leisure.
The resort offers great food, surprisingly roomy ad elegant twin-sharing wooden chalets with huge private balconies and attached bathrooms and a couple of miles of walkways for those who like to take their morning jog while looking at thousands of fish just a few inches beneath their feet. Meals are served in the terraced, open central structure, while a big western sundeck allows divers to have an evening drink or an after-dive chat with a background of fabulous tropical sunsets.

Layang Layang:
Your international flight from London to Kota Kinabalu is followed by an over night stay, in a five star hotel, before catching an early morning flight over to the Island of Layang Layang. Situated 300 kilometers of the coast of Sabah, Layang Layang is an atoll fourteen square kilometers in diameter rising from ocean depths of two thousand metres. In 1985 the Malaysian Government began reclamation works and created a fifteen acre island on one of the reefs. This is now the resort of Layang Layang.
Layang Layang Island Resort is a modest three-star resort with 76 rooms and 10 suites with tropical hardwood structures in the likeness of a traditional Longhouse. Rooms are with air conditioning, TV, fridge, large beds, en-suite toilet and shower, and a private balcony. The pool, bar and restaurant are well equipped and to a high standard. The dive centre is at the heart of the resort and they have ten fast boats each capable of taking twelve divers in comfort. There are no other dive centres or hotels on the island so you really have the place to yourselves.

Mabul Island Resort:
Mabul is one of a group of three small island dive resorts in the Sempora Marine Park. Although you can still walk around the entire island in less than an hour, Mabul is considerably larger than its neighbouring Sipadan, and boasts two resorts and a large village, mainly home to fisherman and employees (and their families) of the two resorts.
Sipadan and Mabul couldn't be more different. While the interior of Sipadan is untouched tropical forest, Mabul is predominantly made up of actively producing coconut trees. Practically every tree on the island is numbered and is associated with a distinct individual who cares for the tree and harvests the coconuts.

Sipedan Water Village (Mabul Island):
Sipadan Water Village is a resort beautifully constructed with Bajau architectural design. Part of the Mabul Island is also home to groups of Bajau fishermen who have built their traditional palm thatched houses. The entire resort is built over water on stilts. In its design, Sipadan Water Village has achieved near utopia in its over-the-water layout, splendid water cottage accommodations with flowered sidewalks, wonderfully prepared Asian and Continental cuisine, and impeccable and personable service.

Shangri La Rasa Ria (Kota Kinabalu):
The Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria resort is situated on the gorgeous Dalit Beach and is enclosed by thick tropical jungle vegetation, all set against the amazing backdrop of Mount Kinabulu. This resort is on the northern coastline of the island and just over half an hour from the airport. The Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria resort is a great value destination for all visitors, in a great beach location and with activities that will please visitors of every age. This is a perfect destination for families, while couples will enjoy the smart facilities, beach and fantastic.

Hyatt Regency (Kota Kinabalu):
Hyatt Regency Kinabalu is located in the heart of the city of Kota Kinabalu facing the South China Sea. This compact capital of the state of Sabah is also the international gateway to East Malaysia. Only 15 minutes from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the hotel sits in the hub of the vibrant business, shopping and entertainment districts.