I recently had the opportunity to visit Sipadan and some of the surrounding Sabah Islands. It was the trip of a lifetime and something I will never forget! Scuba diving Sipadan was the main attraction and it did not disappoint. However, a last minute decision to book a day trip from Semporna and explore Semporna's surrounding islands (Sabah Islands) was most definitely a highlight of the trip.
Semporna
Semporna is a small fishing town, and its main attraction for tourists is its proximity to Sabah's most pristine islands. The town itself doesn't have much to offer other than tourist souvenirs and snacks. However, whilst you are there, make sure to pick up some Kuih Cincin! It's a biscuit shaped like pretzel and it's one of my favourite Malaysian snacks! It's everywhere in Sabah, but harder to find on the peninsular (where I live).
To get to Semporna, get a direct flight to Tawau. Direct flights go from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu regularly and the drive to Semporna from Tawau airport is about 1 hour (82km). Don't worry too much about your accommodation in Semporna, as this is merely a base for you to travel from and explore the nearby islands.
Day Trip From Semporna
On the day of my birthday, I decided to book something special for my partner and I. I booked a private boat tour from Semporna, visiting Bohey Dulang Island, Mantabuan Island, Sibuan Island, and eventually being dropped off at Mabul island, where we were staying for the next 4 nights. Alternatively, there are a lot of options for day trips from Semporna and many are shared with other tourists, which is perfect if you are looking for a cheaper option.
Bohey Dulang Island
Bohey Dulang Island is a 25 minute boat ride (speed boat) from Semporna. This was the first stop on our day trip. The main reason (and maybe even the only reason) for visiting Bohey Dulang Island is to climb to the summit to view the most spectacular and breathtaking scenery of Semporna, Sabah. Not surprisingly, as the speedboat pulls into the jetty, the water turns from a dark deep blue to a sparkly turquoise (link to TikTok video of the jetty). The hike from the jetty to the summit is a short (only 700m) but steep trail. Be mindful that it gets slippery when wet! I made short TikTok video of the hike if you are interested to know exactly what you are in for.
Mantabuan Island
The second stop on our day trip was Mantabuan Island. Mantabuan Island has fantastic snorkelling and is only a 15 minute boat ride from Bohey Dulang. Our boat moored up to the reef and we snorkelled for more than 1 hour. We saw many schools of fish including a school of barracuda! I was also lucky enough to see a turtle. However, the wildlife here didn't compare at all to what we saw in Sipadan!
Certainly my most favourite thing about Mantabuan Island was its remoteness. We were the only boat there and it was truly magical to see ourselves at a Birdseye view with the drone. Indeed the images I got are AMAZING... which I'm sure you would agree with me!
Sibuan Island
The third island on our itinerary was Sibuan Island, only 15 minutes from Mantabuan Island. Sibuan Island has a sandy bottom and a white sand beach that you can walk on. The boat moored up to beach for us to spend some time on the sandy beach, in the water, and even have a go of the shared clear plastic kayak! Similarly, my favourite thing about Sibuan Island was its remoteness! There were only a few other boats there with not that many people around. Therefore, and the photo's that I captured are not staged at all. Undoubtedly paradise!
Mabul Island (where we stayed for 4 nights whilst scuba diving Sipadan)
Eventually after a full day of exploring Semporna and its amazing nearby islands, we made the boat ride journey to Mabul Island. Mabul Island is a 1 hour speed boat from Semporna and is one of the most popular Islands to stay for those looking to scuba dive the world famous Sipadan Island.
Why Mabul Island is Best For Scuba Divers Only
Certainly Mabul Island is a beautiful island with crystal blue waters and coral reefs. However, Mabul Island is a busy island with several hotels and its main village. Unfortunately this means that the island is often littered with trash and can feel crowded. Right next to Scuba Junkie is some local houses. This is not the main village, (which is on the opposite side of the island), but you can see lots of rubbish in the water and even more washes ashore. I actually saw a sea bird swallow a whole rag thinking it was food, which broke my heart.
If you aren't planning to do any scuba diving, I would recommend that you skip Mabul Island as a day trip and also as somewhere to stay. You might want to check out Pom Pom Island, Mataking Island, or many other water village resorts and hotels.
Why you should stay on Mabul Island
However, given its close proximity to Sipadan, Mabul island it is an excellent choice for scuba divers. It is only a 15-25 minute speed boat ride from Mabul, which means you are amongst the first divers to arrive to Sipadan, beating the boats travelling from Semporna or elsewhere.
Mabul Island Accommodation
There are a lot choices on Mabul Island for accommodation, each offering their own Scuba diving packages. Starting with the most upmarket option of Mabul Water Bungalows to Mabul Backpackers on the opposite side of the island. I only seriously looked into a few options including Borneo Divers, Scuba Junkie, and Mabul Water Bungalows. This is because the only reason I was visiting Semporna and Sabah was to Scuba dive Sipadan, a bucket list item for me! These resorts were able to offer the most guaranteed diving at Sipadan. I eventually decided to stay with Scuba Junkie.
Scuba Junkie
I chose to stay with Scuba Junkie as they were able to offer me the most guaranteed days Scuba diving Sipadan. Scuba Junkie resort is a professional and experienced dive resort offering basic accommodation for scuba divers. Options range from a shared dorm to private garden huts. We stayed in the private garden huts with a private bathroom and aircon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served at the communal dining hall with a buffet. There were loads of vegan and vegetarian options and we certainly didn't go hungry! I also loved that that fish is not on the menu at all. I always find it so odd when we Scuba divers and Scuba diving resorts have fish on their menu!
Whilst we were there we did 1 day of Scuba diving Mabul Island, and 2 days Scuba diving Sipadan, a total of 9 dives. We stayed 4 nights on Mabul Island with Scuba Junkie.
Sipadan
Sipadan Island and its coral reefs are protected by the Malaysian government with a cap on how many divers can visit the island per day. The island is quite small, with steep coral reef drop offs. It's truly a tropical paradise with a white sandy beach and turquoise waters.
Scuba diving Sipadan
Due to the limit on divers and visitors per day, Scuba diving Sipadan is much more expensive comparatively to diving elsewhere in Malaysia and Asia. However, it is totally worth it! The cap on divers also means that it doesn't feel crowded and I didn't experience any diver traffic, which is common in many dive spots around Asia.
The water temperature is 27 degrees and above (lovely!) and visibility is 15m+. Our first day of diving was actually 30m. It was incredible! During our time there we were lucky enough to see large schools of jackfish, large schools of barracuda, reef sharks, Bumpheads, and LOADS of turtles. An insane amount of turtles!
One of my favourite dives was Barracuda point during low tide. At low tide the reef sparkles in the sunlight and the turtles are all around you whilst feeding. We seriously saw about 50 turtles on this one dive. I captured some of this on video too. Another highlight of Scuba diving Sipadan was the huge school of Jack fish that encircled us. I captured this moment perfectly on video. Don't worry, you can press play on the video below without being re direct to my Pinterest account!
We left for Sipadan early in the morning, anywhere between 5.45am and 6.30am and spent the whole day there, returning at approximately 4pm. Each day was 3 dives, with surface time spent on the beach in purpose built shared huts for morning tea and lunch. Each hut has designated space for each dive school and each dive operator will provide lunch, snacks and drinks for their divers.
Best Time To Scuba Dive Sipadan
I visited Sipadan at the end of September / early October and had great weather and Scuba diving conditions. There were thunderstorms during the nights and even once during our lunch break whilst at Sipadan. Although many people will claim there is a season for Scuba diving Sipadan, many of my local friends who scuba dive Sipadan regularly advise that any time of the year is a good time to go. It really just depends on your luck! I know someone who went during December one year and it was fantastic diving conditions, and then the following December it was not. Moral of the story, just go when you can!
Summary of our Semporna / Sipadan Trip
In conclusion, this was one of the best holidays I have ever been on. If you are scuba diver, make sure to visit Sipadan at least once in your lifetime. Whilst you are there please also checkout the surrounding islands of Semporna. Our itinerary summary:
- Direct flights to Tawau Airport from Kuala Lumpur
- 1 night in Semporna, 4 nights on Mabul
- 1 day sight seeing Semporna including:
- Bohey Dulang (including the hike)
- Mantabuan Island (for snorkelling)
- Sibuan Island (for the white sand beach and clear kayak)
- 1 day Scuba diving Mabul Island
- 2 days Scuba diving Sipadan Island
If you have any questions please ask them in the comments section below, or alternatively you can DM me on instagram.
If you are interested to know more about Malaysian Islands and where to go, check out some of the other islands listed in this article, 9 Beautiful Malaysian Islands You Should Visit
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