Malaysia is home to many dive sites. Accessibility to Malaysia by air is via the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the other major towns and cities of Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bharu. Road and rail access from Thailand and Singapore is convenient and road/rail systems are good. Note that the South China Sea is exposed to the annual North East monsoon that blows from November to February. But for Sipadan u can dive alll around the year…..

Generally, the dive sites off Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast are off the islands where most offer a wide selection of accommodations, milky white sandy beaches and are easily reached like Perhentian, Redang, Tioman, Lang Tengah, Tenggol and Aur. These sites are shallower than those at Sabah, Borneo and all offers good diving to all certification and experience levels. The sites off Sabah are the world famous Sipadan and Layang Layang islands (Some 3,000 species were first found and classified) and the other equally famous islands of Kapalai, Mabul, Lankayan (famous for their ‘muck dives’) while Pulau Tiga or The Survivor island was very famous after the first ever Survivor Reality Series was made here. Also not forget 1 of new dive site in Borneo is at Miri, Sarawak where you can expect lots of macro life and ship wreck.

First of all i would like to write about Sipadan. I was manage to do 8 dives around Sipadan during my last trip. Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 700 m from  the seabed. Location: Celebes Sea, to the east of the town of Tawau called Semporna and off the coast of eastern Malaysia. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone, and took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the center of one of the richest marine habitats in the world and is one of the 261 national and multinational nominees from 222 countries which participated in the New Seven Wonders of Nature search.

The late Jacques Cousteau, the world-renowned oceanographer, described Sipadan Island as ‘an untouched piece of art’, while divers around the world voted it as one of the top five dive sites in the world. When i was diving here, encounters with green turtles, resident schools of jacks, bumphead parrotfish, barracudas, white-tip sharks are almost assured around the tiny coral island and the wall. If you are lucky and at the right place and right time u can spot schools of hammerhead sharks.

Accommodation : Sipadan already been turned into sanctuary by Malaysian Government so accommodation now only available at nearby island Mabul and Kapalai (20 min to Sipadan).

Famous Dive Site : Barracuda Point. Please note that you will need a permit to dive at Sipadan. Currently, 120 people are allowed on the island each day. As such, space is limited at and it is highly recommended that u book ahead of time in order to guarantee you’ll be able to dive here. Permit: Malaysia Ringgit 40 per day per diver.

How to get to Sipadan Island: Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines offer daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and to Tawau and are probably your cheapest options for flying. Buses leave daily from Kota Kinabalu directly to Semporna at 7:30 am and 7:30pm. Bus rides take about 8 hours and flights are about 45 minutes. If you are from Tawau Airport just take a taxi to Semporna for just only 1 hour.

Dive Operator: There’s a lots of dive centre operating in Semporna town and Mabul island. Kindly book directly from DC to go to Sipadan as they will arrange for your boat and permit.

Recommended DC : Billabong Scuba, SMART or Sipadan Scuba

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