Print this article if you're a tour operator, accommodation provider or touristAn introduction to Sipadan
The small island of Sipadan lies just thirty-six kilometers off the south-east coast of Sabah and offers excellent diving, principally because it is an oceanic island. Sipadan has a fascinating geological foundation and is actually a tip of a limestone pinnacle which rises from the ocean floor. This means that on the eastern side of the island, you can walk out from the beach at the end of a long jetty, dropping almost vertically to six hundred meters and you are diving in the "wall". This pulls in intrepid divers but also relaxation seekers and nature lovers out to soak up Sipadan's breathtaking natural beauty.
Getting there
Sipadan Island is a site where visitors come for day tours and the best way to visit the marine treasures is to get there with an organized sightseeing or diving tour. The rich and famous can access Sipadan by helicopter through Sabah Air but this is a prohibitively expensive option for most! We recommend reaching Sipadan through a flight to Tawau from Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu, then a taxi to Semporna, which is where the boats leave for the island. At MalaysiaExplorer.net we advise visitors to Sipadan to base themselves out of a resort or hotel in Tawau before venturing out on a day visit to the island. This is partially due to close proximity but also because Tawau is a largely undiscovered jewel for travelers, a beautiful and authentic town near the Indonesian border. During your stay be sure to enjoy the soothing hot springs and a picnic in the pleasant hilly national park. Tawau's best kept secret is its Cocoa Village - an unadulterated delight for visitors seeking indulgence with a bit of education to boot!
 |
Mixing tradition and beauty: enjoy a gorgeous cabin built on stilts off the idyllic palm tree lined shoreline at Sipadan Water Village Resort, Tawau (pictured). The cuisine, floral decorations and service here are impeccable too and with it comes the justly deserved MalaysiaExplorer.net top-pick title. |
| Find out about the award |
Things to see & do: Wildlife
The sea around the island is teeming with marine life, including large tuna, whale sharks, manta rays and turtles and many other spectacular marine forms. The island is considered one of the world's best diving locations and it is a preserved diving site since 2008. This means dives are restricted to 120 every day, which still makes for a lot of dives, although the best time to go is early in the morning, as you may get a chance to take a second dive during the day.
Beach, Rainforest & Coral Reef
As far as tropical paradises go, Sipadan has beautiful white sandy beaches and dense rain forest with a multi-hued coral reef and colorful tropical fish. On land hidden in the lush foliage or the forest, other wild animals can be spotted such as monitor lizards that can sometimes even be seen on the beach or in the water.
 |
Diving
A good area to go snorkeling and diving in without having to get on to a boat is to start off from the main beach. A short swim will take you to the top of the reef wall, which drops dramatically to nearly two thousand meters. Owing to this phenomenon the island is blessed with a prosperous reef that is composed of both soft and hard coral, through which all sorts of multi-colored fish swim in.
When on a dive you can usually spot both white tip reef sharks and sea turtles, and it is not rare to see hammerheads and leopard sharks. These waters offer excellent diving conditions as the visibility is often over 30 meters, providing a spectacular environment in which to explore the pristine waters.
 |
There are quite a few diving shops that offer equipment and advice. However, most diving operators organize dives in Sipadan from Semporna, easily accessible from Tawau, which include packed lunches and drinks, as there are no restaurants or other facilities on the island. At one point there were a handful of luxury resorts on the island that have subsequently been closed to preserve the island's fragile ecosystems. With most organized dive tours you will enjoy around three dives per trip. The fares vary around RM550 for the dives, boat trip and packed lunch. It is advisable to stick with one of the larger, long-established diving tour operators to ensure they hold a legitimate permit for diving in Sipadan, as dives are limited to no more than 120 per day as previously mentioned.
Snorkelling
The island is not only reserved for scuba divers, snorkeling also offers a great means of exploring the island's underwater riches. The reef and all its secrets can be easily reached either by swimming or on a boat. One does not have to dive deep to see all sorts of coral growths and an enormous variety of reef fish as well as barracuda, sharks and turtles, just make sure you look out for colored stone fish that can hide under the sand in shallow waters. Snorkelers can safely explore the surface in special buoyed-off sections near the jetty area, where they can find ideal snorkeling conditions with calm waters free from disruptive engine noises from the boats!
Search the widest range of accommodation options and resorts in Tawau for your trip to Sipadan, with MalaysiaExplorer.net's booking partner - also find verified guest reviews™ and image galleries.
Complete your trip with our travel essentials checklist: Tours, Flights and Car Rental
- Tailor all aspects of your holiday or visit to Tawau with comprehensive tour and package choices.
- Read our top tips on car rental to ensure you choose a suitable vehicle at a good price.
- Our guide to Malaysia flights is packed with advice and pointers on finding the best routes and super deals.
Double click the map below to zoom in on Tawau, and double right-click to zoom out!
