If you are already in tawau or semporna, sipadanmabul resort has free transfers to mabul island. The internationally famous island of sipadan lies five degrees north of the equator in the sulawesi sea celebes sea. Book borneo divers mabul resort, pulau sipadan on tripadvisor. Weather in sipadan island, pulau sipadan, malaysia in june. There are three scheduled boat transfers from semporna to mabul island. Because sipadan is now a protected site, only 120 dives are allowed daily as of aug 2008. The diving is good but i wasnt blown away, beach is nice and it was a very relaxing stay. Now sipadan island is governed and protected by the national security council of malaysia and it was declared as sipadan island park on 1st october 2009. Sipadan island because of its stunning coral wall, the island of sipadan is better known than its neighbours, but to preserve the breeding turtles accommodation on the island has now been closed. Sipadan island diving notable sites, dive resorts, liveaboards. The island was formed thousands of years ago on top of and extinct volcanic cone. Semporna is the departure point for many of sabahs top dive sites. Sipadan island, a marine paradise, is renowned among divers for its rich underwater biodiversity, pristine reefs, and sudden dropoffs into the deep blue.
The official sabah parks website sipadan island park. An advanced diving certification is highly recommended to dive sipadan. Sipadan is frequently voted as the worlds number 1 dive destination, but the diving doesnt stop there. The island is known above all for some of the best scuba diving anywhere in the world get in. There are a few ways to get to tawau, is the main gateway to sipadan islands in sabah, from singapore. Sipadan island resort software sinking island strategy guide v. Prior to a trip to sipadan all divers are advised to join our dive trips to another island of the semporna marine park where our divemasters will evaluate your diving skills and provide a brush up to those in need. This means that the island is surrounded by deep waters and wall reefs which are home to some seriously big ocean pelagics like white, black and grey tipped. The 5 best hotels in pulau sipadan for 2020 with prices. This tiny oceanic island is less than an hour from the mainland and its where nutrientrich currents bring food, which attracts fish, which attracts bigger fish in the marine food chain, which attracts more and more fish, sharks and turtles to feed on. From there, corals started to grow there and that was the precursor of the island.
The 5 best hotels in pulau sipadan, malaysia for 2020 with. Pulau sipadan border island in malay is an island of outstanding natural beauty. Sipadan island is an internationally famous island lying five degrees north of the equator in the sulawesi celebes sea. Its dramatic walls, resident turtles and reef sharks, huge schools of fish and the possibility of encountering big pelagics still bring divers from around the world hoping for that magical sipadan experience. Media in category sipadan island the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems.
The following list of resorts shows the other locations that they organise trips to. Garden eels, leaf scorpion fish, mantis shrimps, fire gobies, and various pipefish are guaranteed at various dive sites. Several boats leave daily to the famous dive sites around sipadan, and the dive packages include up to three boat dives a day as well as impressive house reef diving. Sipadan kapalai dive resort is accessible through semporna, sabah malaysia where our pulau sipadan resort and tours jetty office is. Sipadan is located at the heart of the indopacific basin, the centre of one of the richest. Sipadan island sipadan is a volcanic island that rises 600 metres up from the sea bed of the celebes sea.
Find all the transport options for your trip from sandakan to pulau sipadan right here. Bumphead parrot fish swimming in shallow water in sipadan in malaysia. To dive on sipadan you have to stay somewhere nearby, such as on mabul or in semporna, and take a boat onto the island. The ligitan and sipadan dispute 2002 icj 3 was a territorial dispute between indonesia and malaysia over two islands in the celebes sea, namely ligitan and sipadan. With a combination of sun and water in a unique and serene setting with friendly staff, sipadan kapalai is an ideal destination for diver and non diver alike seeking a great holiday experience. Sipadan island diving the best shore dives in the world pulau sipadan the jewel in the crown of diving in malaysia and with good reason. Sipadan island is consistently being voted one of the top five dive sites in the world. Below are the number of accommodations by star rating in sipadan island and the surrounding area. Furthermore there are only a few places in the world that have such a concentration of sea turtles. Sipadan used to have resorts but to protect the environment these were closed around the year 2002. It is no longer possible to stay on sipadan itself.
Air asia is definitely the most convenient way as it has many flights to choose from flying to tawau. Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles which gather there to mate and nest and it is not unusual for a diver to see more than 20 turtles on each dive. You can join different lengths of cruises every tuesday and friday. Because sipadan is now a protected site, only 120 dives are allowed daily as of. Although pulau sipadan sipadan island is known for its diving, the island itself is well worth exploring. Sipadan is one of the most beautiful scuba diving spots in the world. Borneo divers mabul resort, pulau sipadan tripadvisor. To visit sipadan island pulau sipadan in malaysia language, you need an entry permit from sabah parks, the management of sipadan island park. A day spent free diving in sipadan island, malaysia.
With such a large and thriving coral reef and sudden drop offs measuring down to. Sipadan island can rightly claim to be malaysias top diving destination no other place can offer so much in such a small area. Originally popularized by famed seaexplorer jacques cousteau, sipadan is undoubtedly one of the premiere dive destinations in the world. How to get to sipadanmabul resort asia diving vacation. Pulau sipadan island diving dive the world malaysia.
Sabah mabul island malaysia travel video hd 720p youtube. Kapalai island is another island 15km from sipadan, about 20 minutes by speedboat. It is also a great option for full charter for groups of 10 to 15 people. Furthermore there are only a few places in the world that have such a. June is an excellent month for swimming in sipadan island with very warm sea temperatures. Sabah borneo travel info for android free download and. Sipadan isiand, sabah, malaysia stock photo image of nature, snorkeling. To reduce the impact to the environment, sabah parks imposes a daily quota of 120 people to sipadan. Mv celebes explorer 9 is the only sipadan liveaboard diving option and clearly the best way to dive sipadan dive sites every day. All you have to do is select the type of places youd like to include restaurants, museums, etc. A lighthouse was built by the malaysian government in 1962 and is still standing today. Bed icons indicate a guesthouse, hostel or hotel, the knife and fork is an eatery or bar and the fourway circular thingy marks sights, attractions and other points of interest. Located in the celebes sea off the east coast of sabah, sipadan was formed over thousands of years as living corals grew on top of an extinct volcano sipadan is the only volcanic island in malaysia.
The dispute began in 1969 and was largely resolved by the international court of justice icj in 2002, which opined that both of the islands belonged to malaysia. We arrange everything from your pickup at the airport and more. The dive ends on the reef where you may spot the blue ringed octopus. Sandakan to pulau sipadan via bus, ferry, plane, and minibus. It is not only the big fish that amaze divers coming to sipadan, the macro life is equally mesmerizing. Choose one of our 21 deals and get discounts of up to 10%. Sabah semporna stock photos download 1,342 royalty free. You will be lucky if you turn up and find a free bed on the island although more likely during the low season of november to march. This resort offers a scuba diving tour, and is always willing to assist you for the permit. Rome2rio makes travelling from sandakan to pulau sipadan easy. The best combination will be via kl route instead of kk. The tour is always fully booked, so you need to apply at least 3 months in advance.
Sign in sign up for free prices and download plans. Most visitors fly to tawau from either kuala lumpur 3 hr or kota kinabalu 50 min, continue by minivan or taxi to the port town of semporna 12 hr and from there to. The lighthouse helped malaysia gain sovereignty over sipadan in a dispute with indonesia that was finally settled by the international court of. It is located in the celebes sea off the east coast of sabah, malaysia. Coral has grown from the volcanic rock mountain which lays dormant and almost totally submerged in the celebes sea. In order to get to sipadan, visitors have to stay on one of the dive resorts on the nearby islands. Both the district office of semporna and sabah parks authority are currently administering the island. Then in 1990s, it first became popular to divers due to its proximity to sipadan island. Located just off the north eastern coast of borneo, sipadan has long been a scuba diving mecca. The 5 best hotels in pulau sipadan 2020 with prices. Regularly ranked as one of the top ten diving destinations in the world, this island can be found in the celebes sea just off of borneo malaysia.
It is an oceanic island formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano which rises 600 meters from the seabed. Sabah is being blessed for having many beautiful and top class islands, especially at the east coast of sabah i. The 2000 sipadan kidnappings was a hostage crisis in sabah, malaysia, and the southern philippines that began with the seizing of twentyone hostages from the dive resort island of sipadan at approximately 6. Sipadan kapalai dive resort, pulau sipadan tripadvisor. Situated on the beautiful island of borneo, sabah is one of the thirteen states which malaysia is made of. Sipadanmabul resort, mabul water bungalows and seaventures dive rig are the only 3 resorts with experienced technical dive guides that can take you into the cavern, subject to permit availability. Sipadan isiand, sabah, malaysia stock photo image of. Ok i have just returned from a 4n5d trip to sipadan staying on mabul smart. This video was captured during our snorkeling time in sipadan island. From april 1st 2008, there are only 120 divers per day allowed at sipadan. Sipadan island is worldwide known for awesome diving with spectacular marine life found along its 600m steep wall that jets out of the ocean floor of the celebes sea. Welcome to the official board of trustees of sabah parks website, the parks areas in sabah are namely kinabalu park, tunku abdul rahman park, crocker range park, pulau tiga park, tawau hills park, turtle island s park, tun sakaran marine park, sipadan island park and proposed tun mustapha park. Sipadan s waters are home to a reported 3,000 species of fish, hundreds of species of coral, an abundance of rays and sharks and large populations of green and hawksbill turtles.
The amazing diversity and abundance of marine life found at sipadan makes it one of the top worlds top diving spots and without doubt the most famous scuba destination in malaysia. Several boats leave daily to the famous dive sites around sipadan, and the dive packages include up to three boat dives a day as well as impressive. Consider visiting sipadan island in the months of february, april, august, september, for the best beach weather. Pulau sipadan is the only oceanic island in malaysia, rising 600 metres 2,000 ft from the seabed. The island is only 12 hectares 30 acres and is covered by pristine rainforest. Green turtle under the sun beam in sipadan island dive in malaysia. Originally formed many millions of years prior as a result of coral growth on top of a volcanic cone, the island now boasts coral reef that spans 160 hectares. The 5 best hotels in pulau sipadan, malaysia for 2020.
Mabul island divers worldwide flock here all year round for the chance to encounter and photograph not just the reefs, pelagics and colourful fish, but also the incredible variety of tiny, and sometimes rare, macro marine life that thrive in the surrounding waters of mabul. It has the swanky sipadan kapalai dive resort, with wooden chalets out over the water. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. South point is famous for its fantastic wall of coral formations and pelagics such as manta rays and hammerhead sharks early morning its a deep wall dive with the wall dropping at a vertical angle into the depths. Download 1,342 sabah semporna stock photos for free or amazingly low rates. We are here to ensure you have the best experience visiting semporna and the surrounding islands. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop.
There is a total of 12 dive sites in sipadan with the most popularly recommended dive sites such as. On the fourth day, i had 3 dives planned at sipadan island and as we slowly cruised over the glasscalm waters of the celebes sea, i chatted with our 65yearold dive master, richard mei. Despite the risk, however, there are millions of devotees worldwide who believe the access this extreme sport provides to extraordinary underwater landscapes and the interaction it enables with the unusual sea creatures who populate the oceans depths make the experience worth the risks. Use the above map to find specific destinations in and around semporna and sipadan island which are listed on travelfish. Please book your sipadan permit long time in advance. Because of its stunning coral wall, the island of sipadan is better known than its neighbours, but to preserve the breeding turtles accommodation on the island has now been closed. We have sipadan island accommodations with prices starting at usd 21. Sipadan is one of few really top class place for divers around the world. Richard has been diving these waters since before i was born and he has been a big part of the conservation on the islands. Most people come for the worldfamous sipadan island, home to thousands of turtles, schooling sharks, swirling barracuda, and aweinspiring coral walls dropping more than 600m 2,000ft straight down to the sea floor. In the end i had no safety concerns what so ever, the island has police and feels completely safe. The exclusive pulau sipadan sipadan island is located in the celebes sea. The best things to do in pulau sipadan 2020 with photos.
Sipadan island resort software free download sipadan. Firstly sipdan is not a snorkelling site, it is a dive. There are 3 ways to get from sandakan to pulau sipadan by bus, ferry or plane. From semporna, its another 45 60 mins speedboat ride to sipadan island, depending on the sea and weather condition. Turtles by the dozens, patrolling reef sharks and a giant tornado of thousands of silvery barracudas that darkens out the sun are just some of the highlights a diver can.
There are 12 dive sites off sipadan island the most popular are barracuda point, turtle cavern, south point and hanging gardens. Sipadan is the only oceanic island in malaysia, the huge pillar that forms the atoll functions as a shelter for many sea animals and fish. June is a hot and rainy time for sunbathing in sipadan island. When youre done, you can download your malaysia travel guide to your phone or tablet, or print it as a pdf. The island is hardly remote but they use it as an excuse to charge island prices on all extra drinksfoodsdive hire. Sipadan is malaysias only oceanic island and it is actually a massive extinct volcano cone. If so any other safer but still great snorkeling alternatives. Sipadan water village resort is located in mabul island.
However i heard now and then terrorist kidnapping activities in that area. Sipadan is the only oceanic island in malaysia, as its a prehistoric volcano rising 600m from the ocean floor. Photo about main pier at pulau sipadan island in sabah, east malaysia. Sipadan island, one of the best dive spots in the world. Sipadan island pulau sipadan in malay lies off the east coast of malaysian borneo in sabah. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world.