For our holidays my fiancé and I decided to go to Borneo and dive to our hearts content. We got a 4 days three nights diving package at Borneo Divers Mabul Island Resort.
Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is located on a small island Mabul in Malaysia, Borneo Divers Mabul Island Resort is a great place to stay when you want to explore the waters of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai. People come here for one reason and one alone: diving in Sipadan. And yes, diving there is spectacular. The resort makes sure you are going to have enough time for that. Actually, there were times I felt like relaxing by the pool but that would mean two dives wasted and that was not acceptable.
GETTING TO BORNEO DIVERS MABUL ISLAND RESORT
The communications prior to arrival were prompt and helpful (many thanks to Carol in the KK office). They organized our transfer from Tawau airport to their resort. At the airport, a driver was waiting for us. We went to his minivan and waited few more minutes for other guests. The journey to Semporna jetty took approximately an hour and half. There was their boat waiting for us. The boat ride took probably 50 minutes.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed by their staff and we noticed that our names were already mentioned on the white board for the following days for diving. Borneo Divers has extremely helpful staff who had the place running like clockwork. Everything was very well organised and you knew where you had to be at what time.
We were taken to our villa and then we had our lunch. At 2 pm we went to a meeting room where we were given some paperwork to fill out and some explanation about the hotel and other general information. Later that afternoon we already had a check dive of 45 minutes.
THE RESORT
Borneo Mabul Divers resort offers tranquil atmosphere, a very well-maintained garden and clean and comfortable rooms spread around their beautiful garden. At the resort, they’ve thought of everything to ensure a perfect diving holiday: swimming pool, beach bar, a fun house reef complete with a wreck and all at decent prices. You can easily stay back and relax for a day or walk around the island through the village full of smiley energetic children.
You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort’s open-air restaurant and have a sundowner or two at any of the 3 bars available here.
For those that just can’t leave the real world behind, the resort also has free wi-fi internet facilities. However, the wifi was dependable only in the lobby.
ROOMS
Rooms at the Borneo Divers Mabul Resort are comfortably spacious and tastefully decorated with ethnic touches, like a handwoven tapestry or carved lamps. The bathroom would benefit from some updating but everything worked and was clean. The showers are all saltwater but you have some fresh water in the bedroom in a dispenser to wash your face and your teeth. On the other side, who cares when the main reason to be there is to enjoy the salty ocean and the amazing views during everyday diving.
DIVING
Diving guides were extremely professional, friendly, caring, funny and informative. The orientation and briefing were thorough and the booking process itself very efficient – we knew exactly what to expect and were not disappointed.
Mabul has something for all divers! With the deepest dive site around the island being 40 m and its shallowest being 12m. Mabul is often over looked by divers as they want to get to Sipadan, but in its own right, it is famous for its macro life. I’ve never dived anywhere like this!
Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. On your dive it would be impossible to classify all the marine life you see and it is this rich diversity that makes Sipadan the best.
My finacé wrote for you a special article about our diving trips in Sipadan and Mabul together with his amazing underwater photography, so don’t forget to read his masterpiece! It is right here.
A FEW USEFUL TIPS
The gateway to Sipadan Island is through Semporna town and the nearest airport to Semporna town is Tawau Airport. A travel time from Tawau Airport to Semporna is about 90 minutes by car and from Semporna to Mabul island is around 45 minutes by boat.
We took a direct flight with AirAsia from Penang to Tawau Airport. You can also take a direct flight from Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Tip: Choose your flight to arrive early at Tawau Airport so that you can catch the first boat transfer to your resort. On departure, choose the afternoon flight so that you have time to off-gas between your last dive and your departure flight.
The best time is during the dry season which is from March to October. High period is in July, August and first week of October. However, during the wet season the islands are not usually affected by the monsoons.
Not everyone knows this but diving at Sipadan Island requires a permit. Each day, there is a quota of 120 permits issued by Sabah Parks, the government authority charged with protecting the unique heritage. Diving at other nearby islands will not require these permits.
These 120 permits are allocated to 12 resorts operating in the area based on the size of the resort. The permits are not allocated to individuals directly. Application of these permits is through the resort that you are staying at and the resort will assist with this.
So book your stay as soon as possible to be sure that you will get to Sipadan at least for a day.
RESORT PACKAGES
3 Days 2 Nights
- Transfer from Tawau airport to Semporna jetty
- Boat transfer from Semporna jetty to BDSS Mabul Resort
- Fullboard meals
- Accommodation with A/C and bathroom with hot water shower.
- 3 boat dives a day with divemaster
- Unlimited shore dives without guide at our Mabul house reef
4 Days 3 Nights
- Transfer from Tawau airport to Semporna jetty
- Boat transfer from Semporna jetty to BDSS Mabul Resort
- Fullboard meals
- Accommodation with A/C and bathroom with hot water shower.
- 3 boat dives a day with divemaster
- Unlimited shore dives without guide at our Mabul house reef
5 Days 4 Nights
- Transfer from Tawau airport to Semporna jetty
- Boat transfer from Semporna jetty to BDSS Mabul Resort
- Fullboard meals
- Accommodation with A/C and bathroom with hot water shower.
- 3 boat dives a day with divemaster
- Unlimited shore dives without guide at our Mabul house reef
Extra night
- Transfer from Tawau airport to Semporna jetty
- Boat transfer from Semporna jetty to BDSS Mabul Resort
- Fullboard meals
- Accommodation with A/C and bathroom with hot water shower.
- 3 boat dives a day with divemaster
- Unlimited shore dives without guide at our Mabul house reef
We would highly recommend this resort and it was also the only resort on the island to have a bar on the beach and it was very reasonable! All the love for this place.
So if you are close to one of the best diving sites (or the best) in the world… you should come and stay here…
Disclosure
I was hosted by the Borneo Divers Mabul Resort. Nevertheless, all pictures and opinions are my own.
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