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SIPADAN

Considering that Sabah Parks only issues 176 Sipadan permits per day (2023), the
main challenge when visiting is to get the Guaranteed Sipadan permits in
advance.

We are here to help: Contact us Today


WHY DIVING IN SIPADAN?

Sipadan is the only Oceanic island in Malaysia, as it's a prehistoric volcano
rising 600m from the ocean floor. 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 Sharks, Trevallies, and Chevron and Yellow fin
Barracudas. You may also see Bumphead Parrotfish, Potato head Groupers and Green
and hawksbill Turtles to name a few.

Click here to Make a Booking (Special Online Discount)



Table of Content:

 * Why Diving in Sipadan?
 * Sipadan Infographic
 * How to Get to Sipadan?
 * When is the Best Time to Dive Sipadan?
 * Where Should I Stay in Sipadan?
 * Will Sipadan be closed for in November 2023?
 * What is the Sipadan Permit Availability?
 * How long to Stay to get a Guaranteed Sipadan Permit?
 * How to get a Permit if I booked a short Sipadan trip?
 * What other nearby Islands Should I dive at?
 * Nitrox and Tec-Diving
 * What is the Resorts Price Range?
 * Is there a Single Traveller Supplement Charge?
 * How to get a Group Booking Discounts?
 * How much is the Sabah Parks Sipadan Environmental Fee?
 * How much is the Sabah Parks Sipadan Diving fee?
 * How much is the Semporna Jetty and Environmental Fee?
 * Can Snorkellers visit Sipadan?
 * What is the Minimum Certification level required to Dive in Sipadan?
 * Which Sipadan Resort offers Honeymoon Packages?
 * What are the Best Resorts around Sipadan?
 * Why stay at Sipadan Mabul Resort?
 * Why stay at Mabul Water Bungalows?
 * Why stay at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort?
 * Why stay at Seaventures Dive Rig?
 * Why stay at Mataking - The Reef Dive Resort?
 * Why stay at Sipadan-Kapalai Resort?


HOW TO GET TO SIPADAN?

The closest airport to Sipadan is Tawau Airport (IATA: TWU). Air Malaysia and
Air Asia offer direct flights from either Kota Kinabalu (IATA: BKI) or from
Kuala Lumpur (IATA: KUL). Once in Tawau, take a taxi or minibus to Semporna
town, (60-90 mins drive), from here, your dive resort or dive center will pick
you up by boat and drop you off at either your hotel or a dive site, depending
upon your itinerary.


WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DIVE SIPADAN?

For diving visibility, it's best to visit during the dry season between
Mid-February and Mid-November. Diving can be done all year round from 6.30am to
4pm daily (Night-diving is not permitted). The high peak touristic seasons are
Chinese New Year, July, August and the 1st week of October.


WHERE SHOULD I STAY IN SIPADAN?

After the Sabah Government stepped up their conservation efforts in 2005, all
dive resorts on Sipadan Island were relocated mostly to the nearby Islands of
Mabul, Mataking and Kapalai. You can also stay on a liveaboard dive boat and in
Semporna town.

To help you decide on the perfect accommodation for your diving adventure, we've
gathered a comprehensive list based on a few criteria:

 * Sipadan Permit Availability & Turnaround Times – Which resorts are more
   likely to receive permits, and length of stay required for a chance to dive
   at Sipadan
 * Other Locations to Dive at – What other dive sites and islands do resorts
   organise tours to besides Sipadan Island
 * Nitrox and Tec-Diving – Which dive center offers Nitrox for experienced
   divers
 * Dive Resort Prices – Choose the right place to suit your budget
 * Single Travellers Prices
 * Group Booking Discounts
 * Snorkellers and Non-Divers Sipadan permits
 * Honeymooners and Weddings


WILL SIPADAN BE CLOSED FOR IN NOVEMBER 2023?

Yes, Sipadan Island will be closed the full month of November 2023 for divers
snorkelers and all tourism activities from the 1st of November 2023 until the to
30th November 2023 so that the marine environment can have a full month to
recover during that period. It will open again for operations on the 1st of
December 2023. During this recuperation period, diving and snorkeling activities
will not be carried out at Sipadan Island.


WHAT IS THE SIPADAN PERMIT AVAILABILITY?

To minimise damage to the fragile eco systems, The Sabah Parks Government
distribute a daily quota of 176 permits to some of the dive resorts and dive
centers in the area, with each haveing a different quota based on the size of
the resort.

Note: Permits are not required to dive around other nearby islands such as
Mabul, Kapalai, etc.

To get a Sipadan permit, your dive resort ot dive center will submit
applications on your behalf as they cannot be issued directly to individuals.

The "Big 5" resorts that get the largest share of daily permits are as follows:

   
 * Sipadan Mabul Resort
 * Mabul Water Bungalows
 * Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
 * Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
 * Sipadan Water Village

As one of the world's top 5 diving destination, demand for daily permits is
high, thus you'll usually find much more divers here than there are available
permits.


HOW LONG TO STAY TO GET A GUARANTEED SIPADAN PERMIT?

Dive Resort Min Stay Required Sipadan Trip Starts Sipadan Trip Ends Sipadan
Mabul Resort 6 Days/5 Nights 8am 3pm Mabul Water Bungalows 6 Days/5 Nights 8am
3pm Borneo Divers Mabul Resort 4 Days/3 Nights 6.30am 3.3pm-4pm Mataking Dive
Resort 5 Days/4 Nights 7.30am 3pm Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort 6 Days/5 Nights
6.30am 1-3pm Seaventures Dive Rig 3 Days/2 Nights 6.30am 11am/12pm Sipadan Water
Village 4 Days/3 Nights 6.30am 1pm

 * Diving is permitted on Sipadan every day.
 * Advanced permit booking is highly advised at the Sipadan-Kapalai Resort.
 * Additional Permits can be bought at most Resorts and Dive Operators subject
   to availability - Note: This does not apply to guests staying in
   semi-detached chalets, if staying in one, your chances of diving on Sipadan
   depends on available permits not assigned to anyone else.

There are also several budget guesthouses and backpacker lodges to choose from,
but we do not have any visitors feedback or booking data, so you'll need to do
your own research on these.


HOW TO GET A PERMIT IF I BOOKED A SHORT SIPADAN TRIP?

If you stay only 2 or 3 nights, the chances of diving on Sipadan are greater in
low season, and you would need to secure a guaranteed permit in the high season
to dive at Sipadan.

Because daily permits are limited and mostly allocated to divers staying for
longer periods, so if you plan on staying for less time, diving on Sipadan is
not always guaranteed.

The annual high and low seasons can be unpredictable, as it could be suddenly
busy for a week during low season, where if you're not staying the minimum
length of turnaround time, you could miss out. The high seasons are usually
around Xmas & New Year, July & August, and the first week of October.


WHAT OTHER NEARBY ISLANDS SHOULD I DIVE AT?

On Non-Sipadan diving days, there are nearby islands full of great dive sites
for all types of divers from beginner to advanced. You can do some amazing muck
diving, see granite, coral or artificial reefs all teaming with macro critters,
and explore conservation projects, underwater caverns, coral gardens and deep
walls surrounded by over 3000 species of fish including big pelagics.

One special site is called Turtle Tomb Cavern, an underwater cavern suitable for
Tech Divers accompanied by an experienced guide, where you'll see countless
green turtles. A spooky legend says this is where turtles come to die”, and you
will indeed see plenty of turtle carcasses on the sandy bottom, but it's got
loads of fantastic rock formations, and schools of fish like Fusiliers and
Trevallies.

Sipadan-Mabul 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.

The following list of resorts shows the other locations that they organise trips
to:



   
 * Sipadan Water Village – Mabul Island & Kapalai Island
 * Sipadan Mabul Resort – Mabul & Kapalai Islands
 * Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort – Mabul & Kapalai Islands
 * Borneo Divers Mabul Resort – Mabul & Kapalai Islands
 * Mabul Water Bungalows – Mabul & Kapalai Islands
 * Seaventures Dive Rig – Mabul & Kapalai Islands
 * Mataking – Pandanan, Mataking, Timba Timba, Bohey Dulang, Bohayan & Pom Pom
   Islands
 * MV Celebes Explorer – On Sundays they go around Semporna to the Tun Sakaran
   Marine Park. In the week, if divers need a break from seeing Turtles,
   Trevallies or Barracudas, they dive around Mabul Island.


NITROX AND TEC-DIVING

To extend your bottom time and reduce decompression (Off-gas) time, All the dive
resorts in the above list except for Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort offer the use
of Nitrox. Seaventures has Tec-Diving facilities.


WHAT IS THE RESORTS PRICE RANGE?

To help you choose the perfect place to suit your budget, our list of
accommodation is broken down into 4 categories: Luxury, Upper Mid-Range,
Mid-Range & Budget/Backpacker/Longhouse.

Resort Number of Rooms Price Range Mabul Water Bungalows 24 over-water Bungalows
& 9 Luxury Villas $$$$ Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort79 over-water Chalets $$$
Sipadan Water Village20 over-water Chalets $$$-$$$$ Sipadan Mabul Resort25
Chalets $$ - $$$ Mataking Dive Resort63 Chalets Rooms & Villas $$$ - $$$$
Seaventures Dive Rig 29 Cabins & VIP Rooms $$ - $$$ Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
30 Chalets and Rooms $$ MV Celebes Explorer Liveaboard 8 Cabins $$ Billabong
Scuba  $ Uncle Chang's Sipadan Mabul Lodge   $ Scuba Junkie   $


IS THERE A SINGLE TRAVELLER SUPPLEMENT CHARGE?

If travelling alone, some resorts have compulsory single supplement charges
while others are optional. The charges vary between 30% to 50% of the total
package price.

Note: If you choose not to pay the supplement where optional, you might have to
share a room with a fellow guest.

Resort Single Fee Supplement Mabul Water Bungalows Optional (The Bougainvillea,
Royale Villa & the Borneo Villa Suites are compulsory) Sipadan-Kapalai Dive
Resort Compulsory Sipadan Water Village Compulsory Sipadan Mabul Resort Optional
Mataking Dive Resort Compulsory (Additional single charges may apply on land &
boat transfers) Seaventures Dive Rig Optional (One scheduled free transfer.
Single charges apply on other land & boat transfers) Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
Optional (Additional single charges may apply on land & boat transfers)


HOW TO GET A GROUP BOOKING DISCOUNTS?

If you're travelling as a large group of up to 10 or more, why not save money
and book yourselves a great deal. Here's our list of resorts offering group
discounts.

Resort Group Discount Additional Info Sipadan Mabul Resort 10 divers + 1 FOC
11th diver stays free, only pays the Jetty/Conservation fee Mabul Water
Bungalows 10 divers + 1 FOC 11th diver stays free, only pays the
Jetty/Conservation fee Sipadan-Kapalai Resort 9 divers + 1 FOC 10th diver stays
free, only pays the Jetty/Conservation fee Sipadan Water Village 7 divers + 1
FOC 8th diver stays free, only pays the Jetty/Conservation fee Mataking Dive
Resort 10 divers + 1 FOC 11th diver stays free. only pays the Jetty/Conservation
fee & Boat transfer Seaventures Dive Rig 9 divers + 1 FOC 10th diver stays free,
only pays the Jetty/Conservation fee Borneo Divers Mabul Resort 10 divers + 1
FOC 11th diver stays free, only pays the Jetty/Conservation fee


HOW MUCH IS THE SABAH PARKS SIPADAN ENVIRONMENTAL FEE?

Sabah Parks announced that from January 2023, the Sipadan Conservation/Entrance
fee is fixed at MYR 50 per day for Malaysians and MYR 100 for international
visitors.


HOW MUCH IS THE SABAH PARKS SIPADAN DIVING FEE?

Sabah Parks announced that from January 2023, the Sipadan diving fees would be
increased to MYR 250 per day for Malaysians and MYR 350 for Non-Malaysians.


HOW MUCH IS THE SEMPORNA JETTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEE?

Everyone visiting an island off Semporna Jetty will have to pay a small
Conservation fee/Jetty fee of MYR10 per adult for international visitors and
MYR3 for Malaysian.


CAN SNORKELLERS VISIT SIPADAN?

Snorkellers are more than welcome at the resorts featured on the list below,
however some may only allow you to explore around the resort itself, while some
will bring you out on their dive boat to other sites if you pre-book early.


WHAT IS THE MINIMUM CERTIFICATION LEVEL REQUIRED TO DIVE IN SIPADAN?

Sabah Parks announced that since October 1st, 2022, only scuba divers with
Advanced open water level certification and above are allowed to dive in
Sipadan. The number of dives per day at Sipadan is limited to 2 dives daily,
instead of 3 dives previously with the 3rd dive of the day being now done at
Mabul island.

Resort Where to Snorkel? Sipadan? Mabul? Kapalai? Mataking Guaranteed snorkeling
trip to Sipadan. Need to book in advance. Also offers boat snorkeling to other
islands. Sipadan Mabul Resort May take you to Sipadan. Depends on the
availability of permits once you are at the resort. Priority is given to divers.
Boat snorkeling to other islands such as Kapalai and Mabul. Mabul Water
Bungalows The resort may take you to Sipadan island, but priority is given to
scuba divers with permits. Early pre-booking advised. Depends on permit
availability known once at the resort. Offers free boat snorkeling to other
islands such as Mabul and Kapalai. Seaventures Priority is given to Divers. May
bring snorkelers to Sipadan if have availability of permit. Sipadan Water
Village Can purchase the Sipadan snorkeling permit if have availability. Guests
can follow only one snorkeling trip on a dive boat to other islands (Mabul,
Kapalai) during their stay, and the rest of the time snorkel around their resort
at the excellent house reef. Borneo Divers Mabul Resort Guaranteed sipadan
snorkeling for stays of 5D/4N. If stay is less than 4 night, can also purchase
the permit to Sipadan if have availability of permit. Kapalai Resort The resort
does not bring snorkelers to Sipadan. Snorkeling is only around the resort
housereef. Boat snorkeling possible at extra fee.


WHICH SIPADAN RESORT OFFERS HONEYMOON PACKAGES?

A honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, so if you're looking for idyllic
white sand beaches, scenic views and deluxe comfort in a lush romantic setting,
then these resorts below have just what you want! Most offer honeymoon packages
tailored to suit your needs.

   
 * Sipadan Mabul Resort
 * Mabul Water Bungalows
 * Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
 * Mataking - The Reef Dive Resort
 * Sipadan Water Village


WHAT ARE THE BEST RESORTS AROUND SIPADAN?


WHY STAY AT SIPADAN MABUL RESORT?

 * Traditional Borneo-style resort with beach-front chalets
 * Loved by families, kids, children, divers, snorkelers & non-divers alike
 * Amenities include a swimmingpool, spa, jacuzzi, watersports, and beach
   activities
 * Top-class dive center with many dive permits to Sipadan and a complete choice
   of PADI diving courses
 * This restaurant serves one of the best food in Mabul island


WHY STAY AT MABUL WATER BUNGALOWS?

 * Luxury resort with romantic seaview Villas, Chalets and over-the-water
   Bungalows
 * Award Winning Honeymoon Resort
 * Excellent restaurants with delicious food prepared by Chef Wong
 * spa, jaccuzis & plenty of amenities
 * Perfect for honeymooners, families, divers & non-divers
 * One of the 3 resorts that can take divers into Turtle Tomb Cavern
 * Easy access by boat to Mabul Island or their sister Sipadan-Mabul Resort
   where you can enjoy the swimming pool


WHY STAY AT BORNEO DIVERS MABUL RESORT?

 * Deluxe Chalets and rooms with Pool, Spa & Amenities
 * Families, Divers & Non-divers welcome
 * Excellent Snorkelling at the housereef
 * 5* PADI Dive center famous for being the pioneers at Sipadan and for Muck
   Diving around Mabul


WHY STAY AT SEAVENTURES DIVE RIG?

 * Unique resort on a converted oil rig
 * Choice of rooms & plenty of amenities with sundeck, lounge, conference room,
   bar & restaurant
 * Local chef serving delicious food
 * Tech Dive courses, cavern dive courses and Instructor courses available
 * Will take you to Turtle Tomb Cavern
 * Not suitable for families with young children


WHY STAY AT MATAKING - THE REEF DIVE RESORT?

 * Due to its remote location, boat transfers to here will take about 80 minutes
 * Huge selection of villas rooms & chalets
 * Popular with honeymooners
 * Perfect for both divers & non-divers, families & kids
 * Loads of amenities including a spa and kids playground
 * Many activities for non-divers
 * Offers diving and snorkeling trips to several nearby islands


WHY STAY AT SIPADAN-KAPALAI RESORT?

 * Stunning over-water village with all seaview over the Celebes Sea
 * Popular with honeymooners
 * Facilities include Sundeck, open-air terrace, games room & restaurant
 * Excellent dive center with choice of dive courses & water sports like
   snorkelling and kayaking
 * Will take divers to Turtle Tomb

We are here to help with all your questions: Contact us Now


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