One-flight Malaysia from Singapore?

[Maurillo]

Hello all,
joining from Europe my girlfriend after a conference in Singapore (in September), we're considering where best to go diving in the neighbourhood.

We prefer:

1) ideally, reachable with a direct flight from Singapore, to minimize timing
2) small, off-track sites (too much to ask for??)
3) if we could choose, a mix of reef & pelagic

We're investigating essentially Borneo:
-Layang Layang seemed the best option, but is closed in September
-Sipadan & Co. don't match any of the criteria above
-The Derawan islands match criterion 2, but not 1

Direct flights from Singapore appear to reach Miri, Kuching (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu. Am I wrong, or none of this destinations per se is as good as the offshore islands above?

Other suggestions? Doesn't NEED to be Malaysia. Been twice to Bali. Makassar? Balikpapan? Lombok?

Thanks, I know I'm asking quite a lot...

 

[Centrals]

Silk Air has direct flight(not daily) to Manado(Sulawesi in Indonesia) . And you have three places to choose from.

 

[Searcaigh]

+1 on Centrals suggestion above.

Manado has some great diving, plus Lembeh Straits is only a 2 hour drive away, although that is essentially a macro location.

 

[Maurillo]

Thanks! Manado will be!
I know about Lembeh very well, I'm a macro lover, but girlfriend hates muck. And it's said to be quite dirty, in all other aspects. I didn't know about Bunaken.

 

[Searcaigh]

There's some good macro around Bunaken too.

Check out Murex near Manado, they have a great little house reef too

Or if you want to splash out and have some luxury, Siladen Resort is excellent, although getting a decent shower is difficult due to lack of fresh water on the island.

 

[Alastor]

Why not Perenthian ?

 

[Pkishino]

Tioman, love the place

 

[flyingDiver75]

Just did Kuching after a conference. Great city with plenty to do topside.

We unfortunately weathered out on trips to the Japanese wrecks but had a fun day on the local reefs with Ernest from Premiere Marine & Scuba Center. Diving options are fairly limited, pretty much one 2 tank trip each day to either the reefs or one of the WWII wrecks.

Dive Video

Photo Highlights

 

[charlier]

Consider a second flight for sure. A direct flight on Garuda to Jakarta and another flight to Flores Island. Get on a liveaboard and visit Komodo Island National Marine Preserve. The diving is way better than Manado, for sure better than Layang Layang. Or close by Tioman is fine, similar to the best of Key Largo.

 

[Centrals]

Thanks! Manado will be!
I know about Lembeh very well, I'm a macro lover, but girlfriend hates muck. And it's said to be quite dirty, in all other aspects. I didn't know about Bunaken.

Give me Bunaken over Lembeh anytime.