Staying in Semporna or Mabul/Kapilai

[Aquarora]

Sorry for the misunderstanding..

what i meant was that there is no such rule/ law stated that you have to dive Sipadan on alternate days..

But according to the dive center i was diving with & some of the other operators have agreed privately among themselves that they will dive Sipadan on alternate days due to the limit of 40 permits per day.. so that no 1 operator can book all the permits & leave none for the other dive operators.. especially during peak period..
pls remember that it doesn't matter whether you are diving or snorkeling, or even just resting on the sipadan beaches.. as long as you are within Sipadan you need the permit regardless of your activity..

thanks for pointing that out, my fault, hope i have not caused too much confusion..
maybe your dive center has no such agreement?
in any case it's better to check with your dive center before going..

Cheers!

 

[emanuelw]

There's 120 permits available every day and yes i know it doesn't matter whether you dive, snorkel or play with the monitor lizards. However when it comes to the permits, it's just a matter of corrupt malay authorities and rediculous waiting times that doesn't work in practice. They want you to book a month in advance at least, but noone does that as most ppl passing through are backpackers and decides to go diving in the spur of the moment. These people still get to dive so it's not a problem, the only problem can be full boats. Btw, there's nothing better than dropping down to 35m at Hanging Gardens in the morning, just cruising around with the big grey reefs, oh i miss Sipadan.

 

[Aquarora]

That's quite true..
when i was there, i saw a few boats landing on the beaches of Sipadan not being watched by the military/ park ranger/ coast guards..
can you actually bribe them? how much do you have to pay? do u pay 1 guard only or you have to pay them all?? i mean if it's cheaper to bribe them why bother with a permit?
kekeke... not advocating this method, just curious... me diver with ethics! ahahhaa

 

[emanuelw]

Some operators dive without a permit and most of them need to pull a few tricks out of their sleeve in order to get the permit thing to work out. Its just the way it is for the businesses to survive. I heard that the Malaysian Tourism Authority are planning on building a new resort on Sipadan, if this is true we can say good bye to the turtles and sharks. That was just a rumour i picked up though and not a proven fact. I have never seen any money change hands, but running a business as a westerner in a foreign country requires you to build good relations with the local community, which can be a bit dodgy business in many cases.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Check out Scuba Junkie in Semporna. I was there diving with them a couple of weeks ago. Journey's out to Sipadan were not too long, and were comfortable as the company has 8 permits for Sipadan each day - so with staff only 10 on the boat ! Make sure you book permits in advance ! They have their own accomodation too - nice rooms.

 

[Diver Dennis]

The other resorts on Mabul are damn expensive (US$150 and up) and Kapalai is just a couple of houses on stilts built on the reef and not an island.

I would have to disagree with the Kapalai statement Emanuel. I've stayed there and it is a lot more than "a couple houses on stilts". It is truly a resort, they even treat their own sewage there. The house reef right down the steps in front of the dive shop is where a lot of the day boats come to dive. At night, you can sit on your private deck and watch the Lion Fish feeding along with the other species as well as the occasional turtle swimming through the light shining down from your railing. I spent 9 dive days there last November.

Great food and accommodations. I've already booked again.

 

[Aquarora]

well, the Kapalai resort is a resort built on stilts, but compared to Dragon Inn hotel which is also built on stilts, the Kapalai resort is like heaven ahahaha..

 

[emanuelw]

Well, i agree about that. I got to Semporna at 4 o clock in the morning, rats and stray dogs running around and oh, the smell. I though i caught the wrong night bus

 

[AminJamadi]

I am sending you this email from Mabul. Just finished my 7th dive and having lunch while surfing the internet from my notebook. Yup...this place got Wi-Fi! I am staying at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort. Sorry....I dive while still keeping in touch with my office. Dive & work.....u can do that nowadays. So perhaps my first choice is a place with Wi-Fi. But then, I have observed all the options as what mentioned here. My opinion as follows:
1. If limited time, just plan for dives in Mabul, Sipadan & Kapalai.
2. Even if u stay for a week....it's a lot to see here. I did my night dive last nite...
3. I choose (honestly) Borneo Divers simply because they are the pioneers. They have a GREAT team here. THat's all matters to me for a good dive trip. Rooms are huge and nice. Unless u want something more romantic, u can stay on those stilt chalets at Mabul Resort, SMART or Kapalai.
4. Borneo Divers has the basic stuff for a fun diver....a nice pool & a beach bar. THe rest don't have a pool.
5. For everyone's info, currently only max 120 divers allowed to dive Sipadan at any time. So they got quota here that they have to share between the resorts. Yes....u can't simply dive the next day when u just arrived today. The dive operators need to submit your permit at least 48 hours prior.
6. Go with Borneo Divers (I don't get paid saying this). They were the first people who set up a resort (now no more allowed in the island) in Sipadan more tyhan 20 years ago. Their DM are well trained & experienced. THey can give you good tips.
7. I don't recommed staying in Semporna & do daily trips. Very tiring....
8. Book in advance.....sometimes there are big groups that comes here during June & July.
9. Dive under the rig is OK but lately when there are heavy current, it's not a reccommeded site...and staying on the rig is too boring.

That's all folks! Gotta go now for my 3rd dive for the day....

 

[emanuelw]

The currents under the rig are ok if you dive during slack tide. Borneo Divers might be a nice place to stay, but its on the expensive side compared to diving from Semporna. Haha i do believe you get paid to say this, I've never seen anyone push a shop that hard in a forum. Or maybe you're just a very loyal customer?