Sabah dive travel agency
About Asia Dive Holidays
A licensed Sabahan dive-travel agency based in Kota Kinabalu arranging trips to Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Pom Pom and Lankayan since 2012.
Highlights
- Licensed Sabahan dive-travel agency operating from a main office in Kota Kinabalu
- Arranging trips to the eastern islands including Sipadan and Lankayan since 2012
- Four local staff members including a PADI Divemaster answer all enquiries
- Combines island stays with wildlife lodges and rainforest visits across the state
- Enquiry-first booking process ensures you talk to an expert before committing
The agency is a licensed Sabahan dive-travel agency based in Kota Kinabalu arranging trips to Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Pom Pom and Lankayan since 2012. You are dealing with a team of 4 people who are all Sabahans. Every member of the team has more than 10 years of experience in the dive travel trade. They have stayed and dived repeatedly at the resorts they sell. They know the resort managers, the dive instructors and the boatmen by name.
This setup means someone who has been there answers your email. A PADI Divemaster handles the technical diving enquiries. Another colleague speaks and writes fluent Chinese. Two other members of the team work in English and Malay. Members of the Kota Kinabalu team travel to Semporna and the islands several times a month to meet and accompany guests. You get practical advice from people who know the boats and the rooms firsthand.
Operating across Sabah since 2012
The agency is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under licence KPK/LN 8399 and is a member of the Malaysia Scuba Diving Association. You can check the licence on the MOTAC portal: enter Asia Dive Holidays Sdn. Bhd. and select Sabah. The business works from a main office in Kota Kinabalu. The focus is entirely on Sabah.
The team arranges trips for thousands of guests a year. Divers come to the team for a guaranteed Sipadan permit. It also includes snorkellers, island-hoppers, honeymooners and groups looking for a straightforward holiday. Operating since 2012 means the team has seen the resorts change over time. They know which water villages have the best food and which operators keep your transfers running smoothly.
The team in Kota Kinabalu
4 people arrange your bookings and transfers. Every member of the team is Sabahan. Every member has more than 15 years of experience in Sabah tourism. They have all dived and stayed repeatedly at the water-village resorts around Semporna. They also know Sabah's wildlife lodges and the rainforest well.
The team regularly arranges combination trips connecting the islands to the rainforest because they know the mainland well. The team divides the work by expertise. A colleague who speaks and writes fluent Chinese helps you plan your trip in Chinese. Three members of the team work in English, Malay and local languages. You are likely to meet them when you arrive in Sabah.
Where the team can take you
The core destinations are the islands off the east coast. The team arranges trips to Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking and Pom Pom. They also cover the other islands around Semporna. Further north they arrange stays at Lankayan.
You can combine diving on the east coast with wildlife trips in the rainforest on a single itinerary.
What the local relationships mean for you
Booking with a local agency puts you in touch with people who know the islands and the people who work there. The team has built long personal friendships with resort managers, resort staff, dive instructors, divemasters, boatmen and drivers across the islands since 2012.
These relationships make last-minute changes possible. They help when special arrangements or awkward connections need to be managed. The team arranges private transfers and private boats through local contacts in Semporna. They organise private guiding by divemasters and instructors in several languages. They set up private underwater-photography days around Semporna. They also arrange private visits connected with the Bajau Laut communities.
Arranging guaranteed Sipadan permits
A guaranteed Sipadan permit comes with the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum number of nights. Not every resort guarantees exact dates so which dates can be guaranteed depends on the resort you choose. On a properly planned trip the chance of diving Sipadan is very high. The team steers you to the combination that fits your schedule.
The permit system relies on accurate booking and good communication. The team handles the administrative side to ensure your details match the Sabah Parks requirements. You arrive knowing your diving days are planned correctly.
Securing dates and forward booking
Guests often want to secure dates before the new season rates go live. You can book ahead of the published rates. The team also holds promotions for the coming year that are not yet public. You just need to ask for next year's rates and current offers. This helps you lock in your preferred room type during the busiest months.
How the enquiry process works
Booking is always enquiry-first. Nothing is booked or charged online. You send your dates and your requirements. The team looks at the tide tables, the boat schedules and the resort availability. They come back with a workable plan. You get clear transfer plans from someone who travels the route every month.
Nearby places / alternatives
Plan your trip
To plan your Sabah diving or island holiday, send your exact dates, the names of everyone coming and your diving certification levels. The team will look at the schedules and come back with what can be arranged.