Destinations

Almost everyone who writes to us starts with a resort name. It is usually the wrong end of the problem. The islands off Semporna are 30 to 80 minutes from the jetty and most of them run Sipadan day trips, so the real questions are simpler: how many days do you want on Sipadan? Do you want big-animal wall diving or macro? Is anyone travelling with you who is not diving?

Answer those three and the shortlist writes itself. Sipadan permits are capped daily and allocated through the licensed resorts, so the number of permit days you want has more influence on where you sleep than any brochure photograph. See how the permit system actually works, then tell us your dates.