Combine diving with Borneo's wildlife

This kind of trip suits divers travelling with a non-diving partner as well as families visiting Borneo for the first time. The coast offers plenty for non-divers to do. Someone can snorkel the shallow house reefs at Kapalai or relax on the sand at Mataking while you spend the morning underwater. Non-divers can also take day trips into the Tun Sakaran Marine Park. The Bohey Dulang hike offers panoramic views across the islands. Sabah Parks requires proper footwear for the climb so you must wear closed-toe trainers or hiking boots and children's participation is at the operator's or ranger's discretion. It also works well for anyone flying a long way to Malaysia who wants to experience more than one environment.

Borneo is a large island so trying to see everything in one visit usually leads to exhaustion. There are two natural combinations that keep travel times manageable.

The first route links the Semporna islands with the inland reserves reached from Lahad Datu. You start by flying into Tawau for a week of diving around Mabul or Sipadan. The road transfer from Tawau airport to Semporna takes 70 to 90 minutes. Ongoing construction on the Pan Borneo Highway can cause unpredictable delays so the team builds a buffer into your schedule. Semporna itself is a bustling fishing port with a prominent wet market and Bajau Laut stilt villages. It is a working harbour town, so you move straight to your designated jetty for the sea crossing. A speedboat takes you out to the reef in 30 to 45 minutes depending on the tide.

After your diving you take a road transfer from Semporna to Lahad Datu. This drive takes about an hour and a half and positions you to head deep into the primary rainforest of the Danum Valley.

The second route pairs Lankayan with the wildlife areas on the same coast. Lankayan sits inside the SIMCA conservation area in the Sulu Sea a 90-minute boat ride from Sandakan. The resort operates a single daily transfer leaving the Sandakan PSR Jetty at 10:00 AM so your inbound flight must arrive before 09:00 AM. Once you return to the mainland you can easily reach the orangutan rehabilitation centre at Sepilok before taking a two-hour drive to the Kinabatangan River for a few days of boat safaris.

Logistics on the east coast are strict because passenger boats do not operate after dark. If your flight into Tawau or Sandakan arrives late in the afternoon the boat will have already left. You would then need to spend a night on the mainland at your own expense.

The team builds your itinerary to avoid these traps. The most critical factor is your 24-hour surface interval. You cannot board a commercial flight immediately after diving. Placing the wildlife days at the end of your trip solves this problem. You can travel overland from Semporna to Lahad Datu while you off-gas safely at sea level.

You must also manage your entry paperwork. Foreign visitors who require the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card must submit it within the 3 days before arrival; Singaporean citizens are exempt. Sabah manages its own immigration so if you fly into Tawau via Kuala Lumpur you must ensure your passport gets stamped at the Sabah counter to avoid heavy fines.

A fortnight gives you enough time to experience both environments properly without rushing.

Day 1 to 2: Arrival and transfer You fly into Tawau and take the road transfer to Semporna. From there a boat takes you out to your island resort.

Day 3 to 7: A week of diving You settle into a routine of boat trips and house-reef dives. If you stay at a Semporna resort you can dive the macro sites around your island and head out to the oceanic drop-offs. Sipadan rises roughly 600 metres from the seabed on an extinct volcanic seamount. You can see resident green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on almost every dive.

Day 8: Off-gassing and moving inland You pack up and take the morning boat back to the mainland. A driver meets you at the jetty for the overland journey to your forest lodge. This travel time counts towards your surface interval.

Day 9 to 12: The rainforest You spend a few days exploring the jungle canopy or cruising the river to look for wildlife.

Day 13 to 14: Departure You fly from Lahad Datu to Kota Kinabalu or from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur to connect with your journey home.

Sipadan is famous for pelagic encounters while the shallower islands offer some of the best macro diving available.

Barracuda Point

Skill level: Advanced Open Water or equivalent This is the dive most people come to Sipadan for. On a good morning the resident school of chevron barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) tightens into a column above the wall. You can hang in the current and watch it turn. You often see grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) cruising along the drop-off here.

Mandarin Valley

Skill level: Open Water This site sits just off Kapalai and offers visibility that often beats Mabul. You can find frogfish (Antennarius spp.) and ghost pipefish (Solenostomus spp.) hiding in the coral blocks during the day. The team recommends bringing a torch to see the colours properly.

Be sure to ask your guide to point out the smaller macro life if you are used to diving for big fish.

The Danum Valley conservation area protects 130-million-year-old primary rainforest. You spend your days walking forest trails or taking small boats along the riverbanks to look for primates and birds in their natural habitat. You can find full details about the lodges and the species you might see by visiting the dedicated wildlife site.

A combination package covers your accommodation at both the dive resort and the jungle lodge. The team arranges all your domestic flights, road transfers and boat crossings to ensure they connect properly. Your diving programme is built in.

A Guaranteed Sipadan permit is often the main goal for divers visiting the east coast. Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. A guaranteed Sipadan permit comes with the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum number of nights. Which dates can be guaranteed depends on the resort you choose. The team steers you to the combination that fits so you can secure your access before you travel.

You can go diving all year. The best visibility runs from March to October. Mid-February to mid-November is good diving with softer visibility at the ends. Mid-November to mid-February is a mix of cloud, rain and sun. You can find full season details in the diving season guide.

Sipadan itself is closed to all visitors every November to allow the reefs to rest. This actually makes November a good month for a combination trip because Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking and the inland reserves stay open. You can enjoy quieter dive sites and excellent wildlife viewing without the peak crowds. Lankayan closes annually in January and February.

• Two Coasts: combine the Celebes and Sulu seas
• Sabah Grand Dive Tour: a circuit of the east coast
• Lankayan: remote diving in the Sulu Sea
• Darvel Bay: emerging dive sites near Lahad Datu
• Getting there: transit advice for Sabah

Send your preferred travel dates, the names of everyone coming and your current certification levels. The team will come back to you with an itinerary and let you know exactly what can be arranged.

Facts verified 4 Sep 2026.

Arrange travel insurance that covers your diving before you travel.