Sipadan Classic

This package suits divers whose main goal is diving in Sipadan. The week balances the deep wall dives of the oceanic island against the shallow reefs of Mabul or Kapalai. It is a very good fit for couples or groups wanting a single base rather than moving between hotels. The schedule gives you ample time to unpack and relax.

Your schedule depends on your arrival time and the resort you choose.

Arrival and check-in You land at Tawau airport early in the day. Your flight arrival needs to fit your resort's boat schedule for a same-day island transfer. A driver takes you overland to Semporna. The road trip takes 70 to 90 minutes. You board a speedboat for the 30-minute to 45-minute crossing to your resort. Last island boats typically leave between 14:30 and 16:00 but Kapalai's last scheduled departure is at 12:30. Island boats do not run after dark. You check into your room and assemble your gear.

House reef check dive Your first morning begins with a mandatory check dive. You test your buoyancy on the resort house reef. Mabul and Kapalai offer excellent shallow diving right under the jetties. You might see a blue-ringed octopus or ghost pipefish straight away. The afternoon features a boat dive to a local Mabul site.

Your Sipadan days The boat leaves early morning for the run across the Celebes Sea. Passports and digital certification cards are checked by Sabah Parks dive marshals upon landing at the registration jetty. A Sipadan permit day gives 3 dives when you stay on Mabul or Kapalai or aboard the Celebes Explorer and two when you stay on Mataking or Pom Pom. Your dives run from early morning until the afternoon. Times depend on the operator's schedule, the tide and the sea. You spend the surface intervals resting on the island beach facility.

Muck diving focus The middle of the week is dedicated to diving in Mabul. You spend your days hunting for pygmy seahorses and flamboyant cuttlefish. The coral here is less dramatic than the oceanic wall. The focus is entirely on finding strange bottom-dwellers on the sandy slopes.

Dusk and night diving Night boat trips do not run. Night dives are jetty and house-reef dives from the island resorts. You can book a dusk dive to watch mandarinfish mating. Night dives bring out hunting groupers and moray eels.

Departure day Your last dive finishes at least 24 hours before your flight home. You wash your gear and spend the afternoon relaxing. You take the morning boat back to Semporna the next day for your flight home.

Barracuda Point

Skill level: Advanced | Terrain: reef plateau and wall This is the dive most people come here for. The resident school of chevron barracuda tightens into a column above the wall when the current runs. Grey reef sharks patrol the perimeter alongside herds of bumphead parrotfish. Get level with the school to watch it turn.

The Drop-Off

Skill level: Advanced | Wall drops to: ~600m The reef flat extends only a few metres from the beach before plunging vertically into the deep. You can hang over the edge to watch huge schools of bigeye trevally. Whitetip reef sharks rest on ledges beneath the overhangs. Be sure to check your depth gauge frequently here.

South Point

Skill level: Advanced | Terrain: deep wall This deeper wall dive is exposed to heavy pelagic currents. Scalloped hammerheads occasionally aggregate deep in the blue during the early morning. You need excellent buoyancy control to manage the conditions safely.

Turtle Cavern (Turtle Tomb)

Skill level: Cave/Cavern | Entrance depth: ~18–20m The entrance is a bell-shaped tunnel opening off the wall. The lower chamber contains the skeletal remains of sea turtles. Entry requires proper overhead environment training and a specialised local guide. Uncertified divers may only view the entrance from the open water.

Mabul and Kapalai act as the primary accommodation hubs for the region. Diving in Kapalai is based on a submerged sandbank situated between Mabul and the oceanic island. Mabul offers a mix of over-water resorts and diver-focused beach properties. Mabul Water Bungalows and Sipadan-Mabul Resort share an estate linked by boardwalk and buggy transfers.

Be sure to review the character of each property before booking. Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort stands on stilts over the Ligitan Reefs. There is no land beneath it except at low tide. This creates a very isolated atmosphere. Mabul Water Bungalows offers premium villa suites on the east side of Mabul. This property operates a dedicated technical diving centre offering nitrox to 100 percent oxygen.

Sipadan Water Village features traditional timber chalets built on ironwood stilts. The resort sits on the sheltered side away from the main village. Sipadan-Mabul Resort gives you a beach and a swimming pool. Guests here share the diving facilities and dining pavilion with the water bungalows next door.

Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is a garden property. Borneo Divers was the first commercial dive operator in the area back in 1983. Seaventures Dive Rig is a decommissioned oil platform stationed off Mabul since 1997. A hydraulic lift lowers you directly to the house reef.

The Sipadan Classic covers your accommodation and full board for the week. Your daily boat dives are part of the schedule. House-reef diving is included at resorts like Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort and Sipadan Water Village. The package includes your Tawau airport transfers and the boat rides to your island base. Your Sipadan permits are secured as part of the booking. Ask for the price that applies to your booking. Equipment rental is arranged separately. You must bring your own dive computer.

Sabah Parks issues 254 Sipadan permits a day. These permits are allocated to licensed operators rather than sold directly to the public. A guaranteed Sipadan permit comes with the right combination of resort, dive package and minimum number of nights. Exact dates depend on the resort you choose. The team steers you to the combination that fits.

Every diver needs an Advanced Open Water certification minimum to visit the island. This rule has been enforced since October 2022. You can book a two-day upgrade option to complete your Advanced certification on Mabul before your permit dates begin. Snorkellers consume the exact same permit as a diver. Resorts put first their divers for these slots.

Sabah Parks removed all resorts from the oceanic island by the end of 2004. Nobody stays on the island overnight. All diving is by boat. The island houses only a Sabah Parks ranger station. The park director states: "Sabah Parks also limits 37 companies with a daily diver quota at 254". The regulations protect the coral from human interference. You must maintain excellent buoyancy control. Touching the reef or wearing gloves is prohibited.

You can dive Sabah all year. The water temperature stays a steady 26 to 30 °C. 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 brings a mix of cloud, rain and sun. The Northeast Monsoon brings increased rainfall during these months. The speedboat crossing is noticeably rougher then.

Sipadan is closed to all visitors every November 1 to 30. Sabah Parks enforces this total closure to allow the reef to recuperate undisturbed. The resorts on Mabul and Kapalai stay open during this month to offer macro diving.

Sipadan Liveaboard Week Macro & Muck Luxury Over-water Learn to Dive Travel information

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