Sipadan island is one of the world’s most famous diving paradises, which is located off the coast of East Malaysia. It rises approximately 600 meters from the seabed and strategically situated in the heart of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, which is well-known as home for the richest aquatic habitats in the entire world. The legendary of diving heaven is claimed to have more than 3, 000 species of marine lives and hundreds or coral species within its ecosystems.
The Best Diving Spots
There are nine established dive spots which can be found in Sipadan Island. These spots are named after the captivating encounters divers such as the Hanging Garden, Barracuda Point, White-Tip Avenue, Coral Garden and Turtle Patch. The most popular diving spot is Barracuda point where divers normally came across the big school of barracudas swimming near the area.
The Best Time to Visit and Dive
It ia a blessing for Malaysia to own a unique climate, boasting an all year-round sunshine exposure ranging from 21?C to 32?C with the humidity of 85-95%. Raining season is to be expected between the month of November and February with annual rainfalls record around 2,000mm to 2,500 mm.
Limited Dives per day
Sipadan Island has been issued as a protected island under the 2004 Malaysian Government Laws of Act in order to preserve the ecology and wildlife. Due to this reason, only 120 divers are allowed each day for diving activities where dives are distributed evenly between the twelve resots in Mabul and Kapalai for the tourists.
Accomodations
Accomodation as well as transport facilities can be found in Mabul Island and Kapalai Island. The divers will be ferried to the diving spots with the helps from the resort operators daily. The resorts are also offering water bungalows as well as wooden duplex chalets, both equipped with air-conditioner, spa and sauna, ceiling fans, private balcony with panoramic sea view, satellite television, mini bar and fly screen in each unit of the room.
Electricity Supply
The resorts provide 24/7 services of power supply by using 3-pin rectangular plugs similar to British plugs.
Currency
All purchases and trades are used in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) currency. Money changers can be found at the aiport and Semporna that accepted the use of VISA and MasterCard in all resort. There are no ATM machines provided at the resorts.
Other Attractions
You could ride on road transportation for four hours from Semporna to Sukau Rainforest Lodge if you want a great change from the blue sea and hot sunshine exposure and experiencing the bountifully green rainforest and more breathable fresh air. You may want to hop on the Kinabatangan river cruise and enjoying to watch some primate species hanging on the treetops.
