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Mabul

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Mabul Island
Mabul Island
The map of mabul Island
The map of mabul Island

Mabul Island (Pulau Mabul in Malay) is a small island off the south-east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. The island is known as one of the best muck diving destinations in the world.

[edit] Understand

The island is covered in palm trees and fringed with fine beaches. It is a famous diving spot for divers, both international and local alike, and is well known as the macro diving paradise.

It is located near Pulau Sipadan.

[edit] Get in

Make your way to Semporna, then take a boat from there. The journey takes about 30 minutes by speed boat, 1.5 hours by slow boat. Resorts and lodges provide boat transfers for their guests. Visitors can also come in on day tours by joining a dive trip organized by one of the dive operators in Semporna.

[edit] Get around

Mabul is small enough to be explored entirely on foot. There are no roads or cars. Boats take visitors to various diving and snorkeling sites around the island.

[edit][add listing] See

House on stilts at Mabul island
House on stilts at Mabul island

Mabul possesses beautiful sandy beaches lined with coconut palm trees. However, the indiscriminate throwing of litter by the local fishermen does much to detract from this beauty, particularly on the island's west side.

[edit][add listing] Do

One of the many nudibranchs in the waters around Mabul Island
One of the many nudibranchs in the waters around Mabul Island

Scuba diving - While its famous neighbour Sipadan is a home to large pelagic species, Mabul is the place to find the smaller macro species. Scorpionfishes, frogfishes, nudibranchs, crocodilefishes, various crustaceans and many other interesting and rare forms of marine life can be found here. Most dive sites are quite shallow - 12-18 m - with a maximum depth of around 30 m in a few places. Visibility is around 5-8 m at the real muck sites like Froggy Lair, Paradise Reef, and Seaventure Platform, reaching around 15 m at the seaward site Lobster Wall. Turtles can also be seen in places, although by far not as many as at Sipadan.

Snorkeling - A few sites close to shore are suitable for snorkeling, primarily around Paradise Reef as well as Lobster Wall.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Besides small shops in resorts and lodges there are no shops on the island.

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are no restaurants, but resorts and lodges provide their guests all meals.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Resorts and lodges provide drinks to their guests. Other than that there are no choices on Mabul.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are several resorts in the island.

[edit] Budget

  • Noble Inworlds Diving - http://www.sipadan.com A new homestay and Dive resort is Noble Inworld Diving S/B/ Arung Hayat (www.sipadan.com) which offers clean and basic accomodations on Mabul, extremely affordable diving, all BRAND NEW equipment, and high instructor to student ratios. We had a great time there, the sunsets off the dock are absolutely stunning and we passed some very peaceful and quiet nights out on the longhouse dock. The owner Bas is friendly and open to negotiation as his shop is brand new and he wants to make a name for himself. Price for homestay is 60 RM a night with all meals included and diving is 250 RM for 3 findives on Mabul. I've never seen so many nudibranches in my life!! We had a great time, and saved some money as well, will recommend this shop to others as we travel around for sure! Thanks a ton Bas!

  • Uncle Chang's Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge, 91307 Causeway Road S.O.T.C. (book at Uncle Chang's office right on the causeway in Semporna next to the Dragon Inn or at the second office near the dive shops at Semporna town, and get your transfer to the island arranged), ☎ +60 089 781002 (office hours) +60 089 786988 (24 hours) (), [1]. Their slogan is "now everyone can stay at Mabul island" and it's true. Compared with the resorts on Mabul that charge exorbitant rates, this place is more suited for budget travelers. However, facilities are very basic. The backpackers are improving and renovations have just recently finished. Try to get a room in the yellow building; it's much nicer as there are small balconies at the back. This lodge suits those who love to party because a live band performs at least twice a week, and there is loud music until 2AM. '''RM80 per person per night including all meals'''.  edit

Some people and even divemasters get drunk on a daily basis, some have been diving still intoxicated the nextday.

The diving equipment is very bad mantained and leaks. The owner does not seem to care about it. It is likelly to happend a serius accident any time.

Great place for drinking and pary, but bad one if you want to dive.

[edit] Mid-range

  • Mabul Dive Lodge, (book at dive centre in Semporna at Causeway Road near Semporna Ocean Tourism Centre), ☎ +60 089 919128, +60 089 781788 (), [3]. Air-conditioned chalets.  edit
  • Seaventures Dive Resort, (), [4]. An old accomodation barge (not an oil rig) that has been converted to a dive resort, just off the north shore of Mabul  edit

[edit] Splurge

  • Mabul Water Bungalows, [6]. starts at US$394 per non-diver for 2D1N twin share.  edit
  • Sipadan Water Village Resort, (fly into Tawau, then get picked up at the airport for transfer to the resort), ☎ +60 089 784227 / 784228 / 797008 / 797009 (, fax: +60 089 797006), [7]. Very nice chalets on stilts above the water, but very pricey. starts at US$425 per person for 2D1N twin share.  edit

[edit] Get out

Take a boat back to Semporna.

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