In the far east of Borneo, just off the first Philippine islands, lies a little paradise on earth - the Semporna Islands.
While the town of the same name is a dirty and uninteresting harbour, the series of adjacent small tropical islands with their pristine beaches and rings of coral reefs are considered one of the best dive sites in the world.
Search for accommodation in Semporna
Although Semporna is of particular interest to divers, the islands can also be enjoyed by those who just want to snorkel and swim. It's also interesting to meet the local sea nomads who wander from place to place between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Which islands to choose?
Not for nothing is Semporna considered one of the areas with the best underwater life in the whole world.
The king of all islands here is tiny Sipadan - a unique island that forms the top of a seamount. The number of people entering Sipadan each day is severely limited and reservations must be made well in advance, and there are also significantly higher fees for diving here than anywhere else in the area.
You can also visit the following islands:
- Mabul - The closest island to Sipadan with a number of hotels and dive centres. Suitable for observing miniature forms of underwater life.
- Kapalai - Basically just a sandbar surrounded by coral reefs, great for diving for turtles, rays and cuttlefish.
- Bohey Dulang - The island offers an interesting hike to a local lookout hill, where you'll be able to view the small islands and coral reefs from the air.
- Mataking - This beautiful island with its white beaches is the closest to the Philippine border. It is famous as an island with good underwater visibility and calm seas with no currents.
Permits to Sipadan Island
If you want to head to the main local attraction, Sipadan Island, be prepared for many others to have the same itinerary.
There are only 176 permits issued for each day, which need to be divided among the various dive centres, as well as other visitors to the islands.
Each dive agency or resort is allocated a certain number of permits, which they then distribute to their clients.
If you want to increase your chances of getting a Sipadan permit, book well in advance, for a longer stay (resorts allocate permits to those who will go diving on other islands with them) or travel outside the high season (March-May, September-October).
Admission to the Semporna Islands
Different fees are required to enter each island. The main ones are currently as follows:
- Sipadan - The diving fee is 350 myr (250 myr Malaysians), the conservation fee is 100 myr (50 myr Malaysians).
- Tun Sakaran Marine Park (Bohey Dulang) - The diving fee is 150 myr (100 myr), hiking fee is 50 myr (20 myr), conservation fee is 20 myr (8 myr).
Diving and snorkeling on the islands is usually only allowed at certain times of the day, tour operators never schedule cruises outside of these times.
Is Semporna safe?
The area around Semporna and the adjacent islands have gained a bad reputation due to the many kidnappings of locals and foreigners. The most notorious incident in the area was the kidnapping of 10 tourists and 11 local workers from a hotel on Sipadan, but there have been more than 100 kidnappings in the area in the past.
For this reason too, many foreign tourists wonder if it is safe to travel to the area.
The Malaysian army patrols the area regularly, and you will see many army boats on cruises between the islands to ensure security. The last kidnapping took place in 2019, but we still recommend following official reports and recommendations from authorities for travel to the area.
Accommodation on the islands of Semporna
If you want to be as close to the sea as possible, you can stay directly on one of the islands. Most of them are uninhabited, but on some islands you will find diving resorts in particular. We recommend these accommodations:
- Mabul - Spheredivers Scuba & Leisure
- Mataking - Mataking Reef Resort
Accommodation in Semporna
Many visitors to Semporna choose to stay in town, from where they then set off on individual diving or snorkelling trips. Semporna has a wider range of accommodation than the surrounding islands and prices are lower.
Transportation islands Semporna
You can't get to the individual islands around Semporna by any public transport, you have to use organised tours.
You can then get to Semporna by the following methods.
By air
The nearest airport to Semporna is the airport Tawau International Airport TWU, with direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, several Chinese cities and Kota Kinabalu.
Many dive agencies and centres provide organised airport transfers for their clients. If you're travelling on your own, use a taxi from the airport to transfer to the Sabindo Square Bus Terminal in Tawau, where there is a direct bus to Semporna.
By bus
You can also get to Semporna by bus from many destinations in Borneo.
You can get direct night and day buses to Kota Kinabalu, purchased from 60 myr.
Buses from Semporna also leave for Tawau, Lahad Datu or Semporna.
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