ACTIVITIES

SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKELING

When accommodation facilities closed down on Sipadan, many divers started using Mabul as their base to explore Sipadan’s underwater paradise. Sipadan is nothing less than a legend in diving circles, and most will tell of the giant schools of barracuda, abundance of turtles and the sharks that they have spotted here.

Have an encounter with the bizarre side of underwater life, with species like multicoloured nudibranches, pipefish, ribbon and snake eels, devil scorpionfish, stonefish, mantis shrimps, mandarin fish, frogfish, seahorses and crocodile fish all to be found here.
For those that are not taking the plunge into the depths, there is also some good snorkelling just off the jetty at Mabul. Snorkelling gear can be rented from the resorts.

VISIT A SEA GIPSY VILLAGE

The footpath around the island takes you right through a local village. Around 2 000 people call this village, made up entirely of wooden huts built on stilts, home. The villagers are Bajau, a term used to group a number of small tribes and ethnicities found in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Bajau are a people that have lived in the region for hundreds of years. They are often called Sea Gypsies, because of their nomadic lifestyle that is intertwined with the sea from birth till death. While many are Malaysian citizens, many are immigrants from the neighbouring Philippines, often without legal documents.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

If you are not content with just swimming in the sea, Borneo Divers has a swimming pool with a sunken bar while the Sipadan Mabul Resort has both a swimming pool and Jacuzzi.

A traditional massage is a must if you really want to relax, available at all the resorts (except Seaventures), or you can indulge in a full Spa treatment

Those that want to be more active can explore the island on mountain bike or paddle around it in a kayak, see sunset and sunrise. There is also the option of a game of beach volleyball.