Mabul

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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] 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] See

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] Do

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] Buy

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

[edit] Eat

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

[edit] Drink

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

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• 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), : info@sipadanbackpackers.com, Website: http://www.sipadanbackpackers.com/. Check in:9:30AM. Check out:8:30AM. 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 suited for budget travelers. However, facilities are very basic, especially the bathrooms which seriously need an overhaul. Try to get a room in the yellow building, it's much nicer as there are small balconies at the back. RM50 per person per night including all meals

[edit] Mid-range

• Borneo Divers Mabul Dive Resort, : reservations@borneodivers.info, Website: http://www.borneodivers.info/

• Mabul Dive Lodge (book at dive centre in Semporna at Causeway Road near Semporna Ocean Tourism Centre), : +60 089 919128, +60 089 781788, : diving@northborneo.net, Website: http://www.northborneo.net/. Air-conditioned chalets.

• Seaventures Dive Resort, : info@seaventuresdive.com, Website: http://seaventuresdive.com/. An oil rig that has been converted to a dive resort, just off the north shore of Mabul

• Sipadan Mabul Resort, : mabul@po.jaring.my, Website: http://www.sipadan-mabul.com.my/

[edit] Splurge

• Mabul Water Bungalows, Website: http://www.mabulwaterbungalows.com/ starts at US$394 per non-diver for 2D1N twin share

• 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, : mabul@swvresort.com, Website: http://www.swvresort.com/. Very nice chalets on stilts above the water, but very pricey. starts at US$425 per person for 2D1N twin share

[edit] Get out

Take a boat back to Semporna.