Sitting on sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reefs, Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort is one of the best resorts in the Sipadan Islands. Built-in full style as a relaxing and comfortable water village with no land in sight. The resort offers the purest image of beautiful natural serenity.

Dive spots from Sipadan Kapalai Resort are extremely close and can be reached in just a few minutes. Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort is an ideal destination for divers and non-divers alike seeking a great holiday experience. Are you ready for an adventure this summer? Here’s the Guide to Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort in Malaysia.

 

The Best Diving Spot in Malaysia

 

Sipadan Kapalai Resort Dive Centre provides diving, snorkeling, and kayaking gear for rent. The resort also offers a variety of diving courses (Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI) which is best for first-time divers. The courses include Open Water and Introduction to Night Diving.

Diving around Kapalai is exceedingly easy and shallow but quite spectacular. The corals and the sandy bottom host an amazing array of colorful underwater animals making diving here an unforgettable experience. The island is home to the weird and brightly colored flamboyant cuttlefish rumbling on the bottom creating the most spectacular underwater display.

 

Dive Resort Facilities

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort offers an innovative concept with a touch of a traditional Malay-style village. Kapalai’s chain of chalets are all linked by miles of wooden walkways.

The resort is made of 59 wooden chalets offering twin and triple sharing accommodation are attached with a clever balcony which offers the total sought privacy by the lovers of sunbathing and sun tanning. Chalets are equipped with bathrooms with bathtubs, showers, and toiletries. It is also equipped with coffee and tea-making machines.

Other facilities:

  • Broadband Internet Access
  • Satellite phone
  • Freshwater from mainland

Dining Services

Delicious meal served in buffet style under the terraced, open central structure. A huge western sundeck with a sitting area that allow divers to have a drink, a great spot for relaxation while enjoying the view of Kapalai’s fabulous tropical sunset.

Dining Timetable

Breakfast: 7 am – 10:30 am
Lunch: 12:30 pm – 2 pm
Dinner: 7 pm – 8:30 pm

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Rental Price for Extra Equipment

Kayak – MYR 35 per hour
Kayak transparent – MYR 50 per hour
BC Jacket – MYR 38 per day
Regulator / Gauges – MYR 38 per day
Mask, snorkel – MYR 23 per day
Fins – MYR 13 per day
Wet suit – MYR 32 per day
Booties – MYR 12 per day

 

How to get to Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort

From your location, fly to Tawau, the nearest town to Kapalai Island You can fly to Tawau either from Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore.

From Tawau
The resort shuttle service will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to Semporna town (50 minutes)

From Semporna
Take the resort speed boat to Kapalai Island (40 minutes)

Scheduled boat transfers from Semporna to Kapalai Island

  • 10:00 am
  • 12:30 pm
  • 3:30 pm

Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort Map

Other Resorts and Hotels Near Sipadan Kapalai

  • Seafest Hotel
  • Green World Hotel
  • 7 Inn
  • Sipadan Inn 2
  • Wave View Hotel
  • Grace Hotel Semporna
  • Pacific Inn
  • Dragon Inn Floating Resort
  • Ocean House
  • Han Palace Hotel
Sipadan Island Travel Guide - Malaysia

 

Located in Southeast Asia, Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 meters from the seabed. Sipadan is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The iconic Sipadan Island is home to many species of marine life.

Formed by living corals on top of an extinct volcanic cone that looks thousands of years to develop. It is home to more than 400 species of fish and hundreds of corals species classified in this ecosystem.

Sipadan Island is one of the top destinations for divers around the world. The island is a home of the beautiful species like green and hawksbill turtles, enormous schools of barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, and many more.

 

 

Weather Condition

 

 

Sipadan Island is known for its paradise-like nature for divers. The weather is great year-round, especially for divers
but conditions vary with the time of the year.

Conditions are best between Mid-February and July or September until November when the visibility is best and conditions are settled. Visibility during these months ranges between 12 and 30 meters.

The days are usually sunny and hot and the seas are usually calm. Experienced Sipadan tourists and divers claim that March through June are the best months for diving.

 

Suggested Article:
Malaysia Backpacking Guide 2022

 

 

How to Get to Sipadan Island

 

Sipadan is reachable only by boat at the end of a journey involving air, land, and sea. The nearest airport from the Sipadan Island is the Tawau Airport in Sabah, Malaysia, and the other airport is Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

From either of these two airports, you have to travel to Semporna Island. You can take buses, minivans, and personal cabs waiting at the airports, a drive from Tawau Airport to Semporna Island will take up to 90 minutes. And from Semporna Island, you have a changeover to ferry boats that will get you to Mabul Island.

 

 

Where to Stay?

Staying comfortably in a resort is a great experience during your stay in Sipadan Island. Here is the list of resorts which
you can pick one that offers great service and hospitality.

 

1. Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort

Occupying chalets in wood stilts built over the best view of the sea, this laid-bak resort with a dive center sits on the
edge of the sandbar of Kapalai. A breakfast buffet is served in a rustic open-air restaurant. There’s also a furnished
sundeck. The on-site dive center offers trips, gear, and courses.

 

2. Sipadan Water Village

The luxurious beds and private spa pools, the resort is one of the best resorts on Sipadan Island. Spending someday in
Sipadan Water Village will leave you the best memories, the best place to chill and unwind.

 

3. Sipadan Mabul Resort

The iconic resort has provisions of water bungalows and chalets. Well equipped to give tourists the best satisfaction while on the island. The resort has an eye-catching ambiance and decors in beautiful surroundings. The wooden bungalows are a bit wider than the duplex chalets with a great view.

 

 

Things to do in Sipadan Island

Sipadan Island will bring you an unforgettable experience of adventure activities like water sports that you can indulge in. Here are the things you can do during your stay at Sipadan Island

  1. Scuba Diving

  2. Sipadan Liveaboard

  3. Snorkeling

  4. Bird watching

  5. Swimming

If you want to truly experience everything that Asia can offer, Malaysia is definitely the place to be especially for the amazing food here that is praised by all. I’m very sure that everyone has been itching to travel and this applied to either foreigners who want to visit or Anak Malaysia who just want to be out and about.

Not sure if traveling to Malaysia is even allowed with the current pandemic? Or maybe you’re just not familiar with the SOPs (Standard of Procedures) in the country so you don’t want to take the next step.

Don’t worry as we’ve got you covered in this Malaysia Backpacking Guide 2022 with everything you need to know about the SOPs during this global pandemic. Don’t miss out on all the amazing things from bee farms in Cameron Highlands to black sands in Pasir Hitam!

 

 

The Complete Guide To Backpacking In Malaysia (With Up-to-date SOPs)

 

1. Plan Your Trip

hand holding a pen pointing the map

Many people may irk at the notion of needing to plan their travels because of all the latest trends on spontaneous backpacking but you should be warier especially during these periods. It’s important to lay out a full plan and check with every destination before you make any decisions.

That is because although most restrictions have been lifted from most industries, there are a few that are stricter than others. Some areas and landmarks may still be closed to the public so it’s better if you check them out before going out into unfamiliar territory.

Call them up or just do a simple Google search to see if they’re open, it’s really just that simple. You don’t want to end up halfway around the world just to know that the place isn’t open and you have no idea what to do next. Make sure you’re fully vaccinated as well before you travel as all areas will require you to be so when you visit.

 

 

2. Determine A Budget

man holding a phone

It’s important to know how much your budget is during your stay to avoid any possible financial issues that might occur. Backpackers usually have a smaller budget as their motto is to travel with the least amount of things possible and enjoy it to the fullest. Luckily for them, it’s quite inexpensive for backpackers in Malaysia.

We estimate that you’ll probably need about $40 (about RM166 as of this blog post) a day in Malaysia to cover all expenses including accommodations, food, transportation, and just enough for one entertainment a day. Of course, this budget will vary from person to person but having $40 dollars can be your benchmark to give you an idea of what to expect financially.

 

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3. Bring An Umbrella

Malaysia is a country located in the equatorial region and is considered to have a tropical rainforest climate. This means that though Malaysia is less likely to experience rainfall during dry seasons, it is still very susceptible to it during specific periods.

This is especially true during the months of March, April, September, October, and November. On other days, it is usually very sunny which is also a reason why you should have an umbrella at all times.

Rain or shine, bring an umbrella to make sure that you’re fine.

 

 

4. Transportation

Public transport is quite easy to access in most towns and cities in Malaysia, especially within the Klang Valley. Busses, Taxis, Monorails, and Commuters are designed to bring you to all parts of the city and they’re quite cheap too.

It probably only costs you somewhere around $1 to travel to and back your destination unless you plan on heading somewhere far from your origin. Taxi fares are a little more costly which is to be expected since they run by the meter.

Make sure you get a Touch’n’Go card as it’ll make your life easier during your stay. It has multiple functions aside from paying for transportation as well.

 

 

5. Follow the rules!

Just recently, Malaysia has released all traveling restrictions on fully vaccinated Malaysians but foreigners are still unable to travel into the country as of 11/10/2021. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to know their SOPs as you’re preparing for future travels.

The SOPs are simple, have your face mask on at all times when you are in public areas, and keep your distance against strangers in public, 1 meter apart. Being fully vaccinated is a must and quarantine yourself if you feel unwell with specific symptoms.

One important thing to take note of is the MySejahtera app which Malaysia uses to keep track of the status of everyone in the country. It’s important as you’ll need to check-in and check-out whenever you visit an area.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. What’s a good money-saving tip when backpacking in Malaysia?

The best way to save money while still being able to enjoy the best Malaysia can offer is by trying the abundance of street food available. This way, you get to taste amazing food at the low low cost of only about $3 dollars a meal!

 

2. Is Malaysia safe to backpack travel around?

Malaysia is considered quite safe to backpack travel in as violent crimes are not usually seen even in the dark city areas. With that said, petty theft is very common around these areas and even taxi drivers try to scam foreigners at times. You’ll have to be alert and make sure that things go accordingly such as turning on the taxi meter.

 

Conclusion

Malaysia is a wonderful country to start backpacking in with all the amazing sights to see from the busy city of Kuala Lumpur to the calm countryside farms in Pahang. There are also many places to hike and even camp if that is an agenda on your list and that list never ends. 

Just be sure to comply with all SOPs and stay safe while traveling. You wouldn’t want to miss it for the world but be cautious.