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.

 

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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