Malaysia, bordered by Thailand to the north and Indonesia to the south, sits right in the heart of South-East Asia. It is no surprise therefore, that it is home to some of the best scuba diving on the planet. Liveaboards in Malaysia often visit places that cannot be dived by resorts in the area, or as is the case in Sipadan, liveaboards allow more frequent diving at the most sought-after sites.
Many people have heard of Sipadan Island, a little gem of an island surrounded by waters that are absolutely teeming with life. There are few islands in the world that can be so small and insignificant on the surface yet, so extraordinary and celebrated beneath the surrounding seas. Scuba divers look forward to seeing the line-up of incredible creatures that fill the water: sharks, turtles, bumphead parrotfish, jacks and barracuda. Sometimes there are so many fish you can lose sight of your buddies.
Sites like Barracuda Point, South Point and The Drop-Off are what made this area famous. On a single dive you can drop down a sheer wall where turtles abound, through a vast school of jacks to where several sharks patrol the wall's edge. A squadron of meaty bumphead parrotfish can come marauding along the reef munching the coral to a fine sand before you find yourself staring up through a swirling vortex of barracuda. It is little wonder that Sipadan is of worldwide acclaim. [More details on these dive sites: Sipadan]
Mabul and Kapalai on the other hand, offer a very different diving experience. House reefs, often enriched with artificial reef structures, are home to big schools of jacks and meaty groupers. However, it is the macro life that makes the critter havens of Mabul and Kapalai stand out. You might spot frogfish, ribbon eels, crocodilefish, ghost pipefish, cuttlefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mandarinfish and many more bizarre creatures. [More details on these dive sites: Mabul - Kapalai].
Prompt responses to the initial emails, very competitive prices. Good organisation of hotel pick-ups, accommodation and boat transfers. The confirmation email of the booking was very reassuring. Once the trip was booked and paid for I didn't have to worry about anything else
