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Fearless At The Beautiful Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
When you think of Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort you need to vision floating cabanas, blue water, diving, sunsets and fun. This resort is noted as one of the Top Diving Destination in the world. What a perfect tropical adventure holiday in Borneo, Malaysia. Research on Trip Advisor was a must before our departure. Before you start your adventure, I suggest to first learn to dive, then your adventure travel will begin. Let us see what this Dive Resort has to offer.
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Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort sits along the shallow Ligitan Reef with its airy water village. Dive locations are nearby in the turquoise blue water all accessible by dive boats. Here you will find Macro Diving along with big fish and turtle diving at Sipidan.
Our accommodations at the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort…
Adventure Packing for Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
I was so excited to go so just pack swimsuits, cover-ups and dive gear, which is all a girl needs. Then I thought oh, I need clothes for a stop in Singapore and Bangkok before we get there. The surprise came, when I saw my husband drag the underwater camera hard cases out and 2 dive gear suitcases completely filled. My next question was how were we going to travel with 2 suitcases of dive gear an underwater hard case, plus 2 more checked bags plus carry-ons. The start of a great adventure.
Wonderful Deck Chairs to watch the sunsets every evening.
Adventure Continues – Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Well, the adventure started by trying to squeeze all the luggage in the SUV to get to the airport, then next came the surprise at the check in counter. The airlines wanted us to pay for the extra 2 bags of dive gear. This was only on our first leg of then trip, we still had to go through 3 countries and different airlines. Then the idea came to me…Dive Gear is a sport so that is what we have in the 2 extra suitcases. Why not call it Sports Equipment.
Turtle at the cleaning station seen while diving Sipadan. Sorry for the poor quality underwater photos 🙂
Tip 1: Yes, dive gear is classified as a sport equipment and it was allowed on with No any extra fees. That worked for all airlines except for Air China which charged an outrageous about of money. (check with your airlines)
Now, we arrived in Boreno, Malaysia at our pick-up spot for the boat to take us a few minutes to the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort. The excitement built as we were shuttled onto the boat and not once have to touch all our suitcases. Look out world, here we come! Let us see what Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort has to offer.
Transportation – Sipadan-Kapalai Resort
Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort can be accessed through Semporna, Sabah Malaysia. Instructions and an address is given where to meet the boat when you book. With our booking we arranged for the hotel to send a van to pick us up at our hotel along with other divers at the airport to meet the boat. Once on the boat it is just a few minutes to the resort.
Our open air room at the Sipadan Dive Resort. Cozy!
Accommodations – Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
The accommodations were wonderful. Light and airy bungalows where the ocean wind provides your breeze through your room. Nice wood paneled rooms that open on to a balcony to lounge chairs to relax. Sit outside and watch the stars at night and leave the doors open to keep you cool in the evening. The bathrooms with the spa tube is nice treat.
Check out our room deck and a view of the beautiful turquoise water.
Good size tube/shower where the shutters open out into the room and one can soak and look at beautiful ocean.
Meals – Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Meals are included with the Package for Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort. The meals are served Buffet Style at set times of the day. Always a BBQ Meat and Fish for Dinner along with Rice at every meal. The meal was a little plain with chicken every day for lunch along with rice but after 3 dives a day your starving, so it all tastes good. The fresh fruit was wonderful.
Sunset from our Room Deck.
Diving – Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Diving at Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort is fun. I decided to be fearless, not afraid if there was a strong current or sharks and just sit back and enjoy the Dives. Yes, I became fearless.
The Dive Center is wonderful, they catalogue all your dive gear and then put in baskets for each person. Wet suits are hung to dry and ready for your next dive. When making Reservations you state how many dives a day you want to take and if you need to rent any gear. Since we came will all of our gear except for tanks, that is what we rented. We were still diving at the time with O2 so the after effects of diving all those dives a day was exhaustion.
Ball of fish under the dive boat at Sipadan.
Tip 2: Do not leave your dive computer in your dive baskets. Always check your gear and make sure your regulator and dive compass are there before each dive.
Parrot Fish…not so colorful or pretty
Turtles floating in and out of the cleaning station.
More on Diving – Spiadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
To dive Spiadan there is a Lottery. The resort is allowed so many people to dive a day or week there. We were there 8 days and we were scheduled to dive Spiadan 1 time. It was low season and when we saw other divers going more than once, we were able to dive it one more time. Everyone wants to see Sipadan with its huge ball of barracudas, turtle cleaning stations, sharks and so much more. Make sure to dive there but look out for dynamite blasting from the local fishermen.
Ball of Barracuda that typical forms here at Sipadan. A huge ball that kept taking Mr. 1AdventureTraveler away in the current.
*Sorry for the poor quality of underwater photos. Mr. 1AdventureTraveler was having problems with his camera light strobes and the ocean current was really ripping most days and his camera case seal started to leak. Thank goodness the company replaced the housing and camera but we lost lots of underwater photos.
Beautiful turtle heading into a fish ball that is rotating.
Other – Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort was a wonderful and fearless experience for me. This part of Boreno is Muslim and the women at the resort are encouraged keep covered up when not diving. Also, no alcohol is served here. Minus all that, the sunsets were wonderful and the experience is one I will never forget seeing the Barracuda Ball, Turtle Cleaning Stations, Sharks and let us not forget the nudibranchs while macro diving.
My favorite a Nudibranch.
Ecetera
To have the ultimate adventure learn to dive, it makes the best adventure travel. Make sure to look for my next diving adventure in Wakatobi Indonesia, Malaysia, Roatan in the Caribbean and Puerta Galera Philippines. Check out my other adventures at 1AdventureTraveler.
Remember to save our reefs
and
“Life is short go out and have an adventure”
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Would love to visit Sipadan when I head to Malaysia later in the year but it might be too far away. It looks like paradise though. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks David,
Diving Sipadan is a wonderful experience. Shame it is a bit far away from your trip to Malaysia. Looking forward to your articles on Malaysia when you return.
Happy Travels 🙂
I’m still trying to get past being charged for an extra case, but not when it’s “sport equipment.” Since Ann considers shopping to be a sport…you think they’ll wave that extra suitcase charge? 😉 What an adventure – great photos despite the mishaps. Thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
Thanks Rob,
I agree with Ann shopping is a sport and suitcases with new items should be considered sports equipment. lol 🙂 Yes thankfully that idea popped into my head because we had 4 total checked suitcases, Carry on: 2 roll on suitcases plus 2 pelican cases for underwater equipment and 2 backpacks. So the word Sports Equipment worked at least for most airlines. Air China charged us $400 for those sport 2 sport equipment suitcases. What can one do when your in Maylasia and stuck. But must admit the other passengers hated to see us board the plane and take up the all the bin room. 🙂
Happy Travels 🙂
Wow, this place looks like Paradise for me, I wish I could visit one day. Your scuba experience seemed to be a fun one, although you lost some good pictures. I am already checking for places for the next holiday, I might add this place on the list and see which one is the lucky place. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Oana,
This place Sipidan in Boreno Malaysia is a must see place to scuba dive and the hotel over the water was amazing. Wakatobi Dive Resort is another place to put on your scuba diving list. I always have fun underwater 🙂
Happy Travels 🙂
As a diver this is high on my list. So sorry though to hear about the strobe problems and housing leaks!! That’s the worst. I had no idea about the lottery system but I’m glad you were able to dive more than once. It makes want to cry to hear they’re still dynamite fishing…
Hi Elaine,
Our camera was replaced and housing but I will miss the photos. The dynamite is not in the reserved area of Sipidan but at other dive sites in the area. So scary. I am glad about the lottery to help keep down any damage to the reef. Happy to hear you are a diver.
Happy Travels 🙂
What an incredible experience! I’m not all that keen on deep water, but I’m more than happy to explore the ocean through your photographs. 🙂
Thanks Jane,
Diving is not for everyone and I actually like to dive in the shallows and see some amazing fish and sea creatures. Sometimes even a snorkel is just as good. Happy you like to explore the ocean through my photographs.
Happy Travel 🙂
It looks like a great place for scuba diving. We recently saw turtles whilst diving the GBR in Australia and would love to see more. We will have to add this to the list of dive sites to visit. Loved the deckchairs on the pontoon to watch the sunset! Thanks for sharing #WeekendWanderlust
Thanks D of Love C and D,’
Sipadan in Boreno Malaysia is a wonderful place to dive and see great balls of fish and at other dive sites some nudibranches. Also another great place to dive is Wakatobi Dive Resort in Indonesia. I have yet to dive the GBR which is on my bucket-list.
Happy Travels 🙂
Your dive trip sounds great! Good to know that dive gear is counted as sports equipment. The resort looks very cozy. The turtle rotating must have been a wonderful sight! We would love to visit this place! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Siddharth and Shruti,
My dive trip was fun and scary to where I became fearless. The turtle was amazing in front of a ball of fish plus the accommodations were wonderful. Hope you get a chance to visit someday.
Happy Travels 🙂
The Sipadan Kapalai dive resort looks really exotic. A great place to relax and then explore the mysteries of life beneath the sea. Sure you had a great adventure.
Thanks Sandy,
Sipadan was a great adventure. Happy to share a wonderful adventure and some underwater photos 🙂
Happy Travels 🙂
I am not a diver (I really don’t like fish) but I loved your photographs and sounds like you had a wonderful time! When I read about dives like this it does make me want to conquer my fear as it just looks so amazing! #feetdotravel
Thanks Tracy,
When scuba diving I am so excited to tackle the current and try to take the best photos. If you don’t scuba just snorkeling to see the amazing sea life and feel the peace is just as good 😊
Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort looks like the perfect place to stay. I like how they have meals included and it’s buffet food. There will be no going hungry!
The Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort was wonderful, plus not one sound of an air conditioner to spoil natures music. Buffets work well especially after multiple dives for hungry divers. 😁
I have been itching to get scuba certified for awhile, and I think you just inspired me to take the plunge (literally) Thank you for all the advice ,especially the tip about airline acceptations for scuba gear very helpful!
Thanks Care To Go Free,
Happy to inspire you to take the plunge to scuba dive. Hope the fish pictures worked. Lets hope tips on the scuba gear packed with the airlines work for you.
Happy Travels 🙂
This looks an incredible place to stay. We haven’t dived but would happily sit on the veranda and watch the world go by. This is a part of the world we have yet to explore, but looks stunning!
Hi Paul and Carole,
I agree siting on the veranda would be a nice way to spend the day with the turquoise water. A dive to see some sea life would make the visit over the top 🙂
Happy Travels 🙂
Incredible experience – I really want to go back to Asia and do some diving. I have heard many good things about Sipadan and it’s good to hear that there are limits on how many people can dive – shows that they are protecting the environment!
Hi Alexi,
Hope you make to it Sipadan one day and see some amazing dive sites. I’m with you on how great it is that they are protecting the environment by limiting the amount of people diving a day there. 😊
I seriously need to book a holiday like this, somewhere with turquoise water!!! #feetdotravel
Hi Lolo,
The turquoise water so amazing I could sit outside and read a book all day to just look at the view. Must admit the diving was good too 🙂
Happy Travels 🙂
I think your underwater photos are beautiful, and they will just get better and better. What a gorgeous place, it must have been a great adventure 🙂
Thanks Scarlett,
Diving Sipadan was so amazing and scary for me, but worth it. I just do not like strong currents. I like to go slow and take photos lol but did see some awesome sea life there.
Happy Travels 🙂
I know exactly where this resort is – Kapalai House Reef is one of my favourities! Please tell me you dived it, and did you see Elvis the huge moray eel? I am surprised you heard fish bombing in Sipadan as it’s a National Park and no one is allowed there without a permit (you already know about the permits, they are like gold dust aren’t they!). We sadly heard fish bombing at Kapalai, it’s scary isn’t it! Thanks for the tip that scuba diving gear is sports equipment, we will be trying that one out soon so fingers crossed it works for us as well (you know what some airlines are like, especially Air Asia!). Lovely to hear your story of this special place. #feetdotravel
How great you have heard of this resort. I saw a huge moray eel but didn’t know his name was Elvis 😁 Diving the Sipadan National Park was amazing as you know. Let me know if any airlines let your scuba gear go as sports equipment without extra charges…