Kapalai Dive Resort, nearest to Sipadan Island

"The purest image of natural serenity, the sandbank of Kapalai and its exclusive resort-on-stilts lie on a patch of brilliant tuquoise a few miles off the coast of Borneo, along the spectacular Ligitan Reefs and just a few minutes by speedboat from the celebrated islands of Sipadan and Mabul"  -Extracted from Top Nature & Dive Resorts of Borneo - Andrea and Antonella Ferrari

Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
The Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, sits on sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of the Ligitan Reefs. Planned and built in full style as an airy, comfortable, sunny water village with no land in sight, it boasts a mile long sandbank of powdery blindingly white sand and complete privacy.

The resort offers great food, roomy and elegant twin-sharing wooden chalets with huge private balconies and attached bathrooms. For those that like to take their morning jog, the walkways of the resort provide ample distance for a sweat accompanied by thousands of fish at your feet.

Meals are served in the open air hall, located in the centre of the chalets. A big western sun deck allows divers to have an evening drink or an after dive chat with a background of fabulous tropical sunsets.

Diving in Sipadan and Kapalai, one of the best dive locations in the world

Sipadan is an oceanic island that plunges nearly vertically 600 metres into the depths of the sea creating a ‘wall’ of crevices, balconies and cavities that play host to an astonishing variety of inhabitants. They are all in great numbers due to the constant swirling of nutrients from the sea. There are over 500 species of coral and 3000 species of fish identified to date.

The population of green turtles to be found in Sipadan are beyond belief along with pelagics such as white tips, hammerheads, grey reef sharks, the famous wall of barracuda, the school of bump head parrot fish that leave at dawn and return at dusk to make their bed on the crevices of the wall. Don’t miss diving at the world famous Barracuda Point and the eerie Drop Off (voted as the world’s best beach dive). A short swim from the shore and jetty reveals the 600m plunge. There is even a turtle cave for specialized divers to explore, romanticized for being a final resting place for turtles.

Sipadan Island was declared off-limits to all resorts in  2005 to preserve this treasured heritage.

Limitations

The resort does not allow pregnant women, child below 3 years, and guests aged 80 years and above.

All Rates in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) and per person

Rates listed have already been discounted. Everyday low prices.

Rates based on minimum 2 persons (twin sharing)

Maximum 4 Adults in a chalet

Non Diver Child (3-11 years) sharing same room (maximum 2 person), 45% off Non Diver Twin Share Rates

Diver Child follows Diver Rates

All divers must have minimum PADI Open Water certification or equivalent

Below rates valid until 31 March 2014

Dive equipment rental rates (to be paid on-site)

Rates may change without notice

What does it include?

* Meet and land transfer from Tawau Airport to our Private Jetty at Semporna (70 mins) & return transfer.
* Boat transfer to Kapalai Island & return
* Accommodation at the resort.
* Diving by boat for Diver (3 boat dives daily except on arrival and departure days)
* Unlimited house reef dives in front of Kapalai Dive Centre (for diver only)
* Fresh buffet meals (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
* Afternoon snacks
* Tea/Coffee, Cold Water and Cordial served throughout the day.
* Tanks, Weight and Belt are provided.
* No extra charge for night dives in front of dive centre (strictly for advanced diver or diver with night dive experience only)
* Snorkeling around the resort (excludes snorkel gears)

Sipadan Dive Permit Application and Limitations

Entry to Sipadan Island requires a permit for each visitor and may not be approved if the quota is exceeded. Dive resorts have no control over the authorities selection process. Approval is issued by Sabah Parks just one day before entry, therefore we nor the dive resorts can give you advance notice. The resort will still apply for guests to enter this restricted area. Should there be an approval in any of the day during the guest's stay, the resort will bring the guest to dive at Sipadan at a fee. Chances are higher if guests stay longer. However, there is NO GUARANTEE on a permit during your stay.

Sipadan at this present moment only allows 120 persons per day. Any dive resort operating here holds no responsibility for NOT being able to dive in Sipadan due to conservation restrictions applied by the government authorities. The resort will only try their best to arrange for every guest an opportunity to dive in Sipadan waters.

What Happens If There Are No Sipadan Permits Available at Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort?

There is NO Guarantee on Sipadan permits due to limited spaces. In the event that there are no Sipadan permits available during your stay at Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, the Resort Management may endeavour to assist you to book permit from other resorts (upon request). You will therefore have to bear the permit charges from other resorts which the amount will be advised accordingly at the resort itself. This price (varies from MYR 150 to MYR 300 per permit per day) is subject to change and will be updated every now and then. Guest is to pay for the permit and boat fees at the resort according to the current rate. This will be subject to your approval. Please note that Sipadan permit is not guaranteed and there is no first come first serve basis.

What does it exclude?

Rental of dive equipment, insurance, air tickets

Non diver package excludes diving activities, dive and snorkel equipment. Guests may snorkel around the resort for free but with own equipment.

Best time to visit

Diving is possible all year round at Sipadan although January and August has rougher weather. 

Getting here

The gateway to Sipadan is the sleepy town of Tawau located in Sabah, East Malaysia. Tawau is accessible by flight via Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, the capitals of Sabah and Sarawak respectively. Semporna is the launchpoint to Sipadan, Kapalai and Mataking islands.

Flight Timing Guide

Arrival
Book the earliest flight to arrive Tawau. Latest by 1430 hrs, for transfer to resort on same day.

1st boat into KAPALAI is at 1000 hrs, earliest flight to look for is from Kota Kinabalu arrival Tawau around 0740 hrs.

Departure
Book any flight from 1000 hrs onward.

To stay up to last departure boat at 1330 hrs from KAPALAI, earliest flight you can look for is anytime from 1700 hrs.

Travel duration

Tawau Airport to Kapalai private jetty (Semporna), 80 minutes
Kapalai private jetty to resort, 45 minutes

Scheduled Boat Transfers

Semporna to Kapalai - 10.00am; 12.30pm and 0400pm
Kapalai to Semporna - 06.30am, 09.30am and 13.30pm

Our Say

This is Malaysia’s finest diving. Top of every discerning diver’s list of must-dive places. The variety of fauna in Sipadan is truly astonishing, over a one week stay, we counted the wall of barracuda, grey reef, white tip, hammerheads, leopard shark, manta rays, green turtles everywhere and just about every type of reef fauna.

The rooms are great with the expected amenities. It’s great to sit in the bath tub and watch schools of fish beneath you.

Absolutely essential!