Sipadan
The one most divers have on the list. Sipadan is an oceanic island off the east coast of Sabah where the reef wall drops away into deep water, and the fish life matches the reputation.
What the diving is like
Sheer walls dropping into the blue, strong fish life and turtles in numbers you stop counting. Barracuda Point is the site everyone talks about, and it earns it.
Access is controlled: Malaysia caps the number of daily permits issued for Sipadan, so trips need booking well ahead and your days on the island are limited.
Mabul, where you are based
You do not stay on Sipadan. Trips run from nearby Mabul, which is a serious macro destination in its own right.
That works in your favour. The days you are not on a Sipadan permit are spent on some of the better critter diving in Malaysia rather than sitting on a beach.
What you are likely to see
Green and hawksbill turtles, bumphead parrotfish, schooling barracuda and jacks on the wall, and on Mabul the usual frogfish, nudibranchs and cuttlefish.
Where we stay
Borneo Divers Mabul Resort, in Semporna, which holds Sipadan permits and runs the daily boats across.
Photographs courtesy of Borneo Divers Mabul Resort.
