Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Mabul Water Bungalows or Kapalai Island Resort?

Interest forums / Diving & Snorkelling

Hello and thanks in advance for your help.

Does anyone have a suggestion regarding which of these two places I should stay? I do not know that I don't like muck diving, as I have not spent any time doing it, and I am mainly going because I want to cross Sipadan Island off the wish list.

I will spend the following week in Layang Layang. So if you have any pointers on what to see when traveling between the two, that would be great, as well.

Thanks again so very much.

If you decide to stay at Kapalai, they have a sister resort at Sepilok on Borneo where there is an orang-utan sanctuary. It's easy to link up time at both places. Other than that, when you are at Kota Kinabalu, you could take a tour up the mountain (Mount Kinabalu), maybe with an overnight in a traditional long-house.

Between Kapalai Dive Resort and Mabul Water Bungalows I prefer MWB because they pump Nitrox.

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Kapalai is simply wonderful. An absolutely stunning place, although it costs! the number of dives they will allow you to do to Sipidan itself will be strictly controlled however. Check with them for details before you book.

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Have a look at

http://www.destination-scuba.com/sipadan-kapalai.html

From Kapalai I went to Sepilok which was good, then went to Lankayan which I preferred to sipidan for variety - Sipidan is fantastic and a must do, the permit issue is a problem

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