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Sabah, North Borneo (by Grace Lim)
Sipadan Island Sipadan island is probably on every diver's "must-dive" list. The island is unique on its own. In the middle of the Celebes Sea, it is the only oceanic island of Malaysia. The waters are well known for pelagic life where sharks, barracudas, jacks, schools of bumphead parrot fish frequent and not forgetting those peaceful green turtles and occasional hawksbill turtles. These turtles also come to shore to lay eggs at night. There is a small non-profit turtle hatchery program on the island. Marine life here is so rich that as soon as you enter the waters, it all comes alive with colors and momentum. Dive sites are nearby, within reach of less than 5 minutes boat ride. Also featuring the famous "Drop-Off" where you can literally jump off from the beach into waters so deep you can't see the bottom! The highlight of Sipadan is the wall dives. Because it does not sit in the continental shelf, the reefs are walls teem with life that goes to depths of about 700 metres. In the region, Sipadan is joined with many other beautiful and uninhabited islands. However because of its close proximity with Mabul and Kapalai islands, it is quite common divers will also dive at these 2 islands about 15 minutes boat ride away. Now these 2 islands offers a very different diving experience altogether from Sipadan. There are about 5 establishments on the island.
Mabul Island
Seaventures Dive Resort This is a recently refurbished oil rig. It is actually quite interesting to live and dive off an oil rig. It's an experience of a lifetime. The sturdy rig sits approximately 1 km outside of Mabul Island with the island in sight. The resort offers the ease from sand flies and mosquitoes! Guests get to dive in Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan. The house reef just below the resort offers unlimited diving with plenty of macro critters. You will also see Elvis, a really big Moray eel. This resort is ideal if you have a group of friends. Rooms are comfortable with air-conditioning. Facilities include karaoke lounge (Asian style sing-a-long) and VCD movies as well as a snooker table. Guests can also go up onto Mabul island upon request where the staff can prepare a picnic basket to bring on shore.
Kapalai Island The island is actually a small sandbank, which sometimes disappear when the tide is high. The accommodation is rather different as compared to Sipadan Island Dive Resort and SMART. The resort features a water village style built on stilts sitting on the Ligitan Reefs. Rooms, restaurant, dive shop are linked by walkways with the plenty of fish beneath your feet. The rooms are airy and roomy with attached bathrooms and private balconies. It's altogether quite a different experience at Kapalai. The island's dive sites are known as macro havens. Marine life such as blue ring octopus, sea horse, nudibranchs, mandarin fish, tiny crabs and shrimps, blue ribbon eels, cuttlefish, mantis shrimp, crab-eye gobies, crocodile fish and the list goes on… Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort is a sister property of Sipadan Island Dive Resort. It is also possible to combine your stay in both resorts to enjoy the different experiences. Lankayan Island Now, here is a rare piece of jewel. My personal favorite, Lankayan Island is also known as the Jewel of Sulu Sea. It is a one island one resort where one can find peace and tranquility with excellent dive spots, unspoilt beaches and a great resort. Dive sites are nearby within minutes of reach. I have notice very healthy and large variety of soft corals in Lankayan. It makes the diving all the more colorful. Jawfish Liar is a famous dive site where you can see huge yellow jawfish in their burrows. Sometimes in season, it will be a real treat to see the males with eggs in their mouth. Diving here is a little more varied.
Besides the macros, you will also get to see barracudas, jacks, giant red emperors, sweetlips, leopard sharks and of course whale sharks during March to May. Critters like zebra crabs, elegant squat lobsters, sexy shrimps, orang utan crabs (spider crab which resembles an Orang Utan), nudibranchs… There are also 2 wrecks to add to the variety of diving. From the beach and jetty it is possible to do unlimited shore diving or I strongly recommend sunset dives which are fantastic! Accommodation varies from apartment type; perfect if you have a bunch of friends, to honeymoon type bungalows for couples. Dive guides are very professional, you not only get great diving but great education from the large selection of fish ID books. After dinner, you can relax on the sun deck where star filled skies whisk you to the charms of Lankayan. The staff will also happily sing and play the guitar for you after a couple of beers! There is also a small hatchery where occasionally turtles come to shore to lay eggs. It is also possible to go egg-laying watching. Sandakan is the gateway to Lankayan Island Dive Resort. It is also the Wildlife Capital of Sabah, Before or after diving, you can combine your trip with some wildlife experiences of jungle trekking, river cruising in search of the Proboscis Monkeys, visit feeding Orang Utans, bird watching and many more. Usually I would recommend my guest to stay at the Sepilok Jungle Resort, a family owned establishment with budget to executive suites accommodation. Of course, great food! I always recommend places with GREAT FOOD.
Mantanani Island
If you like to know more about the islands and Sabah, you can contact Grace on email at grace@geckotrails.com or visit the website: www.geckotrails.com.
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Sabah,
North Borneo is fringed by the South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes
Sea. The seas are teeming with life in every possible way. Marine life
range from large pelagic to the tiniest macro critters. I couldn't be
more honored to present you here with some of our best diving spots. 
Sipadan
Island Dive Resort is one of the best operators. The resort is well appointed
with most sea-facing comfortable chalets that come with attached bathrooms.
The staff and dive guides are very professional. Food is delectable, especially
after a full day of diving, you do look forward going to the restaurant.
Usually there are 3 boat dives a day, which include excursions to Kapalai
as well as Mabul Island. Then there are the unlimited shore diving where
most people enjoy the "Drop-Off" very much. There is also an underwater
cavern known as the Turtle Tomb where skeletons of turtles can
be found lying on the bed. For unknown reasons, there turtles enter the
tomb and died there, some says because they can't find their way back
to the surface to breathe. To dive at this cavern, special arrangements
have to be made in advance.
Mabul
Island sits in a triangle of islands along with Sipadan and Kapalai. Mabul
is the largest of the three. The island is also shared by a small malay
fishing village which provide photo opportunities and an extra activity
to roam through the village in between dives. Mabul is known as one of
the best "Muck-Diving" in the world. You can find some of the oddest looking
creatures here. Personally I enjoyed myself here when I spotted Ornate
ghost pipe fish, blue ribbon eel, frogfish, very cute
dwarf scorpion fish, juvenile file fish, leaf fish,
eels, flying gurnards, octopus, nudibranchs…
Honestly your eyes have to be quite sharp when you dive in Mabul as well
as Kapalai. Sipadan-Mabul Resort (SMART) is perhaps the best of all among
the resorts in the 3 islands. It has a private beach where guests can
relax after or in-between dives. Mostly sea-front chalets which comes
with attached bathroom and air-conditioning. Food is sumptuous with a
wide spread of buffet style meals. There is also a swimming pool and a
Jacuzzi pool for the tired muscles. The dive shop is airy and very spacious,
you hardly bump or have to fight for space for your gear! Dive guides
here are extremely helpful. Gears are loaded onto the boat by the staff
every morning, and after every dive, your tanks will be changed and ready
for you. You do get rather spoilt with the SMART team. Scubazoo Images,
within the resort offers a range of photographic of video services. The
shop has a photo, E6 slide processing centre. At The Zoo they are extremely
professional and friendly, you can request them to do underwater video
filming souvenirs for your trip. 
Mantanani
island is a group of 3 isolated islands north of the capital Kota Kinabalu.
The island is perfect for a dive trip when time is constraint because
of its closet proximity to the capital. Only recently were the islands
discovered to be a fantastic dive spot. The largest island is where the
only resort is. The establishment is small with 9 large sea-front plantation
style bungalows. Diving here is rather relaxing, definitely no rush and
no crowds. From the resort, you can see the silhouette of Mount Kinabalu.
Being on the west side of Sabah, sunsets here are captivating, beyond
words sometimes. Frigate birds will gather by thousands at dusk to rest
on the nearby island. What I really enjoyed was kayaking around the island
during sunset. There are many dive sites here with more still being explored.
The sites are varied with different things to offer. Nudibranch/sea slugs
fanatics will find their pleasure with Mantanani. There are many species
here. I added 6 new ones which I've never seen to my dive log! New species
are still being identified here in Mantanani, for some divers they find
it frustrating because they couldn't identify the species in books! Very
exciting! Visibility can be very good with calm and crystal clear waters.
Eagle rays, marble rays, shrimps, blue ring octopus, sea horses, eels
can be found here too. There are also 3 wrecks in the area. I have never
seen so many different species of shrimps on just one small rock anywhere
else but here. The highlight of Mantanani is the Dugongs, a marine mammal
that feed on sea grasses. They come to feed in the bay when there are
sea grasses and goes back into deeper waters. It is when they feed, you
can grab your mask and snorkel to swim with them.