Borneo island is composed of Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) offers several world class diving islands and resorts which can be combined with a Sipadan dive trip.
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Other Sabah Dive Resorts
- Lankayan Island Resort
- Bohey Dulang Resort (Pearl Island Resort)
- Labuan Diving
- Kota Kinabalu Diving
- Layang Layang Dive Resort
East and North Kalimantan Dive Resorts (accessible from Sabah)
- Maratua Paradise Resort
- Derawan Dive Lodge
- Nabucco Island Resort
- Nunukan Island Resort
- Sangalaki Island
How to combine two islands during your trip in Borneo
Sabah (Borneo, Malaysia) offers far more than a single scuba diving destination. After diving Sipadan's deep walls and observing its huge schools of barracuda and exploring the reefs of Mabul and Kapalai islands for macro highlights such as flamboyant cuttlefish, frogfish, and rare tiny nudibranchs.
For a more private and peaceful tropical escape, Lankayan island located near Sandakan delivers pristine coral gardens, guaranteed sea turtle sightings and relaxed drift dives which offer ideal opportinities for scuba divers.
Looking south toward Kalimantan, the Derawan-Maratua archipelago combines a variety of diving adventures. Maratua Island's channels can bring exhilarating fish action; Sangalaki is known for manta encounters; Kakaban's unique jellyfish lake (no stings) offers a memorable non-diving experience between boat days. Dive resorts here typically pair daily dive programs with full-board stays, making planning straightforward for scuba divers or snorkelers who are looking all inclusive packages.
The logistics within Sabah remain simple while travelling from Sabah to Kalimantan needs to be well planned. Most travelers fly into Tawau for Semporna boat connections to Pulau Mabul or Pulau Kapalai, then extend north or south depending on preference and schedule or just combine their stay on Mataking or Pom Pom Island or Bohey Dulang Resort or joining the Sipadan liveaboard which are just nearby. Stays of 5-7 nights at Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai followed by 3-5 nights at a second island near the wildlife and orang utans of Sandakan and the Kinabatangan river makes a nice balance between big-fish diving at Sipadan with laid-back reef time at Lankayan. Lankayan park rules and the Sipadan permit system help a lot to protect these underwater marine ecosystems; visitors are encouraged to follow responsible diving practices and respect local divemaster guidelines.
How to go from Semporna to Kalimantan?
Whether the goal is iconic Sipadan walls, family-friendly snorkeling, or a two-island itinerary that blends macro, muck diving, giant sea turtles, and pelagics, Sabah, Kalimantan and Borneo network of dive resorts makes it easy to plan a well-paced diving vacation.
Travelers coming from Semporna can extend their Sabah trip to Indonesia's Derawan or Maratua by routing through Tawau. The usual route to take is to start from Semporna to Tawau's In Tawau's ferry/port for Malaysian immigration exit using either Grab taxi or public transport (1.5 - 2 hours). After Malaysian exit formalities in Tawau, cross to North Kalimantan (you can take a ferry to Nunukan or Tarakan), then continue by public transport, flight or speedboat to the island of your choice. Plan ample time for border crossing and transport connections: a full day is often required and it also depend son the ferry timings and sea conditions.
On the Indonesian side (Nunukan or Tarakan), clear border entry and visa formalities and continue toward the Berau region which is the usual gateway for speedboats to the islands of Derawan, Maratua, Sangalaki and Kakaban. Some of the dive resorts womm arrange direct boat transfers from Tarakan when seas and schedules allow; otherwise, the standard route is onward to Tanjung Batu (near Berau) for a speedboat transfer.
Carry local currency for port fees and ground transfers such as Malaysian ringgit for the Sabah side and Indonesian rupiah after crossing for the Kalimantan side. Don't forget to buy a local SIM card for Indonesia as all the Grab apps need coverage.
Get in touch with us to check current availability, recommended combinations of islands, and the best window for conditions across Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, and beyond.