Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Possibly the easiest and most accessible diving around. Stay in the heart of KK and take short boat rides out to explore the diversity of life in this marine park. An excellent place to learn to dive, brush up on skills or explore the reefs.
Just a short 15 minute boat ride from the town centre the Park consists of several islands, each with their own unique character and all with interesting dive sites and white sandy beaches.
Located only 20 minutes by boat from Sabah's capital, Kota Kinabalu. Named after Malaysia's first Prime Minister, covering an area of 50km2, this marine park consists of the islands of Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug, all characterised by shallow and crystal clear waters, beautiful coral gardens and white sandy beaches.
Gazetted as a national park in 1974, the five islands of TARP have long been a haven of peace and tranquility.
The park is very popular for a wide range of activities sun bathing, BBQ, diving, fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing and parasailing - ensuring there is something for everyone to do.
While shallow waters make it an ideal location for novice divers, experienced divers and even underwater photographers are often thrilled with the diverse marine creatures found within its reefs.
Facilities on the islands include restaurants, picnic tables, showers and toilets.
Note: Don't miss the diving at Sipadan and Mabul (Tawau airport).
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The Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is possibly the easiest, most accessible diving in Malaysia: five islands — Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug — scattered just offshore from Kota Kinabalu, so close that you can stay in the heart of the city and be over a reef within twenty minutes of Jesselton Point. For a dive destination, that's an almost unfair convenience.
What the park is genuinely for: learning and warming up. Calm, shallow, sheltered sites make it an excellent place to take an entry-level course, knock the rust off skills before Semporna, or log gentle dives around work commitments in KK. The reefs carry honest tropical variety — anemone gardens, reef fish density, the occasional turtle and blacktip — without currents or depth demanding anything of you.
What it isn't: a substitute for Sipadan. Visibility and drama here are modest by that gold standard, and we tell everyone so plainly — the park is the aperitif, Semporna is the meal. Treated that way, it's superb: divers do their Discover Scuba or Open Water here, families snorkel Sapi and Manukan, thrill-seekers ride the Coral Flyer, and everyone flies to Tawau already wet and happy.