Palau or Sipidan???

[Mr. Blues]

What is the collective wisdom regarding Sipidan versus Palau?
I like it all - macro & big stuff...I'm not a photographer and plan to be
at either location around the end of Oct. Finally going to pull the trigger but this is going to cost. Owwwchhh! What's the best bang for the buck,
viz/weather considerations, etc... after all is said and done & dived?
Palau? Sipidan? decisions...decisions

 

[Mike Veitch]

end of Oct.. not the best weather in Palau.. no idea about sipadan

palau is best jan through may

 

[porsc]

with only one notable exception, when your choice is palau against anywhere else in the world, the answer is palau!!!!!! the notable exception is sulawesi. north and south sulawesi (indonesia) have the highest species diversity in the world, period. so it can be argued that sulawesi is as good as palau. however, after diving both palau and sipidan more than once, i would definitely say go to palau, and dive with sam's tours. sipidan is great, especially if you do the proboscis monkey's and orangutang (spelling) tour. so if you go to sipidan, stay at mabul resort and do it all.actually, sipidan would win this argument against most other places in the world, but when it is up against palau, that sort of weakens it's position. the good news is that both are world class, and you really can't go wrong with either.
i never worry about the whole weather argument. the weather always sucks in Galapagos, but it is some of the greatest diving in the world as well. so, while the weather might be better in palau from dec through march, the diving is great year around. so have a drink, make a choice and enjoy it. and in the future if you want to try something a little different, come to samoa and i'll take you down myself!!!

 

[Travelnsj]

I was in Sipadan in Sept of 04...I'd trade all 35 of those dives for one excellent dive at the Blue corner in Palau.

 

[mr bubbles]

I have been to sipadan and can vouch that every dive you will see big pelagic action right through to amazing macro oppurtunities

 

[Diver Dennis]

I've been to Palau several times but Sipadan only once, staying at Kapalai. I'd go back to Sipidan. Lots of big stuff and macro as another poster said.

 

[hallboy]

I ve been to both.

Hard to decide. the good thing, is that you cant go wrong.
If money matters,Sipadan will be cheaper, especially if you dive from semporna ( that way you will be able to dive 3 times a day on sipadan and not 2sipadan dives +one on mabul or kapalai). but you also can cut the price of Palau if you dive from Peleliu and not from a boat.

mostly the diving is tougher in Palau ( especially Peleliu corner/peleliu express , not blue corner or others )

End of October, Sipadan would be my choice. Mabul resorts. Just arriving, ask to make the early morning dive on the last diving day. then a second dive the same morning, and you can live the place or at 3am, (boat to Tawau, first flight to KL the day after ) or or stay in Mabul the after noon and live the next day in the morning

 

[Mr. Blues]

I'm still sitting on the fence and starting to get sore. Now I guess
it will finally come down to money and rates of currency exchange.

 

[Travelnsj]

I'm still sitting on the fence and starting to get sore. Now I guess
it will finally come down to money and rates of currency exchange.

Palau uses USD (been 8x)...I'm in Layang Layang, Malaysia now for 14 days and I know for the same price I could of been in Palau for a month. I have not looked at the rates for Sipadan in about 4 years. But when I went to Sipadan the exchange rate was 4RM to the $. Now it is 3RM to the USD.

As far as the best value for the $...when I was in Sipadan a little over 3 years ago....I had 30' vis and all I saw was turtles and some muck stuff in 35 dives...oh..and the wall of Barrcuda once!....In Layang Layang it is about as bad.....no Marine life...I've had 1 out of 20 dives that was at the Palau or Raja Ampat level....all I can say I passed on my annual trip to Palau TY to come to LL...GOD I wish I did not!