Hi, I am planning a trip to Malaysia for my husband and I. I plan to have a week in Borneo (not sure where yet, I would like to see the orangutan's, any advise much appreciated!!!) and then a week diving. I've heard so many great things about Sipadan and have tried researching but there is so much information that I find it confusing!
Where would the best place be to stay? I know there are passes to dive sipadan but which would be the best place to stay to give us the best chance for these passes also a place where the diving is still good if we dont get chance to dive sipadan?
I am planning this trip for April but i'm concerned it could be busy around Easter and therefore harder to get passes. Has anybody been around April time? Or alternitavely when would be the best time to go?
Any other information on where to stay in Borneo/trip idea's would be appreciated, I'm really struggling on planning this trip
Thank you!
Let's try to get you some answers..
1) It is not as bad as some people make it out to be about diving at sipadan with the permit situation. I don't know anyone who has not managed to get at least a half day's diving with 3-4 dives in who has stayed in the area..I know more people who have gotten 2-3 days at Sipadan but it also depends how many day's you stay out there. You won't get exclusively 2 full days at sipadan if you're there for say, 3D2N but probably 1 (or rather half a day/3-4 dives which is the norm)...or maybe 2 if its a 4D/3N or 5D4N trip. Don't panic and don't let some people on here who have a habit of making it sound worse than it actually is with the permit situation.
The introduction of the permits was done for a good reason.
2) There is no guarranteed locations in the bush where you will see genuine orang utans that is known to outsiders, unless you are a wild life officer who is involved in the orang utan rehabilition program. Otherwise, locations and stuff are kept confidential for obvious reasons.
You can view orang utans at the rehabilitation sanctuary in Sandakan (sepilok) and your contribution towards the entrance fee helps the wild life department care/rehabilitate orphan young orang utans who need a lot of care and attention for a wild life department that is working over time to keep this operation successful.
3) Kinabatangan is a must. Try the famed Cede Prudente (famed borneo photographer/national geo) lodge's (goggle him and check out his lodge at sepilok and also at the kinabatangan) or uncle tan's which has a hardcore following (extremely basic..don't expect luxury here) as these are 2 proven destinations amongst regulars who head out into the bush to catch if you're lucky elephants and other wild life along the river banks of the Kinabatangan.
4) Sipadan area accomodation. There are 4 star dive centers, 3 star dive centers, a modified oil rig and budget homestay accomodations to choose from and to cater for your budget. It depends WHAT you expect and WHAT you want for your stay.
April is fine. Go ahead and book but the number of dives you get at sipadan depends on the lenght of your stay.
Except for January/February and maybe September/October, Sipadan is pretty much packed all year round anyways...
Kapalai Resort on an atoll 20 minutes from Sipadan gets consistently top ratings but is expensive. Borneo diver is on mabul island, also 20 minutes from sipadan and gets good, consistent ratings with chalets on the island...or if you want to try something different, check out seaventures oil rig which, for what it is, is actually interesting and has gotten good ratings in 2011 on tripadvisors.com
There are a couple of other top end chalet/resorts on mabul worth checking out but they are on the same level cost wise as Kapalai. I personally perfer Kapalai because of their no rubbish policy (i.e they actually ferry out all their trash back to the mainland) and because it just continues to impress many people who visit Kapalai.
But spend some time, do some research on tripadvisors.com on the resorts out there before you make a decision. If you are coming out to Borneo for a solid diving experince, I would hang out no less than 5 days 4 nights and try to get in 2 days at least at sipadan...and a lot of people actually stay on beyond 5 days and into 10 days or more..its quite normal.
I think this is the gizz of what you wanted to know, correct?
