I'm really interested in diving both Sipadan and Manado, but I'm wondering if anyone has gone there on their own, without booking an entire package vacation. Ie - is it worth it to just book a flight to those places and then find a dive operator once there? If so, what is the best airline to look for flights there (from Singapore)? The packages from Singa, for example, are like $1500 to Sipadan for 4 days! Is this a good price? I much prefer "backpacking" scuba vacations to big resort vacations.
Do it yourself vacation to Sipadan/Manado?
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scubadudee
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yes. I did for both estimated pricing is around 1100 for 4 days of dives in Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Sibuan all via Semporna hotel at seafest hotel.
For manado, I spend around 1000 for bunaken and lembeh straits dives.
May mail me for more details- Semporna I got fresh rates except for Manado
For manado, I spend around 1000 for bunaken and lembeh straits dives.
May mail me for more details- Semporna I got fresh rates except for Manado
Backpacker dive trips are my style also. A bit less than 2 years ago I met a dive buddy while diving the Perhentians who wanted to do Sipidan so we hopped on a plane in KL and headed over to Kota Kinabalu. We showed up unnanounced at the Borneo Divers office there looking for a deal. We got a 4 night 5 day all inclusive package for something like US $125 per day, might have been a bit less. Ended up doing 20 dives while staying on Mabul and Sipidan, really enjoyed it there.
I assume it is still possible to do this,maybe someone else has made walk in reservation recently? Of course, you run the risk of arriving at a time when they are booked up, we had to wait 4 days for space to become available so we hiked up Mt Kinabalu to pass the time and then took a bus to Semporna. A flexible schedule is a must to use this method, but since there are several dive operations doing Sipidan/Mabul it should work. I wonder if there are fewer rooms available since Sipidan has been put off limits for overnight stays?
I assume it is still possible to do this,maybe someone else has made walk in reservation recently? Of course, you run the risk of arriving at a time when they are booked up, we had to wait 4 days for space to become available so we hiked up Mt Kinabalu to pass the time and then took a bus to Semporna. A flexible schedule is a must to use this method, but since there are several dive operations doing Sipidan/Mabul it should work. I wonder if there are fewer rooms available since Sipidan has been put off limits for overnight stays?
I agree with Kupa, just show up in Kota Kinabula and walk into several of the dives shops, the cheapest you will find will be for about US$100 a day, you might want to email some of these places first, as mentioned above, you could get there and they might be alll booked up. Use www.airasia.com for getting to KK, be advised 15kg. max, I just paid them a fare chunck of change last week to get from KL to Bangkok, they could care less about 'dive gear', but there prices are cheap!
Manado, was just there in July, 4th-11th, check out www.bunakendivers.com, nothing special but good people, Terry Bradford an Aussie who runs the place is a great guy and very guest orientated, I stayed in their dive lodge for US$10 a night, simple with only a fan and outside bathroom, but this included 3 meals a day. Diving is about US$50 for two dives and a bit more for distant trips. Hands down, diving in Manado rivals Sipadan in many ways, I have now been to Manado 3 times and I will go back again. Hope this helps out. By the way, I flew with Silk airlines from Singapore, found a good deal through "Chanbrothers" a agency out of Singapore.
Manado, was just there in July, 4th-11th, check out www.bunakendivers.com, nothing special but good people, Terry Bradford an Aussie who runs the place is a great guy and very guest orientated, I stayed in their dive lodge for US$10 a night, simple with only a fan and outside bathroom, but this included 3 meals a day. Diving is about US$50 for two dives and a bit more for distant trips. Hands down, diving in Manado rivals Sipadan in many ways, I have now been to Manado 3 times and I will go back again. Hope this helps out. By the way, I flew with Silk airlines from Singapore, found a good deal through "Chanbrothers" a agency out of Singapore.
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