Malaysia reopening in March

[dumpsterpurrs]

Malaysia COVID-19 panel recommends full border reopening in March

Adding to Thailand's Test & go and budget flights in full swing and the Philippines reopening on Feb 10 and budget flights to Manila and Cebu available from the end of March, we will soon be able to travel to Malaysia on AirAsia just in time for the summer season!

So Indonesia, we're looking at ya! (and Brunei too! you know I would never go to Borneo without diving your wrecks!)

My plan is to catch the end of PH's season in April/May and hop over to Borneo in May/June.

 

[Saldiac]

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but this recommendation is not a done deal by the Malaysian government. The numbers are rising exponentially again and we just had Chinese New Year which will drive them up further. Let's see if hospitalizations keep at a relatively consistent level. Fingers crossed for sure.

From https://bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2050352:
"On whether the country’s borders could be reopened according to the date recommended by the MPN, Hishammuddin said it depended on discussion with the two ministries and the Immigration Department.
“The date (March 1) is just a recommendation, and whatever recommendations and suggestions from the MPN will be brought to the Cabinet to get a final decision,” he said."

 

[drk5036]

when the borders to malaysia open you should try to be the first person back to Sipidan. Best place I’ve ever dived.

 

[Centrals]

Malaysia’s new Covid cases top 22,000

Malaysia’s new Covid-19 cases neared a level last seen in August when the country was battling the peak of an outbreak of the delta variant.

www.bangkokpost.com

The "proposal" has yet to be discussed by the cabinet.

 

[Centrals]

Malaysia Is Fully Open For Tourism Without Any Entry Restrictions Since August

Malaysia reopened to all international visitors on April 1, 2022. The land border Malaysia-Singapore was also reopened. In August Malaysia dropped all covid-related entry restrictions. Need help? Join our Travel & Support Facebook group Malaysia

www.travelinglifestyle.net

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Penciled in two weeks with my bestie in Borneo in May, diving Sipadan and Kota Belud plus all the food I can stuff into my face in Kuching.

If Taiwan doesn't reopen by April, I'll likely take my kid and grandma to Borneo for two weeks over his Spring Break in early April too, diving Kota Belud and maybe Brunei plus river safaris and wildlife rehab visits around Sabah.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Penciled in two weeks with my bestie in Borneo in May, diving Sipadan and Kota Belud plus all the food I can stuff into my face in Kuching.

If Taiwan doesn't reopen by April, I'll likely take my kid and grandma to Borneo for two weeks over his Spring Break in early April too, diving Kota Belud and maybe Brunei plus river safaris and wildlife rehab visits around Sabah.

Taiwan will not be open for general tourists by April. Government already announced not before September. I lived in Brunei for 2 years and was in the BSAC club there. 1986 - 1988 and we did wreck diving but one of the wrecks which had ammunition was destroyed by the British Navy. They said diving on that wreck was too dangerous. I also dived in Kota Kinabalu and Sipidan.
Borneo is pretty large as most of it is Indonesian territory and I have dived in Balikpapan as well.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Taiwan will not be open for general tourists by April. Government already announced not before September. I lived in Brunei for 2 years and was in the BSAC club there. 1986 - 1988 and we did wreck diving but one of the wrecks which had ammunition was destroyed by the British Navy. They said diving on that wreck was too dangerous. I also dived in Kota Kinabalu and Sipidan.
Borneo is pretty large as most of it is Indonesian territory and I have dived in Balikpapan as well.

Oy too bad then. No Taiwan until I can go in April. Or just camping and food without diving, then maybe Oct.
The entire country of Brunei has all of TWO whole dive shops now! xD one of which is tech (IANTD I think). but a decent amount of wrecks covered in corals and frequented by big schools of fish. One of the wrecks apparently still has human remains that you can sometimes see from the outside. I haven't dived that one. It's shocking how few people know about Brunei diving.
Kota Belud is a pristine paradise compared with the relatively overtouristed and damaged/polluted KK area nowadays. I still like KK the city, but wouldn't dive there.
I haven't even started to explore Indonesian Borneo yet. Absolutely in love with the island and believe it to be the single best place on Earth. I can just keep coming back!

 

[Blackcrusader]

The entire country of Brunei has all of TWO whole dive shops now! xD one of which is tech (IANTD I think). but a decent amount of wrecks covered in corals and frequented by big schools of fish. One of the wrecks apparently still has human remains that you can sometimes see from the outside. I haven't dived that one. It's shocking how few people know about Brunei diving.

Yup lots of wrecks from WW2. We used to go out on the boat with a sonar and then triangulate points from land then start searching for the wrecks. No GPS then lol There really was no tech diving back when I was there it was BSAC Sports diving max depth 50m deco dives on air. No dive computers, single tank on BCD and brought extra tanks to the wreck site and also had them on the anchor line at various depths. Not the best visibility always.

I can't recall any dives we saw dead people but I knew there were wrecks that had them. It might be that the BSAC club back then did not dive sites with human remains at them.

Panaga Divers - PSAC (BSAC Branch 788)

 

[Saldiac]

Penciled in two weeks with my bestie in Borneo in May, diving Sipadan and Kota Belud plus all the food I can stuff into my face in Kuching.

Today is March 1, which was the proposed date to reopen the borders but nothing has happened yet.
I hope you'll be able to enter Malaysia in May. There are talks to open borders with a few other ASEAN countries but nothing has been finalized yet.