Mataking and Lankayan

[TTA]

Hello! I am thinking of a trip to Mataking or Lankayan in late September and would appreciate some advice!

Looking for some nice macro and decent enough reefs - keen to do some photography. Am going with a newly certified OW, so want to have some easy dive options for her too (so it won't work if it is all wall drifts or sandy macro where you have to squint at tiny things - her bouyancy won't be good enough for that sort of thing).

Which would you recommend and what are the two places like?

I've been to Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai more than a few times now, Layang Layang, Lembeh/Bunaken, Malaysian east coat islands (Perhentian, Redang). So not expecting quality of Sipadan and the like - as long as diving is quite decent I don't mind - just want to try something new and introduce a new diver to some nice good diving!

 

[TTA]

Erm....hello. Is there anyone out there who has been to either Mataking or Lankayan? Do let me know also if you think it isn't worth going there and I should head on to one of the east coast islands instead.

 

[OnTheSpot]

Certainly worth a trip if you want something different. Lankayan has more variety - good reefs, macro and wrecks, and is easily combined with a night or two at Sepilok Nature Resort, well worth a visit when you're off gassing. Mataking is quite a fancy resort, on it's own island, a little paradise. Has some decent reefs but better for macro really. It's a much nicer resort than Lankayan if you want comfort and seclusion, but I'd say Lankayan has the better dive options.

Lankayan Dive Sites

Mataking Dive Sites

 

[gabyne]

I've only been to Lankayan, not Mataking. Compared to Mabul or Sipadan, Lankayan doesn't have those thrilling walls like Sipadan or that great critter diving like Mabul but nice reefs in very good condition (at least in 2003), mostly slopes if I remember correctly and nevertheless nice critters. The island itself is beautiful - very small but also very few people around. Since it is located very close to the Philippine border there is (or was?) a lot of military around.

Definitely worth a trip. Just the speedboat rides are a bit painful (but just the transfer, not on the dive boats).

 

[davidlkh]

I have been to Mataking and the resort is really nice.

The house reef is very good for macro but it has very strong currents on a full moon.

But then again, you can always dive it when the tide changes ("slack period"), since it is the house reef it is easy to dive during that period.

Not all sites have strong currents, sweet lip rock is great for macro and very calm. If you have good air consumption, you can enter in at Sweet Lips and surface just in front of the dive center. If you time the dive right, half way through the dive you just catch the current that sweeps you down to the dive center.