Mataking, Malaysia
- Thread starter divepiggy
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Layang Layang has an incredible reef, undamaged and prestine. Super clear waters. Big hammerheads... small critters in the lagoon. The resort itself is quite comfortable and even has a swimming pool in the middle of the south china sea. This all sounds great, but diving is limited to 50 min and very regimental.
Mataking I have not gone there yet. It is not exactly close to Sipadan or Mabul eventhough the jump off point is about the same. Looking through the brochure and based on other divers accounts, the resort is very luxurious. The reef around that area is not a marine park so has been damaged by bombing. If you ask the same question again in July, I maybe able to answer in more detail.
Mataking I have not gone there yet. It is not exactly close to Sipadan or Mabul eventhough the jump off point is about the same. Looking through the brochure and based on other divers accounts, the resort is very luxurious. The reef around that area is not a marine park so has been damaged by bombing. If you ask the same question again in July, I maybe able to answer in more detail.
Barcodediver
New
Mataking is one of the best resorts in Malaysia we ever rated. There is no low season for this location so you can enjoy it year-around. Check our gallery and see for yourself
http://www.barcodedivers.com/gallery-album_album03.html
http://www.barcodedivers.com/gallery-album_album03.html
DontLieToMe
Contributor
- Messages
- 211
- Reaction score
- 0
This sounds like advertising. I am interested in information on this resort - experiences with the dive operation, number of sites, how people have found the food, etc.
Mataking had an ADEX 2004 offer, valid until end of this year.
If interested, PM me and I will pass you the details.
No, I do not work for Mataking, it just so happens I may end up at that resort very soon since it appears ideal for the family and the kids have school holidays. Neither do I work for any other resort or dive center or travel agency.
If interested, PM me and I will pass you the details.
No, I do not work for Mataking, it just so happens I may end up at that resort very soon since it appears ideal for the family and the kids have school holidays. Neither do I work for any other resort or dive center or travel agency.
Divepiggy
Mataking is really what barcode says, having been there recently i can confirm it. It really does compare to the Red Sea in many ways, what really makes it different is the eg the barracuda schools that make up the enormous tornado like spirals. Visability is amazing. Well diving there is absolute.
The actual resort is very good, accomodation is top and you have choice of several levels. I was a bit apprehensive buying the package at first, having been to many different resorts, but was pleasently surprised.
The food you ask? very good choice of different types, asian and western food. You will also find mid-day snacks and in between snacks of different sorts available. Was once on a dive package on a similar trip, in Vietnam, whale island, only fish, here you have it all.
I actually got my deal through barcode divers, they gave me a very good price as a member. but think they are still working on their new site.
anyway, hope you can use this info
Mataking is really what barcode says, having been there recently i can confirm it. It really does compare to the Red Sea in many ways, what really makes it different is the eg the barracuda schools that make up the enormous tornado like spirals. Visability is amazing. Well diving there is absolute.
The actual resort is very good, accomodation is top and you have choice of several levels. I was a bit apprehensive buying the package at first, having been to many different resorts, but was pleasently surprised.
The food you ask? very good choice of different types, asian and western food. You will also find mid-day snacks and in between snacks of different sorts available. Was once on a dive package on a similar trip, in Vietnam, whale island, only fish, here you have it all.
I actually got my deal through barcode divers, they gave me a very good price as a member. but think they are still working on their new site.
anyway, hope you can use this info
I have not been there myself but a friend did and from his impression, it did not sound very good. He complained a lot about all the ruined reef, dynamite fishing etc.
He took a lot of pictures and it seems that most critters there are very similar to what you would find in Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai (where I had been before).
The only benefit would be that it is less crowded than Sipadan.
He took a lot of pictures and it seems that most critters there are very similar to what you would find in Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai (where I had been before).
The only benefit would be that it is less crowded than Sipadan.
Mataking actually consist of Besar (big) and Kechil (small). There is a 200 meter sandbar connecting the two. During low tide it is clearly visible. It is still kind of crossable during high tide.
The sites all border the deep ocean trench, so it is regularly bathed by the rich ocean upwellings. Can get a bit cool, but the lowest temperature I found was only 26C.
The sites are generally badly damaged by wave action and bleaching combined with bombings, and I suspect mainly bleaching combined with severe wave action (the site faces the open ocean). Blasting creates big chunks of rubble, but most were fine rubble.
But if you look closely at the rubble you will find nudibranch, nudibranch and more nudibranch at the reef edge. Among the small holes you will find loads mantis shrimp and some jawfish.
As you venture deeper down to 10 to 20 meter zone, giant frog fish become quite common. Everydive, I encountered minimum 2, max 6 different individuals.
Being next to the deep ocean also brings strong tidal flows and washing machine effects at some sites. But when the flow is at its peak, the bigger pelagics like tuna and barracudas come in. I did not spot any sharks.
To say all the reefs are obliterated is incorrect. Coral gardens is indeed beautiful and so is Buhoya. Padanan is also not bad. For corals I like Coral Garden the best for those sites. For more interesting structure, I prefer turtle playground.
For turtles go to Turtle Playground, although there are turtles everywhere including the housereef, there are a lot more at the playground.
Night dives are generally done at the housereef. It can be done in the strong currents, but much more fun and more relaxed if done during slack tide.
The sites all border the deep ocean trench, so it is regularly bathed by the rich ocean upwellings. Can get a bit cool, but the lowest temperature I found was only 26C.
The sites are generally badly damaged by wave action and bleaching combined with bombings, and I suspect mainly bleaching combined with severe wave action (the site faces the open ocean). Blasting creates big chunks of rubble, but most were fine rubble.
But if you look closely at the rubble you will find nudibranch, nudibranch and more nudibranch at the reef edge. Among the small holes you will find loads mantis shrimp and some jawfish.
As you venture deeper down to 10 to 20 meter zone, giant frog fish become quite common. Everydive, I encountered minimum 2, max 6 different individuals.
Being next to the deep ocean also brings strong tidal flows and washing machine effects at some sites. But when the flow is at its peak, the bigger pelagics like tuna and barracudas come in. I did not spot any sharks.
To say all the reefs are obliterated is incorrect. Coral gardens is indeed beautiful and so is Buhoya. Padanan is also not bad. For corals I like Coral Garden the best for those sites. For more interesting structure, I prefer turtle playground.
For turtles go to Turtle Playground, although there are turtles everywhere including the housereef, there are a lot more at the playground.
Night dives are generally done at the housereef. It can be done in the strong currents, but much more fun and more relaxed if done during slack tide.
The resort is done Balinese style. Arrivals are greeted with Mataking song and of course drink.
Food is really the best buffet I have ever had for a dive resort. I actually look forward to the meals. They even have crisp salad, instead of the limp stuff due to temperature.
Rooms are extremely comfortable and air conditioned. Linen is clean and the bathroom is nicely styled. The wife would approve.
They have a spa and jacuzzi at the north end of the island. Great place to be during sunset.
Initially I found the 45 min bottom time to be a real nuisance, simply too short. After some discussion, they seemed flexible and I got very extended bottom times.
I was very happy with the resort. They entertained the children while I dived. I initially started off not very happy with dive operations, but after some discusion and reasoning, I ended up a happy diver. Schedules and sites became more flexible to match the tide table and 'sea' weather.
I consider it to be a great place to bring the family, and I get to dive in peace.
For a serious photographer you may hate it because of the strong surface currents and tidal currents. For me it was not an issue since I was prepared for these conditions, "reef hook".
For the casual diver, it maybe a bit boring. You seem to zooooooom by. If you happen to know what you are looking at and stop, suddenly the colorful dot is a nudibranch. That weird blotch is a star gazer. That wiggling red line is a penant bat fish...
Whilst I was there the dive team was very small, consisted of Wendy a former Sipadan DM and Ryoko a Japanese with an Australian dive background. Sometimes Chua and Aman will help out.
In the end I had loads of fun, but be prepared for some serious drift dives.
Food is really the best buffet I have ever had for a dive resort. I actually look forward to the meals. They even have crisp salad, instead of the limp stuff due to temperature.
Rooms are extremely comfortable and air conditioned. Linen is clean and the bathroom is nicely styled. The wife would approve.
They have a spa and jacuzzi at the north end of the island. Great place to be during sunset.
Initially I found the 45 min bottom time to be a real nuisance, simply too short. After some discussion, they seemed flexible and I got very extended bottom times.
I was very happy with the resort. They entertained the children while I dived. I initially started off not very happy with dive operations, but after some discusion and reasoning, I ended up a happy diver. Schedules and sites became more flexible to match the tide table and 'sea' weather.
I consider it to be a great place to bring the family, and I get to dive in peace.
For a serious photographer you may hate it because of the strong surface currents and tidal currents. For me it was not an issue since I was prepared for these conditions, "reef hook".
For the casual diver, it maybe a bit boring. You seem to zooooooom by. If you happen to know what you are looking at and stop, suddenly the colorful dot is a nudibranch. That weird blotch is a star gazer. That wiggling red line is a penant bat fish...
Whilst I was there the dive team was very small, consisted of Wendy a former Sipadan DM and Ryoko a Japanese with an Australian dive background. Sometimes Chua and Aman will help out.
In the end I had loads of fun, but be prepared for some serious drift dives.
Rickg
Contributor
David,
Thanks for the excellent review of Mataking Island. It is one of the places I was considering in the future.
Rickg
Thanks for the excellent review of Mataking Island. It is one of the places I was considering in the future.
Rickg
Similar threads
