Where to go....

[h90]

We plan to go to Malaysia when there is Sonkran in Thailand. Around 19 April.

Do you have any recommendations?
Diving should be possible
Bungalow, no high buildings
quite area, but some infrastructure, best with local people (not an resort island without anything different than 1 resort)
prefer island but that isn't a must
simple and fast to travel there
not too expensive

Of course it won't be possible to get everything but any ideas are welcome...I don't know anything about Malaysia.

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi There,

My recommendation would be a stay on Mabul - Borneo Divers seems to fit most of your wish list.

Nice, clean bunglows on a beach with swimming pool and bars. Great friendly and enthusiastic staff. Also, there is a sea gypsy village on the island you can visit.

Transfers from Tawau Airport are included.

Of course, the diving is fantasic....and no water fights.

 

[EvaL]

The diving is definitely much better on Borneo side of Malaysia (i.e. Mabul, Sipadan, Layang Layang), although it is a longer flight from Thailand. Peninsular side of Malaysia has only so-so diving (i.e. Tioman, Redang), but OK if you just want to get wet. I heard someone mention there's decent diving in Langkawi (facing Indian Ocean), but I haven't been there.
That said, if you have time in Thailand, the Indian Ocean side (Similans, Phuket) is better than South China Sea side of Thailand (i.e. Koh Samui, Koh Tao), and good season this time of the year for diving (less waves and the beaches are safe to swim in).
Enjoy your trip.

 

[h90]

Hi There,

My recommendation would be a stay on Mabul - Borneo Divers seems to fit most of your wish list.

Nice, clean bunglows on a beach with swimming pool and bars. Great friendly and enthusiastic staff. Also, there is a sea gypsy village on the island you can visit.

Transfers from Tawau Airport are included.

Of course, the diving is fantasic....and no water fights.

It is beautiful there, but from what I read (if I did not look somewhere wrong) is it one resort and nothing else on the island beside sea gypsies. Zero infrastructure. And the price with 450 USD per night per bungalow is simply crazy.

 

[h90]

The diving is definitely much better on Borneo side of Malaysia (i.e. Mabul, Sipadan, Layang Layang), although it is a longer flight from Thailand. Peninsular side of Malaysia has only so-so diving (i.e. Tioman, Redang), but OK if you just want to get wet. I heard someone mention there's decent diving in Langkawi (facing Indian Ocean), but I haven't been there.
That said, if you have time in Thailand, the Indian Ocean side (Similans, Phuket) is better than South China Sea side of Thailand (i.e. Koh Samui, Koh Tao), and good season this time of the year for diving (less waves and the beaches are safe to swim in).
Enjoy your trip.

I'll google all the names you wrote! Thanks for it.
I thought already about Langkawi......
Actually we stay all the time in Bangkok and never have time for Phuket, but Sonkran Festival is coming and we try to escape that nonsense--> other country.We have been Bali recently so it should be somewhere else. Myanmar is also celebrating Sonkran I got told. So Malaysia is my only idea at the moment.
Thanks for your help.

 

[QBit]

There are other acommodations on Mabul taht are much cheaper, but youre right- there is not much to do.
The gypsie village is very nice, and i love walking through there. It would be very easy to get to know the people that live there and maybe even volunteer at the school, or help them out in some other way. They are very friendily/nice. But not many people are into that kind of thing on their holiday....

 

[broadreach]

You might want to consider the Perhentian Islands off peninsular Malaysia.
(or the Philippines - easily accessible from Bangkok and lots of great options)

 

[EvaL]

I'll google all the names you wrote! Thanks for it.
I thought already about Langkawi......
Actually we stay all the time in Bangkok and never have time for Phuket, but Sonkran Festival is coming and we try to escape that nonsense--> other country.We have been Bali recently so it should be somewhere else. Myanmar is also celebrating Sonkran I got told. So Malaysia is my only idea at the moment.
Thanks for your help.

If this is any help, I came across this website of dive sites around SE Asia which might be helpful to you in your search:
http://www.starfish.ch/dive
Have a happy trip.

 

[Luko]

I think you would be looinsing your time in Langkawi. I stayed in Langkawi quite some time ago and went looking for diving. I found there are two options :
Pulau Payar is done on day trips (2hours speed boat ride south) plenty of blacktip sharks and tourist attractions, IMO not worth the trip.
On the other hand Koh Lipe is facing Langkawi on the thai side (also accessible from Pak Bara and Satun), the beaches are probably some of the best in Thailand, the diving is ok, but not flabbergasting. it is not possible on day trips, you must better stay in Lipe.

On the South China sea side, Perhentians are really gorgeous islands, the diving is fine though not "worldclass", though there are interesting sites like Tokong Laut or Tiger Rock which are very pleasnt, lots of coral fish, nice soft corals. No biggies though.
Redang is near to the Perhantians, a little more upmarket, never dived but siad to be one step more intersting than Perhantians. Nearer to on the east coast, Pulau Tenggol is supposed to be hands down the best site of continental malaysia, unfortunately AFAIK it is only catered from Tanjong Jara resort which easily makes a hole in your wallet.
Continuing down south is Tioman, very popular with singapore weekenders, nice beaches but quite tame diving though I have read in the latest AsianDiver magazine some new macro spots have been discovered lately... if you are a photographer and a macro enthusiast this might be for you.

Borneo/sabah : to be honest, there are few places in the world that can compare Sipadan dived on a good day. Walls of Jacks and Cudas, loads of sharks and turtles :shocked2: plus any small animal you name it, the guide will make himself an honor to find it on Mabul or Kapalai. :cool2:

Borneo Divers is for me unbeaten of price/quality ratio (been with them 3 times), given that everything is included, and the dives unlimited it is almost given for a die hard diver.. maybe more expensive for a family but still even a kid can snorkel on Sipadan!

Some photos of my latest Sipadan dive trip end of february :

 

[divemonkey12]

Wow, those are some really great photos, what are you shooting with? Sipadan is the easiest place I've guided, just keep going on the wall till you reach the barracudas, and then nature does the rest!