Where to stay in Sipadan?

[Jungho Kim]

Everyone,

I am deciding on a place to stay in Sipadan, Oct 2016. We have narrowed our choices to the following:

Kapalai
Mabul Water Bungalows
Sipadan Water Village

Only MWB and SWV guarantee at least one day of diving at Sipadan if you take at least a 5 day diving package. We are planning to stay for 7N/6D so that is not a problem.

Kampala states the chances a very high to dive Sipadan if you stay at least 5 days but will not guarantee. It is the least expensive of the options. It would really suck to travel all the way to Malaysia and not get to dive Sipadan.

Any input by those that have visited Sipadan at these resorts would be appreciated.

cheers, JK

 

[Wingy]

Ive stayed at Kapalai, Mabul and also Sea Ventures oil rigs and always gotten a permit to dive Sipidan for at least two days each op. Sea Ventures is kinda fun in a quirky non luxury way.

 

[Jungho Kim]

Ive stayed at Kapalai, Mabul and also Sea Ventures oil rigs and always gotten a permit to dive Sipidan for at least two days each op. Sea Ventures is kinda fun in a quirky non luxury way.

Thanks. Which one did you prefer? Did you stay at Mabul Water Bungalows or the land resort?

 

[Wingy]

I enjoyed both Mabul OW and Kapalai..this was probably 5 years ago so I would hope someone with more recent experience chimes in

 

[Peter69_56]

We did the land resort next to the oil rig village, and managed 4 dives on Sipidan, just lucky I guess.

 

[Allison Finch]

I stayed at Borneo Divers and enjoyed my stay there.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Six years ago my wife and I stayed at Sipadan Water Village. We stayed only four days (so that is 3 days of diving) and dived Sipadan one day out of the three. We only chose SWV because we wanted to experience staying in a bungalow on pilings over the water, and SWV seemed sufficient. I did not even bother to research Kapalai or Mabul Water Bungalows, though they too appear to have the bungalow-on-pilings thing. If we were to return, we would choose something more economical, having satisfied the bungalow-pilings curiosity

 

[Jungho Kim]

Six years ago my wife and I stayed at Sipadan Water Village. We stayed only four days (so that is 3 days of diving) and dived Sipadan one day out of the three. We only chose SWV because we wanted to experience staying in a bungalow on pilings over the water, and SWV seemed sufficient. I did not even bother to research Kapalai or Mabul Water Bungalows, though they too appear to have the bungalow-on-pilings thing. If we were to return, we would choose something more economical, having satisfied the bungalow-pilings curiosity

Ha ha ha! My lady is insisting on the bungalow-on-pilings! I prefer liveaboards myself!

 

[Jungho Kim]

We did the land resort next to the oil rig village, and managed 4 dives on Sipidan, just lucky I guess.

Awesome! When time of the year were you there?

 

[Wingy]

LOL Lorenzoid....."The bungalow on pilings thing" - guilty!! Love your description.