Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is ideally located on a pristine stretch of white sand beach on the island of Mabul. Easy access to the water provides for effortless shore and boat diving.
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Dining
The dining hall is the center of social life at the Borneo Divers resort.
Our Chef specializes in Malaysian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Western Cuisines.
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are served buffet style.
Chalets & Villa Rooms
Borneo Divers features 30 Deluxe semi-detached Beach Chalets and 62 villa rooms.
All the beach chalets have now been renovated tastefully decorated and upgraded to Deluxe level. These spacious and comfortable semi-detached chalets offer ethnic touches such as beautifully hand-carved lamps, hand-woven tapestries or other cultural pieces.
Semi-detached Beach Chalet facilities:
- Air conditioning
- Ceiling fan
- Private Ensuite bathroom
- Hot and cold water showers
- Available with twin or double beds
- Tea and coffee making facilities
- Safety-deposit box
- Dressing table
- Hair dryer available on request
- Size 180 ft² or 16.7 m²
Spa
After a day of scuba diving, guests can relax and have a massage, therapeutic reflexology or manicure at the beach gazebo or in their own room.
There is also the newly opened Ayer Spa which located near the beach bar on mabul island.
The Borneo Divers bar lounge at the jetty is the perfect place to chill and relax after a day of diving or snorkeling.
Resort Facilities
The Borneo Divers Mabul Island Resort features the following facilities:
- Restaurant and Dining Hall
- Swimming pool
- Event and conference hall
- Bar (3 including one sunset beach bar)
- Recreational and sport facilities
- Professional underwater photo and video services
- Full service PADI 5* IDC Dive Center
- Library and Satellite TV room
- Gazebo Spa
- Jacuzzi
- Gift & Souvenir Shop
- Free WIFI broadband internet access
Scuba Diving
Borneo Divers is a PADI 5* Palm Resort and was built with divers needs in mind.
Borneo Divers was the first dive center which made Sipadan known around the world.
Non-Diving Activities
Borneo Divers has a variety of activities that will keep you entertained while not diving.
- Spa offering massage, manicure & pedicure
- Snorkeling
- Mini Soccer Field
- Beach Volley
- Beach Loungers and Umbrellas
- Board Games
- Babysitting Services
Borneo Divers has immense commitments and supports towards the incredible project of the sea turtle research and conservation spearheaded by the University Of Sabah Malaysia together with certain agencies. Each year Borneo Divers Mabul Resort hosts the said conservation program twice via Mabul Turtle Day in the month of May, and Borneo Divers’ Celebration of Sea Turtles in Mabul in November; and inhouse guests and all interested are invited to participate.
Further, Borneo Divers Mabul Resort has a swimming pool, a dining area that serves a decent fusion menu, a spa, gift shop, a beach bar, a professional underwater videography centre, an event hall that accommodate at least 100 person. The dining restaurant in Borneo Divers serves sumptuous buffet meals that serves up to a total 150 persons. The resort’s spa treatment either it is a massage, manicure or reflexology session it can be done at the beach side gazebo or in the privacy of your own room.
Packages in Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is separated into divers and non-divers with a full board meal included. Everyone that books at Borneo Divers Mabul Resort will surely get the best experience the island can offer. A well-planned, informative and diverse diving and snorkelling destination, a comfortable accommodation to rest after an interesting day, facilities that is way beyond your expectation and of course the Malaysia Hospitality.
Sipadan Diving
Sipadan, voted as one of the Top 10 Dives by Scuba Travel, UK and Top 50 Best Dive Sites in the World by sportdiver.com, is home to over 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species. This oceanic island located in Celebes Sea boasts over 100 dive sites, with 12 internationally famous ones including the renowned Barracuda Point. Sipadan is understandably famous for its wall diving. Just 20 feet from the shore, the wall plunges a staggering 2,000 feet down, encrusted with a multitude of living corals. An incredible diversity of marine life from pelagics to reef dwellers and turtles abound, even the occasional dolphin!
Now a fully protected conservation zone, work is in progress to list Sipadan as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Borneo Divers is proud to support this conservation effort and is working with the Malaysian government to secure Sipadan’s future.
Good for: Large marine life, small marine life, dive value-for-money
Experience level: Beginner – advanced
Depth: 5 – 40m
Visibility: Good
Currents: Gentle to strong
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 25 – 30°C
Number of dive sites: 13
Mabul Diving
“One of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world.”
A macro diver’s dream destination, Mabul is recognised as the world’s “muck diving Mecca” for good reason. Situated on the “Continental Shelf”, the waters of Mabul are rich with nutrients and crowded with life.
A sloping, shallow reef with sandy bottoms, coral rubble, patches of sea grass and even discarded jetty pilings is home to a diverse range of macro marine creatures from the flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus, shrimp, mandarin fish and dozens of species of nudibranchs, to moray, snake eels, seahorses, pipefish, frogfish and practically the whole scorpion fish family. The incredible array of biodiversity coupled with the local knowledge of our professional dive guides will make Mabul one of your most productive macro experiences.
Diving in Mabul offers the additional benefit of extended bottom times as dive sites are mostly shallow, while the mild current allows for easy drift dives. The sandy bottom also allows for a less “mucky” and therefore easier dive compared to other macro sites. No wonder Mabul is listed as one of the Top 50 Best Dive Sites in the World by sportdiver.com.
Good for: Macro marine life, underwater photography and beginner divers
Experience level: Beginner – advanced
Depth: 5 – 40 metres
Visibility: Up to 20 metres
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 27 – 29°C
Number of dive sites: 12
Kapalai Diving
Kapalai is a unique dive destination surrounded by huge coral reef, there’s turtles, sharks, jacks , moral eels, octopus, cuttle fish, cleaner shrimp, nudibranchs . One of the popular dive sites here is Mandarin Valley, with small sloping reef approximately 20m deep which contains many strange and beautiful critters. Blue ring octopus, ghost pipefish, scorpion fish and stone fish.
Diving in Kapalai, you will likely encounter a lot of macro world subjects such as banded pipefishes, blue riboon and yellow ribbon morays, blue spotted stingray, butterfly fish, cleaning shrimps, clown anemone fishes, crocodile fishes, squirrel and trumpet fishes and various species of nudibranchs , paperfishes, crab eyed gobies, razor fishes, porcupine fishes and rarer subjects like blue ring octopus, frogfish and ghostpipe fish.
Good for: Macro marine life, underwater photography and beginner divers
Experience level: Beginner – advanced
Depth: 5 – 35 metres
Visibility: Up to 20 metres
Currents: Gentle
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 27 – 29°C
Number of dive sites: 17
Facilities
Dining At The Resort
We take pride and proud of Malaysian hospitality by pampering our guests be it on land or in the water. We serve a fusion menu of both exquisite cuisines that are both local and international favourite. We prepared an abundant buffet for guests to enjoy or guests may request a special dish from our kitchen. We highly recommend our freshly caught seafood, signature BBQ lamb, and satay in particular, experience the savouriness.
Spa
After a long day in the water, indulge in a relaxing massage, manicure or therapeutic reflexology session at the beach side gazebo or in the privacy of your room. With the gentle tropical breeze and the hypnotic sound of the waves lapping at the shores, your pampering session will leave you relaxed and rejuvenated for the following day.
Entertainment
Rendezvous with your diving friends or get acquainted with new faces at our beach bar or swimming pool. Share and trade stories of your exciting underwater adventure experiences while sipping from our signature cocktails. You can catch a cultural dance performance or sing your heart out with your friends in one of our karaoke contest. Every moment is a moment to remember.
Business
Stay connected to the world with free WiFi available at our business centre. Due to the isolated location of the island, internet strength may be intermittent at times.
Other Facilities
- Full Service Dive Centre
- Recreational Water Sports Centre
- Professional Underwater Video and Filming Center
- TV Lounge (attached to our restaurant)
- Gift Shop
How To Get To Mabul
About 90 minutes of ground transfer from Tawau Airport to Semporna jetty. About 45 minutes by boat from Semporna jetty to Borneo Divers Mabul Resort subject to weather and sea conditions.
You will need to fly to Tawau from Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur. You can check the domestic flights at these websites: Malaysia Airlines, and Airasia.
You are advised to take the recommended flights so that you can take the scheduled land and boat transfers provided by the resort otherwise you may arrange for special ground and boat transfers at a fee.
Awards And Publications
As Borneo’s first full service professional dive operation, Borneo Divers are one of the pioneers who introduced the pristine splendours of Sipadan and Mabul to the world. With numerous previously undiscovered gorgeous dive sites just off the shores of Sabah, there is no better place to dip your toes into the world of diving and PADI-accredited courses.
With diving gaining popularity among the young and adventurous, Sabah soon became an international diving mecca making dive tourism a booming industry. Knowing the potential impact of uncontrolled dive activities on delicate marine life and seascape, at Borneo Divers we have made it our mission to protect these ocean treasures through conservation programs with Raleigh International, ReefCheck Malaysia, WWF and Project AWARE.
Our conservation efforts and leading role in the industry have not gone unnoticed. These are just some of the awards and accolades we have received from local and international organisations, and publications we have been featured in.
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Customer Reviews & Ratings
"My boyfriend and I went to Pulau Mabul and Sipadan because they are two of the top diving sites on Earth, but we had an awesome time at this resort as well. We both agree that the Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is likely the best place to stay if you are visiting the Sipadan area. The staff were sweet and professional and the food was fresh and yummy. We had a roomy chalet with a comfortable bed that was set amongst lovely gardens. We especially enjoyed lounging in the swimming pool between dives." Jayne Dawson, London, UK
"Sipadan Island is a paradise for divers with an amazing amount of marine life. I feel very lucky that I was able to spend three days diving there. I’m an avid diver and have been to dive sites all over the world. In my opinion, nothing compares to Sipadan. The coral reef is pristine and has brilliant colors and is alive with a huge variety of tropical fish. I saw the huge barracuda tornado, white-tip sharks and enormous schools of jackfish to name a few. I even spotted a whaleshark!" Yang Xuegang, Shanghai, China
"I was so happy with my stay at this resort. It is located conveniently near to Sipadan and from Semporna to Mabul it is a quick half-hour boat ride. Anyone planning a dive at Sipadan should consider it. My chalet was ideal. The bed was comfy, the bathroom was nice and I had both air conditioning and a fan. There is a swimming pool at the resort as well as a lovely area by the beach to chill out at. I liked the buffet very much. There was a nice blend of European and Asian food which was all delicious and there was plenty of it. But more than anything, it was the staff that really made my experience amazing." Su Ann, Los Angeles, USA
"Borneo Divers is always my first choice of places to stay when I am on Mabul as it is one of the most popular resorts for divers to Sipadan. The staff go out of their way to be helpful and the resort is well kept. The food is tasty and they have a nice choice of both Western and Asian dishes. The dive instructors at the center are very knowledgeable and they have a working experience of all the diving sites around the island. The arrangements you make with the dive center for Sipadan are all guaranteed." Scott Berry, Durham, UK
"Borneo Divers Mabul Resort was a very good choice of accommodation. Their chalets were roomy and the staff were lovely. Management listens to the feedback given by their guests and makes changes that they hope will improve the enjoyment level for others." Andy Thompson, Perth, Australia
"My stay at Borneo Divers Resort was amazing. Excellent dive guides with lots of knowledge and experience. Very good accommodation with delicious buffet style (mostly Asian cuisine)." Ivan Woods, Auckland, New Zealand
"The resort is very nice with a swimming pool. The staff was friendly and well organized. The buffet meals were really good." Ojal Kamdar, Bangalore, India
"Very good service and facilities, clean, safe and comfortable. I tried scuba diving and the diev instructor was very friendly and patient." Matthew Baker, Brisbane, Australia
"Thanks to the very helpful and friendly staff. My dive instructor was very patient and knowledgeable. The buffet food was good." Susan Goh, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"Very professional dive resort, both from a diving and from a stay point of view. Sipadan is a must, and the good thing about Borneo Divers was that we could book in advance and guaranteed permits." Jan-Hendrik Lulof, Amsterdam, Netherlands
"The divemasters are excellent at spotting macro around Mabul and Kapalai islands. The dive gears are in very good conditions. Sipadan is a must." Yang Liu, Shanghai, China
"The chalet, facilities, diving gears were great. Our dive guides were fun, knowledgeable and we felt very safe. The food was good and with a variety of choice. The staff was friendly and smiling." Patricia Wood, London, United Kingdom
"Diving gears were all in top conditions. The Borneo Divers dive center operations are well run and organized, especially knowing the traffic. The dive staff was very professional and attentive. We dived 3 out of 5 days at Sipadan which was really lucky. Mabul and Kapalai are excellent for macro photography." Olga Dmitrievich, Москва, Russia
"Good dive facilities and very good divemasters. The resort is nice also not as luxury as some of the nearby over-the-water resorts and when we were there, most guests were from China." Diana Vincenti, Roma, Italy
"Nice clean rooms, delicious food and friendly staff. Nice swimming pool, beach and gardens. We took a 6D/5N non-diving package were lucky to be able to go snorkelling to Sipadan twice." Pei Ying, Singapore