Sipadan Water Village Resort

Sipadan Water Village is a resort beautifully constructed with Bajau architectural design. Part of the Mabul Island is also home to groups of Bajau fishermen who have built their traditional palm thatched houses. The entire resort is built over water on stilts. In its design, Sipadan Water Village has achieved near utopia in its over-the-water layout, splendid water cottage accommodations with flowered sidewalks, wonderfully prepared Asian and Continental cuisine, and impeccable and personable service.

The resort builds with 42 water cottages in 4 categories: Junior Cottage, Standard Cottage, Deluxe Cottage and Grand Deluxe Cottage. Junior Cottage is the smallest room category and is located next to our PADI 5-Star Dive Centre. Standard Cottage is the most common cottage available with either double bed or twin beds, Deluxe Cottage or honeymooner suites specially designed to cater to couples and honeymooners. The largest is Grand Deluxe Cottage which comes with 2 queen-sized beds and a personal Jacuzzi.

The PADI 5-Star Dive Centre is responsible for all in-water activities and scuba training and education. The centre opens from 0700hrs onwards and is equipped with lockers, showers, a toilet, and a common area for resting between dives with complimentary snacks, hot coffee, and tea. It carries 4 Bauer compressors for refilling tanks, over 300 aluminum 3000 psi / 80 cubic foot tanks with American style "K" valves, and rental sets of scuba diving equipment that are mainly Scuba Pro.

The centre is equipped with custom-built fiberglass dive boats that carry 12 passengers each. Each boat goes on 3 trips daily accompanied by a boatman and a Dive Master.

Our PADI Divemasters are specially trained in the marine ecology of Mabul Island and will not only show divers the attractions but also impart their knowledge of marine life so that guests may return from their memorable holiday with a better understanding of the environment.

Mabul and Kapalai:

There are about 17 dive sites in Mabul and about 13 dive sites in Kapalai. It takes less than 15 minutes to get from the resort to any of the Mabul dive sites by the dive boat and less than 15 minutes to Kapalai. Most of the diving in Mabul and Kapalai is very shallow with depths from 60 feet to as shallow as 10 feet. These places are "macro heaven on earth".

Various erotic marine critters such as blue-ringged octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, shrimp goby, nudibranch and many others are to be explored. Various fish behaviors can be observed during the dive such as matting behavior, cleaning station, and territory display.

Besides diving, the dive center also carter for non-diving activities such as snorkeling and kayaking. A transparent kayak is available for rent for those who wish to kayak and enjoy watching underwater marine life without getting wet.

Sipadan:

There are about 13 dive sites in Sipadan. In good sea conditions, it takes about 20 minutes from Mabul to Sipadan. Most of the diving in Sipadan is a combination of wall and drift diving. The walls are covered with hard corals, soft corals, gorgonians, sponges etc. You can see more turtles on one dive here than in a lifetime of diving anywhere else. Divers may also get to see the huge resident school of barracudas, which make beautiful circling patterns on top of the reef, in 10 or 15 feet of water at the South Point.