Borneo Diving: An Introduction

Posted on September 15th, 2005.

Borneo has long been known for the superlative beauty of its scuba diving. Home to thousands of different aquatic species, Malaysian Borneo’s islands boast a staggering range of biodiversity. Coupled with postcard-perfect tropical islands set amongst shimmering azure seas under the vast canopy of the Indo-Pacific sky, Borneo is quite simply one of the best places in the world to go diving.

· TripAdvisor: Book the best priced Sabah, Borneo hotels and flights

The large island of Borneo is geographically divided between three different countries - Indonesia, the tiny state of Brunei and Malaysia. Sabah and Saruwak are the two states of Malaysian Borneo. All of the dive sites mentioned here fall within Sabah’s jurisdiction and are therefore subject to Malaysian law and immigration requirements. Most European nationals can get a visa on arrival into Malaysia.

Sabah’s dive areas are focussed on specific islands which are located all around the state’s coastline. A holiday can be comprised of visits to two or three islands depending on what you want to do - whether you want a full on dive holiday, a romantic retreat or lots of non-diving fun to keep the family entertained. A good guidebook like Lonely Planet Malaysia and Borneo can give you full details of the wealth of non-diving activities available across the country.

Lonely Planet Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore [includes Malaysian Borneo]

Whatever you decide to do, Kota Kinabalu will be your entry point into Sabah and from there you can hop to any of the other locations listed. Malaysia Airlines provide numerous comfortable and efficient flights from London to Kuala Lumpur and then onto Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital city, as well providing an extensive network of internal flights throughout Borneo.

Follow the links to find out more about each Borneo destination:
Introduction - Planning your trip to Borneo

Kota Kinabalu - City life, island cruises, easy dives

Mantanani - Secluded getaway resort near the mainland

Lankayan - Eco dive resort where whale sharks visit

Mataking - Island resort ideal for learning to dive

Sepilok - Come face to face with the orang’utans

Mabul - Island resort with own reefs close to Sipadan

Kapalai - Boutique-style Reef resort near to Sipadan

Sipadan - Borneo’s most magical dive destination

	Diving Southeast Asia: A Guide to the Best Dive Sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand (Periplus Action Guides) by: David Espinosa, Heneage Mitchell, Kal Muller, John B Williams ,
	Fielding’s Asia’s Top Dive Sites: The Best Diving in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand (Periplus Editions) by: Heneage Mitchell, John Williams ,
	The Dive Sites of Malaysia and Singapore (”Dive Sites of…” Series) by: Jack Jackson ,
	Diving in Malaysia by: Kurt Svrcula ,
	Diving Southeast Asia (Periplus Action Guides) by: David Espinosa, Heneage Mitchell, Kal Muller ,
	Malaysia diving guide by: Andrea Ferrari ,
	Wonders of the Coral Reefs by: Angelo Mojetta, Andrea Ferrari, Antonella Ferrari ,
	Diving Malaysia (Periplus Action Guides) by: David Espinosa, Heneage Mitchell, Kal Muller, Fiona Nichols, John Williams ,
Diving in Malaysia by: Kurt Svrcula ,