"Beauty in bio-diversity " a State of Sabah Travel Page by GenuinelyCurious

Malaysian Borneo is a bio-diverse beauty spot both above and below the water. I went to dive the world-famous Sipidan island and found much more, including the surprisingly rich Mabul island, the major nature conservancy of Danum Valley and the world’s largest (and one of only four) Orangutan sanctuaries in Sepilok.

The most important tip to remember when visiting Sabah is to plan ahead or bring lots of money. I arrived at Semporna, the jumping off point for Sipidan island site only to find every single room in town already booked due to a local festival. Now, I love festivals, but I love sleep more. I was also told by the first couple of dive shops I tried that it was impossible to get out to Sipidan with less than a week’s notice (which turned out not to be true – see tip on Uncle Chang’s for more). A little advance planning could have made all the difference.

Sabah’s private ground transportation is expensive (although public transportation is widespread and effective) and the tourist infrastructure is a little under-developed in the mid-low budget range I prefer to travel in. And some of the on-the-ground dangers/annoyances are something to look out for.

But there’s no denying the beauty of the place. I would definitely visit again as time allows.