Semporna, Mabul and the Bohey Dulang lookout
Turquoise lagoons, stilt villages, a volcanic peak with a postcard view and some of the best muck diving anywhere: the islands around Semporna are worth days of their own.
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- Area
- Semporna & the reefs
- Start from
- Semporna
- Distance
- 10–40 km by boat
- Time needed
- 2–3 days
- Best season
- All year; calmest seas roughly March – October
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Transport
- Speedboat tours from Semporna
- Tickets & rules
- Marine park conservation fees; tours from licensed operators
Why go
Even if you don't dive at Sipadan, the waters around Semporna are some of the most beautiful in Malaysia. Island-hopping tours run to the islands of Tun Sakaran Marine Park, where the water goes from emerald to turquoise to deep blue over shallow reefs. The highlight is a climb up Bohey Dulang, a steep, short hike of about an hour to a ridge overlooking a curved lagoon, the remains of an ancient volcanic crater.
Mabul is the other draw: a flat island with water villages and resorts on stilts. Divers come for 'muck diving' on its sandy slopes, looking for strange small creatures: frogfish, mandarinfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish. It's a world of tiny, bizarre things you would never notice from the surface.
Semporna itself is a lively, scruffy fishing town with a busy market. Sitting at dusk by the seafront, with boats heading home and children swimming off the jetties, you get a feel for how much life here is lived on the water.
The story
The waters around Semporna are home to the Bajau Laut, sometimes called sea nomads. Historically, many lived almost entirely on boats called lepa, moving between fishing grounds and coming ashore mainly to trade and to bury their dead. Some still live in stilt houses or on boats. Their skill in the water is legendary: some can dive to considerable depths on a single breath.
Every year, usually in April, Semporna holds the Regatta Lepa, a festival where Bajau families decorate their traditional boats with colourful sails and flags and race and parade along the waterfront. It's one of the most beautiful festivals in Sabah, and a celebration of a seafaring life that's slowly changing.
Tun Sakaran Marine Park was gazetted in 2004 to protect the islands' reefs, which had been damaged by fish bombing in the past. Recovery has been slow but real, and today the shallow reefs are once again full of colour and life.
Getting there
Fly to Tawau, then drive about 1.5 hours to Semporna. Island-hopping tours and dive trips leave from the town jetty in the morning.
Mabul resorts arrange their own boat transfers from Semporna; the ride takes about 45 minutes.
A suggested plan
- Day 1Arrive in Semporna, dinner at the seafood restaurants on the water.
- Day 2, earlyIsland-hopping: climb Bohey Dulang first, before the heat.
- Day 2, afternoonSnorkel in the marine park lagoons, beach stop on a sandbar.
- Day 3Transfer to Mabul for muck diving or snorkelling around the jetty.
- EveningSunset from the stilt resort's deck.
Where to stay
Semporna has budget hotels and guesthouses near the jetty. Mabul has resorts on the island and on stilts offshore; Kapalai's resort sits on a sandbar entirely on stilts.
Good to know
- Wear proper shoes for Bohey Dulang; the trail is steep and rocky.
- Bring plenty of water; there are no facilities at the top.
- Respect the Bajau Laut communities; ask before taking photos.
- Book tours with licensed operators.
- Sunburn is severe on the water; use reef-safe sunscreen and wear a hat.
- Children in boats may ask for money or food; give through local organisations rather than directly.
- Check current security advisories for the east coast of Sabah and follow local rules on boat movement.