Semporna and the paradise beaches of Mabul, Sibuan, Mantabuan

January 2017

I decided to spend my three days off in Semporna. The town itself is unsightly, but it's an excellent base for exploring nearby islands. It's a paradise for divers and snorkelers alike.

I was traveling with three other girls from the project, and we managed to find private transportation to get us there at a reasonable price. The problem with public transportation was that there were no evening departures, so leaving after work was out of the question. We would have had to travel on the first day; the bus journey took six hours, so there would have been no diving. We wouldn't have been able to dive on the last day either, because the bus from Semporna leaves around 2 a.m. That would have meant two days of travel and a day of diving, which was pointless. Instead, the driver came to our house after work, took us to Semporna, and picked us up after 5 p.m. on the last day. So we had three days to dive!

I decided to spend the night in Semporna. It's an ugly town, but it has plenty of good restaurants and food. The hotel had a gym, a pool, and cheap massages. The girls preferred to stay on the island, so I had an excuse to get away from them. I admit, I'm not a fan of this group; I don't like forcing friendships, so I welcomed the opportunity to break away from them.

I planned a day of diving, possibly two, provided I managed to dive on Sipadan, then island-hopping, a one-day trip to several islands. Sipadan is one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world. Only 120 people can dive there per day, so you have to book well in advance. Some diving companies only offer Sipadan to those who book four days of diving with them. Even the price doesn't deter people—around 1,000 złoty per day, including three dives. Diving on other islands costs around 300 złoty. I was hesitant because of the price, although people who have been there swear it's worth the money. The problem resolved itself; there were no spots on Sipadan on any of the days.

We arrived after 10 p.m., I checked into the hotel, went to arrange the dive, and initially spoke with the company I had dived with the year before. Unfortunately, it turned out they had no room left, but the very nice lady said she would definitely arrange something for me.

1 day

She managed to arrange a dive at Uncle Chang. Only two dives, Kapalai and Sipadan. I was a little scared because I remembered they didn't have the best reviews. We were delayed, but we set off for Mabul Island, where they have their own station, shelters, and equipment. There, I waited over an hour. I met a nice French instructor, which made the time pass more quickly.

The weather was average, as was the underwater visibility. My first dive was in Kapalai, and I have to say I wasn't impressed. I don't know if there really wasn't much to see, or if the instructor wasn't showing us anything. After the first dive, we returned to the base in Mabul, where we had lunch and waited again. The weather was unbearable, and it poured heavily. The beautiful, blue Mabul suddenly turned gray and nasty. It rained so hard for an hour that I wondered if the island would flood.

We approached the next descent in the rain, thankfully not in a downpour, although it doesn't really matter underwater. Again, it wasn't a thrill, diving by a wreck. Among the interesting underwater creatures, I saw a frogfish, or perhaps a pike-fish in Polish.

The return was scheduled for 4 p.m., but there was a significant delay, not bad, but I wouldn't recommend this company. I started the day before 8 a.m., made only two dives, and didn't return until 5:30 p.m. This time, I managed to book a dive through Sipadan Borneo Backpackers.

2nd day

Meeting at 8:00 AM, today we're planning four islands and three dives. First, they dropped us off at the pier where they assembled my equipment, then there was a long wait, I don't know what for, probably for other people. I know they measure time differently in Malaysia, they're not in a hurry, and delays are common, but it really annoys me; I could have slept in longer!

First we went to visit the so-called sea gypsies who live near Bohey Dulang.  I didn't even know we were going there, so I didn't have any sweets for them, but apparently they're counting on it. We didn't get off on the island, we just sailed right up to it. The gypsies, trained to believe that tourists bring candy, swam over as soon as they saw the boat. A few people had some sweets, so they didn't leave empty-handed.

Our next stop was Bohey Dulang Island, part of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park. Those who felt like it could get off and do a light hike to the top. Apparently, the views are spectacular. I skipped it because it had rained the day before and it was slippery, and due to a knee injury, I have to avoid slippery surfaces. What caught my eye were the policemen with large rifles; one looked like a Malaysian diesel van. Interestingly, you can take pictures of them; they're happy to pose, and you can even take pictures with them.

The dive was very nice, better visibility than the previous day, I saw a large turtle, unfortunately I didn't catch up with it... I also saw a sea snake, which didn't make me very happy, it actually made me panic a bit.

The next stop was the island Mantabuan, and later Sibuan. I'd been to Sibuan the year before and fell in love. It's a tiny island, almost uninhabited, with just a few sea gypsy huts, and the rest is white sand and blue water. The diving was fantastic, but I regretted not having time to lounge on the beach with a book.

After returning, I went to book a dive for the next day. I was only supposed to dive one day, two at most, but I was hooked again! The next day, they were going to Mataking and Pom Pom, or the same spot as today. I'd heard the reef at Mataking was quite damaged, and the marine life wasn't very interesting, and the same thing happened at Pom Pom. I decided to repeat the experience and go to Sibuan again.

3rd day

 The morning departure was at 8 a.m. as usual, but we had to wait another hour at the pier. This time, I decided to make better use of my time and go buy some sweets for the gypsies and visit the water village, or rather, the slums. I'm probably a bit strange, but I like wandering around the slums and photographing real life. When the people at the diving center saw where I was going, and I was alone, they told a local guy to go with me. I'd been there the year before, and the people were very nice, so I didn't think I needed security, but I had no choice, so I agreed. Just like the year before, everyone was friendly. I felt like a monkey in a zoo because everyone was watching me with interest. Some, especially the children, probably hadn't seen a white person, certainly not in their neighborhood. On the way back, I stopped and bought a bag of sweets for the gypsies.

Just like the day before, the gypsies started swimming up en masse as soon as they saw us. When they saw I had food for them, the boat was completely swarmed. I didn't know what to do, hand out sweets or take pictures. I tried multitasking, but it didn't work out. 🙂 The cookies sold out quickly, and we were ready to head to Bohey Dulang.

We dropped off those who were supposed to climb the mountain, and we went diving. An unpleasant surprise awaited me here: I was given a different diving suit, but it turned out the zipper was broken. Unfortunately, the equipment, especially the wetsuits, was in terrible condition; they should have been regularly checking them to make sure they were still usable. I thought they were worn out, but the divemaster and captain figured it out, scrounged up another wetsuit, and I managed to get dressed and zip up on my word of honor. Fortunately, this unpleasant situation didn't ruin my dive. I saw some interesting creatures again, my favorite giant turtles, this time so close I could practically touch them.

All good things come to an end, and this stay was no exception 🙁 However, I hope to come back here again 🙂