http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Malaysia , Sabah , Mabul en-us Fri, 11 Dec 09 14:41:20 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 09 14:41:20 +0000 Indulge yourself in an oasis of tropical charm where every pleasure and convenience is at hand. Arung Hayat Sea Adventures is strategically set on a 0.5 KM from Semporna town on the north east of Sabah state in Malaysia country.Semporna is the last frontier with beautiful islands corals and fish. Good for snorkeling and diving. Also the homes of Bajau tribe with unique culture.Including bo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-442950.html We spent three days on the Seaventures dive rig exploring the underwater worlds of Mabul Kapalai and Sipidan.The rig was pretty basic and still smelled like a rig or ferry. It is a rusting hulk planted about 500m off the coast of the island of Mabul. It was strange walking around it I kept feeling like it should be moving like a ferry it was hard walking down the corridors in a straight line http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-432258.html June 11thToday we decided was Snorkel Mabul Day. We started by snorkeling part of the northern reef. We just walked to the end of one of the jetties and hopped into the turquoise water. We saw a lot of life including the biggest Trumpetfish we'd ever seen. Even though this side of the island sees a lot of boat traffic the reefs between the jetties are still beautiful.After lunch together wi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-408091.html June 8thToday was the big day... Diving the legendary Sipadan Island. Unfortunately Ferdi had a feverish night and woke with a terrible cold. We were lucky to get the permits to Sipadan so we didn't want to give them up. We packed our snorkeling gear just in case he couldn't dive. The morning was off to a dubious start and would get progressively worse.First we almost missed the boat cause they w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-408071.html From Koh Lipe to Langkawi Island we had an interesting travel with a speed boat. The sea was rough and the boat at difficulty in crossing the waves. We all got wet our legs were aching by the strech of the muscles. We stayed at AB Motel RM 80 on the Cenang Beach . We had sea food and duck at dinner at Orkid Ria Restaurant. We caugth the night train from the mainland Arau to Kuala Lumpur KL http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-383087.html Our missionBorneo is world's third largest island and filled with authentic people amazing culture extraordinary nature and details you wouldn't find any where else. The plan was simple dive Sipadan Island explore the Sabah jungle and climb Mt. Kinabalu.MabulOf course the profit goes into the the pocket of the already rich owners. The locals who have customary rights to the land are left http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-364034.html After visiting Kota Kinabulu and deciding not to climb the mountain but to save our pennies and go learn to dive we took the horrible night bus to Semporna. After arriving at 4am and wandering around town until we found a hostel with 24 hour reception we managed to book ourselves a little trip to Mabul island. We've just returned from a week with dear Uncle Chang on Mabul island. Mabul is famous f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-356038.html I was planning to go to Singapore on the 12 day train and fly out to Brisbane....I swear my intentions were honourable. But then it all started when I said Lisa should come with me on the train we'd have a giggle and she could explore Malaysia and possibly Indonesia. Her plan ws to stay in Thailand and head up North. So she pretty much decided within 10 minutes that she wisnae doin that and she http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-355982.html Just finished 5 days of diving. We stayed at Uncle Chang's on Mabul island. Really nice and laid back atmosphere great views out to sea.Diving in Sipadan was very good and the muck diving in Mabul turned out to be amazing. Every single dive we found new critters we'd never seen beforeSome of my best piccies... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-353027.html Vaaknet i loepet av natta. Fikk en SMS hvor det sto at det var sendt ut Tsunamivarsel pga jordskjelv i Indonesia. Fant ut at det hadde vaert et skjelv paa 76 rett oest for den indonesiske delstaten paa Borneo Sulawesi. Sulawesi ligger rett soer for der vi bor paa oljeriggen. Varselet ble avlyst noe senere og det var jo forsaavidt greit. Vi hadde jo tross alt ikke dykket paa Sipadan enna http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-346109.html I dag var det paa tide aa forlate Kota Kinabalu. Nok en flight med Air Asia til Tawau. Videre med minibuss til bryggen i Semporna og speedbaat ut til Seaventures Diving Resort. Seaventures er en tidligere oljerigg som naa er gjort om til et flytende dykkehotell. Her skal vi vaere i 34 netter og dykke rundt oeyene Mabul Kapalai og Sipadan. Sipadan skal vaere blant verdens beste dykke http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-345580.html I very nearly didn't make it here owing to those oh so nagging doubts which put me in a bind over whether to return to Ton Sai or keep on going. To think I could have sacrificed the privilege of diving with the grandfathers of the sea i.e. the beautifully graceful giant turtles of Malaysia which glide through the South China Sea for the comforts of Ton Sai is too much to bear. Not to mention the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-337950.html At Sipadan Island just off the northeast coast of Borneo the question is not if you will see sea turtles but how many and secondly will you eventually get bored of seeing so many. But before you get blas about it you get to experience the marvel of seeing them for the first time. I'm staying on Mabul Island near Sipadan at a hotel on stilts that have to do partly with tides and partly with wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-324495.html Through their eyeshelliptook me a little while to decide whether to write this blog or nothellipWhile in Sabah I have been quite surprised by the number of children wherever you go might they be Malaysian or stateless kids often offspring of Philippino migrants. Sabah has been attracting a major migrant population estimated between 600000 and 1.7 million from Philippine and Indonesia and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-315576.html August 2008We had a really bad experience SJ just look to and not to clients. They try to convince you to dive in Mabul that is really bad the first 3 meters are green water and really poor life they offer you accomodation in Mabul in a very very bad longhouse just close there is a compressor working all the day. We boked 2 months before to dive in Sipadan and they change our dates as they http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-310075.html The past week has been an awesome experience I cant' believe we are leaving tomorrow for KL and then flying back home. I have done 11 dives over the past 4 days 9 in sipadan and 3 at Mabul Island famous for world class muck diving. Some of the things I have seen includeSpanish DancersSchooling BarracudaBumphead ParrotfishPigmy SeahorseMassive CuttlefishEnough Turtles for a lifetimeBlack http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-306669.html Hi everyone How are you all A lot has happened since our last blog but I'll try to keep this blog short and sweet where possible. We left the capital of Sabah Kota Kinabalu on 2nd June and travelled on a long and winding road through the mountains to Sandakan. Whilst in Sandakan we were lucky enough to find a bargain and clean hotel a rarity in Malaysia called M http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-285361.html Well of Course Martin passed the CD course and is now Course Director. I will post a blog about that once I am back home. Today we just came back from Semporna where we had a great time. We went to Mabul and stayed at a long house and did 4 days of diving at Sipadan. Excellent We also did a trip to Sepilok. Here they help the Orang Utans rehabilitate. They take care of the lost hurt or c http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-258531.html Next Monday I fly to Sabah.First stop SandakanI will be visiting an oil palm plantation to observe their internal sustainability audit.On Friday afternoon I will make my way to Semporna where I will meet my parents and take a boat to Mabul Island. We will be staying on Mabul Island for the next 3 nights from which we will go by boat to Sipadan to dive. I will be getting doing my Advanced Open Wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-257907.html This is where i stayed at xmas Kapali dive resort. It was absolutely amazing Did 4 dives a day got my advanced open water certificate and got to see a few dozen turtles and sharks on every dive not to mention the millions of fish and gorgeous colourful reef. The water was 600m deep around sipidan island not that i went that deep but it was still a great experiance not being able to see the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Mabul/blog-228212.html