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13 Day itinerary in Malaysia, Asia

Diving Sipadan

Explore Malaysia & dive through the most beautiful waters! Spend 13 days learning, exploring & growing.

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IvanRicardo

By Ivan and Ricardo

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Easy
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Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English, Spanish, Italian

GUIDANCE

Driver as a Guide

starting point

Kuala Lumpur

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Meet local people

Snorkeling/Diving

Nature & Wildlife

Start

Night

End

Highlights

1

Explore Kuala Lumpur with a guide

2

Discover Borneo

3

Dive in Sipadan

4

Visit Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

Itinerary

Mid-Range Accommodation expand_more

Day 1

place Arrival Day

Arrival at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Meeting with the driver and private transport from the airport to the Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Meliá Kuala Lumpur
Day 2

place Kuala Lumpur city tour

09:00 - Meeting with the guide in the lobby to visit the most historical part of Kuala Lumpur. We will start with KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center), the most modern and cosmopolitan part of the city where the world famous Petronas Towers are located (entrance to the bridge not included); and we will visit the park that is behind from where you can get some wonderful photos with the towers. We will continue to Masjid Jamek, a beautiful old mosque built right at the confluence of two rivers, Gombak and Klang, and where the city of Kuala Lumpur originated. We will visit Merdeka Square, called Independence Square and located in the historic center of Kuala Lumpur; It consists mainly of a large grassy field, with a large Malaysian flag on one of its sides and surrounded with English colonial buildings, such as the Sultan Abdul Samad building, the Royal Selangor club and St. Mary's Church. We will continue to Sentral Market, an arts and crafts bazaar that offers a wide range of products created by local artists and artisans. We will explore China Town, visiting its street market and the surrounding area, which includes a visit to the oldest Taoist temple in the city "Sze Ya", and the Hindu temple "Sri Maha Mariamman", founded in 1873 and nowadays the oldest working temple. 13:30 - Lunch at Atmosphere 360o KL Restaurant Exquisite Buffet at a dizzying height - 280 meters! - this famous revolving restaurant in the city's Telecommunications Tower will give us the best views of Kuala Lumpur while we taste a magnificent buffet of local Asian and Western food. 15:00 - Return to the hotel and rest of the evening free.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Meliá Kuala Lumpur
Day 3

place Half-day Batu Caves tour

09:00 - Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby for the transfer to Batu Caves, the largest and most important Hindu temple in Malaysia, located north of the city and with 272 steps. It is necessary to climb those steps to access the caves that make up the temple and admire the beautiful natural caves. After visiting this picturesque temple dedicated to the god of war, Murugan, we will head towards Kuala Lumpur’s international airport. INTERNAL FLIGHT TO SANDAKAN. Upon arrival to this coastal city of Borneo, transfer to the hotel and the rest of the afternoon free to stroll through this quiet fishing village, or maybe just to relax in the hotel's wonderful swimming pool.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sabah Hotel
Day 4

place Sandakan - Lankayan

08:30 - We will leave from the hotel to the pier to take the only boat to the island of Lankayan. 10:00 - We will embark towards the island of Lankayan in a pleasant boat ride of approximately 45 minutes. Upon arrival at the paradisaical island of Lankayan, we will check in and have the afternoon free for our disposal.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Lankayan Island Dive Resort
Day 5

place Free day

Days of relaxation and enjoyment in the paradisiac island Lankayan, with options for snorkeling excursions from the hotel beach or diving.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Lankayan Island Dive Resort
Day 6

place Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

07:00 - After an early breakfast we will depart by boat again to Sandakan. Upon arrival, we will go directly to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, the most important in all of Borneo, located 30 minutes from Sandakan. After the projection of an interesting video about the recovery of orangutans in this Reserve, we will walk through the tropical forest in search of orangutans. Sepilok is located on the edge of a nature reserve, so the orangutans, once rehabilitated, simply stop going to the platform where they are fed, to go into the jungle. We will also have the opportunity to visit the neighboring conservation center for the Sunbear or Malayan bear, the smallest type of bear in the world. We will depart by land towards Sukau, the gateway to the Kinabatangan River, the longest in all of Sabah. After resting at the wonderful Sukau Rainforest Lodge, at sunset we will cruise down the river using boats with electric motors (quieter), and thus we might have more opportunities to see some of the 10 species of primates that are in the area, including the famous orangutans, the proboscis or proboscis, which nestle in the treetops on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Then we will return to the Lodge to rest and have dinner at the river bank.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Day 7

place Kinabatangan River cruise

06:00 - Today we will wake up in Sukau, with the sounds of the gibbons and the emblematic “hornbills” native to these jungles. Our first cruise of the day on the Kinabatangan River is scheduled at 06:00. The early hours of the morning and dusk are the best times to see wildlife, especially birds, and hopefully we will be able to see the majestic Hornbill of Borneo. With a bit of luck, you can see crocodiles, and even wild elephants! The Kinabatangan river area is a common place where you can see pygmy elephants, the smallest in the world. After the first boat tour, we will return to the resort for breakfast. Afterwards, we will have the opportunity to take a short walk through the hotel facilities, which have a wooden path that goes a bit into the jungle, and the naturalist guide will explain the curiosities of the animals or plants that we find. In the afternoon, we will have the opportunity to go out by boat again in search of the wildlife of Borneo, which is again more active as in the morning. Once again we will enjoy a delicious and quiet dinner on the banks of the river at the hotel. * Note: The sighting of the mentioned species is not guaranteed as it is a completely wild environment.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Day 8

place Kinabatangan - Kapalai

After breakfast, we will depart by land to the city of Semporna, the gateway to all the paradisiacal islands in the area: Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Pom Pom, etc ... Upon arrival in Semporna, we will have time for a quick snack or lunch before taking the boat to the Kapalai Atoll. After an hour by boat, we will reach paradise:

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Day 9

place Free Day

Time to enjoy relaxing days and diving from the paradise island Kapalai, with options to do snorkeling excursions from the hotel room itself or simply relax when we are not diving. You can also visit the neighboring island Mabul optionally. There are 3 daily boat dives included, with a guaranteed 2 days of diving in Sipadan. The other days we will visit different sites by boat such as the island of Mabul, the oil rig, etc ... It also includes unlimited dives on the reef of the island of Kapalai (dives from the coast). Kapalai is indeed a diving destination in itself, very famous for macro lovers like neighboring Mabul. A minimum diving certification is required (PADI Openwater or similar...). Unlimited reef dives do not include a guide, but must always be done with a minimum of 2 people. Oxygen tanks, weights, and weight belts are included. The rest of the equipment can be optionally rented at the resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Day 10

place Free Day

Time to enjoy relaxing days and diving from the paradise island Kapalai, with options to do snorkeling excursions from the hotel room itself or simply relax when we are not diving. You can also visit the neighboring island Mabul optionally. There are 3 daily boat dives included, with a guaranteed 2 days of diving in Sipadan. The other days we will visit different sites by boat such as the island of Mabul, the oil rig, etc ... It also includes unlimited dives on the reef of the island of Kapalai (dives from the coast). Kapalai is indeed a diving destination in itself, very famous for macro lovers like neighboring Mabul. A minimum diving certification is required (PADI Openwater or similar...). Unlimited reef dives do not include a guide, but must always be done with a minimum of 2 people. Oxygen tanks, weights, and weight belts are included. The rest of the equipment can be optionally rented at the resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Day 11

place Free Day

Time to enjoy relaxing days and diving from the paradise island Kapalai, with options to do snorkeling excursions from the hotel room itself or simply relax when we are not diving. You can also visit the neighboring island Mabul optionally. There are 3 daily boat dives included, with a guaranteed 2 days of diving in Sipadan. The other days we will visit different sites by boat such as the island of Mabul, the oil rig, etc ... It also includes unlimited dives on the reef of the island of Kapalai (dives from the coast). Kapalai is indeed a diving destination in itself, very famous for macro lovers like neighboring Mabul. A minimum diving certification is required (PADI Openwater or similar...). Unlimited reef dives do not include a guide, but must always be done with a minimum of 2 people. Oxygen tanks, weights, and weight belts are included. The rest of the equipment can be optionally rented at the resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Day 12

place Free Day

Time to enjoy relaxing days and diving from the paradise island Kapalai, with options to do snorkeling excursions from the hotel room itself or simply relax when we are not diving. You can also visit the neighboring island Mabul optionally. There are 3 daily boat dives included, with a guaranteed 2 days of diving in Sipadan. The other days we will visit different sites by boat such as the island of Mabul, the oil rig, etc ... It also includes unlimited dives on the reef of the island of Kapalai (dives from the coast). Kapalai is indeed a diving destination in itself, very famous for macro lovers like neighboring Mabul. A minimum diving certification is required (PADI Openwater or similar...). Unlimited reef dives do not include a guide, but must always be done with a minimum of 2 people. Oxygen tanks, weights, and weight belts are included. The rest of the equipment can be optionally rented at the resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

  • Mid-Range Accommodation: Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Day 13

place Departure Day

09:30 / 13: 30 - We will leave the island by boat returning to the mainland according to the booked flight schedule. After an hour by boat back to mainland, another hour of transfer by land awaits us to reach Tawau from where we will connect with the international flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Accommodation expand_less

  • Meliá Kuala Lumpur
  • Sabah Hotel
  • Lankayan Island Dive Resort
  • Sukau Rainforest Lodge
  • Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort

Meals expand_less

  • Breakfast (12)
  • Lunch (9)
  • Dinner (9)

Transport expand_less

  • All transfers as per itinerary

Activities expand_less

  • As per itinerary

Extras expand_less

  • Tickets to all temples or attractions to visit
  • 24h emergency telephone assistance in Spanish

Not Included expand_less

  • International Flights
  • Local tourism tax
  • Sipadan diving fee
  • Tips & Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses

About Ivan

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