bonjour
nous sommes deux couples et nous voudrions aller a semporna mais nous navons rien reserver ...
est ce que c possible de se prendre un hotel si on en trouve un et dacceder au iles pour faire du snorkeling mais sans agence
est ce quon peut juste faire des aller retour sur les iles... qui pourrais maider / est ce que la plage de semporna se prete au snorkeling?
ou pourrions nous aller pour finir notre voyage par de la plage ?
notre vol est a kl le 3aout
merci par avance
bonjour
nous sommes deux couples et nous voudrions aller a semporna mais nous navons rien reserver ...
est ce que c possible de se prendre un hotel si on en trouve un et dacceder au iles pour faire du snorkeling mais sans agence
est ce quon peut juste faire des aller retour sur les iles... qui pourrais maider / est ce que la plage de semporna se prete au snorkeling?
ou pourrions nous aller pour finir notre voyage par de la plage ?
notre vol est a kl le 3aout
merci par avance
Je n'y suis pas encore allé (départ mardi prochain), mais à ma connaissance il n'y a pas de plage à Semporna. C'est une ville de bord de mer, un port, et c'est visiblement très moche, très pauvre et très pollué (pas d'amalgame, je ne prétends pas que les 3 sont forcément liés). Donc pour le snorkeling, oublie !
Je ne sais pas si un pêcheur ou autre peut vous faire faire des allers-retours sur les îles... la "route" est quand même longue vers les îles comme Mabul, Sipadan, ou Sibuan. Tente...
Et pour aller à Sipadan, à mon avis le passage par l'agence est obligatoire puisque tu as besoin d'un permis. D'ailleurs, si tu ne l'as pas encore réservé (pour août), aïe aïe aïe... à moins que tu sois chanceux !
je confirme, pas de snorkeling dans le senvirons immediats de sempoerna.
les hotels, pas de bleme, y en a plein, demande une fois arrive.
pour le snorkeling, a l epoque(2003)j avais fait ca comme suit:
un bateau de pecheur qui allait sur mabul.
je leur demande si je peux aller avec eux et hop!
une fois a mabul, un autre bateau de pecheur pour le plan snorkeling.
tiens, je te mets ce que j avais ecrit a l epoque(en anglais, sorry), par contre il se peut que certains trucs aient change:
>Many people complain that it s expensive and that they can not afford to go.
>Actually it s possible to go there without spending a fortune, just read my modest comments below...
>First, you must go to Sempoerna which is easy, just take a bus or a minibus from either Sandakan, Lahad datu or Tawau.
>Once there, sleep near the yellow mosque at damai travellers inn(30 rm for a clean double with fan and bathroom, they have dorms as well).
>Forget the dragon inn that is a busy tourist factory unless you like this kind of atmosphere...
>Next door to the dragon inn is uncle chang who organises trips to sipadan(around 250 to 300 a nite without diving)and expensive boats charters, but we are not here to speak about that!!!
>If you are a mere snorkeler and in a hurry it s possible to simply charter a small speed boat for the day trip, it s about 250 rm, still expensive if you are alone, not too bad if you are 4 or 5 people.
>But before to go there, you must go to the police and speak with them about the permit.
>People like uncle chang say that you must have a 40 rm per person permit, but when i went to the police they said that it s not compulsory as you don t spend the night there.
>Their office is almost in front of dragon inn(polis marinir something).
>Go there with your boat man and his official book and license and tell them to contact the police in Sipadan to tell them that you are coming.
>Then enjoy!!!!
>But there s another way to enjoy Sipadan and even to dive cheaply, but for this you will have to sleep in Mabul island.
>A charter to Mabul cost 120 to 150 rm, but you can get a lift from local fishermen for a small fee(actually they took me for free, but offer to pay anyway!).
>In this case you must go to the previously mentioned police office and ask for a permission to ride in a wooden boat where they will state that you go at your own risks and that nobody shall be responsible in case of accident, in order the fishermen to be covered(actually some people scare them, telling them that westerners should ride in fiber glass boats only, i guess you know for which reasons!!).
>And tell them to write both Mabul and Sipadan in the permit.
I didn t do it and had to go to Mabul's police office for the same reasons as above since i went to Sipadan by wooden boat as well.
>Then go to the place called "kastom"(customs)where are the boats and ask around.
>To find it, go a bit further the police office, it s on the same side on your right.
>Of course be there in the morning!!!
>Once in Mabul you have of course expensive hotels(around 250 a nite)but if you head for Armstrong's place(the yellow unsignposted guesthouse)you will have clean small rooms for 50 rm where can stay 3 and even 4 people if you don t mind overpopulation!!;-)))))
>Add 15 rm per person for 3 meals, tea, coffee and water.(handphone:0128156537)
>Then, Armstrong's big dive boat costs 400 ringgit plus an extra 60 per head for dive equipement and 3 tanks, which is fine if you are a group.
>Personnally i am a modest snorkeller so with the people who were with me we decided to charter a wooden boat for 200 rm(i know it s not that cheap compared with the 250 from Sempoerna, but it s the price they want and anyway it leaves you more time for your snorkeling day than if you came from Sempoerna).
>As i told you we had to go with our boat man to the friendly police office in Mabul because in the permit from Sempoerna we didn t mention Sipadan.
>It s anyway good to go there just to have them to contact the police in Sipadan and write a statement in your boat man's book.
>If you do like this you won t pay any permit and if as us you are 4 people you will end up paying 50 rm for snorkeling Sipadan which is like nothin'!!
>And what about the snorkelling there?
>Well i am quite spoilt as i have been to many nice places around south east asia but i have to say that it has been one of those snorkelling days that you will never forget in a life time...
>It was for sure worth all the hassle to get there(coz what i wrote here is the result but you can imagine that it hasn t been so easy when i didn t know how to do the trick and that it gave me quite a headache to organise the thing because the maffia there is well established and it s not so easy to bypass it!!).
>Of course don t go there alone, or if you do so try to join people in Sempoerna for evident budget reasons...
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Malaisie · 18 replies
Ce message s'adresse à tous ceux - plongeurs ou "snorkellers" - qui souhaitent se rendre à Sipadan depuis Semporna. Vous savez sans doute que les clubs de…
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Malaisie · 4 replies
Nous sommes a semporna, en attendant de plonger a sipadan nous aimerion profiter de la mer mais ou? est ce que quelqu un peut m aider? ou quelles sont les…
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Malaisie · 6 replies
Après avoir lu beaucoup de messages sur le forum, j'aimerais qq avis sur où loger / avec qui plonger à Mabul. 1. A priori on aimerait bien loger à Mabul car on…
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Malaisie · 2 replies
Je prépare un voyage en Malaisie pour le mois de juillet 2013 en famille moi ma femme et mes 4 enfants agés de 8 à 18 ans. Moi et mon fils de 16 ans sommes…
Activités aquatiques en voyage › Malaisie · 3 replies
Nous partons dans deux semaines en direction de borneo pour plonger a sipadan. est ce quelqu'un peut m'aider, nous ne savons pas tres bien ou loger et quel est…
We’re planning a trip to Thailand for next summer. It’s the rainy season, but that’ll let us explore forest parks (Khao Yai and Khao Sok, most likely) in full bloom and teeming with wildlife. We’d also like to spend a few days on beaches with nearby coral reefs during this trip. That’s where we’re hitting a snag—I’m struggling to find an island or region with favorable weather. I’ve gone through quite a few threads on this forum, but most are pretty old and mention a few names (Tao, Phaluai, Ma, or Phang Nga), though with doubts about visibility or overall appeal. Crowds also seemed like a bit of an issue. Just to clarify, our family has mixed interests when it comes to fish-related activities—some are Level 1 divers, while others are snorkelers only.
Are there any good options in July-August for great experiences in the area?
Thanks for your tips!
Hi everyone! 😊
I’m looking for a place in Albania to go scuba diving with my boyfriend. We’ve never done it before and we’d love to try this activity.
Thanks so much! 🌺🌺
hi
I wanted to know the best snorkeling spots in Tuamotu since I unfortunately don’t have enough time to do everything—I’ll have to pick and choose.
Thanks in advance for your help!
I’d describe myself as a "former diver." I’ve done around 450 dives in natural environments across different settings. I put diving on hold about 5 years ago due to work/schedule constraints and, let’s say, family reasons. Since then, I’ve still tried to stay in shape with hiking trips, running, swimming, and freediving in protected environments, etc...
I’m planning to get back into the bubbles somewhere this year.
Any destinations you’d recommend—or avoid—for getting back into it?
I’m looking for a spot for April/May this year.
For my trip to Thailand with two teens aged 13 and 16, do you have any info or tips to share? I’d like to go jet skiing, either in Phuket or Koh Samui, but I’d need at least two jet skis since there are three of us. Can my 16-year-old ride alone? Is it better to rent on-site or book an all-inclusive excursion online or in person?
Our Bali-Lombok trip is taking shape, but we’d love to wrap up the stay with at least a solid week of snorkeling somewhere the coral is still in great condition. In your opinion, are the Gili Secrets in southern Lombok better than Flores Island, where there are supposedly amazing underwater landscapes?
We’ll be in Dahab again this October—we’ve been going since 1979—to freedive. In 2025, to our surprise, access to the Blue Hole is now paid: on top of the 10 € taxi fare, you have to pay $10 per person to enter the park. So we’re heading outside Dahab to the Three Pools site by bike, rented locally. Is there a bus that goes there, or shared taxis, instead of the tourist taxis? And where can we catch them? We’ve seen big buses full of local families on the site, but we don’t know where to find them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
The comments about this public beach are generally negative:
tiny beach, crowded, dirty, and noisy.
Is that really the case?
Could you please post some of your recent photos of the public beach—not photos from the big hotels?
Hello,
For flight schedules and prices from Bordeaux, and ease of reaching Alexandria by bus/train afterward, I’m considering spending 4 days around Hurghada (direct flight from Bdx).
I don’t think I’ll go for courses to get my Level 1, since I don’t plan to dive often in the future—unless you think it’s better than doing 2 discovery dives in this area (I only have one baptism under my belt, in Koh Tao 15 years ago—amazing! But I’m not targeting trips for diving; I need to go to Alexandria, so this is a chance to get back into diving and snorkeling).
I’m looking for a spot to do some snorkeling, 1 or 2 baptisms, and explore the surroundings. I’ll arrive in early March on the evening of Day 0. I’ll have 3.5 days after that (I’m planning to leave on Day 4 around 4 PM by bus/train).
Is Hurghada completely to be avoided in favor of another area in the Red Sea, or can I still have a nice 3.5 days there? I know places like Dahab are more pleasant, but the convenience and timing of Hurghada appeal to me...
I usually prefer more authentic travel spots and places, but I’m willing to compromise on that if it’s still worth it for the diving.
Or should I only stay 2.5 days and head to Alexandria a day earlier? (I’ve already seen Cairo and Luxor a bit.)
Hi there,
I’m heading to Hurghada for a few days in November. I’m looking for a spot where I can go snorkeling right from the beach. Is that still possible, or do you absolutely need to take a boat trip to see anything worthwhile?
I’ve read about Makadi Bay, but also that it’s packed with big resort complexes—which I’d rather avoid. Are there any beaches accessible without staying at one of those huge hotels?
Any great tips or advice for me?
Thanks in advance,
Lucille
Hey everyone!!
I’m planning a 3-month trip to the Philippines for May 2026.
As a diving enthusiast, I’d love to hear about must-visit diving spots.
I’m traveling with a buddy, and we don’t really want to spend all our time moving around, so if you have recommendations for one area that’s better than others for diving, that’d be great!
What do you think are the best diving sites? (I’d appreciate an overview of the country so I can decide based on that.)
Compared to my buddy, I love macro photography (nudibranchs, etc.), so I’d also love any tips on that.
And completely unrelated to diving, but I’d also like info on places to visit (national parks, reserves, etc.) to see the local wildlife.
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply!
Safe travels, everyone!
Hello everyone!
So glad to be back on this forum to swap some great tips.
I’m heading to Malaysia from mid-May to mid-August 2025 for nearly 3 months.
With my advanced certification in hand for a few years now, I’m on the lookout for the best dive spots in Malaysia.
I’ve obviously heard about the Perhentians and Sipadan.
Someone mentioned Tioman too, but not necessarily for diving.
Do you have any feedback on these places for diving? (visibility, marine life diversity, etc.)
Any idea about the rates for fun dives?
Dive centers you’d recommend?
Any help would be super valuable for planning the trip, so thanks a million in advance to those who take the time to reply.
Safe travels, everyone!!
Hi there.
For taking photos while snorkeling, is it better to go with a disposable camera or a waterproof pouch? If a pouch, which brand is reliable? Thanks for your feedback!
Hi there,
I’m looking for a destination in Vietnam for January to spend a week and go snorkeling.
Anyone have any suggestions?
I know Thailand well, and with my Thai friend, we’d like to try a different country.
This is the excursion we shouldn’t have done in Mauritius.
We did it with The Friendly Dodo, but from what I saw, it’s the same with most agencies.
Departure at 6 a.m. (even though the sun rises at 7 a.m. in August). Why? Because there’s only one well-known spot where the dolphins are, and all the agencies race to get there first.
For 45 to 60 minutes, it’s just straight-line navigation to the spot. No one’s looking for dolphins—we’re just speeding there in silence, full throttle.
Once we arrive, there are already 5-6 boats. The dolphins are there, sure. The boats fight for the best position, cutting off the dolphins’ path, and then—go, go, go—everyone jumps in. Not a single instruction is given on how to approach the dolphins respectfully. Result: everyone jumps in at the same time from 3 boats, creating a huge splash, and rushes toward the dolphins. Outcome: faced with this chaos, the dolphins dive, and you can’t see them from the boat anymore. The swimmers who are right in their path might see them pass below for a few seconds at best.
Everyone climbs back onto the boats, and as soon as the dolphins resurface, the same cycle starts all over again.
After 5 or 6 jumps like this (3 of which I didn’t even see the dolphins), it’s back to the port the same way we came.
Not a single explanation is given during the entire excursion about the dolphins themselves or how to approach them.
Safety-wise, I didn’t feel comfortable either with all the boats fighting for position. I bumped into another boat (no pain) while swimming, and I wasn’t reassured about the propellers.
With all this circus, my daughters didn’t even want to get in the water. The problem is, when you stay on the boat, you don’t get much out of it either—because as soon as the dolphins resurface, everyone jumps in haphazardly and scares them off again.
Having done the same kind of outing in Réunion, I can confirm it’s nothing like this (much better organized and ultimately much more rewarding in Réunion).
Under these conditions, this is an activity we never should’ve done! !
My partner and I are heading to Mauritius at the end of October (Tamarin Bay), and one of our wishes is to find a great small-group excursion out at sea to meet dolphins.
I’m looking for a provider that’s respectful of the animals and gives us a fun, discovery-filled day.
I’ve heard a lot about Amistad on this site—what do you think?
Do you have any tried-and-tested alternatives to suggest?
Thanks so much!
We're heading to Praslin, La Digue, and Mahé for 15 days in early March. Do you have any good snorkeling spots to recommend? Just to let you know, we're beginners, and I get scared easily if it's too deep.
Also, another important question: what do you do with your belongings on the beach while snorkeling? Our phones, accommodation keys, wallets, etc.?
Hi everyone!
I’ve been in Malaysia for a month now and still have two more to go. I started traveling with friends, but I’ll be solo for the next month and a half.
We did a pretty classic route: Perhentians, Cameron Highlands (which I found pointless), Tioman, and Kinabatangan in Borneo. Now I’m thinking of heading to Redang Island—Langkawi is also an option, but it doesn’t appeal to me as much. Any feedback on these two spots?
Especially Redang?
Any thoughts on the diving there?
So far, I haven’t had much luck with diving—at the Perhentians, it was pretty disastrous with water at 31°C 😵😫
I’d love to find a nice island where I can meet people (locals and travelers) because going from a group of six to solo at the end is going to feel weird.
So I’m open to all tips and opinions. Also, I’d love to hear about Langkawi, and if anyone knows of an island that’s a bit more off the beaten path, that’d be amazing. Thanks in advance, and happy travels to you all!
hi everyone
we’d love to visit Borneo and I’m not finding much info on it yet (just starting my research)
so I’m reaching out to you, like I do for every trip—it’s worked out great for us so far 😎
we’re a family of 4 with two teens, 14 and 18, and we’re going for 3 weeks.
what’s the weather like in August—too much rain?
any political issues to be aware of?
which little beach paradises should we not miss?
we love discovering animals and diving… any top spots?
as for airfare—any budget-friendly airlines or easy routes? (Singapore, Denpasar, etc.)
I’ve got so many questions! All of this on a reasonable budget…
thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to take the time to reply
Hi,
I’d like to do several boat trips to go snorkeling during my stay in Florès: Islands departing from Riung, Maumere, and Labuan Bajo (Seraya).
- WHO?: Do you have any contacts to organize these boat trips?
- HOW MUCH?: What’s the cost for a full-day trip, including boat rental and possibly meals (picnic, barbecue, etc.)?
Hello,
I’d like to go on a 5-day kayaking trip with snorkeling, island visits, and village tours in the Philippines. I don’t have a specific island in mind, but I’d love something off the beaten path. I’m traveling solo but can join a small group. This would be around March 20th. Thanks so much for your suggestions!
I’m looking for a 5-day kayaking and snorkeling trip with a few village visits and no mass tourism. I’m alone but open to joining a small group. Any recommendations for around March 20th? Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
Hey everyone reading my post!
I’ll be in Mexico, specifically in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, from March 11 to April 2.
I’m looking online for things to do, but they all seem pretty similar—I’m after something a bit more original but don’t wanna get ripped off either!
If you’ve had any great experiences in those areas, feel free to share them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I have my flight to Malé from February 3rd to 15th.
I want to visit Malé first, then head to 2 or 3 nearby islands. I’d like to take the ferry to keep costs down.
I’d love to be able to snorkel right from the beach.
Which atolls or islands would you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
Hi there, my husband loves fishing, and during our upcoming vacation in French Polynesia, he’s planning to do two half-day trips. We’ll be staying in family-run guesthouses on the following islands: Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, and Fakarava. Which type of fishing should he choose for the best experience, and on which islands? Thanks in advance for your help! 🙂
Hi there,
We’re heading to South Africa for a two-week vacation next March.
We’d love to see great white sharks and maybe even try the cage diving. We’re planning to go to Gansbaai—do you think we’ll have a chance to see them? Also, do you know of any specialized agencies that aren’t too commercial and are respectful of the animals?
Thanks
notre voyage en Indonésie étant annulé, et notre agence nous déconseillant l'Egypte, nous sommes à la recherche d'un lieu où nous pourrons faire du snorkeling depuis la plage (et en excursion bateau). Je connais un peu Zanzibar pour y être allé il y a plus de 10 ans, ainsi que Pemba (mais les prix ont explosé), et je me tourne aussi vers Mafia.
Est ce propice au snorkeling , des resorts ont ils des house reef où l'on peut voir des choses intéressantes (je ne m'attends pas non plus au niveau de la Sulawesi ou des Raja).
Merci d'avance pour toute info.
Je pose ma question malgré la situation incertaine actuellement, mais évidemment mon plan de voyage est conditionnel à l'évolution de la pandémie, donc merci de vous abstenir ceux qui me diraient juste de rester chez moi ;)
Donc, je planifie de passer l'hiver au sud de l'Europe, et ou vers les Balkans et j'aimerais savoir si c'est partout de la plongée en eau froide donc avec le drysuit et tout ou s'il y a des endroits qui sont superbes et ou je peux plonger avec un suit plus épais seulement même exemple en février et mars. J'ai lu pas mal ici sur le portugal et malte https://divezone.net/diving/portugal mais j'aimerais l'opinion récente de plongeurs du coin! :)
Ce que j'aime en plongée c'est l'eau claire, les fonds marins attrayants, la vie aquatique particulière, etc. Je ne suis pas une fan d'épaves, mais je considérerai tout les sites / pays proposés :)
