#6 Islands in Malaysia · 2026
Mabul Island
🌺🌺🌺 Highly Recommended · 🏝️ Islands
Why go
Tiny Bajau-style island near Sipadan, with stilted resorts, macro-rich house reefs and friendly village life. Divers love it for critters and as the Sipadan base.
⭐ Don't miss: Snorkelling or diving with turtles around the jetty
- Entry fee
- Resort/dive packages (boat from Semporna usually included); Sipadan day permit about RM350 foreigners / RM250 Malaysians per day (2025/26 operator sources), via resort quota; Sipadan closed 1–30 Nov
- Opening hours
- Resort speedboats from Semporna jetty (about 35–45 min), mostly mornings (check before you go)
- Best time to go
- March-October best; year-round with weather risk
- Time needed
- 2-4 days
- How to get there
- Fly to Tawau, drive to Semporna (1.5 hr), then boat 45 min.
- Address
- Pulau Mabul, 91300 Semporna, Sabah
- Area
- Pulau Mabul, Semporna, Sabah
- Facilities
- 🍽️ restaurant🧭 guided tours
- Muslim-friendly
- 🕌 Prayer room (surau) on site · 🍽️ Halal food nearby
Halal food at resorts; village is Muslim majority - Accessibility
- Stilted resorts; sandy paths; not wheelchair friendly
- Kids
- Family-friendly for older kids, boat required
☪️ Halal status changes. For food, look for a valid JAKIM certificate (check at myehalal.halal.gov.my). Hotels and venues we have not verified are described as "pork-free", not halal.
- Boat crossings can be rough
- Security guidance for Semporna waters, follow operator advice
- Do not touch marine life
Also nearby
Sipadan Island
🤿 Diving · Pulau Sipadan, Semporna, Sabah
Sipadan is world-famous for turtles, barracuda tornadoes and reef sharks off a vertical wall. Daily permits are limited, so book months ahead through a licensed operator.
Don't miss: Barracuda Point and Turtle Cavern
Kapalai and Mabul Muck Diving
🤿 Diving · Kapalai / Mabul, Semporna, Sabah
World-class muck diving: ghost pipefish, frogfish, mandarin fish and octopus on sandy slopes. Easy to combine with Sipadan trips.
Don't miss: Frogfish and mimic octopus at Kapalai
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