SCUBA in Sipidan – A Top 10 diving experience
During my last time in Malaysia I pretty much stuck to the urban sprawl of Kuala Lumpur and it’s surrounding areas. This time I was determined to get away from all of that and explore the natural side of the country. Getting there involved a brief AirAsia flight to Sabah, a 45 minute shuttle ride through the countyside to Semporna and then a water taxi to the Seaventures diving rig. It’s a converted oil rig that now provided all the amenities of a regular hotel (including wifi) but was in the middle of the ocean, about an hour from the mainland by high-speed boat. In addition, it has it’s own artificial reef where you can enjoy unlimited dives, including night dives. I spent 3 nights on the rig, and during this time experienced some of the best diving of my life. The pictures don’t really do it justice as I was using a rented underwater camera, but take my word for it when I say that it’s an out of the world experience. The nearby island of Mabul is one of the most primitive places I’ve experienced. A population of about 200 people live here without any electricity or other modern amenities, and even have their own language. Quite the polar opposite of Kuala Lumpur indeed!
