Had 4 days here, which really is nowhere near long enough to get the most out of this superb dive experience. We flew in to Tawau from KK, and had a 1 1/4 hour minibus transfer to Semporna, which could easily have taken longer. The speed boat ride to mabul took about 40-mins and was very smooth. We arrived at... more

Stayed at this property as part of our honeymoon recently for 4 days. On arriving at the resort by speedboat I actually thought I had arrived in paradise as it was so beautiful. My husband was a diver and I am not so this review is written from the perspective of a non diver. After our lunch on the main... more

People looking to dive Sipadan have a few choices. The first is whether to stay on kapalai or to stay on mabul island (only the police live on Sipadan, there is no resort there anymore). On the first decision, I think Mabul is a better choice. I think the house reef diving there is more interesting (Kapalai/Mabul resorts often dive... more

Just returned from 6 nights at Mabul Water Bungalows. The resort is really beautiful - the rooms are lovely and the balconies great. We were lucky to have one of the better views - some of the bungalows overlook the dining area which would not be so great. If you are patient you can see turtles snorkelling past your balcony... more

Transfers I flew Malaysian Airways from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur and then, after a few days there, from the LCCT (the low cost carrier terminal, about 15 minutes by bus from the MTB, main terminal building) to Tawau on AirAsia. This is far better and cheaper than the route usually recommended which is to fly to Tawau via Kota Kinabalu,... more

We had an hour's very bumpy boat trip to reach the resort. - but well worth it. The staff could not have been more helpful or attentive. We stayed two nights, and had one full day there. We were able to hire the equipment there (from the smart resort) without problem. I wish that I had realised that I could... more

This is the most beautiful place I've seen! We stayed at Sipdan-Mabul Resort, which is part of the same property as Mabul Water Bungalows, and dove with the onsite operation, SMART divers. We were very glad we chose the beach bungalow instead of paying more for an overwater bungalow. The overwater part of the resort was beautiful, but felt more... more

If you are a hard-core diver, SMART will heaven to you and some more! 1) We book directly with their office in Kota Kinabalu, just one phone call + email forms back with credit card authorization. Piece of cake. Both pickup and dropoff to/from airport was on time and quick. 2) We were at the over-water bungalow section. Furnishing is... more

Picked up in Tawau and transferred to Semporna jetty by SMART staff, then 40 min transfer by speedboat to Mabul, all very efficient. The arrival area is a bit bleak, and the water is a bit grubby, as it is right next to the fishing village, but keep an open mind - it gets better. Greeted on arrival by divemaster... more