KAPALAI ISLAND

Have you ever wondered what it's like to sleep on water, to dive straight from your room? The Kapalai Island is the most amazing place to do just that. Here's what you should know before boarding.

What it is?
The Kapalai Island was a beautiful island two hundres years ago. Now it's a marvelous sandbank over a sahllow reef, with a resort village on stilts. It is only 15 minutes by boat from the diving paradise of Sipadan Island, on the eastern shore of Borneo.

Getting there

The closest airport to Kapalai is Tawau, which hosts direct flights from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, Sabah’s capital Kota Kinabalu or Singapore. From Tawau, you can take a mini bus to Semporna, then a boat. If you book a Kapalai Island Package, your transfer to and from the airport is included.

The resort

The Kapalai Island Resort is made of 59 wooden chalets built on high stilts, over crystal clear blue waters in the middle of the ocean. The chalets are linked together with miles of wooden walkways, making for an amazing walk or jog over water, with panoramic views no matter where you turn.

What to see and do

The Kapalai Package includes not only diving, but also snorkeling and kayaking, as well as diving certification courses and even night diving.

If you’ve considered macro diving, this is the best place to do it. You can spot frogfish, blue-ringed octopuses, the flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin ghost pipefish, sea moths, mantis shrimps and mandarin fish just to name a few.

Dive spots are really close and can be reached in a few minutes by speedboat or by swimming directly to them. The island is a beginners’ paradise, with shallow calm waters, but also great practice sites and plenty rewarding for the more advanced divers.

Snorkeling is a fantastic activity for the whole family, easy but spectacular, in shallow waters and sandy bottoms. You can see saucer leaf algae and the finger leather coral with a bright orange ascidians on it, mushroom leather corals, brown sea whips, just to name a few.

When to go?

Kapalai Island is blessed with great weather all year long, temperatures ranging from 21˚C to 31˚C with the humidity about 90%. The best time to go is outside the rainy season, from March to October, for best visibility.

The Kapalai Island Package

The resort offers internet access, satellite phone, fresh drinking water from mainland, basic toiletries, bathroom with shower and tub, big sundeck, game room and a mosquito free, fun and relaxing environment. The large sundeck area is perfect for enjoying a few drinks while appreciating the fantastic tropical sunset, with amazing views of the sea. It also has a dinner sitting area, where you can enjoy freshly cooked traditional or western food.

With its serene combination of water and sun, the Kapalai Island is the perfect destination spot for couples, families or friends, divers and non-divers alike, to create the most amazing experience.

Kapalai Package - 2011:

Diver Package (Price Per Person)
Days / Night
3D 2N : RM 1,900.00
4D 3N : RM 2,580.00
5D 4N : RM 3,410.00
6D 5N : RM 4,240.00
7D 6N : RM 5,070.00
Additional Night: RM 830.00

Non Diver Package (Price Per Person)
Days / Night
3D / 2N : RM 1,520.00
4D / 3N : RM 2,064.00
5D / 4N : RM 2,728.00
6D / 5N : RM 3,392.00
7D / 6N : RM 4,056.00
Additional Night: RM 664.00

Note: Single supplement - Additional 50% of the above package

Package Inclusive:
1. meet and land transfer from Tawau Airport to our Private Jetty at Semporna (70mins) & return transfer
2. boat transfer to kapalai island & return
3. accommodation on a twin / triple sharing basis on the resort
4. provide 3 boat dives daily except on arrival and departure days
5. unlimited dives in front of kapalai dive centre
6. fresh food cooked by our Chef on buffet style
7. afternoon snacks served after 3rd dive
8. tea/coffee, cold water and cordial served throughout the day
9. tanks, weight and belt are provided
10. no extra charge nfor night dive in front of dive centre for advance diver or diver with night dive experience
11. limited dive gears are available for rental

Boat schedule:
Semporna to Kapalai: 9.30am, 12 noon and 3.30pm
Kapalai to Semporna: 6.30am, 10.30am and 1.30pm

Fight Recommend:
Kota Kinabalu to Tawau:
MH 2121 - 0700/0745hrs - check in Kapalai via 0930hrs boat transfer

Tawau to Kota Kinabalu:
MH 2134 - 1440/1525hrs - check out Kapalai via 1030hrs boat transfer.