Sipadan Island is considered the pinnacle of diving in Malaysia and one of the top diving destinations in the world. Situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle, this tiny speck of an Island attracts hundreds of divers each year drawn to its world-class dive sites. Sipadan itself doesn’t offer any accommodation, and divers are required to stay at nearby islands or on liveaboards…but there is one more alternative.
Located 1 kilometer off the coast of Mabul, the closest inhabited island to Sipadan, is Seaventures Dive Resort that is probably the only resort in the world to convert a disused Oil Rig Platform into a world class 5 Star PADI dive Center and Resort Hotel. The Seaventures Dive Resort boasts of 43 rooms and can accommodate up to 86 guests in its 4 tier air-conditioned accommodation platform. The experience living at Seaventures is comparable to a cruise or liveaboard, with all necessary comforts at your disposal. Accommodations are basic compared to the fancier resorts at Mabul and Kapalai Islands but it has 24 hour electricity, free wireless internet connection in the rooms and hot water showers.
The resort allows you unlimited unguided diving, day or night off the dive platform to explore the base of the rig known as muck diving where there is tons of macro photography opportunities to be had from frogfish to big grouper and turtles passing through. Though nothing comparable to the dive sites at Sipadan, exploring the bottom of the rig is a unique experience in itself and makes a great night diving opportunity without the fuss of having to travel to a dive site. The other interesting feature is that the rig has a lift that takes you from the water up to the main deck. Divers wishing to dive around the rig can lower themselves in the lift which will wait for them until the dive is completed.
Surrounded by the calm waters of the Celebes Sea, the resort is at the heart of some of the world’s best diving .The platform itself is easily accessible by boat from Mabul, and offers daily dive trips by boat to Sipadan which is merely 20 minutes by boat and is the main attraction for divers. There are also daily boats to Mabul and Kapalai so you residents can enjoy diving the best sites of all three locations.
The Seaventures Sun Deck, one of the highest points in Mabul, is the ideal place to relax and unwind after a days diving, and one can watch spectacular sunsets and see across the entire Mabul Island. This unique Oil Platform resort is definitely a must consider hotel if you are planning a trip to Sipadan Borneo.
photos from flickr by jeremydeades, amrufm, danielguip
