Seaventures Dive Platform |
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Prices
Package Details
Rooms
Diving Details
Facilities
Food
Safety
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Seaventures Platform is a unique way to dive Sipadan and Mabul. This converted oil rig sits just off the northern shore from Mabul Island and is the budget option with the cheapest prices in the area. Where else can you kit up in a spacious dive station and then take an external elevator down to the waiting dive boat or the macro-paradise beneath the platform?
Rooms: 23
Diving in: Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai
Dive type: Boat dives and diving under the platform
Divers: Max. 50
 Customer Reviews
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Day and night dives under the resort at Seaventure Platform are unlimited and free of charge. The dive staff at Seaventures can find hidden critters that no one else knows about. Let them show you a Rainbow Nation of frogfish, pipefish and nudibranchs.
Evenings are spent enjoying the best sunsets around from the sundeck, using the free internet service to check up on the dog back home, or having a drink or two with your fellow travellers, discussing the amazing sites of Sipadan. Single divers usually share accommodation with other fellow singletons.
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| Resort diving packages... |
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| Prices valid until 31 March 2015 |
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Click 'Book' to send an enquiry for your preferred dive package:
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| More Trip Details.... |
Special offers: Special rates apply for Malaysians, Singaporeans and expatriates with Malaysian work permits. Please contact us for details at info@dive-the-world.com
Destinations:
When park guest permit numbers allow, there is a 3 dives in Sipadan (including packed lunch). Alternatively it will be a 3 dives day around Mabul or Kapalai except on day of arrival and departure.
Note:
Seaventures Dive Platform offers 2 guaranteed visits to Sipadan Island with a minimum 6 days / 5 nights dive package. Permits to Sipadan island are not transferable. For diving Sipadan more often, there is still the chance to purchase Sipadan dives on arrival, depending on availability. 2 extra afternoon dives at Sipadan (on days when permits are obtained) are possible at an extra cost of approx. US$ 95 per diver (minimum of 3 divers). Permit fees and diving service will then be paid on arrival (if permits are obtained). Please ask us for more details.
For more guaranteed dives at Sipadan, please check MV Celebes Explorer.
Resort diving includes:
Dives, unlimited self-guided day and night dives underneath platform, boat rides to dive sites, experienced English-speaking divemaster (maximum 6 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, Semporna jetty fee, drinking water, hot drinks, snacks.
Diving excludes:
Extra boat dives (Mabul / Kapalai / Sipadan (minimum 3 divers)), night boat dives (Mabul, minimum 3 divers), scuba equipment (approx. US$ 33 per day), dive computer, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (if available, approx. US$ 8 per tank), dive insurance, Sipadan permit fees (approx. US$ 12 per person per day), soft drinks. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.
Resort accommodation includes:
Bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinking water, hot drinks, snacks, return resort transfers to/from Tawau airport, internet access (1 hour per day).
Accommodation excludes:
Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks. If you are a single person you can share with another person or pay in advance for a single supplement to get your own room. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.
How to get there:
The resort is located just off the northern shore of Mabul Island, which is a 40 minute speedboat ride from the port of Semporna. Seaventures provide return transfers from Tawau Airport to Semporna and Mabul.
Tawau arrival flights:
From Kota Kinabalu: Air Asia: AK 6122 (07:20-08:10), AK 6126 (12:20-13:10); Malaysia Airlines: MH2121 (07:30-08:15), MH2137 (13:15-14:00)
From Kuala Lumpur: Air Asia AK5152 (07:20-10:05); Malaysia Airlines MH 2660 (08:25-11:15)
From Sandakan: Malaysia Airlines MH 3093 (07:45-09:40)
Transfer time from Tawau Airport to Seaventures Dive Resort is at 08:30. A transfer at 14:30 hrs will be made provided that there are a minimum of 4 guests to pick up in total. If you arrive on any flight which does not time well with these transfer times then you must wait at the airport for the next available transfer (which could be a few hours) or overnight at Tawau or Semporna. Diving is only possible on the first day if you arrive on a morning flight.
Tawau departure flights:
To Kota Kinabalu: Air Asia: AK6127 (13:35-14:25), AK6129 (21:35-22:25); Malaysia Airlines: MH2134 (14:40-15:25), MH3054 (17:55-18:55), MH3056 (20:55-21:55)
To Kuala Lumpur: Air Asia: AK5153 (10:30-13:15), AK2665 (17:50-20:30), AK5155 (18:50-21:35), AK5157 (21:35-00:20); Malaysia Airlines: MH2661 (11:55-14:35)
To Sandakan: Malaysia Airlines: MH3092 (10:05-10:45), MH3056 (20:55-21:55)
Sceduled transfer time from Seaventures to Tawau Airport is 13:30 hrs. Please plan 3 hours between resort departure and flight departure time.
Note that special transfers can be arranged for groups. Individuals/couples can arrange private transfers at additional cost. For more information see our Mabul travel information section.
Dive clubs and group discounts:
Groups of 9 guests or more will receive an additional 1 extra place free of charge.
Add-on package:
If this is your only planned visit to Malaysian Borneo then we strongly recommend that you consider a 2 night add-on stay at the Sepilok Nature Resort, Sandakan in Sabah, to allow you to witness the not-to-be-missed jungle adventures with orang utans.
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| Rooms, Beds, Bathrooms, Views... |
There are 23 rooms in total; 21 standard and 2 family. The standard rooms on Seaventures are nothing fancy, but all have air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, and most of them have a great seaview.
All the rooms have:
- Air-conditioning and ceiling fan
- Private shower with hot and cold
- Bedside reading lights
- Desk and chair
- Cabinet
- Wall mirror
- Mineral water
The 2 family rooms are much larger, including a lounge area in addition to the double bed, great for couples and worth the extra cost.
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| Diving Details... |
When park guest permit numbers allow, there is a 3 dive trip to Sipadan (including packed lunch). Alternatively it will be a 3 dive day around Mabul or Kapalai. Unlimited buddy diving under the Seaventures platform is also included.
Gear up and ride the elevator down to the dive boat or to the waters edge and stride off - now there's a novel entry!
There are 2 10-metre fibreglass dive boats, for 14 divers maximum per boat. 2 divemasters are provided for a full boat.
Unlimited diving under the platform is also included.
There is an underwater photo / video service available by Scubazoo.
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| Facilities, Location, Recreation... |
Staying on the Seaventures Platform is all about novelty and value for money. Most spend the days diving and the nights chilling out on the open platform overlooking Mabul on this 'stationary liveaboard'.
You can also enjoy a game of pool, sing your heart out in the karaoke lounge, take in the latest Hollywood blockbuster in the movie room or surf the web in the internet room - there are 3 terminals with free wireless connection.
Resort facilities include: Free internet - Photo station - TV room - Karaoke lounge - Souvenir shop - Pool table - Conference room - Sun deck - Bar - Fax service
Location: off Mabul Island, near Sipadan, Sabah, Malaysia
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| Menu, Cuisine Type, Specialities... |
A wide variety of Asian and Western cuisine prepared by local and Chinese chefs. Try the succulent BBQ lamb chops with black pepper sauce. Enjoy dining in different locations on the platform.
Meals available:
- Chinese cuisine
- Buffet style dining
- Seafood
- BBQ
- Italian
- Vegetarian and halal on request
Watch the sun set after dinner on the sundeck in the gentle breeze taking in the best view in the area overlooking the island of Mabul.
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| Dive Safety, Resort Security... |
Currently, the nearest re-compression chamber for diving emergencies is located in the Semporna Special Forces Base on the Borneo mainland, 1 hour boat ride away. We strongly recommend that you have your own insurance to cover diving emergencies.
The dive boats carry DAN oxygen sets and first aid kits, and there is a standardised evacuation procedure. The is also an additional medical kit and oxygen supply at the resort.
For non-diving related emergencies, there is a hospital also in Semporna.
Mabul has a local police station and, in the interests of tourist safety, armed guards patrol the island 24 hours per day. There are some 30 fire extinguishers on the rig.
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| Customer reviews: |
"Regarding the Seaventures Resort, it was very unique and the room and diving setup was great. Staff that actually went diving with you was great, they were very knowledgeable, interested and concerned and were great to hang out with. Crew on board was friendly and all smiles. Resort management seemed to be more in work mode which made me feel a bit uncomfortable and not very welcome. Food was good but had little variety." - Sander Koopmans, Netherlands ...
"The dive rig was fantastic. Accommodation was simple but fine. Food was good & service friendly." - Mike Debelak, Australia ...
"Excellent. Equipment was in working order, staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, fun to hang out with between dives. Living on an oil rig was a really great experience." - Keith, Canada ...
"Everything was very well-organised. Meals were on time, dives were well run and slick, and accommodation fine." - David Knight, South Africa ...
"Our diving holiday at Sipadan with Seaventures was fantastic. Cannot fault the diving. Seaventures focussed 100% on giving us the best diving experience possible. We were lucky to have 2 dives every day at Pulau Sipadan, and even 3 on the last day." - Patricia Jasudasen, Malaysia ...
"The equipment were all fully functional and dives were seamless. It wasn't the newest equipment and they didn't have a computer for everyone (nor a full-length wetsuit for me); these were just minor things and the reason why I didn't give them 5 (out of 5)." - Nanda Sandhu, Switzerland ...
"I just wanted to give you my very positive feedback about this company, accommodation and diving were simply excellent, staff is friendly and competent ... and I was lucky enough to dive Sipadan 4 days on 5!" - Bastien Petit, France ...
"The staffs are very friendly and helpful, we stayed in the VIP room and it was really huge and spacious. The food was good to our liking. I like the way the oil rig was perched high up, I can have a good 360 deg view of the surroundings. The staffs help us to setup our diving equipments, totally fuss free. I'm a happy diver. The best part of all is that there's free wifi everywhere, I can surf the internet and update my diving experiences, live telecast!" - Tiffany Ng, Singapore ...
"Everything about Seaventures was fantastic. The staff were always on time and really organized, not to mention friendly and accommodating. There was plenty of food and it was all delicious. And then there was the diving -- more fish and turtles and sharks than I could shake a stick at!" - Michelle Bishop, Canada ...
"From picking us up at the airport to drop off, all was very professional, personable and good value for money. Charges for things were fair. They put us in a spacious room when we asked for a triple. Food was plentiful and good. Dives were excellent. Dive masters kept a watch out for you and yet allowed experienced divers to feel under control as well." - Jenny Winkelman, USA ...
"Really good setup and we enjoyed the diving but, as experienced divers, we felt very restricted. The whole operation seemed to be setup for new divers. For example there was a strict 45 minute limit on dives, which meant that many of our dives felt very cut short - we were returning with well over 100 bar. It became a very frustrating experience.
We brought much of our dive gear with us but we rented fins. These were completely inadequate for scuba diving in occasionally strong currents. Dive guides were generally very good, finding lots of good critters etc. Short dive times were frustrating as noted above. Food was great." - Graham Midgley, Australia ...
"Basic rooms, but clean. Food was OK. Staff were very friendly. The transfer boats were OK. We needed to bring our adaptors for the DIN connection. They charge for rental. They allow divers to dive without computer." - Inge Van Stappen, Belgium ...
"There are quite a few options in Mabul/Kapalai area to choose from, but when I found out there was an oil rig that had been converted into a dive resort, I looked no further. Just loved the idea. It's probably the ugliest thing you'll ever see and if you're looking for a 5-star resort, this place is not for you because the rooms really are in a need of a major overhaul. Somehow, though, the place made sense - everything worked as it should. Food was tasty and plentiful, rental gear was in good condition and most divemasters were great (Ricardo and Kelvin, keep up the good work!).
The diving in nearby islands of Mabul and Kapalai is good and can be great if you just have the patience to look for the small stuff. And Sipadan, of course, is just beautiful. Probably not what it was 20 years ago, but still really beautiful." - Veiko Termonen, Estonia ...
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