Sipadan Island Trips
Entry permits restrict resort divers near this location to just occasional visits to Sipadan during their stay. Those who choose a liveaboard however, get to dive there most days of their cruise. A liveaboard tour here is therefore a popular choice for advanced divers who want to maximise their time at the most famous sites like Barracuda Point, The Drop-Off and South Point. [More details on these dive sites: Mabul, Sipadan].
On a Sipadan liveaboard you may also get the chance to dive at some of the interesting and uncrowded sites around Semporna. While choosing a liveaboard over a resort here means sacrificing some comfort and luxury, for many scuba divers the benefits are definitely worth it.
Tours of 7 nights are recommended for you to get a full taste of the area. Sipadan liveaboards appeal to divers who are no longer beginners (new park rules state all divers must hold at least an advanced license) and who are determined to maximise their time diving at Pulau Sipadan.
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Sipadan Island Trips]
Peninsular Malaysia - Tioman Trips
If time or travel plans do not permit travelling to Sabah, there are some great short dive trip options on the Malaysian peninsula which still allow you to get your liveaboard diving 'fix'. In fact these cruises normally operate out of Singapore and venture into Malaysian or Indonesian waters. The Malaysian trips usually focus on the dive sites around the popular resort island of Pulau Tioman. These safaris occasionally operate routes off the east coast that venture to other nearby locations in the South China Sea.
These trips are aimed mostly, but not exclusively, at scuba divers based in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and usually operate at weekends, although occasionally longer too. They are among the least expensive in the world.
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Peninsular Malaysia - Tioman Trips]