Sipadan

Sipadan, off the east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, is one of the most celebrated dive sites on earth. The island rises from 600 metres of water, and sites such as Barracuda Point, South Point and the Drop Off are known for huge schools of barracuda and jacks, dozens of green and hawksbill turtles, reef sharks and, at times, scalloped hammerheads. Access is strictly limited by a daily permit system, so most divers stay on nearby Mabul or Kapalai, or in Semporna town, and dive Sipadan on one or more days of their trip. The neighbouring islands offer excellent muck and macro diving of their own. Operators allocate their permits differently, so it is worth asking how many Sipadan days a package includes.