Sipadan & Sulawesei in 1 trip

Is it possible to do a land base trip to both places in a 2/3 weeks trip ?

Sipadan (Mabul island) and Sualwesi. I want to see the Banggai Cardinal Fish.

Or live aboard is the only way and which one ?

Give me some suggestion and I need to start planning for this trip around July.

Thank you !

Dominic

Is it possible to do a land base trip to both places in a 2/3 weeks trip ?

Sipadan (Mabul island) and Sualwesi. I want to see the Banggai Cardinal Fish.

 

Or live aboard is the only way and which one ?

 

Give me some suggestion and I need to start planning for this trip around July.

 

Thank you !

Dominic

Hi Dominic.

I have done both in a 3 weeks journy and i think it's the best dive travel i have ever done.

We stayed for 3 day in Singapoure ( 1 arriving and 2 in the way back). Then 10 days at Manado at NDC Resort ( they have refurnished complete and it's a greit, greit place with very nice dive guides) and there were a flight straight to Kota Kinabalu, flight to Tawau and from there bus and speedboat to Sipadan. It was the last year you could stayed at Sipadan before they closed. For Banggai i think you need to go to Lembe, so keep at least one day for that dive. Easy to do from Manado. Land based it's perfect for both destinations.

You can see Banggai Cardinals in Bali at Secret Bay. Do a search in this subforum for bali and you'll find much info for the type of diving available.

The one issue with diving in Bali is one has to travel here and there by car.

If you've never been to Mabul/Sipadan, I'd go because it's nice diving. But I prefer the menu in Indonesian waters a lot more.

You can see Banggai Cardinals in Bali at Secret Bay. Do a search in this subforum for bali and you'll find much info for the type of diving available.

The one issue with diving in Bali is one has to travel here and there by car.

If you've never been to Mabul/Sipadan, I'd go because it's nice diving. But I prefer the menu in Indonesian waters a lot more.

Where is Secret Bay in Bali ? Is it North or South of Tulamben ?

Hi Dominic.

I have done both in a 3 weeks journy and i think it's the best dive travel i have ever done.

We stayed for 3 day in Singapoure ( 1 arriving and 2 in the way back). Then 10 days at Manado at NDC Resort ( they have refurnished complete and it's a greit, greit place with very nice dive guides) and there were a flight straight to Kota Kinabalu, flight to Tawau and from there bus and speedboat to Sipadan. It was the last year you could stayed at Sipadan before they closed. For Banggai i think you need to go to Lembe, so keep at least one day for that dive. Easy to do from Manado. Land based it's perfect for both destinations.

Is there a way to go from Sipadan/Mabul/Tawau to Lembeh/Manado without going back to KotaKinBalu or even Singapore, etc.

Thanks!

hey domonic,

fyi, the bangai cardinal fish were everywhere in lembeh, I was tripping over them.. i don't think they are anything special, but that's just mho...

for a 2 week trip, I'd much rather do lembeh + bunaken than lembeh + sipadan, due to less time spent travelling... 3 weeks makes sipadan + lembeh more appealing I guess...

have fun!

scott

hey dominic,

fyi, the bangai cardinal fish were everywhere in lembeh, I was tripping over them.. i don't think they are anything special, but that's just mho...

for a 2 week trip, I'd much rather do lembeh + bunaken than lembeh + sipadan, due to less time spent travelling... 3 weeks makes sipadan + lembeh more appealing I guess...

have fun!

scott

Dominic Have to agree withSeigler Lembeh and Bunaken makes much more sense we did this trip 3 years ago and have since been back to Lembeh. The Banngai are all over the strait.

Is there a way to go from Sipadan/Mabul/Tawau to Lembeh/Manado without going back to KotaKinBalu or even Singapore, etc.

 

Thanks!

I don'tthink so. Coming from Manado (Indonesia) to Sipadan (Malasya) you need to pass through an international airport, The nearest one is Kota kinabalu. Then from there do a domestic fly to Tawau.

That's the way we did and we spent 2 days 'cause you need to stay one night in Tawau and in the morning do the bus tryp to Semporna and the boat tryp to Mabul arriving after midday