Stilt resort
Kapalai
Kapalai is a stilt resort over a submerged reef, 45 minutes by boat from Semporna. It offers macro diving and Sipadan access with the right pre-booked package.
The property
The stilt resort complex
Decades ago it was a vegetated island before erosion reduced it to a sandbar. Today the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort covers the footprint. Kapalai sits just a few kilometres from Sipadan and the intense macro diving found at the neighbouring island of Mabul . The entire resort stands on stilts over the seabed.
The chalets feature private balconies looking out over the Celebes Sea and the walkways connect the entire complex. At high tide, the walkways carry you above the submerged sandbank. The environment feels remote and marine.
The diving
Macro diving at Kapalai
- A single stilt resort on a sandbank submerged at high tide.
- Shallow macro diving directly beneath the wooden resort walkways.
- Resident flamboyant cuttlefish and blue-ringed octopuses in the sandy rubble.
- A base for Sipadan diving with the right pre-booked package.
- Direct snorkelling from the wooden decks into the clear water.
Best time to visit
March and April are the calmest and least wet months. The northeast monsoon brings elevated swells from November through February. December and January carry the highest chance of a cancelled boat transfer.
Day trips
Sipadan island
Kapalai serves as a base for a day's diving at Sipadan with the right pre-booked package. Divers and snorkellers need permits for Sipadan itself; Kapalai has its own local dive sites.
Getting there
You reach Kapalai via the mainland town of Semporna. The transit from the Semporna jetty takes about 45 minutes by speedboat. Once you board the resort speedboat, you leave the crowds behind. For a pure beach experience, consider Mataking instead.
Alternatives
The neighbouring islands
Mabul Island
An hour's boat ride from Semporna, Mabul Island combines some of the finest macro diving with the most reliable access to Sipadan.
Sipadan Island
An oceanic island rising from deep water in the Celebes Sea, Sipadan is Sabah's flagship dive site. It is protected by a strict permit system with no accommodation on the island itself and offers exceptional encounters with schooling barracuda, reef sharks and turtles.
Mataking Reef Dive Resort
40 minutes by boat from Semporna, Mataking is a 40-acre private island offering deep wall diving, sandy beaches and comfortable chalets for couples and families.
Pom Pom Island Resort
A 45-minute speedboat ride from Semporna, Pom Pom Island Resort offers wooden villas, macro diving and a sea turtle hatchery on a private coral cay.
Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Built entirely on stilts over the shallow Ligitan sandbank, Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort offers immediate access to the Celebes Sea and macro diving right off the jetty.
The property
Plan your Kapalai diving
Tell the team when you want to stay at Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort for the shallow muck diving and Sipadan access.