VIP AC Room:
There are 2 rooms featuring a king bed, air-conditioning, a supplementary ceiling fan and an extended balcony set directly over the beach for partial sea views. Twin sharing is not permitted in this tier.
Enquire about this room
Eco-dive base on Mabul
Mabul Beach Resort
A beachfront dive base run by Scuba Junkie that prioritises marine conservation and underwater logistics over terrestrial luxury. It sits an hour from Semporna on the Celebes Sea.
Eco-dive base on Mabul
Mabul Beach Resort layout
60 minutes by speedboat from Semporna, Mabul Beach Resort operates as a dedicated dive base on the edge of the Celebes Sea. The property sits directly on the sand of Mabul Island rather than standing on stilts over the reef. If you come here, you will find a highly professional PADI 5-Star eco-centre attached to a sociable, relaxed camp.
Built in 2009, the resort is a low-impact property that shares the island with mature gardens, a private stretch of beach and the local Bajau community. The footprint is small enough that you can walk around the entire island in under 1 hour. The architecture contrasts with the sprawling overwater bungalows of its neighbours and integrates with the existing topography. The central nexus is a large open-plan dining hall flanked by the dive centre. A wooden jetty extends into the deeper water to handle the daily boat traffic. Green sea turtles often swim over the house reef right beside the jetty and sometimes lumber onto the beach to nest at night. The resort also runs an onsite turtle hatchery and routine beach clean-ups to protect the shoreline.
The property suits eco-conscious divers, macro photographers and younger travellers who want well-organised dive days and top-tier guiding. If you view your room as a comfortable basecamp rather than the destination itself, the resort is a brilliant match. The terrain is entirely unpaved sand and dirt tracks with stairs to the main bar and no mechanical lifts on the jetty.
Why stay here
Our view of the resort
The team here runs one of the most highly decorated eco-dive centres in the region. The guiding ratio is strictly capped at 4 divers to every PADI professional. The accommodation gives you a comfortable base between dives. The rooms have solar-heated showers. Wi-Fi is available in the common areas. Local 4G mobile coverage envelopes the island so you should buy a Malaysian SIM card in Semporna if you need a reliable connection. The resort invests in European-grade sewage treatment and marine conservation to protect the reef outside your door.
30-room beachfront resort built
30-room beachfront resort built on the sand of Mabul Island
Award-winning PADI 5-Star IDC
Award-winning PADI 5-Star IDC and Green Fins Gold Member centre
Immediate access to Mabul
Immediate access to Mabul, Kapalai and Si Amil macro diving
Sipadan diving for Advanced
Sipadan diving for Advanced Open Water certified divers
Offers 24-hour electricity and
Offers 24-hour electricity and a solar water heating system
Rooms
Beachfront and garden rooms
Deluxe AC Family Room:
There is 1 dedicated family unit with a king bed and a set of single bunk beds. It is cooled by air-conditioning and a ceiling fan and it features a private balcony looking onto the garden. It sleeps 2 adults and 2 children or up to 4 adults.
Enquire about this roomDeluxe AC Room:
The standard double or twin option. It offers air-conditioning, a ceiling fan and a garden-view balcony.
Enquire about this roomEnsuite Fan Room:
A double or twin configuration cooled by a ceiling fan. It includes the same private balcony and a solar-heated shower.
Enquire about this roomDormitory (AC or Fan):
Mixed-gender dormitories sleeping 4 guests in 2 sets of bunk beds. They feature a shared en-suite bathroom, individual security lockers and balcony access. You can choose an air-conditioned or a fan-cooled dorm.
Enquire about this roomIntern Dormitory:
A fan-cooled mixed-gender space sleeping up to 8 guests. It is reserved for Divemaster and instructor candidates.
Enquire about this roomFrom your doorstep
What a day here holds
The Danum Valley Canopy Walkway
Suspended 27 metres above the primary rainforest floor, the Borneo Rainforest Lodge canopy walkway is a 360-metre structure anchored directl
Danum Valley Night Safaris
A night drive is the best way to see the rainforest mammals that sleep through the heat of the day. This guide explains how the drives work,
Guided Treks and Trails
The trails at Danum Valley run deep into a ancient primary rainforest. They are hot, humid and root-choked and they offer a way of seeing th
The Sabah Birding Circuit
The classic Sabah birding circuit connects the montane forests of Mount Kinabalu with the lowland dipterocarps of Danum Valley. This guide e
Kinabatangan River
The Kinabatangan floodplain holds the highest concentration of wildlife in Borneo. This is where you go to track orangutans and proboscis mo
Wildlife you may see
Keep your binoculars close
Sightings are wild and never guaranteed: that is the point. These are the residents your guides will be listening for.
Packages
Ways to stay
Rates on enquiry, no prices are published.
The Danum Essential
2 nights at the flagship lodge: the canopy walkway at dawn, a night drive, and dinner beside the river.
Full board · on enquiry
EnquireDanum Intensive
A private week across the Lodge and the Study Centre: hides, flexible dawn starts and a vehicle that waits for the light.
Full board · on enquiry
EnquireBefore you pack
Yes. The PADI 5-Star IDC centre teaches the complete syllabus from Discover Scuba Diving up to professional instructor levels.
Yes. A healthy house reef sits directly adjacent to the jetty and is used for training, night dives and snorkelling.
Children under 12 can dive but a parent or guardian must be physically present at the jetty or on the boat at all times. For adolescents aged 12 to 17, the parent must be present on the island.
The kitchen guarantees vegetarian options at every meal. Specialised dietary allergies can be accommodated if the team receives advance notice.
The Semporna region receives about 2,342 mm of rain a year. December is usually the wettest month while March and April are the calmest. The diving operates year-round but Sipadan is closed every November.
How to get there
The journey is part of it
You reach the resort via a 60-minute speedboat transit from Semporna. The mainland departures leave Semporna at 8am and 2:30pm. The return boats leave Mabul at 10am and 4pm. If you are assigned the 10am departure, you cannot dive or snorkel on your final morning.
Open the interactive mapExtend the journey
Nearby & combinations
Sipadan Water Village Mabul Water Bungalows Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort Mataking Reef Resort Pom Pom Island Resort
Plan your trip
Plan your Mabul week
Tell the team your dates, certification level and party size so they can check Sipadan permit availability and plan your stay.
Sources referenced on this page: Sabah Parks — https://www.sabahparks.org.my/ · The Reef-World Foundation — https://reef-world.org/ · PADI — https://www.padi.com/.