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Wow, I didn't expect this Semporna blog post of mine suddenly got an increment of readers. I suspect it's because of the Covid-19 pandemic that many Malaysians start to support local tourism lol. And I got some of you asking me about the tour so I figure I'm just gonna update this blog post a bit. This blog post was supposed to be sort of my travel diary so it's quite long-winded. So, if you're here for the tips and recommendations you could just scroll down to the bottom.
Hey yo! This is my first post blogging from Sabah!
Oops I said I wanna blog about the preparation before I came to work in Sabah but life in Sabah was quite fulfilling until I didn't bother to blog about it hahaha. I think coz I'm quite lucky that we came here in a group of ladies so we formed a gang almost immediately haha. Everything is better with friends! I couldn't imagine if I came here all alone... I would be so emo queen like last time again haha.
So far we've went food hunting, hiking, yum cha-ing together. And just last weekend we went to Semporna finally!!! It's been on our mind to visit Semporna since the first day we knew we got Tawau but due to busy "housewife" schedule and our clashing locum schedule, it's hard to find a date that suits everyone. But this time we just anyhow decided to go just 2 weeks before the date although there's just 3 of us who could make it. If we wait any longer I don't know when will we be able to go. Sometimes you need to just grab the chance to travel when you see it and not worrying too much about anything else!
So it was an AWESOME trip! More awesome was that this 2-day-1-night trip only costed us less than RM 350/person! At first we almost decided to go with my cousin's boat which would cost us around RM150/person for one day island hopping package. But our colleague gave us a contact that offers package as low as RM80 per package which was like half the price OMG! Since it was so damn cheap we decided to go for island hopping 2 days in a row! And since we're going for two days we could go to both Bohey Dulang Island and Mabul Island which are located at opposite directions from Semporna's jetty. These two islands are possibly the most popular islands in Semporna. Bohey Dulang is famous for its view at the top of the hill while Mabul is famous for the beautiful landscape at the water bungalow resort. Ideally we could only choose one to visit because we would waste a lot of time on the boat if we were to visit both on the same day. However, we had a hard time deciding which one to visit for our first trip to Semporna so we decided why not we go island hopping for 2 days yeah!!!
1st day package (RM80): Tatagan Island, Bohey Dulang, Mantabuan Island and Sibuan Island
2nd day package (RM85): Kapalai Island, Mabul Island and Gusungan Island
On the Saturday morning, we took a Grab car and reached Grace Plaza at 6.30 AM to hop on a Toyota HiAce van to Semporna. At first, we thought it would be a van of that agent who offered us the island hopping package but it seemed that it's a bus that operates everyday to and fro Semporna coz it stopped at several stations along the way! No wonder the agent told us the transportation fee was only RM13 to Semporna and RM15 back to Tawau! We've asked around and usually the transportation fee of getting to Semporna by van would be around RM140 and taking a Grab car would cost around RM130. So I think taking this "van bus" is the cheapest way to get to Semporna from Tawau if your on a budget! And it's not bad at all! The only downside is that it would take a longer journey because it stops at several stations.
The road from Tawau to Semporna was quite decent to drive ourselves but there's one part that's patchy and full of potholes so you cannot drive fast. Besides, there's news that says some drivers had got big rocks thrown at their cars during the journey to Semporna which seemed like a robbery attempt. So, it's actuallly not very safe to drive to Semporna yourself! So personally I would consider to take this "van bus" if I visit Semporna with friends again. However, it's not recommended if your a girl travelling alone coz most of the passengers of the bus are guys.
We reached Pekan Semporna after around 1 hour and 45 minutes. First impression of Semporna was that it's an underdeveloped small town although it has hosted a lot of Chinese tourists all these years. Around 8.55 PM the agent called me to ask whether we've arrived and kept rushing us to go to Public Jetty because the boat was supposed to leave at 9 AM and everyone was already waiting for us. Hmm... We're a bit annoyed because she didn't tell us what time we are departing from jetty before this and she's the one who suggested us to take this "van bus"! I said the driver stopped at somewhere and got down the van to do something then she very kancheong and asked me to snap a photo of my location so that she could send someone to fetch us to the Public Jetty lol. Anyhow the van driver dropped us at the jetty in the end.
We left our stuffs at the jetty where the agent's people would guard our things and just got up the boat with our essential belongings. Never bring too many stuffs and it's good to keep all your stuffs in a waterproof bag coz the boat will always get wet! Once we got up the boat we departed from the jetty after they took a group photo of us in the boat lol..
Just after 15 minutes off the shore, we were so excited to see clear turquoise sea water! So clear that we can see the seabed!
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| Clear turquoise sea water!!! |
After some time (where I lost track of time because the boat ride was very enjoyable!), we reached our first destination!
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| Pulau Tatagan |
First stop was Pulau Tatagan where the Sea Gypsies (Bajau Laut) would come up to us in their small wooden boats to beg for stuffs. It was quite shocking for some who didn't expect it but I've done some reading before this so I've prepared for this haha. I knew that these Sea Gypsies would not harm you or anything. They would keep begging and poking you although you keep ignoring them but they would never snatch anything from you. I actually felt like giving them some food but MH said if you give one of them then all the Sea Gypsies would come to you which sounded scary haha so I changed my mind.
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| Sea Gypsies (Bajau Laut) |
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| Sea Gypsies (Taken with Huawei P20 Pro) |
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| Sea Gypsies (Taken with Huawei P20 Pro) |
The guide helped us to take some individual photos at the bow of the boat but let me keep the photos to myself alright coz my poses were very awkward lol.
We only take photos near the island and left after that. I guess this island was not meant for tourists.
Then, we reached our second destination which was one of my favourite island so far --- Bohey Dulang!
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| Bohey Dulang |
Luckily the weather was okay..... The guide said there was rain the night before and sometimes the Sabah Park Management might close entry due to safety reason. But luckily we were able to hike up Bohey Dulang that morning!
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| Crystal clear sea! |
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| Selfie before the hike |
When we heard the hike will only take around 45 minutes, we thought it would be an easy hike. But it was not that easy! The trail was quite steep and slippery but I wore my "Adidas Kampung" so the grip was good. But my stamina sucks so it's tiring for me! HF also had a hard time but MH seemed to breeze through it. The worst part was the climate! It was so HOT and HUMID! I've never sweated so much in my hiking life! Everyone seemed like they had a shower! I couldn't understand how some Chinese tourists managed to hike in pretty dresses =.= Oh BTW the management don't allow people to hike in sandals, toe-covered shoe is a must!
Remember to bring sufficient water or ORS as well because you will get dehydrated easily coz you'll be sweating like hell!
Remember to bring sufficient water or ORS as well because you will get dehydrated easily coz you'll be sweating like hell!
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| Hiking |
Anyway, after struggling through the 45-minute hike, we were rewarded with this spectacular view!
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| View from the above --- Bohey Dulang |
They said it's not everyday that you'll able to see this view because the weather has to be sunny and less cloudy. And we saw it that day!
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| View from the above --- Bohey Dulang |
The photo above was not as vibrant because the sky was a little dark that day. It seemed like it would rain but it didn't rain at all after that.
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| My wanderlust photo --- Bohey Dulang |
It's so hard to take the photo above because it's the most popular selfie spot for tourists! Some Chinese tourists were really idiotic that they kept move into other people's photo =.=
After I think 30 minutes of photo taking at the top of the hill, we went back down and my shirt was drenched with sweat.
During the hike down, we had a fun little chat with our boat mates. They were a friendly group of guys around our age who seemed fun to be friends with. We only had a light chat so I only know one of them was Siamese and others seemed like Sabahan but I'm not sure what ethnic haha. Nice to have good travel companions as it really lifts up the vibe! We weren't so lucky to have good boat mates on the second day though....
During the hike down, we had a fun little chat with our boat mates. They were a friendly group of guys around our age who seemed fun to be friends with. We only had a light chat so I only know one of them was Siamese and others seemed like Sabahan but I'm not sure what ethnic haha. Nice to have good travel companions as it really lifts up the vibe! We weren't so lucky to have good boat mates on the second day though....
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| Selfie after the hike |
After the hike, we had our lunch on the boat.
Every package includes a lunch and I think most agents provided similar type of food coz I saw they used the same lunch box haha. It tasted not bad at all and was very fulfilling.
After our lunch, we moved to Pulau Mantabuan! Our guide said that it's a private island so we're not allowed to set foot on it but we could snorkel around it. However, everyone of us on the boat didn't dare to snorkel here because we saw a lot of sea urchin on the seabed lol. So we just took photos on the boat.
Every package includes a lunch and I think most agents provided similar type of food coz I saw they used the same lunch box haha. It tasted not bad at all and was very fulfilling.
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| Simple lunch |
After our lunch, we moved to Pulau Mantabuan! Our guide said that it's a private island so we're not allowed to set foot on it but we could snorkel around it. However, everyone of us on the boat didn't dare to snorkel here because we saw a lot of sea urchin on the seabed lol. So we just took photos on the boat.
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| Pulau Mantabuan |
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| Pulau Mantabuan |
Then, we moved on to our snorkeling place and also our last destination --- Pulau Sibuan!
This is arguably the most picturesque island that we've visited! It's a very small island with no settlements or resort on the island, just a place to stop by for a while, take photos and have fun!
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| MH and the boat --- Sibuan |
Brought along my monkey for photography session haha
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| Monkey and the sea |
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| Monkey sunbathing |
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| Me and the sea |
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| OOTD lol |
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| Superb weather yo! --- Sibuan (This photo was taken with HF's Huawei P20 Pro) |
After 30 minutes of photo-taking, our boat sailed to another part of Sibuan Island which were nearby for snorkeling. While on the boat, our boat mates told us that they found a starfish and they even showed us a photo of them holding a starfish!
Then it was my first time snorkeling and I was a little nervous that I would be scared of the fish. But I think I did OK haha but honestly I was a bit disappointed. The view of the seabed was not as beautiful as what I've expected. Well, I had too high expectation that I would be able to see colourful corals, exotic fish and turtles after all. All I could see were dead corals and small uninteresting fish. I asked my guide whether there is any colourful corals around and he replied that those corals can only be found in Mataking or Timba Timba Island. Oh well, another trip for another day!
Good thing was my guide that day was nice enough to be my individual snorkeling guide and dragged me around in the open water. Maybe it was also because the other guys didn't need any guide. Once he was being naughty and used his bare hands to pick up a sea urchin from the seabed and held it in front of me in the water! I was quite scared and shouted a little hahaha. Well, I'm thankful enough because I felt he really tried to make me enjoy the snorkeling experience. He kept dragging me to spots where there're a lot of fish even though I was not really interested with the fish haha. And it seemed that it took a lot of effort to drag someone who couldn't swim like me around in the open water because his breathing was very loud lol. So since there weren't much to see I told him I wanna go back to the boat to rest. Also because I was a little tired from struggling to breathe in the snorkeling set. The snorkeling set that they gave me was not really good because sea water kept going into my goggles. Also it was quite disgusting! Imagine so many people had used the snorkeling set before and you have to put it in your mouth! If you're going to snorkel a lot I think it's better to invest in your own snorkeling set.
Anyway, I think it was the first time I had such a close contact with a male human lol I could hear his breath beside my ears all the time I was snorkeling! In normal circumstances I would probably felt uneasy being so close to a male but I swear when you're floating in the open water you would grab anything to feel secure even a stranger lol especially if you don't know how to swim!
So, I went back to the boat, rested for a while and then we headed back to the jetty and ended our first day of island hopping!
When we reached the Public Jetty, we collected our stuffs and paid cash to the agent. Then we just left the jetty and walked to our guesthouse. I wanted to bid farewell to our guides and boat mates but they were still at the boat and my friends were already leaving the jetty so... a bit regret that I didn't say goodbye to them because they were so nice to us.
We walked around 10 minutes to our guesthouse that we booked on Booking.com --- Casa Casa. It's a good place to stay for a night because of it's superb location especially if you don't drive yourself. It's near to the town centre so at night we could just walk to the waterfront restaurants to have our dinner, stroll around the town aimlessly and just immerse in the laid back vibe. It's a modernly decorated and newly renovated guesthouse in the middle of old shop lots so we had a comfortable stay while still be able to live like a local somehow haha. Their staffs were also friendly and check-in was a breeze. Guests can also hang their clothes at the balcony. Guests who checked out early can still use one of their rooms to shower with just a small fee of RM10 (without towel) or RM15 (towel provided) after they come back from water activities. Overall I enjoyed the stay and would probably stay in Casa Casa again if I visit Semporna in the future.
After we clean ourselves up, we walked to the seafood restaurant that we Googled online --- Fat Mom's Restaurant 肥媽海鮮樓. The restaurant was not very big and it was already crowded with locals as well as Chinese tourists. Anyway we managed to have a table but I didn't really like the environment as one of the staffs who takes order kept shou`ting. Her voice was damn loud! We only ordered 3 dish --- Steamed stone fish, Chili Lala and Signature Tofu. Well, the food was okay but not worth the waiting time I think...
After dinner, we strolled around the town to look for coconut water. It's not hard to find but most of them sell at tourist price (RM 6). Luckily on our way to Seafest Hotel (MH wanna reserve a room for her family), we found a local roadside stall that sold coconuts at RM3 each! It's considered very cheap! Their coconuts were not very small nor not sweet but I don't know why they were selling so cheap haha. Yeah so we happily fulfilled our craving for coconut water!
We also bought some aloe vera face masks at Watsons because our face was sunburnt a little haha. After MH settled her stuffs at Seafest Hotel, we walked to the nearby tourism centre but there wasn't anything interesting there unless you like to drink alcohol because there's a bar there. So we took a Grab car back to our guesthouse. We didn't walk back because we felt it was not safe to walk through the streets where our guesthouse was located at night as there were a lot of Bajau people there? I'm not sure whether they're Bajau but I just assumed they were.
At night, I fell asleep easily after finish editing the photos and uploaded to our shared drive. The photos were so damn nice!!! I think when I just fell asleep, it started to rain cats and dogs. The sound was very loud because our room was at the top floor. HF suddenly woke up and asked me whether we can still carry on our plan tomorrow morning. I was half awake and blur so I didn't know how to react to her lol luckily she went back to sleep herself.
Luckily the sky was sunny again the next morning! However, the waves were big that day probably due to the heavy rain the night before. The waves made the boat very unstable and I felt a bit sea sick. The boat ride was also very bumpy and rough due to the waves!
In the morning, we checked out from our guesthouse, left our stuffs at the guesthouse and then walked to the Public Jetty. We reached the jetty at 8.30AM and again we were the last one haha. So after taking a group photo in the boat, we sailed towards the sea. Second day's boat ride was not comfortable because it was very bumpy until our buttocks were sore from bumping on the seat for hours OMG! And the island destinations today were further away from the jetty than the islands yesterday!
First we went to Mabul Island. We hopped on the island at the Bajau settlements area which were quite a special scene. Their village looked like a playground where the Bajau children were swimming and playing in the sea water. Their houses looked old and run down but they seemed to be living a simple and happy life. The Bajaus living at Mabul Island were more developed where they ran some small businesses on the island.
After passing through the Bajau village, we reached the resort's beach and they let us take photographs for a while. Then they rushed us to the water bungalows.
To enter the Mabul's Water Bungalow Resort, we had to pay entrance fee of RM20 per person. Quite expensive seeing that we're just going in to take photos. Anyway we figured if we're not going in there's nothing else to do there so we just willingly paid to go take photos. Well, the place is really nicely maintained and very vacation-vibe. I guess it's quite worth the RM20 if it's your first time going in.
After dinner, we strolled around the town to look for coconut water. It's not hard to find but most of them sell at tourist price (RM 6). Luckily on our way to Seafest Hotel (MH wanna reserve a room for her family), we found a local roadside stall that sold coconuts at RM3 each! It's considered very cheap! Their coconuts were not very small nor not sweet but I don't know why they were selling so cheap haha. Yeah so we happily fulfilled our craving for coconut water!
We also bought some aloe vera face masks at Watsons because our face was sunburnt a little haha. After MH settled her stuffs at Seafest Hotel, we walked to the nearby tourism centre but there wasn't anything interesting there unless you like to drink alcohol because there's a bar there. So we took a Grab car back to our guesthouse. We didn't walk back because we felt it was not safe to walk through the streets where our guesthouse was located at night as there were a lot of Bajau people there? I'm not sure whether they're Bajau but I just assumed they were.
At night, I fell asleep easily after finish editing the photos and uploaded to our shared drive. The photos were so damn nice!!! I think when I just fell asleep, it started to rain cats and dogs. The sound was very loud because our room was at the top floor. HF suddenly woke up and asked me whether we can still carry on our plan tomorrow morning. I was half awake and blur so I didn't know how to react to her lol luckily she went back to sleep herself.
Luckily the sky was sunny again the next morning! However, the waves were big that day probably due to the heavy rain the night before. The waves made the boat very unstable and I felt a bit sea sick. The boat ride was also very bumpy and rough due to the waves!
In the morning, we checked out from our guesthouse, left our stuffs at the guesthouse and then walked to the Public Jetty. We reached the jetty at 8.30AM and again we were the last one haha. So after taking a group photo in the boat, we sailed towards the sea. Second day's boat ride was not comfortable because it was very bumpy until our buttocks were sore from bumping on the seat for hours OMG! And the island destinations today were further away from the jetty than the islands yesterday!
First we went to Mabul Island. We hopped on the island at the Bajau settlements area which were quite a special scene. Their village looked like a playground where the Bajau children were swimming and playing in the sea water. Their houses looked old and run down but they seemed to be living a simple and happy life. The Bajaus living at Mabul Island were more developed where they ran some small businesses on the island.
After passing through the Bajau village, we reached the resort's beach and they let us take photographs for a while. Then they rushed us to the water bungalows.
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| Entrance to Pulau Mabul's Water Bungalows |
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| Yup that's my boat --- Pulau Mabul |
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| Pulau Mabul (Taken with Huawei) |
To enter the Mabul's Water Bungalow Resort, we had to pay entrance fee of RM20 per person. Quite expensive seeing that we're just going in to take photos. Anyway we figured if we're not going in there's nothing else to do there so we just willingly paid to go take photos. Well, the place is really nicely maintained and very vacation-vibe. I guess it's quite worth the RM20 if it's your first time going in.
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Mabul Water Bungalow |
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| Our group photo at Mabul Water Bungalow |
Feel like wanna live in the water bungalows!!! I think it probably cost a minimum of RM1000 for a night's stay there! The place was very very beautiful I think I would have happy mood everyday if I live there. We had a great time photographing there but we're a bit rush because the guide kept following us around and kept rushing us. And the weather was so HOT!
After that, we had our lunch in the boat. The lunch box were similar as the first day. Then, we were brought to a place suitable for snorkeling around Mabul island. The guide that day was not as fun and nobody was there to assist me when I went into the open water. I guess it's because there were only two guides and there were 2 children in our group so they needed to make the children their priority. So just like that, I was floating in the open water all by myself... kicking my legs and moving my arms but still couldn't control where I was going... all I knew was I was drifting further and further away from the guide every time.. and getting nearer and nearer to the boat's motor but luckily the guide did notice me and pulled me away from the motor before I hit it. When I dunk my head in the water I could see some starfish on the seabed and something that looked like eel. I wanted to touch the starfish but I couldn't dive so I was a little bored coz there's nothing else to see other than the starfish lol. Really there wasn't any fish in my sight! Just when I thought hmm time to go back to the boat, the guide took a starfish from the seabed and let MH held it!
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| Mabul Island Starfish (Taken with Huawei P20) |
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| Mabul Island --- Selfie with a Starfish (Taken with Huawei P20) |
OMG this starfish looked like a cookie so cute! The guide told MH we're not supposed to touch and hold a starfish so we could only do it for a short time. After googling it about it just now, only did I know that some species of starfish might die if they're taken out of water even for just 10 seconds! Now I felt a little guilty because I asked MH to pass the starfish to me and help me take a photo. Anyway, this starfish felt hard like a ceramic piece, almost like a fake but MH said she felt micro-movements of the starfish on her hand!
After a while of snorkeling I was so tired because I used all of my energy to struggle in the open water myself.... so I went back to the boat to rest while waiting for others to finish their snorkeling session.
After Mabul, the rest of the day wasn't so nice because I was a little sea-sicked due to the waves. Also maybe because our boat mates and guides weren't as fun as the first day. I think after that we only went to Kapalai Island.
Kapalai Island is a private island so we were not allowed to set foot on the island. OMG at that moment I was really like FML I don't want to be on this boat anymore coz it kept shaking! Our guide went on the island to get permit or something then came back to our boat. Then the boat moved to somewhere suitable for snorkeling. At first, I told the guide I didn't wanna go snorkeling because I was tired. Then, when the guide asked me for the second time I asked him whether I could see fish or not because the time in Mabul I was not able to see any fish! He said he would bring me nearer to Kapalai Island to see fish so I was persuaded by him to go snorkeling again. He brought me to cross the rope border of Kapalai Island and I really saw fish.... but still those normal small fish haiz... I was disappointed again but I just let him guide me to snorkel around since I've already moved this far from the boat. After a while maybe 10 minutes I felt so tired because the waves were big.... so I asked my guide to bring me back to the boat.
Once on the boat, I was so exhausted and sea-sicked until I couldn't really stand still on the boat (the boat was very shaky due to the waves)! All I could do was lay my head down on the edge of the boat and close my eyes to rest. Still I had to wait for other boat mates to finish snorkeling before we can go back to the jetty. OMG it was a torture!
Finally, we're going back! But the journey back was so long I think around 1 hour! And the boat ride was damn bumpy! Imagine your butt keep bumping on the hard plastic seat for 1 hour =.= And there's even a pregnant mom on the boat! What the... Don't know why they wanna take the risk! The boat ride was really rough like we're being smashed down continuously!
Then, finally we reached the jetty and I was so relieved. We paid the agent and then walked to our guesthouse to have a shower before we went back to Tawau. The agent asked us to get up one of the white van at the Shell petrol station at around 5.30 PM. And so we went back to Tawau by the van for RM15. I slept all the way because I was so tired haha.
So that's my first trip to Semporna! Another one coming soon!
After Mabul, the rest of the day wasn't so nice because I was a little sea-sicked due to the waves. Also maybe because our boat mates and guides weren't as fun as the first day. I think after that we only went to Kapalai Island.
Kapalai Island is a private island so we were not allowed to set foot on the island. OMG at that moment I was really like FML I don't want to be on this boat anymore coz it kept shaking! Our guide went on the island to get permit or something then came back to our boat. Then the boat moved to somewhere suitable for snorkeling. At first, I told the guide I didn't wanna go snorkeling because I was tired. Then, when the guide asked me for the second time I asked him whether I could see fish or not because the time in Mabul I was not able to see any fish! He said he would bring me nearer to Kapalai Island to see fish so I was persuaded by him to go snorkeling again. He brought me to cross the rope border of Kapalai Island and I really saw fish.... but still those normal small fish haiz... I was disappointed again but I just let him guide me to snorkel around since I've already moved this far from the boat. After a while maybe 10 minutes I felt so tired because the waves were big.... so I asked my guide to bring me back to the boat.
Once on the boat, I was so exhausted and sea-sicked until I couldn't really stand still on the boat (the boat was very shaky due to the waves)! All I could do was lay my head down on the edge of the boat and close my eyes to rest. Still I had to wait for other boat mates to finish snorkeling before we can go back to the jetty. OMG it was a torture!
Finally, we're going back! But the journey back was so long I think around 1 hour! And the boat ride was damn bumpy! Imagine your butt keep bumping on the hard plastic seat for 1 hour =.= And there's even a pregnant mom on the boat! What the... Don't know why they wanna take the risk! The boat ride was really rough like we're being smashed down continuously!
Then, finally we reached the jetty and I was so relieved. We paid the agent and then walked to our guesthouse to have a shower before we went back to Tawau. The agent asked us to get up one of the white van at the Shell petrol station at around 5.30 PM. And so we went back to Tawau by the van for RM15. I slept all the way because I was so tired haha.
So that's my first trip to Semporna! Another one coming soon!
TIPS & RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOUR
Some of you have asked me for the contact of the RM80 tour but the fact is, it was the first Semporna tour that I followed and it was not a licensed tour company, meaning, their adherence to boat safety practices was of concern. I had also followed other tours that costed around RM130-RM160 (discounted prices). Their boats were safer, faster (meaning less time spent on traveling between islands) and more comfortable. Some tours also provide transparent kayak or swan/unicorn float that are instagram-worthy lol. Oh and sometimes the lunch is better too.
Hence, I would recommend to follow a licensed company although with a higher fee, but I promise you their safety and service are worth the price. Read this: There's an explosion case that happened on a tourist boat in which the news didn't disclose the cause but I've heard that it may be caused by misconduct of the staffs.
Here are a few licensed companies that I've known to be reliable, you can contact them if interested and maybe compare their prices. Some of them even provide All-in-one package (airport transfer, accomodation, tour, snorkeling/diving)!
I'm not sure whether these companies allow you to pay online or cancellation / refund, or whether they provide a receipt if you make payment online. Coz usually I just pay cash at the end of the tour.
If you would prefer to have a form of confirmation receipt / email after you booked or made payment, you could use Klook to book your tour. Normally when I go overseas I like to use Klook to book all my tours online because they always offer decent tours with good service and affordable price. And you don't have to worry about getting scammed because if anything you can request refund from Klook. These tours provided by Klook even allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the booking!
Sadly, a lot of tour companies put their business on hold because of Covid-19. Even my cousin's tour company doesn't accept booking if the group is less than 5 people. Semporna's tourism used to depend mainly on tourists from China but now that Malaysia has closed it's borders, things don't look good for the tourism in Semporna. Anyhow, now is the time for locals to visit Semporna because AirAsia and resorts are giving discounts!
TRANSPORTATION
Most of us who want to go Semporna must touch down at Tawau Airport. And FYI, Semporna is another district that's around 1.5 hours drive away from Tawau. And Tawau Airport is 30 minutes drive away from Tawau town. So you definitely need to arrange transportation to get to Semporna town from the Tawau Airport.
If you don't want to do research before you go, you can of course just pick any van from the numerous vans that are waiting at the pick-up point of Tawau Airport. I'm not sure of the price because I've never asked.
Also, you could just use our E-hailing App, Grab. I would say Grab is quite common at Tawau but I had never used it to go Semporna. By checking with the Grab App, the cost from Tawau Airport to Semporna town is around RM130.
Or, you could also book a private van with Klook. Price is not exactly competitive but you will have your private van waiting for you at the Airport when you arrive and prevent overcharge by certain taxis.
This one doesn't allow cancellation but price is cheaper for a van:
This one has options of choosing the type of vehicle and allow free cancellation:
ACCOMMODATION
There're plenty of accomodation available at Semporna town. You could do some research to look for your ideal homestay / guesthouse or hotel on Booking.com.
The one we stayed at was Casa Casa.
