Kapalai – October 2011
Borneo
22 October to 01 November 2011
8 Nights Ex Sydney from $4,195 per diver
Tour Leader: Kel Bradley
Kapalai Dive Resort
Kapalai Dive Resort is only an hours boat ride from the mainland of Semporna and just a few minutes by boat from Sipadan and Mabul Island, but by any other measure, it is worlds apart.
The exhilarating Water Village is built on a sand bar which, many years ago, was the island of Kapalai. But erosion has taken its toll on what was surely a very beautiful island. The sand bar sits on Ligitan Reefs, an extensive stretch bordering the deep Celebes Sea.
Built on sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks, with no land in sight, this airy and sunny water village offers style and complete comfort. The resort consists of 30 roomy and elegant wooden Chalets, all with large private balconies and attached bathrooms.
Diving in Kapalai
The dive sites around Kapalai offer an abundance of various fish and invertebrates, living away from the threat of Sipadans’ many dangerous reef predators. The Ligitan reefs also act as a nursery for juveniles of many species.
The diving around Kapalai is exceedingly easy and shallow, but quite spectacular. The sandy bottom and the sparse coral heads host an amazing array of small, often yet-to-be-classified, shamelessly colorful subjects, making the diving here an unforgettable experience for any discerning photographer. There is plenty of fish life to see with the underwater scene featuring rare subjects ranging from mandarin fish, dragonets, fire gobies, wasp or leaf fish, the tame crocodile fish, giant frogfish of different colours, eels, rays and much, much more. The Resort offers three dives a day plus, if requested, day trips at Sipadan and Mabul.
All dive spots are extremely close and can be reached in just a few minutes by speedboat (some of them, just by swimming from the dive center pier).
Diving Sipidan
The name of Sipadan is simply legendary in diving circles, conjuring images of twirling tornados of barracudas and jacks, patrolling hammerhead sharks, millions of technicoloured reef fish and, above all, dozens of sea turtles swimming peacefully everywhere.
Diving at Sipadan is rated as the best in the world not without good reason. The waters are calm and warm, visibility is generally good, and the quantity and variety of marine life is astounding.
On an average day of diving at Sipadan, you would expect to see at least 50 Green Turtles, a dozen sharks, large schools of Barracudas, Jacks, Fusiliers and Batfish. Sipadan is famous for its wall diving.
A mere 15 metres from the beach, there is a vertical wall, starting at a depth of 3 metres and plunging straight down 600 metres. Walls surround 90% of the island, and most are sheer drops that extend out of sight into the blue depths.
Many of the walls have ledges that the turtles use as resting places. Some of the walls are so steep that they are actually undercut and slope inward toward the island creating overhangs encrusted with soft corals.
Tour cost includes:
- Return airfares ex. Sydney to Tawau / Sandakan via Kuala Lumpur – flying with Malaysia Airlines
- Road and boat transfers ex. Tawau airport to Kapalai Island Resort
- 6 Nights twin accommodation at Kapalai Island Resort including all meals, snacks, tea & coffee
- 3 boat dives per day with tanks, weight belts and dive guide services (except on arrival and departure day) – includes dives at Sipadan Island (subject to permit alloc)
- Unlimited shore diving on Kapalai House Reef with tanks and weight belts
- 2 nights twin accommodation at Sepilok Nature Resort including all meals
- Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre tour and guided night jungle walk at Sepilok Nature Resort
- Half day Labuk Bay Excursion to see Proboscis Monkey
- Australian departure and applicable airline taxes (approx. $420 & subject to change)
Cost does not include:
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending monies
- Excess luggage charges
- Sipadan dive permit RM40 pp/day
Conditions apply: Prices are subject to change without notice due to USD currency fluctuations.
Booking requirements: To secure your place on this expedition, you will need to complete a booking form and return it together with a non refundable deposit amount of $500.00 per person.
For bookings or more information please contact St George Underwater Centre
