OVER the years, Sabah has become well-known as "the hidden gem of Asia" among local and international visitors trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Hidden among the many friendly local faces and its colourful way of life are undiscovered treasures that one needs to really take the time to explore.
Kota Kinabalu, the capital city formerly known as Jesselton, is full of surprises. One of the 13 States of Malaysia, Sabah is located on the most northern tip of the island of Borneo and is the second largest State after Sarawak.
Sabah offers a lot. It boasts the existence of infinite species of wild life. The State is home to the proboscis monkey or longnosed monkey. The 'land below the wind' is, in fact, a paradise for those who are into water sports, especially diving. There are a number of islands and coral reefs that lie along the coast of Sabah, including the largest island in Malaysia - Pulau Banggi.
Other unspoilt islands include Pulau Jambongan, Pulau Timbun, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Tiga, Pulau Layang-Layang.
There are many more. However, if one is really looking for an unforgettable or probably a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, the best advice is to ditch the guidebook and hop on a boat and just do like the locals do.
Located about 45 minutes from the Semporna jetty, the Seaventures Dive Resort is one of the many great facilities worth checking out. Standing on a converted oil-rig platform overlooking the quiet Mabul Island, the Seaventures Dive Resort is a diving paradise for anyone, especially divers who are looking for some thrilling and awesome underwater experience.
Really, forget what your guidebook says and head on to the oil-rig yourself to experience the adventure. As for this writer, words could not describe the moment the speedboat eventually approached the rig's platform. A strong whiff of diesel or petroleum greeted us, while friendly staff at the facility welcomed us with glasses of tall ice-cold drinks that immediately quenched our thirst.
Less than an hour after we checked into the resort, we were ready for our first dive. None of us wanted to miss out the opportunity to go snorkeling off the beach of Mabul Island.
Mabul Island, which is just a stone's throw from where we stayed at the Seaventures Dive Resort, is quiet and offers a stress-free environment, complete with local fishing villages as its backdrop.
Just like a painting (depicting the fishing village in the olden days), Mabul Island welcomed us to its warm crystal-clear water. The shore offers white sandy beaches, while we took turns jumping into the sea. Life underwater is totally different from above the sea, where everything is in a spectrum of colours, shapes and sizes.
Schools of colourful fishes swam past us, with a few curious ones coming up to us, almost like inviting us to join them in their welcoming dance. A few shy ones decided to take a peek at us from within their homes among the colourful corals.
We were definitely in luck, when the team spotted a huge turtle that was hiding among the rocks and corals, while feeding on some tiny plankton. Now, that was a rare sight!
Lady Luck continued to smile on us as we spotted yet another turtle, though slightly smaller, swimming past us. However, as much as we wanted to spend more time in the water, our dive-master decided to call it a day after sensing a change of current undersea that could be dangerous.
Hidden among the many friendly local faces and its colourful way of life are undiscovered treasures that one needs to really take the time to explore.
Kota Kinabalu, the capital city formerly known as Jesselton, is full of surprises. One of the 13 States of Malaysia, Sabah is located on the most northern tip of the island of Borneo and is the second largest State after Sarawak.
Sabah offers a lot. It boasts the existence of infinite species of wild life. The State is home to the proboscis monkey or longnosed monkey. The 'land below the wind' is, in fact, a paradise for those who are into water sports, especially diving. There are a number of islands and coral reefs that lie along the coast of Sabah, including the largest island in Malaysia - Pulau Banggi.
Other unspoilt islands include Pulau Jambongan, Pulau Timbun, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Tiga, Pulau Layang-Layang.
There are many more. However, if one is really looking for an unforgettable or probably a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, the best advice is to ditch the guidebook and hop on a boat and just do like the locals do.
Located about 45 minutes from the Semporna jetty, the Seaventures Dive Resort is one of the many great facilities worth checking out. Standing on a converted oil-rig platform overlooking the quiet Mabul Island, the Seaventures Dive Resort is a diving paradise for anyone, especially divers who are looking for some thrilling and awesome underwater experience.
Really, forget what your guidebook says and head on to the oil-rig yourself to experience the adventure. As for this writer, words could not describe the moment the speedboat eventually approached the rig's platform. A strong whiff of diesel or petroleum greeted us, while friendly staff at the facility welcomed us with glasses of tall ice-cold drinks that immediately quenched our thirst.
Less than an hour after we checked into the resort, we were ready for our first dive. None of us wanted to miss out the opportunity to go snorkeling off the beach of Mabul Island.
Mabul Island, which is just a stone's throw from where we stayed at the Seaventures Dive Resort, is quiet and offers a stress-free environment, complete with local fishing villages as its backdrop.
Just like a painting (depicting the fishing village in the olden days), Mabul Island welcomed us to its warm crystal-clear water. The shore offers white sandy beaches, while we took turns jumping into the sea. Life underwater is totally different from above the sea, where everything is in a spectrum of colours, shapes and sizes.
Schools of colourful fishes swam past us, with a few curious ones coming up to us, almost like inviting us to join them in their welcoming dance. A few shy ones decided to take a peek at us from within their homes among the colourful corals.
We were definitely in luck, when the team spotted a huge turtle that was hiding among the rocks and corals, while feeding on some tiny plankton. Now, that was a rare sight!
Lady Luck continued to smile on us as we spotted yet another turtle, though slightly smaller, swimming past us. However, as much as we wanted to spend more time in the water, our dive-master decided to call it a day after sensing a change of current undersea that could be dangerous.
Continue reading at: Sabah - The Hidden Gem of Asia
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