A port at the southeast corner of Sabah, where every boat for Sipadan and the other dive islands sets out. Many Bajau live here, and their stilt houses and wooden boats keep sea life as it was. It is about ninety minutes by road from the airport at Tawau.
An island perched on a column rising from 600m down, so barely off the beach the wall drops away. Permits are capped per day and dive shops hand them out weeks in advance, close to a lottery. All the island's resorts were removed in 2004.
OPEN IN MAPSThe base for Sipadan diving, where resorts and a Bajau village share one island. It is famous for muck diving, hunting small creatures on the sand bottom. The village shore carries a lot of litter, so do not judge the island by the resort front alone.
OPEN IN MAPSNothing but a single resort on stilts, built over a sandbank that almost vanishes at high tide. Steps from the room terraces lead straight into the sea. On the ebb the bank surfaces wide enough to stroll about on.
OPEN IN MAPSWhat is left of a volcano's crater wall, half drowned, makes this island, and from the ridge top a green lagoon lies below. The path is steep, with sections where you haul on a rope. Many trips take the first morning boat to beat the midday heat.
OPEN IN MAPSOne resort holds the island, with a smaller islet joined to it by a sandbar. Underwater sits a working post box, and divers drop waterproof postcards in it. Day-trippers who land pay a separate charge to use the resort grounds.
OPEN IN MAPSA flat island of a few trees and white sand where tour boats stop for lunch. Children of the sea-roaming Bajau Laut paddle over in small boats. Coral begins just off the beach, so at low water take care not to stand on it.
OPEN IN MAPSAn island about an hour out of Semporna by boat, where sea turtles haul up the resort beach to lay. Hardly any other islands lie nearby, so the night sky is dark. The whole island is the resort, and landing without a booking is difficult.
OPEN IN MAPSThe market beside the jetty, with lobster, grouper and cuttlefish alive in tanks or laid on ice. What you pick here can be carried across the road for a restaurant to cook. Crowds peak at first light in the morning, as island boats pull out.
OPEN IN MAPSA festival held each year between spring and early summer, on dates that shift, when Bajau lepa boats are dressed with bright sails and pennants and set afloat. Dancing and drumming carry on aboard. Semporna runs short of rooms that week, so secure one early.
OPEN IN MAPSBajau houses on posts in the water off Semporna town, joined by timber walkways. Plenty of photographers come at sunset for the houses mirrored on the sea. These are family homes; get permission before pointing a camera inside.
OPEN IN MAPSRainforest on the volcanic hills behind Tawau, a ninety-minute ride from Semporna. Towering yellow meranti trees rise over the canopy, and a forest path ends at a waterfall. It suits the no-fly day after diving.
OPEN IN MAPSA small island in Tun Sakaran Marine Park where a long white sandbar shows at low water. Island-hopping boats pull in around noon for snorkelling and photos. The sandbar offers little shade, so pack a hat and sunscreen.
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