Attractions in Malaysia

Location

Mantanani is actually a group of three isolated islands which are located northwest of Kota Belud, approximately an hour's drive from Kota Kinabalu. The islands are situated in clear waters with scenic views, just perfect for diving and snorkeling. The Mantanani Islands are just amazing with abundant and diverse marine life and white sandy beaches just ideal for sunbathing.

Overview

Divers claim that Mantanani Islands is a diver's paradise. When you do plunge into the waters of Mantanani, you will understand why it is the paradise for divers. The underwater world of Mantanani is full of mesmerizing neon colored fish, cute clownfish, vividly colored finger corals and a vast garden of living coral reefs.

Each dive site in Mantanani offers something unique. Other than the sporadic encounters with dolphins, divers will also have a chance to encounter with some rare underwater species such as the bump head parrotfish, moray eel, sting ray, eagle ray and several types of turtles. This is the place to go for splendid underwater photography as the view is simply to die for and the visibility level is magnificent.

There are many packages available here at Mantanani Island. The packages here are mostly for scuba divers but the main attraction here is the swimming with Dugongs activity. The sheltered bays around the Mantanani Islands provide a perfect environment of sea-grass beds on shallow sandy areas for dugongs. Mature dugongs can grow up to 3 meters in length and having to swim side by side with them is definitely something you don't get to do on an ordinary day. It is only in Sabah that you get the chance to swim alongside with dugongs. There is no reason for you not to come here or extend your stay if you are already here. Accommodations in Sabah are large in numbers so worry not about not having a place to stay.

Transport

From Kota Kinabalu, it will be an hour's drive to Kota Belud. The boat ride from Kota Belud to the islands of Mantanani will take another hour.