Pom Pom Island: the quiet one near Semporna
A small coral island north of Semporna with turtle-nesting beaches, a conservation project and almost no crowds. Choose it for seclusion — and read the Sipadan note first.
What Pom Pom is
Pom Pom sits north of Semporna, away from the Mabul–Kapalai–Sipadan axis, which is both its limitation and its entire appeal. A handful of small resorts share a coral island ringed by white beach, sea turtles nest on the sand, and a resident conservation project runs hatchery and reef work that guests can see up close.
The atmosphere is the product: fewer boats, fewer divers, evenings that belong to the tide rather than a schedule. Families and couples who found even Mataking too organised end up here.
Diving and the Sipadan question
House-reef and nearby diving is easy, shallow and turtle-rich, with decent macro and healthy coral patches — genuinely pleasant, pitched at relaxed divers and snorkellers rather than logbook-fillers. Night snorkelling with the hatchery team, where offered, is the memory people take home.
The Sipadan note, plainly: Pom Pom sits on the wrong side of Semporna for it. Reaching Sipadan from here means a long run or a repositioning, and permit allocations at this distance are not the basis to plan a Sipadan trip on. If Sipadan is a must, base at Mabul or Kapalai and treat Pom Pom as a pre- or post-trip decompression stop — a shape of itinerary we arrange often and that works well.
For a November trip, a family with young children, or a non-diving partner who wants a genuinely quiet island, Pom Pom is the right answer rather than a compromise. The alternatives guide sets all four islands side by side.
Pom Pom FAQs
Can you dive Sipadan from Pom Pom?
Not practically. The island sits north of Semporna, away from Sipadan, and permit logistics at that distance make it the wrong base. Combine Pom Pom with a Mabul stay if you want both.
What is Pom Pom known for?
Quiet — plus turtle-nesting beaches, a conservation and hatchery project, and easy shallow reefs suited to relaxed divers, snorkellers and families.
How do you get to Pom Pom?
Fly to Tawau, road transfer to Semporna, then roughly 45 minutes by boat north — the opposite direction from Mabul.
Is Pom Pom open in November?
Yes. Only Sipadan closes in November; Pom Pom runs normally at off-peak rates and is a strong November pick.
Add Pom Pom to the itinerary
A quiet start or finish around a Mabul dive block works beautifully. Send dates and we build the combination.
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