Package rates
All 2026 rates with permits, peak dates and booking terms.
See package ratesThe package price is roughly 70% of what you will spend. This is the whole number — flights, transfers, gear, tax and the things nobody itemises until you are checking out.
For a diver flying from Kuala Lumpur on a five-day trip with one Sipadan day, budget RM6,500 to RM8,500 per person all in. From Europe, add RM3,500 to RM5,500 for the long-haul leg. Solo travellers should add roughly 40% to the package component.
The package itself runs RM4,170 to RM6,830 depending on length, season and how many Sipadan days you want. Everything else — flights, rental gear, tax, tips, the night in Tawau you did not plan for — adds RM1,200 to RM2,500 on top.
That is a lot of money for four days of diving, and it is worth being direct about why. You are not paying for the diving. You are paying for access to a capped permit system, on an island reachable only through a three-leg transfer chain, at resorts with no competition within 45 minutes by boat. The cost structure is a consequence of the conservation model.
Per person, in ringgit, for a 5D4N trip with one Sipadan day.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dive package | RM2,390 | RM4,870 | RM6,830 |
| — Sipadan days included | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Flights KL–Tawau return | RM450 | RM750 | RM1,100 |
| Equipment rental (4 days) | RM240 | RM320 | RM0 |
| Tourism tax | RM40 | RM40 | RM50 |
| Dive insurance | RM90 | RM150 | RM250 |
| Tips | RM100 | RM200 | RM350 |
| Tawau overnight + meals | RM150 | RM250 | RM450 |
| Incidentals | RM150 | RM250 | RM400 |
| Total | RM3,610 | RM6,830 | RM9,430 |
The budget column is a Mabul and Kapalai trip with no Sipadan permit. The premium column assumes two Sipadan days, peak season and your own equipment. Add RM3,500 to RM5,500 for return flights from Europe, or RM1,200 to RM2,000 from Singapore, Hong Kong or Australia.
The solo premium is the biggest single variable. Package rates assume two sharing, and a lone diver pays a 40% supplement — around RM1,950 on a 5D4N Sipadan package. Finding a buddy to share with saves more than every other economy on this page combined.
December to February carries off-peak rates and better permit availability. The saving on a 6D5N package is RM280, which is modest — but off-peak also means you are more likely to get the permit days you asked for, which is where the real value sits.
Avoiding the 40% single supplement saves around RM1,950 on a 5D4N Sipadan package. Operators will often pair solo divers on request. Ask.
Full rental over four days runs RM240 to RM400. Bringing a regulator, computer and mask cuts most of it and improves your diving. Leaving BCD and tanks to the resort is the right trade.
Day-boat operators from Semporna town run considerably cheaper than island resorts, at the cost of longer travel days and smaller permit allocations. For divers optimising hard on price this is the real saving — RM900 to RM2,500 for a trip rather than RM4,000 plus.
A 5D4N Mabul and Kapalai package at RM4,250 gives you more total dives than the 4D3N Sipadan package at RM4,170, and Mabul is world-class for macro. If you are choosing between one Sipadan day and four more dives, this is worth pricing — and you can add a Sipadan day later if permits open up. See Mabul island diving.
What does not save money: booking late. Permits and rooms both tighten as dates approach, and last-minute availability skews toward premium rooms and peak dates. Early booking is the only reliable discount on this trip.
What the Sabah Parks fee covers and when you pay it separately.
Read the permit guideEvery route ends at Tawau, so the variable is the leg before it. Return economy estimates per person, booked two to three months ahead.
| From | Route | Typical return |
|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu | BKI–TWU direct | RM350–700 |
| Kuala Lumpur | KUL–TWU direct | RM450–1,100 |
| Singapore | SIN–KUL/BKI–TWU | RM1,200–2,000 |
| Hong Kong / Taipei | via KUL or BKI | RM1,800–3,000 |
| Sydney / Perth | via KUL | RM2,500–4,200 |
| London / Frankfurt | via KUL or SIN | RM3,500–5,500 |
Long-haul divers should treat the domestic leg as a separate booking rather than a through-ticket. Missing a connection to Tawau on a single ticket is protected; missing it on separate tickets is not, but separate tickets are usually several hundred ringgit cheaper and let you build in the overnight buffer you probably need anyway.
Book the domestic leg to arrive the night before. Resort boats leave Semporna mid-morning. A same-day connection that slips costs you a full diving day, which on a four-day package is a quarter of the trip. The RM150 hotel is cheap insurance. Details on how to get to Sipadan.
Around RM6,500 to RM8,500 per person for a five-day trip with one Sipadan day, flying from within Malaysia. A Mabul and Kapalai trip without a Sipadan permit comes in nearer RM3,600.
Access is capped by permit, the island is reached through a three-leg transfer chain, and the resorts have no local competition. You are paying for scarce access under a conservation model, not for the dives themselves.
In resort packages, yes — permit and park fees for the stated Sipadan days are included. Semporna day-boat operators more often charge it as an add-on.
RM60 to RM100 per day for a full set. Tanks, weights and belt are already included in every package.
Yes. Card facilities on Mabul are limited. Budget RM300 to RM600 for drinks, rental, tips and extras, and withdraw it at Tawau airport.
A day-boat trip from Semporna town in the December to February off-peak window, sharing a room. Expect longer travel days and smaller permit allocations in exchange.
Tell us your dates, group size and whether you are bringing your own gear. We will come back with a total, not a starting price.
Get dates & price See all packages