Kapalai Resort

Pulau Kapalai

A full over-water resort built on a submerged sandbar, with wooden walkways linking overwater bungalows. At low tide a white sandbar emerges, making it the most Maldives-like place to stay in Semporna.

Kapalai is not technically an island but a reef sandbar about 15 minutes by boat east of Mabul Island. At high tide it is almost completely submerged. The only structure, the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, is built on wooden stilts, with more than 60 overwater bungalows connected by long wooden walkways. Right outside your door is clear, shallow water, and you can snorkel straight off your balcony to see sea turtles and schools of fish. At night, you can spot cruising baby sharks and lionfish from the walkways. At low tide, the sandbar emerges as a pure white beach reflecting the sky, making it Semporna's most famous photo spot. The resort is the only one of its kind, with standard and sea-view bungalows. Rates generally include three meals, boat diving and transfers, at about RM 900 to 1,500 per person per night. Sipadan permits are allocated according to the number of nights stayed (usually three nights earns one day), and in peak season you must book two to three months ahead. Underwater, the house reef is good for macro and night diving, and other sites such as Mandarin Valley offer mandarinfish. The resort also offers diving certification courses. Transport: speedboats from Semporna Pier take about 45 minutes and can only be booked through the resort. Day-trip snorkelers may stop near the sandbar on a tour but cannot step onto the walkways. Note: the resort has no land, so anyone prone to seasickness or who needs solid ground should consider Mabul instead. Mobile signal and Wi-Fi are weak on the island, and the walkways are slippery at night.

Kapalai Resort

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