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In this article we are going to review and recommend the BEST Mabul island resort for 2026. Mabul earns its reputation for amazing seafood, crystal clear water, incredible snorkeling and diving. If you are traveling in Sabah and have enough time Mabul really is a beautiful place to visit.
There are LOADS of resorts to choose from in Mabul. But some of these resorts are very expensive. And in some cases they are pretty basic. It can be hard to work out exactly what you are getting for your money. We are very excited to share our recommendations and top tips with you.
We will also help you with all the logistics. How do you get to Mabul? What can you expect at Mabul? And what can you do at Mabul. We love to help you prepare as well as possible.
Interested in an ALL INCLUSIVE package? (transfer, accommodation food & diving) Don’t miss our FULL comparison of Mabul packages
Summary table – the best mabul island resort
| Mabul island resort | Summary | Rough price per night |
| Borneo Dive Resort in Mabul | Nicest Mabul island resort. All inclusive (boat and 3 meals per day). Expensive for what you get. | Around £400 per night |
| The Mabul Backpackers Hostel | Lower budget, popular and good vibes. Rooms are very basic. All inclusive – 3 meals per day and boat transfer. Cheap snorkeling and diving trips. | Roughly £60 – £130 |
| Spheredivers Scuba & Leisure Resort | Cheapest resort – quiet location. Only include breakfast. No boat transfer included. | Around £40 – £50 |
| Sipidan Kapalai Dive Resort | Expensive – mixed experiences here. Not available on the main booking platforms. | Roughly £180 – £200 |
Is it worth visiting Mabul island?
Yes, in our opinion it is worth visiting Mabul island. The main thing is, you will need enough time to get there. From Kota Kinabalu, you will probably need to add one or two days to travel to Mabul and then another day or two to travel back (depending on your method of transport). So, although Mabul is awesome – it could be a time consuming trip.
Furthermore, Mabul is fairly under-developed. Don’t expect to find much wifi even in the more expensive resorts the wifi is weak to non-existent. We loved this about Mabul. But don’t have any jobs or communications that rely on internet.
What is Mabul island actually like? Mabul is a small flat island less than 1km in length. Mabul is surrounded by shallow, clear sandy waters, lush coral reef and several shipwrecks. A short boat journey from Mabul is Sipidan island – one of THE BEST diving spots in the world. Mabul also has an abundance of amazing fresh seafood.
Now for the honest insights. Mabul is a tropical island. The waters are beautiful and the snorkeling and diving is amazing. But Mabul is not a perfect paradise. Many of the beaches have large amounts of rubbish and waste. Close to the shore you also need to be careful of sea urchins. When the tide is low it is not recommended to swim near the shore. Also, in our view Mabul is very expensive for accommodation. You are definitely paying for location rather than quality here.
The price you will pay for a very basic room on Mabul would afford a luxurious hotel on a Thai island. For the price of a nice Mabul resort, you could actually get a luxury villa with a private pool in Thailand. We’re not trying to put you off. Mabul is stunning and the diving is amazing. But it’s important to get your expectations in check.
How do you get to Mabul island?
If you are planning to stay on a Mabul island resort you will need to work out the BEST way to get to Mabul. Here is a step by step guide.
1 Travel to Semporna
There are different ways to travel to Semporna. If you are starting from Kota Kinabalu check out our full guide on 3 ways to travel from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna. In brief, you can either rent a car (10 – 12 hours and RM100+ per day), take a bus (12 – 15 hours RM60 – RM70) or fly to Tawau and then take a short bus to Semporna (a few hours RM250 – RM350). If you are traveling to Semporna from Sandakan you can take a bus. This journey takes around 8 hours and is very cheap.
2 Stay in Semporna (depending on your itinerary and timings)
You may need to stay in Semporna town on your way to Mabul. Semporna is a pretty small town and to be honest there isn’t a lot to do in the town itself. However, you can organize island hopping trips from Semporna to visit some of the small beautiful islands to the north.
3 Take a boat to Mabul
The boat ride from Semporna to Mabul island takes around 45 minutes. In some cases you may be taken by car to a port to the south of Semporna (closer to Mabul). Most Mabul resorts include a FREE boat transfer to and from the island. Check this when you book and make sure you arrange a meeting point and time. They may be willing to do a pick up at the airport in Tawau. If your resort does not include a free boat transfer to and from mabul it is likely to cost around RM120 per person for a return boat trip. As ever, shop around and barter for the best deals. Local tour operators and dive shops can arrange boat transfers to marbul.
What are the resorts like on Mabul island?
Before you read on it is important to get your expectations in check. Marbul island may look Madivian – but resorts are oceans away from the Maldives. In Malaysia high quality accommodation tends to be quite rare and relatively expensive.
There are lots of resorts in Mabul that look impressive from the outside. But Mabul resorts don’t have the same quality luxury interiors. Mabul resorts tend to have lots of dark wood interiors. If there is any plastering or paintwork it probably wont be very nice.
The beds and furnishings tend to be quite basic and not super comfortable. If you do manage to get an A.C. room in Mabul, you may find that A.C. is only available at some times during the days. So even for relatively high prices you are roughing it.
What is the best Mabul Island resort?
1 Borneo Dive Resort in Mabul
Don’t miss our FULL REVIEW of the Borneo Dive Resort Mabul
The Borneo Dive Resort in Mabul is genuinely one of the nicest and most expensive resorts on Mabul. AND if you want to visit Mabul and actually stay somewhere nice – this may be your only option. The Borneo Dive Resort has lovely spacious and clean rooms. They have social areas around the resort for relaxing and taking in the beautiful surroundings. AND they even have an outdoor swimming pool at this resort.
The price tag is very high for this resort with rooms costing around £400 per night. Realistically this money would go much further in other locations. However, The Borneo Dive Resort is all inclusive. Three nice meals per day. They also include a two way boat transfer with the price – and if you book your room on Agoda or Booking.com the price includes both the transfer and all the meals. AND you also get the accountability and security of a booking platform too.
So if you’re looking for somewhere nice to stay and you have a generous budget for hotels – this is your best choice by far.
Rooms normally cost around £400 per night at the Borneo Dive Resort Mabul.
2 The Mabul Backpackers Hostel
Don’t miss our FULL REVIEW of the Mabul Backpackers Hostel
The Mabul Backpackers Hostel is not the most luxurious Mabul island resort. However, it is one of the most popular budget options in Mabul. This place has lots of good vibes. Hang out, chat, drink beer and eat lovely food together. The staff at Marbul Backpackers are super friendly and can help arrange diving and snorkelling trips. Enjoy sunsets, sunrises and the lovely pier. A stay at the Mabul backpackers is all inclusive. They provide 3 tasty and filling meals per day, hot drinks, water and a two way boat transfer from Semporna.
The Mabul backpackers rooms are very basic. Simple wood, hard beds, and not particularly clean. They have a shared bathroom. Again you don’t get much comfort or style for your money. But this is a great base for diving and snorkelling if you are on a lower end budget. They do also offer some of the cheapest diving and snorkelling trips on the island. It costs RM50 for a short snorkelling trip. You can dive around Mabul island for RM100. They can also offer good deals for diving around Sipadan. The Mabul Backpackers is genuinely the best Mabul island resort for budget and good vibes.
Basic budget rooms typically range between £60 – £130 depending on size and occupancy. They also have some nice ocean facing A.C. Rooms available – drop them a message to get more details about these rooms.
3 Spheredivers Scuba & Leisure Resort
The Spheredivers Scuba and Leisure resort is another good budget Mabul island resort. The Spheredivers resort is situated on the south west coast of Mabul. The seagrass in this area does attract turtles. Also this resort includes breakfast but does not include lunch or dinner.
Rooms at the Spheredivers Resort are similar in quality and standard to the Mabul Backpackers Hostel. The main difference is that this resort is quieter and cheaper. Also this resort does not include a free boat transfer. They can arrange a boat transfer – but this is expensive because it is a private boat (RM400 each way for a maximum of 8 people).
Some of the wooden walkways that connect this resort to Mabul island are in disrepair – so take care in this area. If you’re looking for a super cheap stay and you can organize a cheaper boat transfer, this is a great option if you want to stay in Mabul on a budget. You can arrange boat transfers in Semporna (consider asking at the Mabul Backpackers office in Semporna)
You can get rooms here for around £40 – £50 per night
4 Sipidan Kapalai Dive Resort
Another resort nearby is the Sipidan Kapalai Dive Resort. This is not technically a Mabul island resort. It is actually located around 6km from Mabul island on a sandbar. There are several websites pointing to this resort which can make the booking process seem unnerving. Rather than a booking page you need to send an enquiry by a form.
Prices start at around £180 – £200 per night at the Sipidan Kapalai Dive Resort (for a non-diver) for simple overwater wooden bungalows. There are some very nice pictures of the Sipidan Kapalai Dive Resort – but the best pictures are outside the rooms. Although this is an option we don’t strongly recommend this resort. People have mixed experiences here and it seems expensive for what you get.
Summary – what is the best Mabul island resort?
In our view, the best Mabul island resort is the Borneo Dive Resort – the main disadvantage is the high price tag. The wifi is also not strong. The best budget Mabul island resort is the Mabul Backpackers hostel.
What are the best things to do on Mabul island?
On Mabul island you can enjoy fresh seafood, stroll along beautiful beaches and enjoy sunsets. You can also rent kayaks (they have a transparent Kayak at the Seahorse Sipadan Scuba Lodge) This costs around RM50 per hour and is a lot of fun.
The diving around Mabul island is amazing. The water is clear and teeming with life. Generally currents are low and visibility is high. Also you only need to dive to 15-20m to see plenty of mindblowing sea life. There are several shipwrecks to see around the island. There is also a steep drop called the lobster wall. This is also a great place for snorkeling and freediving too (although be careful not to free dive after scuba diving)
You can also take diving trips to Sipadan nearby. There is a wide array of fish and sea life to enjoy. In the waters you can see reef sharks, sea turtles, clown fish, frog fish, barracuda, stone fish, lobsters and much much more. The reef in the area is very beautiful.
What are diving and snorkeling prices like in Mabul?
- You can take short snorkeling trips for around RM50 – RM100
- Diving around Mabul island is likely to cost around RM100 – RM150 per dive (roughly £20 – £30)
- It is quite expensive to dive in Sipadan because you have to pay for an expensive permit. Expect to pay around RM1,200 – RM1,500 to dive in Sipadan (this is roughly £240 – £300).
