Sipadan & Semporna Island Snorkeling Extension

This four day extension trades Borneo's rainforest canopy for its coral reefs, continuing the journey from Danum Valley out to the edge of the Sulu Sea. After a final morning in the forest, you'll travel to Semporna and board a boat for Mataking Island, your base for the next three nights. From there, the highlight of the extension awaits: a full day snorkeling Sipadan, formed by living coral growing atop an extinct volcanic cone over thousands of years and renowned as one of the best snorkel and dive sites in the world. Expect large pelagic fish, reef sharks, and sea turtles in astonishing numbers, all within the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity.

Beyond Sipadan, the extension moves through Tun Sakaran Marine Park, where a short hike on Bohey Dulang opens onto sweeping views of the surrounding islands and reefs, followed by a visit to a Bajau Laut village on Kalapuan Island. The Bajau Laut, a nomadic seafaring people, still live a life deeply connected to the ocean, and the stop offers a meaningful cultural counterpoint to the days of snorkeling. A final stop at Timba Timba island adds one more chance to explore shallow, undisturbed reefs before returning to Mataking, where travelers may have the opportunity to release baby sea turtles from a local hatchery and watch them begin their journey to sea.