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A jewel like tiny island in the Sulu Sea, an hour and a half boat rides north of Sandakan; Lankayan has been declared part of an immense Marine Protected Area to adopt the eco-tourism concept. Unpopulated and covered by thick tropical island vegetation on its topside, this peaceful, untouched little bit of paradise is ringed by an endless pure of white sandy beach, offering simply elegant and exquisite accommodation.
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This resort is dreamlike beautiful! The wooden buildings are hovering over the water, so clear you can see the tropical fish and even seaturtles swim. There are flowers everywhere. The island is pristine, also due to its location - far away from the mainland. Much more isolated than the islands close to Kota Kinabalu. The watercottages were easily the most beautiful accomodation we ever stayed at. Lovely decoration and very comfortable and private. The large wooden bathroom, where you can see the sea between the floor boards - has a tub overlooking the sea on 3 sides, which was incredible. You could see turtles swim from your bathtub. We loved our stay! It is an added value that there is a seaturtle protection reserve at the island and visitors can see hatchlings from the nursury being released into the sea and also see the mother turtles nesting. We thought this was a great experience! We rented snorkel gear for an acceptable price at the dive resort and did a lot of snorkeling. Saw a great variety of fish. We also saw many turtles. The restaurant was great too. In the evening, they had a nice lounge area where we played a boardgame. Very memorable!
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where to start, WOW. Lankayan Island is absolutely stunning! My wife and I were slightly nervous for our stay here not knowing what to expect; however, this was blown away as soon as we were picked up and transferred to the island. We stayed for 3D3N which was the perfect amount of time in our opinion.
Staff: We felt in safe hands from the get go and this continued throughout our stay; the staff all go above and beyond to make your stay here an absolute delight - they are helpful, polite, give good advice on what to do and when etc. The island is also an army base (not that you would know) so you feel safe and secure - they often leave and arrive on boats which you can see from your rooms. Location: The definition of private and remote. The island is a 1 1/2 hour boat ride from Sandakan and is completely isolated - just views of calm blue seas, glorious sunsets and cool thunderstorms over the mainland. You really are at one with nature. This was perfect for us after a busy schedule to have a few days of R&R. The island itself is tiny, you can walk around it in 10 minutes. Accommodation: Fantastic; we stayed in a water chalet which is not much more than the beach chalets and seemed a no brainer. The chalets are huge, have private balconies with sunbeds, a bathroom with slats which look down into the water below which is teeming with tropical fish, sea turtles, reef sharks, rays and more! There is also a bathtub which looks out over the ocean which is incredible. Also - no mozzies in the water chalets due to the sea breeze which is an added bonus! Activities: I am not one to sit around and sunbathe so was nervous at the thought of a tiny island. However, the island offers snorkelling trips at a cheap rate to a nearby reef - I saw the entire cast of finding nemo, everything you can imagine! There is also snorkelling around the bays of the island which is also amazing - swimming with sea turtles around our chalet was a particular highlight! SIMCA also operate on the island which is a preservation setup to protect the sea turtles. You can sign up to watch turtles nesting and hatching - both of which are special experiences! Wildlife: Mentioned above - but we saw everything you could possibly want to see. The turtles just swimming around our chalet was amazing and the amount of fish on show is ridiculous. Easily one of the best snorkelling locations I have ever been; even better because it’s literally 10m from the main jetty! Turtles nesting and hatching is also very special as said before. Food: Seen a few mixed reviews on the food. Not sure why there are negative ones. All meals are buffet style. The breakfast is a mixture of western and Malay with lunch and dinner just Malay but with a large option of choices to choose from - we didn’t find it repetitive at all. It is also very tasty!
Overall, we loved our stay here. A better experience than the Maldives (if you want chill and nature) for a fraction of the price. We couldn’t believe the experience we got for the price! We have been to a lot of places around the world and both agree this was one of the best places we have ever stayed. With that being said, we wouldn’t want to stay for any more than 3 days.
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Date of stay: July 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get involved in the snorkelling trips!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Lankayan as a family of 5 at two water villas for 4 nights. Three of our family are divers so we did 9 dives all on amazing coral reefs or wrecks. The fish life is fantastic while there are plenty of other things to see including cuttlefish, a sleeping turtle, black tip reef sharks, nudibranch, blue spotted rays, eels etc. Overall the coral looks very healthy and the whole area is within the protected Simca marine conservation area (unlike the Philippine waters s few miles away which are being badly affected by dynamite fishing). The other two family members snorkelled from the island and saw lots of green turtles as well as good fish and coral near the piers. The turtle conservation work is very impressive and we saw both turtles laying their eggs and baby turtles being released. It’s a lovely island which feels very special with nice rooms and good quality food. It’s not cheap but much better value than the Maldives for what we wanted.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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It couldn't have gone any worse. But I keep wondering: has anyone who reviews these resorts ever seen any truly wonderful ones??? If the property was located in the Maldives and was well maintained it might be advisable, but absolutely not. The island is microscopic (it takes 20 minutes to get around on foot). It is so hot that it is not possible to sunbathe anywhere (also because there are no umbrellas or chez longue). Both breakfast and lunches are pitiful. They didn't even have iced tea to offer. The service was terrible. The dive center had burned down, so they are building a new one. You could use two boats for diving and snorkeling, but, believe me, either you are an expert diver or you'd better forget it. Mask-type equipment was also lacking. The cleanliness in the rooms is approximate. There were three inches of dust on the lamps! In the room you die of cold or heat. The bungalows were not designed to be cooled by AC, the roofs are too high! The resin glass bathtub sitting on the floor is ridiculous. The wooden chaise longues on the private terrace without cushions. When requested they provided me with the cushions they use for the restaurant chairs. Of course the location is splendid, but here too I have to point out plastic everywhere in the sea. Dead corals although a number of colorful ones survive. You can see fish and sharks, but that's absolutely not what, as the English say, what you bargaign for. Positive note: turtle hutching and turtles that lay their eggs at night (if lucky). BIG NO NO.
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We absolutely loved our stay here. The remoteness and connection to nature makes it feel very special. The snorkeling by the jetty is excellent with fantastic coral teeming with marine life. I’ve never stayed anywhere with such a vibrant reef right under the boardwalk / right by shore. You can see sea turtles and other marine life from the boardwalk.
We did 9 scuba dives. Do not get discouraged by the house reef that they use for the check dive, which is mediocre at best. All of our boat dives were fantastic. We did two very nice wreck dives. But the highlight was the reef dives. I’ve never seen so many fish — endless schools. We also saw eels, nudi branches, a lemon shark, a reef shark, a huge stingray, a few other rays, cuttlefish, and a jellysish. Our experience here was that the visibility was moderate, so the diving is definitely more about the small stuff than seeing sharks, mantas, barracudas, etc. We’ve done about 30 dives, including some great spots like the Galapagos, and we loved this. But if you’re a diver who is past the point where incredible coral reefs teeming with marine life get you excited, and only swimming with large marine life like schools of sharks get you jazzed, this one might not be for you. Our favorite part about the diving here was that all the dives are a 5-10 minute boat ride from the resort. This allows you to do three dives a day (at least) while spending surface intervals at the resort, rather than sitting on a boat.
We stayed two nights in an over-water chalet and two nights in a beach chalet. The over-water chalet was incredibly luxurious and modern. The beach chalet had a slightly more rustic feel, but was huge and right on the beach. We loved both.
The food was solid, though I would not describe it as gourmet. After dinner, we would sit on the deck outside the main building and watch trumpet fish, squid, reef sharks and other marine life swim around in the deck lights. Walking around the island is trippy, as it only takes about 10 mins and before you know it, you’re back where you started. Overall, if you are a lover of the ocean and marine life (like us), this will be the trip of a lifetime, especially if you’re already in Sabah. If you are looking for a luxurious getaway with the highest levels of gourmet dining and service, this might not meet your expectations.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A place that deserves to be known. Located in a remote location in the Malay Borneo, 1 hour and a half drive from Sandakan Airport (SDK) is a paradise offered as Dive Resort. It is also a sanctuary for the protection and young turtles that you can often see swimming near the island and that go to the sand to lay their eggs. The facilities are spectacular, the kitchen simple but excellent quality and the staff friendly and happy. For us the dives were within the standard limits, the visibility scarce and the variety of fish rather limited but we stayed with the good times lived and the rest we were looking for so much. Today, where everyone is looking for experiences, this place offers them and is not crowded.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 5 nights on Lankayan as a family of 4, with two kids aged 6&7. We all loved the experience.
We arrived and walked down the boardwalk spotting many turtles before we’d even got to our chalet! The snorkelling for the children was excellent. We had brought our own, and we were soon all in the sea swimming with turtles, and amongst the most amazing sea life we’d ever seen! We all enjoyed watching the turtle hatchings in the evenings, although I think we more propel it could have felt a little overwhelming as we experienced for a turtle egg laying. But maybe they manage the numbers when more people are staying.
The food and drinks offering could be improved, we had a mixture of ‘Al a carte’ (they bring food to your table) and buffet. But if you are vegetarian there are not many options. My son has a dairy allergy and was catered for when there weren’t many guests but as it filled as the weekend the options decreased (there’s always rice!). Drinks wise there is beer or bottles of wine (ie not available by the glass). I would have preferred having a couple of glasses of wine in the evening rather than buying a whole bottle and then wasting half of it!
The chalets were very well appointed, the best we’d experienced in Borneo and we’d been at some 5* hotels. There would be some improvements personally I’d make (glass in the windows rather than boarded up to get the view of the sea), but as I say the best in Borneo and we were comfortable and happy.
As I unfortunately had to be in touch with my business whilst staying here, I was looking forward to the wifi, which did only work on one of the 5 days. This did cause me some stress, but I could understand how if you wanted to get away from it all, this would be perfect. The mobile signal is just strong enough to receive some emails / messages and open maybe 1 webpage (a day!) but calls are fine.
Although there are some negatives, I could have stayed forever and was sad to leave which I don’t normally experience. A really special place and I’d recommend to anyone.
Please look after the reefs!!
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lankayan Island was the perfect place to relax and recharge in between our other Borneo adventures. We stayed two nights, I wish we’d stayed 3.
The snorkeling off the jetty at the dive shop was absolutely amazing and the best parts were close, no need to go far out. I also did a discover dive, which I highly recommend, Jerry was a great instructor. We also enjoyed just walking on the boardwalk and sitting on the deck at the lodge and off our room, there was lots to see in the crystal clear water. We were there for a turtle release, which was very exciting!
We had an overwater villa, which was large and comfortable. The shower was amazing and the AC cool.
The food wasn’t spectacular, but it was always good and flavorful, it was the best we had in Borneo.
I loved out stay and would go back again, but there could be some improvements. The bar serves only beer and wine, the hair dryer was terrible (same for my friends in the villa next door), the shampoo/body wash, while eco-friendly, was terrible and like everywhere else we stayed in Borneo, there was no conditioner.
On the boat ride the middle cushion in the back will get soaked with water and so will you. Be prepared if you’re unfortunate enough to get the seat, I suggest you put your purse/backpack in a dry bag and wear something you don’t mind getting wet.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lankayan Island was everything I had hoped for and more. White sand beaches, often all to yourself, the clearest blue water I've ever seen, peaceful and lush surrounds, with beautiful people and service. We didn't dive, but spent our days reading and relaxing, and snorkeling. We saw so much very close to the shore, and our only regret was not exploring more! The beach chalet was much larger than expected, stylish, with a huge bathroom and outdoor shower. We were in number 18, right opposite the turtle hatchery, and it was nice and quiet. We were so lucky to be there for the release of some baby turtles too. Considering how far from amenities the island is, the food and drinks were good; it's not 5 star but its tasty and plentiful, which is what I'd expected from a tiny island :) What a dream- will remember it forever.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very beautiful small island in the middle of nowhere with turtle hatchery project that is really nice to see. Nice beaches, very clear water, stunning coral and sealife to snorkel and dive. Apartments are good and spacious, airco works well. Friendly staff.
A few small recommendations: it is not always clear which parts of the water are allowed for snorkelling or not, depending on the tides. A more visible flag would be great and better for the coral. 🙃 It would also be nice if there were cushions for the beds and more beds on the beach or maybe beds like the ones on the terrace at the restaurant.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:You can rent equipment to snorkel. Bring a UV shirt because unless the use of sunscreen you will...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We didn't see where they were based but did see one guy in full gear, bullet proof vests, helmet and weapon. So suspect they are still on the island hidden away.
Hi
We booked through sepilok-nature-resort
Google
Sepilok Nature Resort - Dive Malaysia as TA will not let me post web links
I believe that this is thier website (They own an number of properties)
There are also a number of wholesalers selling the resort - I much prefer to book directly with the company who owns the property
God Luck mate
Depending on numbers at resort it is a choice of a couple of meals or buffet - food is nice - wine is by the bottle and if you want they will hold it there so you can drink it over a couple of nights if you prefer
There are more places to choose from in the Sandakan area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
lankayan island dive hotel sandakan, lankayan island dive sandakan
LOCATION
MalaysiaSabahSandakan DivisionSandakan
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
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