Sipadan Travel Information

Sipadan Travel Information

Enjoying pleasant tropical climate, soft sandy beaches and clear blue waters with turtles, sharks, coral reefs and much more, Sipadan is a paradise on earth for divers. In the coastal waters of this small Malaysian island you can enjoy some of the World’s best facilities for scuba diving, or spend a day sun bathing on lovely beaches. As the island is a protected area, you will not be allowed to spend a night on Sipadan, but will be transferred here daily from Semporna by boat.

Sipadan Travel Information

Sipadan, Malaysian diving paradise with coral reefs, turtles and sandy beaches

Small island off the east coast of Borneo in Malaysia, Sipadan is covered with thick rain forests and surrounded by sandy beaches and astonishingly rich marine life with turtles, sharks, coral reefs and much more. Thanks to the pleasant surroundings and tailored services, the island is known as one of the absolute hot spots of the world for scuba diving and snorkeling, The conditions on Sipadan are just right also for sun bathing and making long walks along the sandy beaches that circle this protected island.

Protected area. A diving paradise with long traditions, Sipadan has been made a protected area, due to which you will not be allowed to spend a night on Sipadan, but will be transferred here daily by boat from Semporna (in Mainland Borneo) or from resorts on the nearby Mabul and Kapalai Islands. For the same reason, snorkeling and diving in Sipadan is allowed only against a special permit obtained from dive operators. As daily permits are limited to a certain number, diving in Sipadan is hoped to maintain its unique draw also for the future generations. For reasons other than diving, snorkeling, sun bathing and exploring tropical nature, Sipadan has no specific attractions to offer.

Practical information for your trip to Sipadan

Sipadan is a small island located in Malaysia off the east coast of Borneo, near Tawau, which is also the place with best connections for travelling to Sipadan. The island was formerly disputed between Indonesia and Malaysia, but was officially made a part of Malaysia in 2002. The kidnapping of foreign tourists from Sipadan by the Abu Sayaaf rebels took place in year 2000, but today Sipadan is a much more peaceful and safe place.

Services in island resorts. As Sipadan was placed under Malaysian control, the vulnerable marine ecosystem of the island was placed under protection. With this decision, all resorts on the island were closed, but diving in Sipadan maintained to be possible under a special permit. In search of hotels near Sipadan, you will therefore have to choose your holiday haven from alternatives found in Semporna (mainland) or in nearby island resorts. The same goes also for restaurants near Sipadan, and as for nightlife and shopping, Sipadan has no attractions available, but you will find some services in Semporna as well as in nearby island resorts.

Weather. Whatever the season, the charm of Sipadan never disappears. The island enjoys tropical sunshine and average monthly high temperatures of around 30 degrees all throughout the year. The best time to visit Sipadan is between April and October, which means outside the rainy season. The water temperature in Sipadan ranges from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius all year round.

Anglers mourn death of “marriage wrecking” giant fish

Anglers mourn death of “marriage wrecking” giant fish

Anglers were mourning the death of a carp believed to be Britain’s largest freshwater fish, who tipped the scales at almost 32 kgs and was nicknamed “the marriage wrecker.”

Two Tone was found floating on the surface of Conningbrook Lake in Kent where it lived. It was believed to be about 45 years old and to have died from old age.

Anglers mourn death of marriage wrecking giant fish

The fish, named from its skin colour, was only caught once or twice a year and no more than 50 times in its lifetime which made him a prize catch amongst anglers across the country.

“It’s a unique creature. It’s genetically unusual. There’s no other fish ever grown to that size in this country,” Coningbrook fisheries manager Chris Logsdon said.

“Obviously it was the pinnacle of carp angling. It was the fish that everybody wanted to catch.”

It was the hours that some anglers spent trying to catch Two Tone that won the fish the nickname “the marriage wrecker.”

Angler Lee Jackson wrote a book called Just For The Record: My Quest For Two Tone about his battle trying to snare Two Tone which he won in the end.

“It really became an obsession to catch that fish. It took me fishing it in the spring, summer and autumn most weeks, fishing it for about 50 hours per week, and it took me six years. It was a pretty difficult one to track down,” said Lee Jackson.

Two Tone will be buried next to the lake next Sunday with anglers sending online tributes to the fish that got away.

How to rent a car in Malaysia

How to rent a car in Malaysia

Malaysia Car Rental Hire

In East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) and Langkawi I will always recommend renting a car, but in Kuala Lumpur, it is better and easier to utilize the efficient public transport.

Will you be able to drive in Malaysia? If you’re an experienced, confident driver who can drive on the left-hand side of the road (same as Britain and Australia) and are willing to adapt to a foreign country’s driving habits, then you’ll probably enjoy the freedom of driving in Malaysia. Here are some tips on driving a car in Malaysia.

How to rent a car in Malaysia

Things to note when renting a car:

All drivers must show a valid driver’s license at time of rental. Additional drivers must meet the same eligibility requirements as the Primary driver.
The price you will pay for a car depends on the time of the year – check the Malaysia 2009 Events Listings.
Airport often has car rental that is cheaper than from the hotels (Personally I will never book in advance or from travel agents. You will pay twice as much). Getting a rented car from the airport will not only be cheaper and definitely much easier. You can pick it up when you get off the plane and drop it when you leave. No need to worry about a transfer from the hotel to the airport (which sometimes you have to pay for). You shouldn’t have to book ahead unless it is a major holiday.
Never take the first price they ask – Remember to bargain and haggle for it! The starting price offered will often be twice what they will settle for. There are numerous car rental desks and agents waiting around the doors to the airport.

Checklist before agreement:

• Whether rental inclusive of full fuel tank, and whether upon returning has to be a full tank; if not, what are the charges
• CDW-charge
• Drop off point(s)
• Breakdown service(s)
• Insurance – Take an IDL for insurance purposes. If you don’t they will still rent you a car, but you will not have insurance.
• Provision of a road map, with indications of petrol kiosks.
• Don’t rely on the pictures of the car offered. Check the actual car.
• Check tires and things like oil before you complete the transaction.

IMPORTANT: Photocopy your driving license and passport beforehand, so that you can use the copied versions, instead of giving them your originals, and allow the staffs to go somewhere to photocopy them – with a photocopied passport, one can register a mobile phone line, and if it is used for unhealthy avenues, you can get into troubles with the authorities. Make sure to cross with diagonal lines and state for car rental purposes only (with car rental company name).

From my general fact findings and asking around, a Perodua Kancil can be rented from low of RM25/day to RM60/day. Also the rates are dependent on how many days of rental. Then, there is the new Perodua MyVi, which current going rental price is around RM50-RM60/day,and this is still a fairly new model,and you could be lucky to rent one with a low odometer reading, then again these folks are shrewd enough to tamper with the odometer spring and pinion,which drives the meter to click at each engine revolution.

Other information:

• Road signs are generally easy to recognize though you have to learn a few Malay words, e.g. AWAS. Here are some commonly used words on Malaysia road signs.
• Parking is normally not a problem. Ask the locals for direction to use the prepaid tickets. Parking coupons should be displayed on the dashboard.
• Driving is on the left-hand side of the road in both Singapore and Malaysia.
• Seat belts and child seats are mandatory.
• Head lights must be on between 7 PM and 7 AM.
• Driving in rural areas: watch out for the water buffaloes sleeping on the road at night.
• What to do when stopped by traffic police for a traffic offence – the price is usually RM300 for a speeding offence. Check with the car rental agency whether they can help with remittance of the fine, of which, must still be borne by you, as stipulated in their terms and conditions.