Dream Dives in Malaysia

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After years of diving all around the world, there are a few places that still call to me as a lover of scuba diving and the world beneath the waves that scuba gives us access to. Malaysia is at the very top of that list.

Made famous by Jacques Cousteau’s documentary on the area, Sipadan Island is a popular dive site renowned for its crystal clear waters, abundance of sea life, and the opportunity to do more advanced deep diving or drift diving. It’s definitely not one for first-time divers. Everything from sea turtles to whitetip sharks to brightly colored reef fish can be spotted here, making it a wonderful place for those wanting to see and experience it all.

The dives off Sipadan give you an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with sea life

The dives off Sipadan give you an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with sea life. Pic: Chris Walker-Bush.

If you’re a little newer to diving, Tioman Island offers a fantastic variety of dives to cater to the very new or the very experienced. The shallower waters can be accessed right off the beach, making it a good spot for first-time divers. Wrecks on site and deeper waters farther off shore open it up to more experienced divers as well.

Other fantastic sites along the Malaysian peninsula include Redang Island and the Perhentian Islands.

Perhaps Malaysia’s most famous dive site is the adrenaline charged Barracuda Point near Sipadan Island. The thrill of being caught up in a literal tornado of barracuda is something people travel from all around the world to see, and the mingling currents make for some thrilling moments as you’re pulled along in a fast paced drift dive. It’s not one for the faint of heart!

Barracuda Point brings you up close and personal with several thousand of these stunning fish. Pic: Tom Weilenmann,

Malaysia’s many beaches and reefs offer an abundance of breathtaking dive sites, a trip to Malaysia opens up a whole new world of underwater experience.

This article was originally written (by me) for Travel Wire Asia. You can find the original here.

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