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Major city · Malaysia

Semporna

Come for the diving, not the town: 3–4 nights, base on the seafront, and book Sipadan permits months ahead or settle for Mabul.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
MYR
Best months
Mar–Oct
avoid Nov–Feb (rain and rough seas), Ramadan for quiet streets
Airports
TWU · BKI
Nights
3–4
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Malaysia ↗Most foreign visitors must submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online shortly before arrival; use only the official immigration site.
  • Malaysia ↗Remove shoes before entering mosques, temples and homes; cover shoulders and knees, and use the robes on loan at major mosques.
  • Malaysia ↗Cards and e-wallets are common in cities; keep some ringgit in small notes for hawker stalls, taxis and tolls.

Semporna is a small, hot, working port town on Sabah's east coast and the launch point for Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai. The town itself has almost nothing to see; everything worth doing is on or under the water. Plan 3–4 nights: one to arrive and sort gear, two to three for boat days, and one spare for weather.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Semporna, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Sit-down mealSeafood dinner at a jetty restaurantAsk the price per kilo before ordering.RM30–60 per person
  • Street or quick mealNasi kuning breakfast from a street stallRM3–6
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekRM20–50
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse dorm bed, a night, per personRM25
  • Mid-range bedDouble room with air conditioning, a night, per roomRM160
  • High-end bedDouble room with air conditioning, a night, per roomRM320

A day, not counting the bed: Budget RM150 · Mid RM350 · High RM700

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Sipadan diving permitsMabul and Kapalai reefsRegatta Lepa-Lepa in AprilSea Bajau stilt houses
Airports
TWU Tawau Airport (About 1.5 h by road to Semporna; taxi or pre-booked shuttle.) · BKI Kota Kinabalu International (Fly to Tawau, or 8–10 h by bus from Inanam.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Semporna: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

30°C

24°C

17 rd

Feb

30°C

24°C

13 rd

Mar

31°C

24°C

12 rd

Apr

32°C

25°C

11 rd

May

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Jun

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Jul

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Aug

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Sep

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Oct

32°C

25°C

14 rd

Nov

31°C

24°C

16 rd

Dec

31°C

24°C

17 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Semporna town is walkable in 15–20 minutes end to end. For nearby villages and resorts use the yellow passenger vans or a licensed taxi and agree the fare before boarding. Unlicensed 'prebet' cars are cheap but carry no commercial insurance; avoid them.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sipadan

go

Door to door: Full day, 7:00–16:00

Operator boat from the Semporna jetty, about 45 min

Permit required; two dives a day under current rules. Book months ahead.

Mabul and Kapalai

go

Door to door: Full day

Operator boat, about 30–45 min

The fallback when Sipadan permits are gone; good muck diving and snorkelling.

Tawau

caution

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Bus or passenger van, about 2 h

Mostly a transport stop for the airport; little to see.

Skull Hill (Bukit Tengkorak)

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Taxi or van, 15 min southwest

Small archaeology museum and a short climb to a viewpoint; open 9:00–17:00 (check).

Parapat Hill (Bukit Parapat)

caution

Door to door: Half day

Taxi, about 30 min southwest

Easy hike with island views; go early before the heat.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Seafront / jetty strip

Walk to the dive shops and boats; most guesthouses and the Dragon Inn stilt block sit here.

Town centre

Cheaper rooms, markets and food stalls; 5–10 min walk to the jetty.

Island resorts (Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking)

Sleep on the reef instead of in town; transfers are by resort boat, so book the package.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
RM120–200 excl. bed
Mid
RM250–450 excl. bed
High
RM500+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room with air conditioning1 × 3 nights × RM160RM480
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × RM350RM2,100
Tawau airport to Semporna, one way2 × RM95 · checkRM190
Three-dive day at Sipadan with gear and marine park fee2 × RM900 · checkRM1,800
Snorkelling day at Sipadan, all fees2 × RM700 · checkRM1,400
eSIM, about a week of data2 × RM40RM80
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeRM605
Trip total≈ RM1,109 per person per day, bed includedRM6,655≈ US$1,600

2026 estimate in ringgit; flights and Sipadan permits excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Nasi kuning breakfast from a street stallRM3–6
Mee soup (bakso)RM1–5
Grilled tuna fishRM2–3
Fresh fruit juice, large mugRM5
Seafood dinner at a jetty restaurantAsk the price per kilo before ordering.RM30–60 per person
Moonstone pendant on the jettyBargain; prices open high.RM4–5
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekRM20–50

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The town is calm and the main risks are on the water and in the sun: book diving through licensed operators, check your insurance covers diving, and keep valuables in a hotel safe.
  • Sipadan is capped at 200 permits a day and each diver is limited to two dives there; book through a licensed operator months ahead.
  • Unlicensed 'prebet' taxis have no passenger insurance; agree a price or take a hotel-arranged car.
  • Tap water is not drinkable; buy bottled or filtered water.
  • Boat crossings get rough in the wet season and trips are sometimes cancelled.
  • No ATM on the islands; bring enough ringgit for fees and tips.

Emergency numbers

Police and ambulance
999
Fire
994
From a mobile
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SempornaSemporna

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Tolong hantar ke alamat iniTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police and ambulance999
  • Fire994
  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Semporna; most are in Kuala Lumpur, with consulates in Kota Kinabalu (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Tawau Airport → Semporna, taxi: about RM95, 1.5 h (check)
  • Semporna → Tawau, passenger van: about RM20–30, 2 h (check)
  • Town ride by licensed taxi: RM1–3 local rate; agree first (check)

Say or show

  • Terima kasih — Thank you (ter-ee-ma ka-seh)
  • Berapa harganya? — How much is it? (be-ra-pa har-ga-nya)
  • Terlalu mahal — Too expensive (ter-la-lu ma-hal)
  • Di mana jeti? — Where is the jetty? (di ma-na je-ti)
  • Saya ada permit menyelam — I have a diving permit (sa-ya a-da per-mit me-nye-lam)
  • Tolong — Help (to-long)

Dive insurance and a DAN-style evacuation policy are worth arranging before you fly.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Semporna. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–Oct · avoid Nov–Feb (rain and rough seas), Ramadan for quiet streets · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Verified Sipadan permit rules and operator list with 2026 prices.
  2. Boat-day fixtures for Mabul, Kapalai and Mataking with sea-state cutoffs.
  3. Tawau airport transfer page with taxi and shuttle fares.
  4. Eat pages for the jetty seafood stalls and market breakfasts.

Meanwhile

Back to Malaysia

Sources