The Idyllic Islands of Borneo

Island Hopping in Borneo

To be honest I don’t know why we expected it to be complicated but we were relieved when, after just five fifteen minutes walk along the promenade in Kota Kinabal we arrived at the ferry port and our minds were put at ease. Having spent the past few days with your guide, Ricky, we wanted a few days fending for ourselves and this was day one. The sun was shining as it had done reliably for the past week and there were a number of tourists looking to get out to the islands. They run an easy enough system – there are five islands and you can buy a number of different tickets depending on how many you wish to visit.
We were planning to divide our day between two - Manukan and Sapi Island - rather than rush around all five and soon we were on board a speedboat heading for Manukan. Surrounded by calm sea’s and blue sky the palm fringed island really did look like something out of paradise.
We disembarked at the ferry pier and were immediately left to our own devices. I had already discovered from our travels in Sandakan and in Mulu just how well they look after their National Parks in Borneo and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park was to be no exception. Paths are well made and elevated were required, they are kept clear of rubbish and there is excellent signposting at every turn. The white sand beaches that stretched in either direction were too inviting to ignore however and having hired a snorkel and mask we found our spot for the morning and set about sinking into the pace of things. The snorkelling was wonderful and whilst I’m by no means a pro, I had never seen the wealth of marine life anywhere else in the world. The warm waters meant you could stay in there for hours (or until your back burnt in my case!) and you could see at least 50 yards in all direction. The few boats around were kept well away and at no time were Mandy and I concerned about our kit on the beach. Aside from sleeping and swimming the islands have a couple of basic shops and a café – the food wasn’t world class but it was certainly enough to keep you going for the day. There were several walks through the islands centre (you can walk round the island in a little over an hour) and I am reliably told they also make an excellent early morning run.
To get across to Sapi it’s just a case of waiting for one of your boats to reappear which is never more than thirty minutes and you can easily wait on the beach. Sapi was far smaller than Manukan and we practically had the place to ourselves for a few hours. If anything the beach is even nicer but I imagine on a busy day it becomes a little crampt.
Returning to the mainland just as the sunset we were pleased with our day’s solo performance!