MY · Sabah · 6.50°N 117.92°E

lankayan island

A tiny dive island off Sandakan where turtles nest almost nightly from July to October.

Best time
March to October. Green and hawksbill turtles nest most heavily from July to October, and whale sharks turn up in some years from March to May. The resort closes every January and February for the monsoon seas.
How long
3 days, 2 nights
Getting there
Fly from KL to Sandakan (just under 3 hours). The resort's boat leaves a Sandakan jetty once a day in the morning and takes about 1.5 hours, so take an early flight or sleep in Sandakan the night before.
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MY · Sabahlankayan island6.50°N 117.92°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A tiny dive island off Sandakan where turtles nest almost nightly from July to October.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingLankayan IslandMY, Sabah
KLlankayan island
≈ 1,836 km from KL, as the crow flies
Lankayan Island, Sabah state (Borneo), Malaysia

Photo: Cemx86 · CC0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A small island in the Sulu Sea, about 1.5 hours by boat from Sandakan, inside the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area, a no-take marine reserve. One dive resort is the only place to stay. Come for easy reef and wreck dives, turtles nesting on the beach at night and very little else to do.

Makan

  1. Resort mealsAll meals are on the island and come with the stay.Map ↗
  2. UFO tarts in SandakanPick up Sandakan's custard-and-meringue tarts before you head for the jetty.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Reef and wreck divesAround 30 dive sites a few minutes from the jetty, including two wrecks.Map ↗
  2. Turtle nestingRangers let guests know when a turtle comes up the beach to lay, and you watch quietly from a distance.Map ↗
  3. Hatchling releasesEggs go to the island's hatchery, and the babies are released at the water's edge about two months later.Map ↗
  4. SnorkellingThe house reef is a short swim off the beach.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Book the stay and boat together; there's no public ferry.
  • The boat back leaves early in the morning, so book an afternoon flight out of Sandakan.
  • Don't touch the coral or take shells. The whole reserve is a no-take zone.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.