Mari Mari Dive & Lodge — Hotel in Sepanggar Island

I recently stayed here for two days and one night, and it was quite a memorable experience. I stayed in Rustic Hall, and I’d definitely recommend booking Room 5 or 6 — both offer stunning views of the beach and the sea, especially during sunrise or sunset.

One thing to note is the presence of wildlife around the area. There are monkeys roaming freely — they can be mischievous, so keep your food and belongings secured. On the flip side, the goats are friendly, and you might even spot a few monitor lizards wandering about, which was a cool surprise.

The beach itself can be a bit littered, unfortunately due to trash carried in by the waves. That said, the staff do make an effort to clean it up every morning, and by midday it’s usually quite pleasant.

There’s a good variety of water activities offered, including scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and even seawalking. I’m sure there are more that I didn’t get the chance to try, but it’s a great place if you're into marine activities. Water clarity can be hit or miss — some days it's beautifully clear, other times a little murky, depending on the weather and tide.

If you’re lucky and the weather is clear, you can catch a view of Mount Kinabalu in the distance from the jetty — a truly breathtaking sight.

The staff were friendly and helpful, though service can be a little slow at times. It's not a major issue, but something to keep in mind if you're in a hurry. Also, note that the kitchen closes at 9pm, so be sure to get your dinner orders in before then.

Interestingly, it seems like most visitors only stop by the island for day trips. That means by nightfall, the island becomes calm and quiet, making it a perfect place to relax and fall asleep to the sound of the waves.

All in all, it’s a peaceful getaway spot with a touch of adventure. With a bit more attention to service speed and beach cleanliness, it could easily be an amazing...

Just a 15 minute boat ride from Jesselton Point ferry terminal. My family were accompanied by Jess from Rainbow island resort. Thru out our 2D1N stay, Jess were always there to guide us around the resort. From arranging our sea activities and our meals. My family had a wonderful experience with Rainbow resort team. Everyone were so friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and affordable priced. Good presentation too. My family had a life changing experience esp my wife ling² when we tried scuba diving. The staffs were so patient with us and professionally guided us all the way down to experience scuba diving. Seeing the corals although many were dead but being close and seeing the fishes like Nemo was out of our imagination, that we can do. My son was so happy, he tried it for a 2nd time the next day. We can do kayaking and snorkeling at our own sweet time and as many times we like all free. That's the value of staying in the island with them. Cheeky monkeys were every where to steal food so be careful. During the day time there is no electricity but fret not as the sea breeze is so refreshing and windy. Our rooms Rustic 5 & 6 were facing the sea, I just open d balcony sliding door and lied down on d bed just to relax d strong breeze from d sea. We did parasailing, kayaking, jetsking and scuba diving. A very memorable 2D1N island experience for my family. Thank you to all d staff for being so friendly and helpful. Big shout out to JESS...

After flying in from Europe we acclimatized here for a day and a half, before travelling through Sabah for 2 weeks. We booked hill lodges in advance, but these were quiet a climb up the hill, so we finally decided to choose for the beachfront rooms. There are two with a balcony and others without seaview and balcony. The accomodation/beds is/are basic, shared bathrooms separate from the bedrooms, but with hotwater boiler. The lunches are abundant and tasty and there is much choice for seafoodies, veggies and meaties. The staff, especially Wesley, the accomodation manager, is very helpful and friendly. Each day 200-300 daytrippers visit the location and have lunch at the premises. Nevertheless it stays a pleasant place to sit on the beach and enjoy the views. The polluted sea, with lots of plastic is a disguise. Though the staff cleans the beach ànd the seafront every morning, there is a constant flow of plastic coming in.||If you are interested you can make a walk to the watervillage, about half a kilometer from the accomodation. This is another world where seagipsy's try to survive in their rackle shackle homes on poles in the sea, with pollution all over. Ask the manager to guide you there and don't go...