Quality Diving | DFS BORNEO SDN BHD — Local services in Borneo

I joined a two-day trip and, unfortunately, it turned out to be the most disappointing experiences I’ve ever had. I have joined similar trips in West Malaysia and the Maldives before, but this one was by far the most unpleasant.

Life jacket issue On the first day, the crew handed me an XXL life jacket. I explained it was too big and unsafe for me, but the crew insisted that “all life jackets are same size” and even pointed at a 10-year-old child, saying "the only smaller one was for kids, you wanna it?" However, I noticed that other guests had life jackets in different sizes (L, XL), and there were many unused jackets onboard. they simply didn’t bother to check. I chose not to argue to avoid spoiling my mood. However, the next day when an African lady said her life jacket was too big, they immediately gave her a smaller size. This double standard left me wondering if I was treated differently simply because I am an Chinese woman, and they assumed I would easy to cheat and would not resist.

Stop teasing young women! Please ask your staff to stop sexually harassing female guests. Throughout the two days, some crew members repeatedly made offensive jokes and gestures, including saying things like “marry me” or “call me daddy”, pretending to wipe something off a lady's hair and then making heart signs. This was not funny—it was extremely uncomfortable and disrespectful. One crew member in particular, named Sanmi, behaved this way toward almost every young woman. I ignored him, but he repeatedly tried to get my attention inappropriately. The only two female guests not being harassed were 2 white ladies, they were very tall (over 180 cm) and their boyfriends looked like more than 190 cm. So i think they scared to tease them. They not only teased Asian women also an African woman.It was obvious that the staffs treated guests differently based on who they were.

Smoking on board Several crew members, including the one operating the boat, smoked while driving. As a result, all of us sitting behind were forced to breathe second-hand smoke for much of the trip.

To be fair, the snorkeling locations were beautiful. The reefs were full of colorful corals and fish, and I was lucky enough to see five sea turtles. That was the only highlight of the experience.

Overall, I feel very conflicted. While the natural scenery was stunning, the staffs' behavior were unprofessional, unsafe, and highly disrespectful. I truly hope the management will take these issues seriously, regulate staff behavior, and ensure future guests—especially female guests—can feel safe and respected on your trips.

UPDATE:

Please face these issues seriously and stop making excuses. I would never falsely accuse anyone without reason. Even if the crew’s constant flirting with female guests was “unintentional,” how do you explain the fact that they refused to give me a properly sized life jacket, publicly mocked me, and asked if I wanted to wear a child’s size instead? This behavior was disgraceful. You can ask the other guests in that day if this was ture. It clearly shows that they believe Chinese women can be treated casually and will not resist. I did not argue with them on the spot, because I was worried that making them angry might put me in danger...

I got information from the staff and told them that I would decide which tours to join later in the day and inform them via WhatsApp. Later, when I tried to make reservations on WhatsApp, I was told that I needed to make full payment to confirm the reservation. I asked if I could pay early in the morning since I wasn't within walking distance of the diving center. They refused, which was fine.

The next day, I went there to make reservations. To dive on Sipadan Island, you need a permit. They weren't sure when the permit would be granted, which could take up to 2 days. I was planning for 3 days with 3 different tours, so I needed to revise my plan accordingly. I had some questions, but the staff was unsure about some information and needed to confirm with a woman (who I guess is the manager). Her attitude was extremely rude. I was asking questions to the staff, and each time the staff had to confirm with that woman. We were all in the same room, but she ignored me and only talked to the staff. They were discussing my requests as if I wasn't there. Finally, I said, "I am here, why don't you talk to me directly?". The same rude attitude continued.

I don't think Google reviews reflect the reality. I chose Uncle Chang's Diving coincidentally and enjoyed it a lot. The people there were much friendlier, more helpful, and took better care of the customers.

Those tour agencies with high reviews are booked fully most of the time, so I don't think they care about providing better service.

Additionally, Semporna is just a place for divers. Other than diving, there's nothing. No hygiene, no customer service from hotels, restaurants, etc. Google photos are very misleading, showing the surrounding islands instead. Please do your research properly and don't be...

I went with my fiancé on this trip and we totally loved it. Normally, I am used to crowded trips on bigger boats, but not here. As you can see in the picture, the group was mainly Chinese, but everything was translated into English for us. The other guests were so polite and respectful. This nice atmosphere was created through good management and staff with excellent knowledge. The whole trip was pricey but not cheap in terms of quality. We spent several hours on the water and booked a trip to Mabul. The weather was nice, and the sea was beyond beautiful. The corals were right under a water hotel complex, an artificial coral reef created to save the actual corals. There were many divers and so many fish. For snorkeling and diving lovers, this was heaven. During all trips into the water, a guide accompanied us, snorkeling and pointing out nice spots. They also prevented tourists from destroying corals, which I loved. For the beginning of the trip, I must say it was quite the adventure because we needed to change the Jetty, but it was not the company’s fault. There was a sudden police control that blocked the captain’s boat, and even then, our instructor found another way to get us on the water. Absolutely perfect service and logistics, really good. I would like to come back with my diving license and book a diving season with our instructor, Mak. He was so friendly and had extensive knowledge about everything. Working with Mak was fantastic; he made the experience even more enjoyable. Best trip and best company with Mak!...