Lankayan Island (Pulau
Lankayan) Information on Transport,
Attractions, Location, Diving and Hotels.
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Lankayan Island is located in the Sulu Sea north west of
Sandakan on the north east coast of Sabah. It is a
jewel-like tiny island in the Sulu Sea, an hour & a half
boat transfer's north of Sandakan. The normal route to the
island is through Kota Kinabalu International Airport. From
there, a connecting flight takes the diver to Sandakan where
transfers can be arranged from the airport. |
This small
paradise island, with stretches of white sandy beaches,
swaying casuarinas pines and beautiful sunsets is another
island with only one dive resort, Lankayan Island Dive
Resort (LIDR). The resort
was built in 1997 and since then tourists have slowly been
discovering the serenity and tranquility of this remote
peace of paradise. Lankayan island offers a fantastic
variety of macro marine life, a muck-diving arena that
rivals both Mabul and Kapalai Island.
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Lankayan is
soon to be declared part of an immense Marine
Conservation Area. Unpopulated and covered by thick
tropical rainforest on its topside, this peaceful,
untouched little bit of paradise is ringed by an endless
pure white sandy beach, offering simply elegant and
exquisite accommodation in a handful of wooden, roomy
and perfectly appointed seafront double-occupancy
chalets. Meals are informally served at the central open
building, which boasts an amazingly beautiful open-air
wooden terrace, the ideal spot for after dinner,
relaxation and chatting, all the while admiring the
dozens of juvenile black tip sharks swimming leisurely a
few feet beneath.
While the
ideal destination for those who search tranquility and
relaxation in a virgin natural setting and for families
with children, Lankayan Island is also one of the
hottest diving destination on the map today: its dive
sites - all just a few minutes away - boast unbelievably
colorful macro fauna, fascinating wrecks and in season
from March to May, regular sightings of gigantic and
harmless whale sharks, the 'dream date' of every diver
in the world.
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