Diving Travel｜Must-Visit Destination in Semporna: Mataking Island

🏖️ For your holiday, choose Semporna! My last stop was Mataking Island, and if you're here purely for leisure, this is the place to be! Among the three routes, this is the most beautiful one! 👇🏻 I opted for a yacht diving experience, but honestly, it felt average. For better value, go for the speedboat. Let me share the route and some tips with you. 🏃🏻♀️ Overall Route (May vary depending on the operator/speedboat or yacht): 1️⃣ Depart from the pier at 8 AM, approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to the first stop, Pom Pom Island. 2️⃣ Spend about 30 minutes taking photos at Pom Pom Island. 3️⃣ Head to Timba Timba for snorkeling and diving, around 30 minutes. 4️⃣ Have lunch and take photos at Timba Timba, about 30 minutes. 5️⃣ Proceed to Mataking Island for nearby snorkeling/diving, around 30 minutes. Note: Yacht tours do not allow landing on the island! 6️⃣ Return to the town pier at around 6 PM. 💰 Approximate Costs: 🚤 Speedboat: Around 400-500 MYR; Yacht: 1000 MYR. Timba Timba and Mataking may require an additional 10-15 MYR landing fee. 📸 Scenic Highlights: ✅ The waters at Pom Pom Island, Timba Timba, and Mataking are incredibly blue and crystal-clear, definitely the glassy sea everyone loves! There are plenty of corals and fish underwater, and if you're lucky, you might even spot a sea turtle. 🙂 Unfortunately, I didn’t see one 😭. ✅ You must try diving! As a beginner, I’m already eager to dive two more times—the underwater world is breathtaking. 😑 However, the photography service from this operator was mediocre, so I wouldn’t recommend using it... 🌟 Overall, this route is highly recommended. This is the Semporna everyone dreams of! That said, I wouldn’t choose the yacht again—it’s only slightly more comfortable.