Why You Need To Visit The Beautiful Mantanani Islands – Sabah

Located approximately 40km off the Western coasts of Sabah, lies the beautiful Mantanani Islands (Pulau Mantanani). Not as well known compared to the KK Islands (Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park – TARP), the Mantanani Islands are Sabah’s hidden gem and offers a combination of turquoise water and white sandy beaches.

There are 3 islands which makes up the Mantanani Islands; Big Mantanani Island (Pulau Mantanani Besar), Small Mantanani Island (Pulau Mantanani Kecil) and Lungisan Island (Pulau Lungisan). The Mantanani Islands are also a divers paradise, consisting of 3 World War II Wrecks, and over 19 diving spots all waiting to be explored. 

The Mantanani Islands are sometimes called Mermaid Islands due to the presence of the mermaid like creatures “Dugong” (sea cows) roaming the waters of Borneo. These enchanting creatures have inspired many fairy tale stories of beautiful young women with fluked tails aiding lost fishermen at sea.

The Dugong have a lifespan similar to humans of around 70 years and is listed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as a vulnerable and protected endangered species. 

When should you visit Mantanani Islands?

You can visit the Mantanani Islands all year round as there is no extreme monsoon season in Sabah. We’ve found that the best time to visit the islands is between April to September. If you do visit outside these period, then we suggest you to have more flexibility in your schedule due to the heavier downpours and rougher seas. In the event that the weather is not permitting, you can expect the tours and boat operations to be cancelled for your safety.  

How to visit Mantanani Islands?

To visit these gorgeous islands, prior booking with either a tour agency or the island’s resort is the best option. To get here, you will first have to travel to Kota Belud, which is around 1.5 – 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu city. As there are quite a few jetties in Kota Belud, do check with your tour agency/resort which one they operate from.

If you are staying at Sutera Mantanani, then you will need to head to their jetty at Rampayan. We have attached the location here, to make it easier for you to navigate as there aren’t many road signs to get to the jetty. The roads leading up to the jetty are filled with potholes, so do take extra precaution if you are driving.

Among the jetties available in Kota Belud are the popular Rampayan Jetty (Sutera Mantanani/Nido Mantanani guests), Kuala Abai Jetty (Mari – Mari Mantanani guests), Jeti Pulau Mantanani, Habib Waterfront, Tadzmahal Travel Jetty and RS Mantanani & Kawa Rampayan Jetty. 

We have been to Mantanani Island a couple of times and they have changed their jetty location during our recent trip, so we suggest checking with the resort to get the exact location of the jetty before you drive here.

Since there is only 1 boat transfer per day, we’d suggest you to start your journey as early as 6.30am if you’re driving from Kota Kinabalu. If it is your first time here, why not book with the resorts and tour agencies such as Sutera Mantanani, as they do offer personal land and sea transfers from Kota Kinabalu. This way, you can just focus on enjoying your trip, instead of worrying about planning it. 

How long is the boat ride to the Mantanani Islands?

Depending on which jetty you depart from and your desired island, it will take around 30 – 45 minutes boat ride to get there. As the sea condition here can get quite rough at times, pregnant women are discouraged from joining the tours due to lack of medical facilities on these remote islands. 

Even first timers visiting the island can get sea sick. It happened during our first trip here, whereby almost everyone on the boat was sea sick due to the rough waves. We had to make multiple stops on the way as one of the visitor almost passed out. It was definitely a gut-wrenching experience for us as we too nearly puked on the boat.

Can I stay overnight at the Mantanani Islands?

Yes, out the 3 islands, you can only stay at the Big Mantanani Island which houses quite a few resorts, homestays and backpackers lodge for you to choose from. If your sole purpose of visiting the Mantanani Islands is to go diving, then you can consider staying at the Mari-Mari Dive Lodge which is made up of a few stilt houses located around 200m South of Small Mantanani Island. 

Day trips are also available here, usually bundled together with a few other activities such as snorkelling, scuba diving and even a river cruise.

Useful tips

• To reduce the chance of sea sickness, you should consume light and bland food such as; bananas, bread, crackers and rice before the boat ride.
• Consider taking along motion sickness tablets in case you need it.
• Keep hydrated as it can get really hot and humid on this tropical islands.
• As the island is quite remote, food and beverages are limited and much more pricier than in the city. Pre-pack some food/meals for you to enjoy on the islands. 
• Look out for the jellyfish while swimming/snorkelling. Jellyfish seasons here generally occur between March to April. Their stings can be extremely painful.
• Even if you can’t swim, you can still go snorkelling! There are life vests and lifeguards who will help you if you require any assistance.
• Please help keep the island clean, so others can appreciate them too.
• You won’t get great reception on the island, so why not use the time to unwind and relax!

So getting that out of the way, let’s find out Why You Need To Visit The Beautiful Mantanani Islands in Kota Belud?

1. Big Mantanani Island (Pulau Mantanani Besar)

You can probably tell from its name, Big Mantanani Island that it is the largest island here. Spanning at an area of over 480 acres, this “Dugong” shaped island is a perfect getaway for those who wants to disconnect from their busy life schedules to just relax and have fun. 

Sutera Mantanani Resort

During our short vacation on the island, we stayed the Sutera Mantanani Resort as they offered us great package which doesn’t come by often. Not wasting the opportunity, we quickly took up the deal and made our way to the resort. During our trip here, there was only a handful of guests, which made it feel more like a private tour. 

From the moment we set foot on the island, we never felt so peaceful and relaxed. The cool gentle breeze, deserted sandy beaches and the sunny weather made it a dreamy vacation. Upon reaching the resort, we left our bags at the reception as the rooms wasn’t ready for us to check in. 

To keep us entertained, the resort had planned for us to join a snorkelling trip whilst waiting for the room availability. If you’re lucky enough, you might even catch a glimpse of the popular resident here, “Dugong” during your dive trips. Although we weren’t able to see the Dugong, we managed to see schools of fishes swimming around the abundant, beautiful corals of the island. 

After the snorkelling trip, we headed back to the resort for a mouth-watering lunch. We then got changed and did a bit of exploring at the resort. The Sutera Mantanani has quite a lot activities which you can choose from such as sea kayaking, beach sports (soccer and volleyball), ATV bike rides, fishing and a wide range of board games. 

At the end of the pier there is a small mock up bar for you to hangout whist enjoying the mesmerising view.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also take a stroll all the way to the end of the island, where you will find a beautiful sandbank there. We came across a lot of huge and unique sea shells as we walked along the sandbank.

You can also try out the giant water slide here at Sutera Mantanani Resort, which we did!

In the evening, you can also join the sunset cruise which sails to Lungisan Island whilst capturing the breath-taking orange glow of the sunset from the Western tip of the island.

After we had our dinner, we walked along the beach to see the blue tears/plankton. These blue tears are actually bright blue bioluminescent planktons which are washed up ashore. As this spectacular phenomena is seasonal, the best time to see it is between March to July, on a moonless night.  

The next morning, once we had our breakfast, we waited at the pier for the ferry to take us back to the mainland.

Other resorts and homestays on Big Mantanani Island

Besides Sutera Mantanani, there are also plenty of other resorts and homestays on the island, which offer a similar range of activities for you to discover. Here we list the popular resorts which might interest you.

Top 3 popular accommodations:-

Newer accommodations on the island

2. Small Mantanani Island (Pulau Mantanani Kecil)

Located around 2.7km to the West of Big Mantanani Island is the secluded, Small Mantanani Island. This stunning 70 acres island is shaped like a knife and has a long and narrow 2km coastline. This island has recently gained popularity among divers due to its numerous dive sites near its vicinity. 

Among the favourite diving sites near this island are the Gilly Reef and Pehen Rock. Here, you will be able spot marine lives such as ribbon eels, lionfish, marbled stingrays and green turtles all swimming around in the crystal clear water amidst the stunning coral reefs.   

Visitors to the Small Mantanani Island usually opt for a day trip as there is no accommodation on this underdeveloped island. A nearby dive lodge operated by Mari-Mari is an option, if you want to stay close to the sea and also enjoy the basic facilities (toilet, shower room, dining area) at the same time. 

For those who wants absolute peace and tranquillity, why not camp 
at the Small Mantanani Island? This island also makes a great camping ground with its running water and toilet facilities, scenic ocean views, cool gentle breeze and starry night. 

3. Lungisan Island (Pulau Lungisan)

Being the smallest island of the 3, this 3 acres island is located around 300m to the West of Big Mantanani Island. As the island is uninhabited, you can only do a day trip here, which is usually included in the diving/snorkelling trip. During calm seas, you can even kayak from the Big Mantanani Island to this island and do a bit of birdwatching around the coast.

Being rarely visited, this island has a dense vegetation surrounded by rocky entrance. As there is no beach entrance on the island, it is quite difficult to explore this untouched gem. The caves entrance which you see on Lungisan Island is not very deep and used as a home by swiftlets and bats.

Have any experience or tips on travelling to Mantanani Islands? Or are you planning a trip soon? Let us know and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you! 

If you’re doing a lot of traveling, then getting a BigPay card is your next smart decision. We have used it for almost all our purchases during our travel in Malaysia and found it helpful. You can save on the currency conversion fee when you use the apps. Just make sure to select the local currency of the country you are in to get cheaper rates. Click here to sign up. Don’t forget to use our referral code GB1RB1XMDE to receive a bonus when you activate the card.

You may also like…