Sabah Sunset at Mantanani Island

This beautiful Sabah sunset at Mantanani Island is my picture for the week. I captured this photo from the jetty at Bembaran Resort on Mantanani Besar Island during one of my dive trips. Renowned for its incredible diving spots and stunning sunsets, Mantanani Island is just under a three-hour journey from Kota Kinabalu.

The island offers day trips for snorkeling and overnight stays for Mantanani scuba diving, which can be easily arranged through the many travel agents in Kota Kinabalu.

There are only three resorts on the island, and scuba diving is the main draw for most visitors. As mentioned earlier, my main goal was to dive here—I’d heard so much about the underwater beauty of this place and was eager to experience it for myself.

Sunrise on the island

For photographers, it depends on what you want to achieve when you visit this island, and if you are a landscape photographer, I recommend you stay here for at least two to three days.

To visit Mantanani Kecil Island for more photography, you need to experience the sunrises and sunsets, trek around the island, and rent a boat. For bird photographers, Mantanani Island is well known for some rare species of birds, like the endemic Mantanani Scops Owl.

During my scuba diving trip here, I somehow managed to find some time to do bird watching on Mantanani Island too. Well, for a short experience, I did spot several birds on Mantanani.

Conclusion

And finally, for those coming here as a getaway from the city, or simply for a quick island vacation, you can easily entertain yourself as the island is tiny. One of the best things to do just before dinner is head to the beach and catch a beautiful Sabah sunset at Mantanani Island. Check out my other worldwide sunset photos from over the years of travelling.