Best Places for Scuba Diving in Malaysia

Best Places for Scuba Diving in Malaysia

If you are a visiting diver to this part of Southeast Asia, here is a list of the best places for scuba diving in Malaysia, based on each state. Malaysia has long been known as a scuba diving destination in Southeast Asia. However, it still needs to be better marketed worldwide by attending more international dive shows.

The trickiest questions that most divers ask are what kind of scuba diving they prefer, where to dive, and what facilities are available. It depends on what you want to see or experience during diving.

Some divers only want to see large fish, while others want to see macro life like nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses and other macro life. Most leisure divers enjoy diving into a beautiful dive site rich with corals and fish.

The most popular diving destinations in Malaysia are subjective, but I will list them by individual state and popularity. Therefore, this list was created to understand better where and what is available for scuba divers planning to explore Malaysia.

A map of Sabah showing the famous dive sites.

1. Scuba Diving in Sabah

Sabah’s dive sites are divided into two sides – East Sabah, where you will find Sipadan Island, Mabul Island, Lankayan Island, Mataking Island, Kapalai Island and many other smaller islands. The dive sites here are some of the best in the world, where you can choose leisure diving or muck diving.

At Mabul Island, some dive sites are minutes from the resort, so you can imagine how easy it is here. One thing that first-time divers to Malaysia should try is staying at the Seaventures Dive Resort. This unique experience allows divers to stay at the world’s only diving oil rig resort, which is situated just minutes off Mabul Island.

A Sargassum Frogfish was spotted while diving on Mabul Island, Sabah.

Diving Around Kota Kinabalu – West Coast Sabah is where Kota Kinabalu, the capital, is located. Around here, you can do quick dives at destinations near the city. Popular dive spots include Sapi Island, Manukan Island, Mengalum Island, Mantanani Island, and Tiga Island, which are more commercial diving sites.

Some divers have made their way up north to dive in Kudat. However, I would not recommend diving here for beginners, as the rip currents and strong currents can be dangerous.

The world’s only oil rig dive resort, Seaventures, is located at Mabul Island, Sabah.

Diving in Labuan – Labuan Island is renowned for its wreck diving, and the wrecks are located quite far offshore. Advanced open-water divers and above can dive around Labuan. You must take a ferry from the Kuala Penyu area to Labuan Island or fly there.

For extreme divers, Layang Layang Island is considered one of the best dive sites in Malaysia. During the season from March to May, you can spot schools of hammerhead sharks. Sabah is connected via frequent flights from Kuala Lumpur and many other large cities in Malaysia. No, you cannot take a bus or train to Sabah as it is located on the island of Borneo.

A school of large Puffer Fish was spotted during a dive at the Perhentian Islands.

2. Scuba Diving in Terengganu

The famous islands here are the Perhentian Islands, divided into Perhentian Kecil (Small) and Perhentian Besar (Big). These are some of the most popular scuba dive destinations in Peninsular Malaysia, but they only operate from March to October. The rest of the months are the monsoon season, from November to February.

I photographed a beautiful nudibranch during a dive at Perhentian Island.

Nearby is Redang Island, also known as Pulau Redang, one of Malaysia’s top beginner diving spots. The island features a marine park, making diving here easy and casual. Redang is also well known as a romantic island, but it can get crowded during the peak season with snorkelers.

Tenggol Island, a smaller island located further south, offers some intense diving, depending on the diver. It features both simple and challenging dive sites. One dive resort, Tenggol Island Beach Resort, is one of the recommended centres.

Dive sites in the islands of Terengganu.

For luxury scuba divers, there is the Tanjong Jara Resort (TJR) on the mainland, located in the Dungun area, which operates dive trips to Tenggol upon request. Other smaller islands, such as Gemia Island and Kapas Island, offer independent resorts and diving opportunities. You need to book directly with the resorts here.

A Banded Sawblade Shrimp, or Tozeuma Shrimp, photographed while diving on Perhentian Island.

 3. Scuba Diving in Johor

Other islands around here include Rawa Island (Pulau Rawa), a private island with its resort, Pemanggil Island (Pulau Pemanggil), and Aur Island (Pulau Aur), which are more local and less commercial.

Dive sites for Tioman Island.

Among Johor’s lesser-commercialised dive spots are Aur Island and Dayang Island, both popular primarily with divers from Singapore. These islands offer a quieter alternative to the more well-known Tioman Island, providing a more laid-back and unspoiled diving experience.

Closer to the mainland, Sibu Island and Tinggi Island are also worth exploring. Each has a handful of resorts—typically around three—that offer scuba diving, with a focus on muck diving, ideal for macro enthusiasts. The best time to dive at these islands is between March and June, when visibility and conditions are at their peak.

It’s important to note that Tioman and nearby islands are affected by the annual monsoon season, which typically runs from mid-October to mid-February. During this time, diving is considered off-season due to rougher seas and unpredictable weather. However, some resorts do remain open and may still offer limited diving activities for those willing to brave the conditions.

Sarawak also offers fantastic scuba diving (Photo from Sarawak Tourism Board).

4. Scuba Diving in Sarawak

Sarawak is one of Malaysia’s lesser-known scuba diving destinations. Still, two notable spots have gained popularity in recent years: one in Kuching and another in the resort city of Miri, which borders the Kingdom of Brunei.

However, diving in Sarawak is less commercial than in other parts of Malaysia; therefore, it can be tricky. There are dive operators in Sarawak, but just a handful of them. In most cases, you need to contact the dive centres to check when the weather is good before diving here.

Diving in Kuching – Most serious divers come here to explore the many historical dive wrecks in the waters of Kuching. There is also a submarine wreck, but local dive operators do not recommend visiting this site.

I once dived at Satang Island, a 40-minute boat ride from Santubong; however, due to the weather, the visibility could have been better, and we came up sooner than expected. I was getting 2 to 3 meters of visibility, which was terrible. This occurred during the dive season in July 2017. Anyway, I plan to go back and try again.

Dive sites of Kuching, Sarawak,

Most of the wrecks are World War 2 Japanese wrecks, hundreds of meters long. Therefore, you must be an Advanced Open Water (AOW) diver to see them.

Diving in Miri – This is a more commercial destination, with two dive operators operating in Miri. Coco Dive is one of the pioneer centres that organise trips to the many dive sites around Miri. (Update 2023: Coco Dive is no longer there)

My last dive here was in May 2017, where I encountered healthy corals, reef fish, macro life, and occasionally large fish. I saw a lone Bumphead Parrotfish on one of my dives. Read about my recent Miri dive experience.

To get to Sarawak, fly from Kuala Lumpur or another larger city. There are numerous flights daily to both Miri and Kuching.

5. Scuba Diving at Langkawi Island

Yes, you can dive on Langkawi Island. However, it is less popular than on the East Coast or in Sabah. So, if everything else fails and you can only visit Langkawi, you can book a scuba diving package here.

A few dive operators in Langkawi offer dive trips to the Pulau Payar Marine Park, which is probably the best place to dive in Langkawi. For serious divers, you can talk to the dive centre about other places to dive around Langkawi Island.

Diving in Pulau Payar Marine Park—To be honest, I have yet to dive here, but from reviews and articles, it is said that visibility can go up to 20 meters from April to August. But it is always best to double-check with the dive operators there.

Several divers I spoke to informed me that Langkawi offers decent diving, and after seeing photos of Pulau Payar’s dive sites, it appears to be pretty decent, so not all is lost.

To get to Langkawi, you can fly from Kuala Lumpur, which takes only an hour to travel by air; alternatively, you can take a bus, train, or rent a car. From the mainland, you can take the ferry across. But it is much faster to fly in and rent a car to move around.

The beautiful Pulau Perak or Tukun Perak Island. Photo from www.xnuripilot.blogspot.my.

6. Scuba Diving in Perak

Among these lesser-known dive spots in Malaysia, Pangkor Island, Sembilan Island, and Jarak Island are notable examples. Located off the coastal town of Lumut, Pangkor is well-known as a resort island, the nearest to Kuala Lumpur.

Reports indicate that diving here is generally suitable for entry-level divers, and visibility is decent. Numerous resorts, guesthouses, and homestays are available on the island and the mainland.

One or two dive operators also provide dive packages to these islands. One is located on Marina Island, which offers frequent dives to Sembilan Island, which has five main dive sites.

Tukun Perak diving photos. (Images were compiled by the Pulau Perak Dive Expedition 2014 Video.)

Scuba Diving at Pulau Perak—also known as Tukun Perak —is one of the most exotic dive sites in Peninsular Malaysia. The island, also known as Fairway Rock, is a sandstone rock rising from the Straits of Malacca.

However, Pulau Perak is around 150 km from the Island of Penang and takes about eight hours by boat. This island was or is used as a military base, as evidenced by the presence of some structures at its summit. In a dive video, Giant Manta Rays were seen swimming openly in the waters here.

Visibility is up to 40 meters. Other rare small crustaceans can be found here, too. Tukun Perak is situated off the island of Penang but falls under the Perak state. Selective dive operators make only specialised dive trips to Perak Island here.

Lumut is about a 3.5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. If you plan to visit Pangkor Island, you must take the ferry from Lumut. You cannot just go there and try to book a dive, as pre-arrangements must be made with a dive operator.

A Pipefish photographed in Mabul by me during one of my dives.

7. Scuba Diving in Port Dickson

If nothing else works, you can still dive into Port Dickson or PD. Please note that this is likely to end poorly, which could result in better visibility. There are a couple of dive sites in PD, but the best is in the Blue Lagoon area or the 12th mile of PD.

Diving in PD requires some serious addiction if you are on a budget. One operator provides 2-dive packages at the Blue Lagoon in Port Dickson. Prices are approximately RM160 per person, inclusive of boat fees and other expenses.

I once saw a video of scuba diving in PD, and I’d like to share it with you; the visibility was 1-2 meters. However, the macro life here is quite decent, so there is still hope if you’re a macro diver.

Port Dickson is only a 1.5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. Once known as the most popular beach destination in Malaysia, PD can get crowded on weekends with beachgoers.

A nicely camouflaged Stonefish.

8. Scuba Diving in Melaka

It’s probably unheard of, but people have gone scuba diving in Melaka with very low visibility. There are two places to dive in Melaka: Pulau Undan and Pulau Besar Melaka. One local operator offers dive packages that cost RM300 per person, which includes three boat dives, lunch, and other fees. It is best to bring your own equipment, but it can be rented.

One of the dive schools tends to bring its open-water certification students to Pulau Undan for the examination. Contact +6 019 4908677 to learn about diving in Melaka or Port Dickson. The place to depart for diving in Melaka is the village of Umbai, which is approximately a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.