Regatta Lepa in Semporna Sabah
The Regatta Lepa Lepa in Semporna, Sabah, is one of the very unique festivals held every year on the east coast of Sabah Borneo.
For many years, I have wanted to visit this festival, and finally, with the help of Sabah Tourism, my wish came true this year in 2012.
The following is my experience attending this traditional ethnic festival of the Bajau people of Sabah.
What is the Regatta Lepa?
The Regatta Lepa has also been celebrated yearly since 1994 to commemorate the local Bajau tradition of building these splendid hand-crafted wooden boats known as the Lepa.
During the festival, the quiet town of
Semporna comes to life as the colourful sails take to the sea to compete for the prize of the most beautiful Lepa.
Judging is also based on the
decoration, local ethnic music, and dances performed on board,
sambulayang (sails) and tapis-tapis (small flags).
The main streets by the jetties are off-traffic and littered with stalls selling all kinds of merchandise, food, drink, and souvenirs.
If you are heading to any islands around the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, you will most likely get caught in the myriad of colours here.
As the main event is held on the second day, it would be recommended that you attend it to see
the unique ‘Lepas’ or traditional Bajau boats parade along the sea
before entering the main judging area.
Each participating village will send its best-decorated boat to be featured in this parade. The
‘Lepa‘ actually translates as a single mast boat, which was initially used as the main mode of transportation back in the day.
These traditional ‘Lepa‘ boats are made from ‘ubar suluk‘ or red seraya wood and are intricately carved by master craftsmen who are fading over the years.
This was the only way I could get photos and see what they did along the journey to the main lagoon, where they parade before the finals.
Moving alongside the Lepa boats in the sea, I noticed many different styles, costumes, and colours of the flags. The colours of the flags indicate the village the boat is from, too.
You will find all kinds of stalls there selling all sorts of things. Food, clothes, and accessories are the most common stalls, while nearer the main event area, you will see traditional boat carvings, governmental bodies showcasing their products and even souvenir shops.
People from as far as other towns in Sabah also made their way here for the Regatta. If you plan to come next year, please book your hotel in advance as it will most definitely be full.
Photos of Regatta Lepa
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| A beautiful Bajau girl poses and smiles. |
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| The last known ‘Maharaja’ of wood carving is seen on one of the Lepa boats. |
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| Free Semporna Tours are conducted during the festival. |
During the event, numerous other activities are available for visitors and the locals. It also depends on the event year and who is conducting the fringe events.
During my visit here, a free tour service was offered at Semporna town, with some of Sabah’s best tour guides giving these free guided tours during the Regatta Lepa.
They had a booth just outside one of the main resorts where visitors simply had to register for the free tours around Semporna.
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| Some of the beautiful Bajau women participated in the Lep Queen contest. |
The main traditional boats will circle around the lagoon area, and the final process is when the boats are parked in front of the stage area. After that, the winner is announced by a panel of judges.
Where is the Regatta Lepa Held?
The Regatta Lepa is held at the main Semporna Public Jetty area and behind the Seafest Hotel. There is a small lagoon area where the Regatta participants end.
When you are walking towards the Seafest Hotel, you will see the lagoon area on the right side. The oat parade usually starts at sea and parades in front of the main public jetty before ending at the lagoon.
How to go to the Regatta Lepa?
Generally, you must fly into Tawau with Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia and then travel overland by taxi for about 90 minutes to Semporna.
Flights connect Tawau from Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and other cities around Malaysia.
This is the only way to get into Semporna, as there are no direct flights to this town. The other way is by driving from Kota Kinabalu, which can take around nine hours one way.
Other Information
If you plan to come here, I recommend you book your hotel room well in advance because the hotels are all fully booked months before the event.
There are numerous accommodations available, the best one being the Seafest Hotel, where the venue is.
There are numerous backpacker lodges and smaller hotels near the jetty area, and rooms are around RM80 and above.
Semporna town is the main gateway to popular islands like Mabul Island, Mantabuan Island, Bohey Dulang Island, Kapalai Island, and Pom Pom Island.
The world-famous Sipadan Island is also in this area, but most visitors will stay at Mabul Island or Semporna.
Conclusion
For those planning to visit Sabah and experience this amazing festival, I recommend you time your trip around the end of April.
This is so that you can have the opportunity to experience the Regatta Lepa in Semporna Sabah and also explore the eastern part of North Borneo.
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