Mantanani Island Snorkeling Day Tour with Transfers in Sabah

This is my favorite island, like a Pocari Sweat ocean! The snorkeling was amazing, with so many fish and crystal-clear water. Absolutely no regrets! The food was delicious too. I want to come back again; it feels like a dream.

The entire trip was quite good! The day before the tour, we received a WhatsApp notification from our guide, Sam, who speaks Chinese, so communication was seamless, and he was very friendly! The meals on the day of the tour were also very good! We didn't see as many marine creatures while snorkeling as we expected, but the water was crystal clear, so the overall experience was decent! The facilities on Mantanani Island are quite well-developed, making it worth a visit.

This tour is such a gem. Started the tour with a beach destination in Mantanani Island - my fave beach of all beaches I visited. And ended the tour with fireflies - truly a magical experience!

Many of our compatriots from mainland China, a small number of them, don't really follow the rules. While snorkeling in the sea, some men and women were fighting over floats and kicking others. I'm not sure if they were completely unable to swim, which caused them to lose control like that. Also, during the two-hour car ride at 7 AM, they kept talking loudly, which was very annoying. However, the tour guide was very friendly and helpful, and Mabul Island truly is beautiful.

Due to the cloudy weather, rough seas, and very few fish at the snorkeling spot, the scenery at Mermaid Island wasn't as expected, which was a bit disappointing. The food was quite spicy, and only being able to get one serving was a bit insufficient. Our tour guide, Little Bear, was very attentive and explained everything thoroughly, which deserves praise. The children had the most fun on the speedboat because of the big waves, which felt as exciting as a roller coaster ride.

The main problem for this day tour was the endless transportation time. We needed to take 2 hours ride to the pier and 1 hour jet boat to the Island. And the terrible tidal waves made us feel bad. After this tough journey, we could only enjoy 1 hour snorkeling. And then we should meet the same challenges back to the hotel. The worst thing was the traffic jam when we went back. We spent about 3 hours on the road. The beauty of the Island and the delicious dessert thoroughly could not compensate us.

water is clear and sand is beautiful but snorkeling area is not pretty, full of dead coral. lunch provided is ok, water is scarce, can’t shower properly:)

it is a long way for this snorkelling trip. However; the itinerary is clearly posted, and the team is very responsive from pickup to drop off. The sandy beach is totally matched to the photo posted. No complaints.

We participated in the company trip with 8 people. We were the only Japanese, and most of the other tourists on Mantanani Island were Chinese. Our guide, Xiao Zhong, was particularly excellent. We were initially concerned because the tour was primarily in Chinese and English, but he used a translation device to explain everything to us. The snorkeling, proboscis monkeys, and fireflies were wonderful. Although we had to wait for over 30 minutes due to a sudden downpour, it was an amazing experience overall.

Thanks to tour guide Xiao Lin for the introduction and explanation. Mabul Island is truly beautiful, and I'd definitely love to come back and stay for a day or two if I get the chance. Although it's a bit far, it's absolutely worth it.