These two islands are world famous among scuba divers. Sipadan boasts phenomenal coral reefs and walls, an abundance of turtles, pelagics, sharks, rays, schooling fish and impressive biomass. This marine protected area is one of the best preserved diving locations on Earth and needs to be dived to be believed.

Nearby, Mabul Island is best known for its world-class muck and critter diving. If the tourists like hunting for the unusual then this is the place to dive. For macro underwater photographers, the opportunities are limitless. Therefore, these sites are the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

Accessibility: Fly into Tawau, Sabah or into Kota Kinabalu, Sabah then a land transfer is required to Semporna before a boat into the islands. Boats between the islands are available via resorts and the local dive operators, or if you’re staying in Semporna, day trips are available as well.

Good to know: You can visit these islands all year round, though special permits are required

Kapalai island isn’t far from Sipadan, with a mere 15km between them. This island isn’t at all big and has one resort operating on it. While the resort was originally built for its proximity to world-famous Sipadan, curious divers quickly discovered the paradise that awaited just beneath. Kapalai is undoubtedly one of the premiere macro dive sites in the world, becoming one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia. It's true that many divers come to Kapalai and never even go to Sipadan!

A big bonus to Kapalai is that the tourists get to snorkel and shore dive for free, not inclusive of any equipment, making it great if the tourists have a party mix of divers and non- divers.

Accessibility: Similar route to Sipadan and Mabul above. Fly into Tawau, Sabah or into Kota Kinabalu, Sabah then a land transfer is required to Semporna before a boat into the islands. Boats between the islands are available via resorts and the local dive operators, or if you’re staying in Semporna, day trips are available as well.

Good to know: The island is technically a sand bar, and walking along the sand is possible during low tide.

Redang Island lies within the Terengganu Marine Park, nearby the city of Kuala Terengganu, at the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Redang offers great dive sites and perfect dive conditions. “Pulau Lima” is a seamount dive site characterised by impressive, coral adorned boulders to around 30 metres/100 feet. When the currents are running, the highlight of diving here is the chance to see large pelagic species including tuna, barracudas, reef sharks, manta rays and even whales.

This island is also under Terrenganu state administration, and almost all accommodation here are resorts. While snorkelling and diving is a must, other than water based activities why not enjoy Redang’s beaches which are perfect to simply relax the day away. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

Accessibility: Fly, drive or bus it into into Kuala Terengganu then travel to Shahbandar jetty or Merang jetty

Good to know: Marine fees apply for entry into island

The Perhentian Islands offer good scuba diving. They belong to the Terengganu Marine Park. There are about 20 dive sites around the small archipelago accessible within a short boat ride. There is a good wreck dive called the Sugar Wreck. It is easy and shallow and will offer the tourists good underwater photography opportunities. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia. However the site is close to the mainland and visibility is not always good.

Perhentian Island’s easy diving conditions make it ideal for those who enjoy relaxing dives with little current yet abundant marine life. Shallow reefs which showcase kaleidoscopic corals, and are home to sea turtles and an array of reef fish, make Perhentian a favorite of many Malaysian divers. For wreck diving enthusiasts the “Sugar Wreck” should not be missed. These islands are closed during the monsoon on the East Coast from November through to February.

Accessibility: Option to fly into Terrenganu, drive up, or take overnight busses to Kuala Besut jetty for the morning ferries

Good to know: Travellers from Singapore can opt to hop on the Transnasional business class overnight bus

Tioman Island in the state of Pahang is a duty free island, and an abundance of resorts around the island, with a jungle and forestation in the middle or the island. Tioman Island’s white sand beaches and crystal clear waters make it an idyllic diving holiday destination. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

Dive sites offer calm conditions for easy and relaxing dives. The coral encrusted pinnacle at ‘Tiger Reef’ is an underwater explosion of color and a magnet for marine life. When the currents are running, look out the blue for large schools of rainbow runners, jacks, mackerel and barracudas as you drift over the reef. Take time to explore the canyons too – lionfish, scorpionfish, spotted stingrays and moray eels are all common sightings. A small Malay village with shops and eateries is in Kampung Tekek; and to get here is only by water taxis.

Accessibility: Direct flight from Subang airport via SAS airline, drive up, hire taxis and overnight busses

Good to know: One ATM machine in Tekek, but does not accept all cards- do bring sufficient cash

Sibuan Island (or Pulau Sibuan) is also known as Battleship Island (in Chinese) because of its long and narrow shape. Its “bow” is the long strip of white sandy beach pointing to the north, and the dense trees behind looks like the bridge of a ship. Covering an area of approximately 15.13 hectares, Sibuan is a sand cays island built entirely from the eroded remains of coral reef. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

The island is flat, with northern long tip extends almost 100 meters out to the sea, which is quite shallow during low tide. The tourists can walk to far end and look like standing in the ocean. Sibuan becomes famous when many tourists listed it as one of the most beautiful islands of Malaysia. Sibuan is fabulous but it’s lack of unique features. White sandy beach, coconut trees and crystal clear water are lovely, but these are common traits of a tropical island.

Accessible: Take a flight to the coastal city of Tawau. There are daily flights operated by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur (and Kota Kinabalu) to Tawau. From Tawau Airport you can either get a taxi (around RM100+) or a bus/minivan to the village of Semporna, a 1,5 hour trip through endless palm oil plantations. At Semporna harbor boats to the neighboring tropical islands depart. The speedboat ride to Sibuan takes about 40 minutes.

Good to know: There are no resorts on the islands, and also no public facilities. A few sea gypsies live on the island; unfortunately clearly noticeable by the rubble they often leave behind on the island.

Mataking Island consists of two islands, the bigger Mataking Besar and the smaller Mataking Kecil. Mataking is located to the southeast of Sabah, close to the Philippine border. It is the ultimate destination for honeymooners. The only resort on the island is located at Mataking Besar. The tourists can walk around the whole island in about an hour; it is only 3km by 1,5km. During low tide the tourists can even walk from the big island to the small island. The whole island is surrounded by house reefs, where the tourists can easily do some fun snorkeling. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

From May to August, the tourists may be lucky enough to spot Green turtles and Hawksbill turtles laying their eggs on the beaches. There’s a dive school that offers great dives at numerous nice sites in the area, mainly around Mataking itself and around neighboring islands like Pandanan, Bohayan, Buhai Dulang, Kelapuan, Timba-Timba and Pom Pom.

Accessibility: Find your way by land transfer from Semporna and hop on a 40 minute boat ride inland.

Good to know: Mataking has a peacock sanctuary, open for visitors

Not far from the city of Sandakan, eastern Sabah, lies the island of Lankayan. Lankayan is a small but beautiful tropical island in the Sulu Sea. The island is very popular among scuba diving enthusiasts and is often visited to get some well deserved rest after having done one of the activities on Borneo. The area around Lankayan is an official protected marine park; this was done to preserve the rich eco-tourism value. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

Between June and September turtles come to shore to lay their eggs. During the same season, visitors can witness baby turtle hatchlings that find their way into the sea. Most common turtles that can be found around Lankayan are the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle. So many turtles live in this area that even people who only do snorkeling are able to spot them underwater.

Accessibility: Head to Sandakan Sabah then hop on a speedboat

Good to know: March- May for whale sharks sightings

Tenggol Island, which is situated in the state of Terengganu, is on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. The best diving here is that tourists can see the whale shark if they are very lucky. This island is popular among more experienced divers as the waters surrounding it are wreck dive spots, and has only one resort on it. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

There are numerous beautiful beaches, and also a few paths that cross the 3 by 2km island; great for some light trekking. Most people visit the Tenggol for its amazing diving possibilities; there are 20 dive sites around the island. Non-divers could enjoy some snorkeling around the island. Consider the option to book via individual dive operators for the best all-inclusive packages. Some diving sites are Tokong Timur, Mini Highway, Tanjung Api & many more.

Accessibility: Drive up or fly into Terengannu and head on to Dungun pier, then a ferry or boat across

Good to know: If hanging out at the beach, bring coconut oil to deter sand flies

Geopark Langkawi is the most Northern archipelago located on the Westside of Peninsular Malaysia; located 30 km off the mainland. The archipelago consists of the main island Langkawi and almost 100 small surrounding islands; only four of them are inhabited. Langkawi lies very close to the border of Thailand, the nearest island Koh Lipe is only a 30 minute boat ride away. The island is located in the district of Kedah, and contains 479 square kilometers of tropical grounds. This site is also one of the most beautiful dive sites in Malaysia.

Pulau Payar Marine Park can be reached in just 45-90 minutes from Kuah town in Langkawi or from Kuala Kedah on the mainland. Reef sharks can be spotted from the beach or from the floating platform. If visitors want to venture into deeper water, explore a coral-encrusted wreck or try their hand at drift diving, scuba dives can be arranged around the island. Langkawi is always open to tourists with diving accessible year-round. However, the best time to dive is outside of the west-monsoon season, from October until May. From June to September, the west wind and rain can cause water visibility to decrease and local dive sites unable to be reached.

Accessibility: Plenty of direct flights into Langkawi

Good to know: Year-round diving