The Reef Dive Resort

Located approximately 40 minutes east of Semporna by boat, Mataking Island and its 37 rooms provide peaceful beaches with access to the dive sites of Mataking, Mataking Kecil, Pandanan and Bohayanon along with the house reef which is accessible from the beach and arguably the best of all of Borneo's eastern islands.

The famed dive site of Sipadan can also be visited as the property has seven daily permits. There is a small children's area with slides and other facilities near the restaurant and some of the Premier Deluxe rooms.

Sightings of turtle laying their eggs are common on Mataking Island during our summer months and there is a turtle hatchery on the island so you may be able to witness them being released into the sea. The island also has an 'adopt a turtle' scheme which you may like to contribute to. Occasionally in March and April gigantic whale sharks make an appearance on their migration path south and you may be lucky enough to time your trip to see one of these huge creatures. On the slope and wall dives off Mataking you are likely to spot schools of barracuda, trevally, Spanish mackerel, ribbon eel, giant clams, varieties of goby, eagle ray, giant frogfish, mandarin fish, unique and charming species of shrimp, most photogenic and rare pygmy seahorses, spiders and much more.

Great effort has been made to accommodate both divers and non-divers alike. For divers, a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort, equipped with both air and Enriched Air Nitrox allows you to get the very best of what Mataking has to offer. The dive team will guide you to new depths, expand your knowledge and share great memories with you for years to come. For non-divers there is so much to explore and experience on the island. Besides the excellent snorkeling off the beach and on daily trips, there are also fishing excursions, jungle trekking, island-hopping, and kayaking for the active. For the more sedate, why not try your hand at batik painting, cooking lessons or pamper yourself in the Jamu spa!

Beach Villas — The villas were added in 2010, built by hand, the alang-alang grass roofing of these grand villas allows a unique and natural coolness to the room during the day whilst at night, keeps the warmth of the room in. The polished marble flooring of the bedroom area retains an element of grandeur, whilst the individual stone wash basins and hand crafted outside shower demonstrate an element of home-grown luxury. A private Jacuzzi with jungle backdrop at the rear and a quaint little gazebo at the front add the finishing touches to this unique piece of local craftwork.

Executive King chalet — Rising up from the beach front of the lagoon, the balcony of your chalet gives you a front row seat as the sun settles over the nearby islands in the evening, turning the entire lagoon to a bright orange color. Each chalet naturally has a bedroom which is simply oversized and luxurious. The large queen bed overlooking your private balcony with satellite television and minibar will allow you to relax while each bathroom comes with a private bathtub overlooking the lagoon and a large walk-in shower.

Premier Deluxe — With some situated on the eastern side of the island, giving you a great early morning catchment of sun until well into the afternoon and others on the western side of the isle, allowing you to have a wonderful place to seek shelter from the direct Malay sunshine, the Premier Deluxe rooms are the perfect choice for those guests who appreciate traditional Malaysian charm. Bedrooms here are designed for your individual comfort and offer a little place of solitude with cool tiled flooring and traditional accouterments. If you want a good mix of both garden and sea, this accommodation is perfect as you are never any further than a stone's throw from a beach!

Please note the scheduled dive trips from Mataking Island do not go to Sipadan. They do however have seven Sipadan permits per day and so we can arrange this in advance for you if you wish (permits subject to availability). You do need to charter a boat whilst there in order to dive Sipadan and this extra cost must be paid at the time as the amount each person pays will depend on how many divers are going, the cost of a permit to dive Sipadan is approximately £10 per person per day. The cost to charter the boat is currently RM1,200 (approx. £250) and includes two boat dives at Sipadan for a maximum of seven divers.

OUR RATING: Medium