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Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
Block B, Lot 36, Pulau Mabul 91308 Malaysia
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Pool & Beach (252)
Room & Suite (102)
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About
4.5
#1 of 2 special resorts in Pulau MabulLocation
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Indonesian, Malay
Property amenities
Free internet
Free breakfast
Beach
Diving
Highchairs available
Airport transportation
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Internet
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Kid-friendly buffet
Snorkelling
Taxi service
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Room features
Air conditioning
Private balcony
Safe
Walk-in shower
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Location
Block B, Lot 36, Pulau Mabul 91308 Malaysia
Getting there
Tawau Airport
56.5 km•
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Rental Cars
1,079Reviews16Q+A100Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
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Detailed Reviews
Stayed 10D/9N (8 dive days) in the VIP aircon room. The room was well appointed and functional. It had everything we needed to relax between dives. For us it was worth the upgrade as it has a L-shaped deck and are the closest rooms to the water, so it catches more of the sea breeze than other rooms. Communal areas were welcoming and comfortable. The food was tasty, plentiful and regularly supplied. What impressed me most about Scuba Junkie (and will have me coming back) was how organised everything was. It was always clear where you need to be and what was going on and staff were quick to inform us of any changes in the plan. From the dive perspective the combination of muck and reef diving around Mabul/Kapalai and pelagic experience at Sipidan was amazing. The dive and boating team's focus on safe and environmentally responsible diving was impressive. I found the ~10 dive guides I dived with over 25 dives had a very high level of dive skills and I always felt safe diving with them. Staff in both land and sea were friendly and accommodating. Big THANK YOU to everyone at Scuba Junkie who helped to make our holiday special!!!!
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
10/10 - If I was looking for fault I would honestly struggle. It's a wonderful set-up, with great facilities, attentive staff, and very importantly are also environmentally conscious, going above and beyond to help the local marine life. They also ensure no divers touch or disturb the marine flora/fauna which is great, and is a huge frustration in other locations I have dived in seeing incompetent divers showing ignorance/disrespect.
The staff here were all incredible and all genuinely love the ocean and care about it, which makes the experience all the better.
Simon really wants to find you interesting things to see in Sipadan and even after thousands of dives there, he loves it every time!
Marc was a lovely chap and patient during my nitrox course which I'd highly recommend to anyone considering. Thanks mate!
Penny (not Fanny) is an incredibly likeable person and great resort manager. She takes the role seriously and genuinely cares about the resort. Also her baked goods are to die for....
Amy, Katrine and Diana are clearly exceptional instructors and a real pleasure to spend time with.
Lizzie is a real asset and also loves the diving, with an unwavering enthusiasm. She also has a great voice if you can get her to sing!
Adz is always smiley and does his very best to accommodate - a truly lovely chap.
Finally, Dave and Cat are just incredible people and genuinely care about animals and nature which is so admirable. They do a great job on the conservation side.
Deepest apologies if I missed anyone but you were all great.
As for the food, they were very accommodating for vegans/vegetarians which is great and I know this is an issue close to Simon's heart so thank you catering team.
The staff here were all incredible and all genuinely love the ocean and care about it, which makes the experience all the better.
Simon really wants to find you interesting things to see in Sipadan and even after thousands of dives there, he loves it every time!
Marc was a lovely chap and patient during my nitrox course which I'd highly recommend to anyone considering. Thanks mate!
Penny (not Fanny) is an incredibly likeable person and great resort manager. She takes the role seriously and genuinely cares about the resort. Also her baked goods are to die for....
Amy, Katrine and Diana are clearly exceptional instructors and a real pleasure to spend time with.
Lizzie is a real asset and also loves the diving, with an unwavering enthusiasm. She also has a great voice if you can get her to sing!
Adz is always smiley and does his very best to accommodate - a truly lovely chap.
Finally, Dave and Cat are just incredible people and genuinely care about animals and nature which is so admirable. They do a great job on the conservation side.
Deepest apologies if I missed anyone but you were all great.
As for the food, they were very accommodating for vegans/vegetarians which is great and I know this is an issue close to Simon's heart so thank you catering team.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Scuba Junkie, Owner at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
Responded 16 July 2020
Hi Sam! Thank you for the wonderful review and for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We will be sure to pass on your kind words to all of our staff members - it means a lot to us and the entire team! We're happy to welcome you to the Scuba Junkie family, we loved having you here and we look forward to diving with you again! :) Best wishes SJ family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Travelling to mabul was a breeze as Scuba Junkie arranged everything for us from the airport - Mabul - tawau town. Room was clean and spacious. Food was simple but tasty. My husband cannot swim, but our guide Mr Sadat And Mr Ricky took good care of us during our snorkelling trip. They made the experience 5 star.
Our shower head and bidet had hardly any water coming out of them, but the management team were quick to rectify this. Room for improvement: (1) water pressure in the shower was really low. Maybe the hotel can look into this (2) no shower gel/ shampoo was provided in the bathroom. Perhaps this can be included by the hotel. Otherwise, remember to bring your own.
Our shower head and bidet had hardly any water coming out of them, but the management team were quick to rectify this. Room for improvement: (1) water pressure in the shower was really low. Maybe the hotel can look into this (2) no shower gel/ shampoo was provided in the bathroom. Perhaps this can be included by the hotel. Otherwise, remember to bring your own.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
+1
My friend and I had awesome time diving with Scuba junkie family. All the SJ Dive masters are not only passion but profession when talking about diving. Underwater also show safety and point out lots of sea creatures for customers. You can easily understand from the staff and the gear why they are 5 stars PADI resort!
It’s super fun to dive with the team. Also, the whole package is awesome. Literally you don’t need to do anything or worries about food. They all serve for you with three meals per days and delicious! You can also chill at their comfy bar which serve reasonable price of alcohol and drink.
*We met a diving couple there and the girl got propose underwater. SJ staff secretly prepared propose cake after diving and ask everyone in bar to surprise them! What a sweet and warm team, isn’t is?
SJ in all is definitely the best dive resort that will provide you awesome experienced highly recommend!
It’s super fun to dive with the team. Also, the whole package is awesome. Literally you don’t need to do anything or worries about food. They all serve for you with three meals per days and delicious! You can also chill at their comfy bar which serve reasonable price of alcohol and drink.
*We met a diving couple there and the girl got propose underwater. SJ staff secretly prepared propose cake after diving and ask everyone in bar to surprise them! What a sweet and warm team, isn’t is?
SJ in all is definitely the best dive resort that will provide you awesome experienced highly recommend!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Deluxe AC room (we advice to take a room with AC) with hammock outside was very nice but we didn't spend much time in our room. There is a very nice HQ/restaurant with a good vibe, good food and nice staff. Mails are served at the ground floor and upstairs is a bar with nice lounge sofa's. The staff at the reception is very helpful and helped us with some tips for after our dive adventure.
The dive gear is proper and the staff is friendly. The refresher course was good and you can already see some nice fish and turtles. Also a very good place to get your PADI. Snacks and drinks are served between the dives and it's all included. And off course, the dive spots are great with beautiful small and big fishes, coral and turtles.
This is how a dive resort must be. We will definitely come back.
The dive gear is proper and the staff is friendly. The refresher course was good and you can already see some nice fish and turtles. Also a very good place to get your PADI. Snacks and drinks are served between the dives and it's all included. And off course, the dive spots are great with beautiful small and big fishes, coral and turtles.
This is how a dive resort must be. We will definitely come back.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Take the Deluxe AC room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We Visited Scuba Junkies to do our Advanced and dive in Sipadan. The Sevice from pick up @ Semporna to Mabul was well organized and we're welcomed by the Staff at the Jetty, both ways.
The Resort is Beautiful, solid built and nice cozy Bungalows, with a lot of privacy, even on the Balcony. The Meals we're delicious and they will remember your preferences!
All the staff was so friendly, helpful and to have for a laughter. Our Dive Instructor "Pumpkin" did an amazing job in spotting "things" under water, leading and explaining! Definitely will go back and can highly recommend to book with Scuba Junkis!
The Resort is Beautiful, solid built and nice cozy Bungalows, with a lot of privacy, even on the Balcony. The Meals we're delicious and they will remember your preferences!
All the staff was so friendly, helpful and to have for a laughter. Our Dive Instructor "Pumpkin" did an amazing job in spotting "things" under water, leading and explaining! Definitely will go back and can highly recommend to book with Scuba Junkis!
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Scuba Junkie, General Manager at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
Responded 16 July 2020
Hi Luzia & Simon!. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your time at our resort, the meals and our friendly staff! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback - it means a lot to us :) We look forward to seeing you guys again soon! Best Wishes SJ family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Came here on a solo trip to dive sipadan, had an absolutely amazing time with a basically almost empty sipadan. The best part about Scuba Junkie has to be the staff here. Everyone has shown the absolute best hospitality. Special thanks to my Divemaster Simon who guided me through my days in Sipadan. Definitely one of the most professional and experienced Divemaster I’ve ever met. 100% will recommend anyone who wants to dive Sipadan to come dive with Scuba Junkie! Also shoutout to Albie, our boat captain who have the most amazing eyes to spot literally everything nobody else can.
The resort is very conveniently located, with a jetty that is right in front of a dive site. Also has very nice relaxing areas all around the resort, especially the bar. Prices are very decent here, but more expensive if compared to other South East Asian due to government taxes. Food is good and really emphasises the eco friendly credentials of the resort by avoiding seafood to avoid overfishing locally. , keeping the dive sites vibrant! Electricity comes from solar panels, water is from collected rainwater, and the sewage is properly treated with good waste management system as well. These things showed me how much Scuba Junkie does care about the environment, something you should want to look for in a dive centre.
Special thanks to all the staff I met, Simon, Albie, Penny, Mark, Alvin, Ollie, Markus, Musa, Along, Jann, Afad, Peggy, and anyone else I forgot to name. It’s been an amazing time and I will definitely be back soon for that elusive hammerhead!
The resort is very conveniently located, with a jetty that is right in front of a dive site. Also has very nice relaxing areas all around the resort, especially the bar. Prices are very decent here, but more expensive if compared to other South East Asian due to government taxes. Food is good and really emphasises the eco friendly credentials of the resort by avoiding seafood to avoid overfishing locally. , keeping the dive sites vibrant! Electricity comes from solar panels, water is from collected rainwater, and the sewage is properly treated with good waste management system as well. These things showed me how much Scuba Junkie does care about the environment, something you should want to look for in a dive centre.
Special thanks to all the staff I met, Simon, Albie, Penny, Mark, Alvin, Ollie, Markus, Musa, Along, Jann, Afad, Peggy, and anyone else I forgot to name. It’s been an amazing time and I will definitely be back soon for that elusive hammerhead!
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Come with an open mind and have a great experience (:
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
+1
We went during the Malaysian RMCO and there were only a handful of guests at the resort. Our trip was supposedly 6D5N which included a day's dive in Sipadan on 26 Sept. It was wonderful because we had the whole place to ourselves (7 of us on the whole island!). The only down side was that visibility was not as clear and there was not much current (not full moon) hence sighting of large marine life wasn't as good.
We had Lizzie (non-Sipadan) and Simon (Sipadan) as our dive masters. Lizzie is a great guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our dives with her. Scuba Junkie is strict when it comes to adhering to safety standards and since I only have Open Water, they never took me further than 18m which was perfectly fine for me. The dives at Mabul were fantastic even at shallow depths of 10 - 12m. We already saw bumphead parrot fish and barracudas (mini Sipadan!). The unique thing about Scuba Junkie (Mabul) is that the dive masters will sit down with you to do the dive log - this is of real added value because for novice divers like myself, it is difficult to tell what we see during our dives hence a great way to learn. Scuba Junkie also does a good job in helping the local community (often stateless people on the island) where they would help sell their handicraft & the proceeds go directly to the people. This avoids the locals having to pick the shells/corals and selling these.
Our trip was cut short by a night (luckily we finished all our 12 dives) as there was a lockdown order for Semporna effective 29 Sept midnight. Marc (resort mgr) did a great job in arranging for us to get out of the island (we had 40 min to shower & pack up!) and the resort also helped booked our bus ticket from Semporna to KK as we couldn't fly for 18 hours after last dive. Marc also provided us with free welcome drinks because our room was not made up when we first arrived.
Overall, a great adventure and a wonderful time with Scuba Junkie Mabul!
We had Lizzie (non-Sipadan) and Simon (Sipadan) as our dive masters. Lizzie is a great guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our dives with her. Scuba Junkie is strict when it comes to adhering to safety standards and since I only have Open Water, they never took me further than 18m which was perfectly fine for me. The dives at Mabul were fantastic even at shallow depths of 10 - 12m. We already saw bumphead parrot fish and barracudas (mini Sipadan!). The unique thing about Scuba Junkie (Mabul) is that the dive masters will sit down with you to do the dive log - this is of real added value because for novice divers like myself, it is difficult to tell what we see during our dives hence a great way to learn. Scuba Junkie also does a good job in helping the local community (often stateless people on the island) where they would help sell their handicraft & the proceeds go directly to the people. This avoids the locals having to pick the shells/corals and selling these.
Our trip was cut short by a night (luckily we finished all our 12 dives) as there was a lockdown order for Semporna effective 29 Sept midnight. Marc (resort mgr) did a great job in arranging for us to get out of the island (we had 40 min to shower & pack up!) and the resort also helped booked our bus ticket from Semporna to KK as we couldn't fly for 18 hours after last dive. Marc also provided us with free welcome drinks because our room was not made up when we first arrived.
Overall, a great adventure and a wonderful time with Scuba Junkie Mabul!
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Choose the VIP room if you wish but the std deluxe air cond room will suffice (abt same size...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Scuba Junkie, General Manager at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
Responded 5 Oct 2020
Hi there, We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your diving with Lizzie and Simon, and that you saw many amazing underwater creatures. It was unfortunate that you had to leave one day early due to the sudden government announcement of a TEMCO, but we are glad that we could help make sure that you made it back home safely in time. Thank you for your kind words, and we hope to see you again in the future. Best wishes The SJ family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We were first welcomed by the staff at the office in Semporna and then headed out for the boat trip to Mabul.
Arriving at the island we were instantly welcomed by staff that took care of us, gave us the first basic information we needed and then we got our room. Our Deluxe Room was real nice, clean, big and comfortable bed and both AC and ceiling fan.
Shortly after we had a welcome introduction were we got information about the daily routines, the diving schedule and basic information. Felt very professional and welcoming.
The dives were great to 90 %. The dive sites close to Mabul and Kapalai were focused on the small things like nudibranch, crabs etc. But we also had dives were we saw many turtles, blue spotted sting rays and morays so you never know.
We would definitely recommend this place as the food is good, dives are great, rooms are real nice and the whole atmosphere is just relaxed and cozy.
Arriving at the island we were instantly welcomed by staff that took care of us, gave us the first basic information we needed and then we got our room. Our Deluxe Room was real nice, clean, big and comfortable bed and both AC and ceiling fan.
Shortly after we had a welcome introduction were we got information about the daily routines, the diving schedule and basic information. Felt very professional and welcoming.
The dives were great to 90 %. The dive sites close to Mabul and Kapalai were focused on the small things like nudibranch, crabs etc. But we also had dives were we saw many turtles, blue spotted sting rays and morays so you never know.
We would definitely recommend this place as the food is good, dives are great, rooms are real nice and the whole atmosphere is just relaxed and cozy.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Super professionally run dive resort. I stayed in the dorms and it was very comfortable minus no AC. Food was great, bar reasonably priced. WiFi bordered on awful (kicked my iPhone off every few minutes) but facility next to cell phone tower so if you have cell service not much of an issue.
Dive masters were great and rotated every day so you experience a lot of them over the typical stay. Rental gear was good.
Note about diving Sipadan though. There is a reason all the dive masters are covered up. Jellyfish or whatever in the Blue Water dives looking for barracuda. Renting shorties without warning people they need a rash guard for arms and legs is a huge omission. Women seemed to all be provided full wet suits. If you don't have a rash guard, insist on full wet suit. I was covered in jelly stings and had to do the vinegar and hot water routine for days. Also at least 3 of us cut our feet on rocks in the sand boarding the boat wet on the Sipadan beach. If you have dive boots, bring them just for boarding. Unfortunately they don't rent boot fins, so my ankles also were covered with jelly stings.
Dive masters were great and rotated every day so you experience a lot of them over the typical stay. Rental gear was good.
Note about diving Sipadan though. There is a reason all the dive masters are covered up. Jellyfish or whatever in the Blue Water dives looking for barracuda. Renting shorties without warning people they need a rash guard for arms and legs is a huge omission. Women seemed to all be provided full wet suits. If you don't have a rash guard, insist on full wet suit. I was covered in jelly stings and had to do the vinegar and hot water routine for days. Also at least 3 of us cut our feet on rocks in the sand boarding the boat wet on the Sipadan beach. If you have dive boots, bring them just for boarding. Unfortunately they don't rent boot fins, so my ankles also were covered with jelly stings.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
They will answer emails quickly and all details on their website. Phone is +6 089 785 372.
Yes, you can also use a drone on mabul island however be careful not to overfly the police station next to the resort.
"Take a walk around the island to see the locals way of life, and bring them some shirts from home!"Read full review
"Tip: if you do not have advanced certification, you can book snorkling in Sipadan. Sharks, turtles and barracuda’s are visible for snorkeler"Read full review
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PRICE RANGE
AU$117 - AU$117 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
MalaysiaSabahSemporna DistrictPulau Mabul
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
What are some of the property amenities at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Does Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort have airport transportation?
Yes, Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.2 km away from the centre of Pulau Mabul.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Indonesian, and Malay.