The Lankayan Island (Sandakan)

Lankayan, a tiny jewel shaped island located on the northeastern coast of Sabah, is part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) and is surrounded blue-green waters and corals reefs. It is also one of Sabah's top diving spots.

The availability of jungle interior and interesting diving attracts both divers and non-divers alike to Lankayan. 40 dive sites including the Lankayan Wreck, all only minutes away from the island, offer magnificent displays of marine life ranging from giant groupers to tiny ribbon eels. 

Enormous whale sharks are regularly sighted between March and May, and the island is also a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles. You can watch as the baby turtles are released back into the sea.

And to getting there, the transfer to Lankayan is by speedboat departing from the Sandakan Yacth Club and takes about an hour and a half.