The 6 Best Snorkelling Trips in Malaysia

1.Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 282 reviews · from $65Our pick

Join Borneo Dream from Kota Kinabalu for three guided snorkeling sessions in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. A PADI professional leads a group of up to 12, with gear, boat transfers, purified water, and island lunch included. Guides such as Alex, Didi, Ian, and Azmi are praised for patient instruction and close attention to nervous swimmers.

“A great experience! Swam with turtles on my 60th birthday! I felt this was a well run trip. 3 Borneo Dreams staff and 8 guests. (1 driver, 1 guide with 7 snorkelers and 1 guide with one diver). Equipment was good and we felt safe at all times on the boat and in the water. We did 3 x 45 mins in three locations off Gaya Island with a basic but adequate lunch after the second one. Lots of lovely fish to see, sting Ray, jellyfish, and three turtles. Sadly, the coral is very bleached but there were some amazing structures and it is a wake up call, along with…”

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2.Full-Day Guided Snorkeling Tour from Kota Kinabalu

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 101 reviews · 7 hours · from $66

Meet your RAID-certified guide at Kota Kinabalu’s DBKK Jetty for a seven-hour catamaran trip into Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Guides such as Didi, Alex, and Asri adjust reef stops to sea conditions and your confidence, help identify fish, and support beginners. Expect two or three snorkeling sessions, island lunch, and possible turtles, reef sharks, rays, or clownfish.

“From start to finish, the Borneo Dreams crew (Alex, Ashre, and Ashme) were informative and professional. We were very fortunate the day of the snorkel trip as we saw a big Hawksbill sea turtle, squid, a small stingray, several reef sharks and of course many fish. They took us to three snorkel areas and provided a tasty lunch on one of the islands. I've been on many snorkel excursions around the world and I was very pleased with this tour.”

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3.Snorkeling & Island Hopping Sapi & Manukan

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 97 reviews · 1 day · from $67

Spend a full day in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park with hotel pickup, boat rides, snorkeling gear, a buffet lunch, and time on Sapi and Manukan islands. Sapi is smaller and busier, while Manukan offers more room and facilities. Optional parasailing, sea walking, jet skiing, and banana boat rides cost extra.

“Tour guide was friendly and positive, spent over three hours on the first island (sapi) and an hour on the second (Manukan) which was nicer of the two. Felt like the long stay on sapi was mainly to pressure you into paying for the additional activities. Lunch wasn’t bad but quite greasy and not worth the price”

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4.Mangrove River Cruise and Snorkeling Tour from Langkawi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews

Spend about three hours with a JungleWalla naturalist guide on a private boat from Kubang Badak. Cruise mangrove channels, see an old charcoal kiln, enter Pinang Cave, and use included snorkel gear at Pulau Dangli. Guides including Masyi, Shaf, Jien, Rodhi, and June are noted for clear, engaging explanations.

“Our trip with Junglewalla was very educational. Jien, our guide, knew everything about the important role of the mangrove forest in the ecosystem. We also got to enter the bat cave and snorkel among beautiful fish. A big thank you to Junglewalla and our guide Jien.”

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5.Manukan & Sapi Islands Snorkeling with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 61 reviews · 7 hours · from $74

Set out from Kota Kinabalu at 8:20 AM for Manukan and Sapi Islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. You get boat transfers, a guide, lunch, entrance fees, and several hours for swimming and snorkeling. Optional banana boats, jet skis, sea-walking, and parasailing cost extra. Guide Chris is noted for staying close and helping guests enjoy the day.

“Bardzo profesjonalna obsługa. Przewodnik był cały czas z nami i troszczył się abyśmy byli zadowoleni. Polecam tego organizatora.”

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6.Fun Boat Snorkeling and Island Visit from Kota Kinabalu

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 35 reviews · from $130

Spend about eight hours from Kota Kinabalu exploring two snorkeling sites in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. PADI-certified instructors can assist in the water, while lunch, boat transfers, park fees, and city hotel pickup are included. You’ll also have time to relax on Pulau Gaya before returning to the mainland.

“Recomendado. Muy bonita experiencia de snorkeling, muy atentos y amables. Lo más bonito de Kk fue hacer este tour.”

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