A turquoise magnificence within your reach.
This tiny island is a green speck in the open Sulu Sea, offering truly heavenly landscape. The Lankayan Island Dive Resort offers the only accommodation on this remote, uninhabited island.
Lankayan forms part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) and your stay at Lankayan directly contributes to the protection of the incredible marine biodiversity of the area. The eco-friendly Lankayan Island Dive Resort not only strives to have as little impact on the surrounding area as possible, but also actively contributes to the conservation of SIMCA.
Getting There
Things to see and do
Hotels & Resorts
Getting there
Lankayan is in the Sulu Sea, off the north eastern coast of Malaysian Borneo. The island can only be reached by speedboat from the town of Sandakan. There is an airport in Sandakan with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.
Flights to Sandakan
Air Asia has daily flights from Kota Kinabalu and two daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (2 hours 45 minutes).
Malaysia Airlines/MASwings has daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (2 hours 45 minutes), Tawau (45 minutes); Kota Kinabalu (45 minutes) and three times weekly from Kudat (50 minutes).
Road
Lankayan Island Dive Resort arranges transfers between the airport, jetty and hotel (if you stay overnight in Sandakan). Sandakan can also be reached by bus from Kota Kinabalu (around 7 hours), or by car.
Speedboat from Sandakan to Lankayan
Lankayan Island Resort arranges speedboat transfers to the resort for its guests. Speedboats mostly depart at 10:00 from Sandakan and take 90 minutes to reach the island. Boat transfers at Rother time can be arranged.
Top
If you prefer to stay dry, take a seat on the restaurant’s deck, where juvenile black-tip sharks are often spotted in the water below, watch a turtle laying her eggs on the beach, or head to the comfortable couches and satellite channels of the TV room for more conventional entertainment.
There are 14 dive sites around Lankayan, offering divers the chance to see anything from massive whale sharks to delicate macro life. Snorkelling trips can be arranged, and some snorkelers also join dive excursions. There is plenty to see already by the resort’s jetty.
The Malaysian province of Sabah, of which Lankayan forms part, has a wide range of tourist attractions, the untouched rainforests and wildlife drawing visitors in particular. Those that want to make the most of a trip would be wise to combine their stay on Lankayan with a few days on the mainland of Malaysian Borneo. (see http://www.sabahtourism.com/ for more information). One of the favourite stops is the Orang-utan sanctuary in the town of Sandakan, which is also the departure point for Lankayan.
The accommodation is simple, but elegant and very comfortable. The island is small, and there are only eight standard rooms and sixteen free-standing chalets – all beautifully constructed in hardwoods and with the beach right at your doorstep. Two bungalows hold four standard rooms each, suitable for double or triple occupancy. The chalets offer a little more privacy and are very spacious, with four-poster beds adding a romantic touch.
The natural beauty is what makes this resort exceptional and with eco-friendly management, a no-waste policy and special water treatment systems, Lankayan Island Dive Resort tends to keep this jewel beautiful as long as possible.