Immerse yourself in an underwater garden.
Its incredible natural beauty has remained almost untouched. The simple, elegant wooden structure of The Reef Dive Resort is the only development on the two islands of Mataking and Mataking Kecil (Small Mataking)
Trips to the legendary diving spots of Sipadan Island can be arranged from here.
The tranquil ambience and enchanting natural scenery creates the perfect setting for a romantic retreat or a wedding.
Create memories that will last a lifetime.
Getting There
Things to see and do
Hotels & Resorts
Getting there
Speedboats to Mataking Island depart from Semporna, a small fishing town, and trips there and back are arranged by The Reef Dive Resort. The boat trip takes around 40 minutes.
The closest airport to Semporna is in Tawau, approximately 1 hour away. The Reef Dive Resort has scheduled transfers by air-conditioned minivan from the airport to Semporna. You can also take a taxi.
Air Asia has several flights daily to Tawau from Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Airlines has daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan and several flights daily from Kota Kinabalu. From any international destination, book your return flights to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, or Kota Kinabalu Airport, from where you can get the abovementioned connecting flights to Tawau.
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Even though Mataking Island covers only 40 acres, you would be mistaken for thinking that the only thing to do is scuba diving. There is much to explore on the island itself and if you are still looking for more, the Island Activity Coordinator can arrange excursions to nearby islands and fishing villages.
You can take relaxation seriously and indulge in one of the many treatments offered by the Jamu Spa, or if you are one of the more active types, pull together a team for a game of beach volleyball or football.
For night time entertainment, cultural performances are done on request. You are also free to bring along your own Karaoke DVD/CD system and sing the night away; or just relax with a few drinks at the bar. If you are looking for something completely different, venture to the quieter side of the island and you may be lucky enough to see a turtle laying her eggs on the beach.
The Reef Dive Resort has numerous initiatives to help conserve the environment, particularly the fragile coral reef ecosystems. You can enquire at the resort how you can participate in any of these worthwhile conservation projects.
The underwater post office – the only one of its kind in Malaysia and one of only four in the world – is one of these conservation initiatives. Apart from providing a unique way to send greetings home, the post box is situated in a wreck that acts as an artificial reef, providing a home for many sea creatures and a place for corals to grow.
In cooperation with Reef Ball Asia the resort has also started constructing and planting “reef balls,” specially designed artificial reef structures, in the water around the island. These act as homes for fish and are also a place for coral to attach themselves. This enables nature to slowly rebuild reefs that were destroyed in the past by harmful practices such as bomb fishing.
The Artificial Reef Farm and the Coral Reef Farm are two other underwater conservation projects that aim to rebuild the reefs around Mataking Island. The Artificial Reef is a wooden structure that attracts large schools of fish as it provides shelter from predators. In the Coral Reef Farm, different species of coral are actively cultivated for transplant to other areas in the vicinity. Some of these corals may also be sold to rebuild damaged reefs in other areas such as the Phillipines, Fiji, Tonga and Indonesia.
As it comes to scuba diving- there are over thirty dive sites in the vicinity of Mataking, with an abundance of macro and pelagic marine life waiting to be discovered. The water is crystal clear and visibility is high, with a wide choice of wall and slope diving, particularly around the island of Mataking itself.
As the one and only resort on the two Mataking Islands, The Reef Dive Resort at Mataking only opens the doors to maximum 70 guests.
Cosy Malay-inspired chalets are scattered in a tropical garden, metres away from the edge of the azure sea and the Reef’s restaurant offers a tempting daily spread of Malaysian and International cuisine, with plenty of fresh seafood.
While the comforts and exclusivity of this resort are exceptional, great care has been taken to keep the surrounding nature under protection. The resort runs a number of conservation programmes and tries to get guests involved as well.