How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it?

londonray · 16th July 2007

was offered $1585 for 6D5N trip to sipadan, all in (no more hidden costs)
Probably quite steep but given that i dun own a single piece of dive gear... does that sound reasonable? Flights are $255 now... hence more ex...

will be staying at Kapalai resort...

just seeing what kinda advice the bros here have since i dun really dive very often...

TIA!

vandyk · 17th July 2007

Originally Posted by londonray

was offered $1585 for 6D5N trip to sipadan, all in (no more hidden costs)
Probably quite steep but given that i dun own a single piece of dive gear... does that sound reasonable? Flights are $255 now... hence more ex...

will be staying at Kapalai resort...

just seeing what kinda advice the bros here have since i dun really dive very often...

TIA!

Hi lindonray,

Indicated below are the prices i paid for Sipadan last Sept with Borneo Divers for a 5D4N trip.

Dive trips (11+1house reef) + all gears + accom(i had a twin room to myself) + 2 nite dives(i only did 1 at lobster wall and it was good) + all meals = >S$850

Flight = >S$200 + S$40(split bet 3pax) land transport from Spore to Senai.

Regards,
vandyk

londonray · 17th July 2007

Originally Posted by vandyk

Hi lindonray,

Indicated below are the prices i paid for Sipadan last Sept with Borneo Divers for a 5D4N trip.

Dive trips (11+1house reef) + all gears + accom(i had a twin room to myself) + 2 nite dives(i only did 1 at lobster wall and it was good) + all meals = >S$850

Flight = >S$200 + S$40(split bet 3pax) land transport from Spore to Senai.

Regards,
vandyk

Thanks! Did you stay at Kapalai? Or another resort? Coz i was told that Kapalai is slightly more expensive than other resorts. Equipment? did u rent anything at all? Just checking so as to be fair in comparing prices... cheers!

howeikwok · 17th July 2007

The operator i go with qoutes abt $1280 for 6D5N at kapalai, not including transport into senai(jb). All in should be ard $1400. I've been there the past 2 years.

Maybe the price you were qouted is more expensive cause (a) equipment rental is expensive (b) you're staying the last night of the trip @ kapalai while some operators will bring divers back to tawau mainland for the last night.

For (b), one night @ kapalai i believe is ard SGD$280, while one night at a hotel in tawau is ard RM150? Big difference there.

dive4soul · 17th July 2007

HI,
I paid S$1400 for the 6D5N package abt 1 year plus ago. Althought it is a bit steep, all of my kakis found it to be money well spent. Kapalai is highly recommended by us. The rooms are big and with bathtubs. Food there is fantastic too. Most importantly is the unlimited houser reef dives that you can go if eng eng.

londonray · 17th July 2007

the breakdown is $1150 for the whole trip excluding flight and transfer. Flight is about $255 now and tsf is $50. Add in equipment rental $80 BC/reg and $30 Wetsuit $20 for dive com... comes to about $1585? hmmm... so i think the price is about there lah... (if people said they paid ~1.4k)

the pt is that i'm going for my advanced 2 weeks before this trip. (28th-29th July) so it would be nice to carry on with the momentum and go for this sipadan trip...

so what say the bros around here? Is it worth it? coz it seems like the trip can range from $1k to $1.4k...

would it be necessary to bring a cam down? Coz i know u/w photog is very challenging already... plus the fact that i am not that "zai" a diver... but i would love to have some pics to remember from this trip if i spend $1.6k... what solutions can the bros here think of?

londonray · 17th July 2007

Originally Posted by howeikwok

The operator i go with qoutes abt $1280 for 6D5N at kapalai, not including transport into senai(jb). All in should be ard $1400. I've been there the past 2 years.

Maybe the price you were qouted is more expensive cause (a) equipment rental is expensive (b) you're staying the last night of the trip @ kapalai while some operators will bring divers back to tawau mainland for the last night.

For (b), one night @ kapalai i believe is ard SGD$280, while one night at a hotel in tawau is ard RM150? Big difference there.

erm there's only 3 nites at Kapalai i think... 2 nites will be on mainland...

howeikwok · 17th July 2007

okie seems the big portion will go to rental of equipment. you might want to source for rental of bc/reg yourself to see if you can get a cheaper price. i've heard of rentals as low as $10 per diving day for bc/reg: $10 X 4 diving days + $40 compared to the $80 you're paying. Wetsuit is advisable to get your own as it seems that you're into diving for the long run, same goes with the dive com, mask, fins & booties.

antacid · 17th July 2007

if budget is a concern, why not go to seaventures? i paid $999 exc flight and transfer for 6D5N.

its just a stone's throw away from kapalai and mabul, and you get unlimited dives at the rig. you'll see lots of stuff there...shiokness.

animian2002 · 17th July 2007

seaventure is a good choice, cos they have got very good housereef.
you can find pympy seahouse, elvis the moray eel etc

write to them directly and ask for a quote and then book airasia via senai... that will cut your cost alot

londonray · 17th July 2007

Originally Posted by howeikwok

okie seems the big portion will go to rental of equipment. you might want to source for rental of bc/reg yourself to see if you can get a cheaper price. i've heard of rentals as low as $10 per diving day for bc/reg: $10 X 4 diving days + $40 compared to the $80 you're paying. Wetsuit is advisable to get your own as it seems that you're into diving for the long run, same goes with the dive com, mask, fins & booties.

actually i prefer not to buy anything... coz i haven't dived in 2 years... goin off to San Francisco in late aug... for PhD... thus wun be coming back long for many years... hence prefer to rent all the equip... which is y this trip is quite ex...

lovells19 · 18th July 2007

eh.. its cheap if u include the airfare for kapalai

don't think u should worry anymore
at most u save another $50 max if u go to another dive operator,

price for kapalai is ard there, price for gear rental is relatively cheap, average is $20-25/diving day, Dive comp at $20 for the whole trip? its a steal

prices have risen over the last 2 yrs.. i went in 2004 i paid $700 for 5d4n trip ex airfare

SMART water village.. hahahahahahaha

vandyk · 19th July 2007

Originally Posted by londonray

Thanks! Did you stay at Kapalai? Or another resort? Coz i was told that Kapalai is slightly more expensive than other resorts. Equipment? did u rent anything at all? Just checking so as to be fair in comparing prices... cheers!

Nope, i stayed at Mabul, with Borneo Divers. Equipment wise, courtesy of my chief negotiator. She managed to get us free gears. Hehe!!

Kapalai is more expensive but feels more exclusive imho.

airfins · 21st July 2007

Seaventure is cheap and good and as mention B4 the unlimited House reef Dive which is very interesting

I stayed there as my sole objective is to DIVE...the accomodation is very basic so dont expect much, food and staff is very good and you get to mingle alot with other divers as the rig is not that big so there is no where to go la. I was there alone and end up having 8 new friends from different countries

Kapalai and Mabul is more like Honeymoon type accomodation so if you want to relax and enjoy the room and facilities then its good. Doing 4 or more dives a day doesn't leave you with a lot time left to do other things. So if you are going with Girlfriend or someone you are seeing go Kapalai. If alone then can save, save la hehe

My trip as per arrange by Dive center(can go direct to get better deal)
$850 5D4N, 10 Dive w own Gear
$400 Return Air fare + Tax, Air Asia
$20 beer...

$100 Transport both way to Senai Airport. $50 per trip split among all people(7 seater MPV avaliable) As you got no gear, you can take MRT to causeway then bus to JB, or Senai...check Airasia web site for this option, you can save alot.
You have a good deal if Air fare is included, else it is still the market rate la.Try booking direct maybe can get chaper $$
Go ahead bring a camera. It is always special to have a photo of yourself taken u/w

but bear in mind that you might not have a lot of keeper as you do need to pratice alot in order to take useable pic u/w.
Enjoy the dive of your life time man, Sipadan is a must go

airfins · 21st July 2007

Checkout this 2 offer:
http://www.orpheusdive.com/ (Camera system rental available, fun people to dive with)
http://www.waikikidive.com/Pulau_Kapalai.htm

16th July 2007	#1
londonray Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 826	How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? was offered $1585 for 6D5N trip to sipadan, all in (no more hidden costs) Probably quite steep but given that i dun own a single piece of dive gear... does that sound reasonable? Flights are $255 now... hence more ex... will be staying at Kapalai resort... just seeing what kinda advice the bros here have since i dun really dive very often... TIA!

17th July 2007	#4
howeikwok Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bukit Timah Posts: 1,203	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? The operator i go with qoutes abt $1280 for 6D5N at kapalai, not including transport into senai(jb). All in should be ard $1400. I've been there the past 2 years. Maybe the price you were qouted is more expensive cause (a) equipment rental is expensive (b) you're staying the last night of the trip @ kapalai while some operators will bring divers back to tawau mainland for the last night. For (b), one night @ kapalai i believe is ard SGD$280, while one night at a hotel in tawau is ard RM150? Big difference there. __________________ Canon 50D/60mm & 100mm Macro/Tokina 10-17mm FE/Nexus Housing Inon Z-240

17th July 2007	#5
dive4soul New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 5	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? HI, I paid S$1400 for the 6D5N package abt 1 year plus ago. Althought it is a bit steep, all of my kakis found it to be money well spent. Kapalai is highly recommended by us. The rooms are big and with bathtubs. Food there is fantastic too. Most importantly is the unlimited houser reef dives that you can go if eng eng.

17th July 2007	#6
londonray Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 826	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? the breakdown is $1150 for the whole trip excluding flight and transfer. Flight is about $255 now and tsf is $50. Add in equipment rental $80 BC/reg and $30 Wetsuit $20 for dive com... comes to about $1585? hmmm... so i think the price is about there lah... (if people said they paid ~1.4k) the pt is that i'm going for my advanced 2 weeks before this trip. (28th-29th July) so it would be nice to carry on with the momentum and go for this sipadan trip... so what say the bros around here? Is it worth it? coz it seems like the trip can range from $1k to $1.4k... would it be necessary to bring a cam down? Coz i know u/w photog is very challenging already... plus the fact that i am not that "zai" a diver... but i would love to have some pics to remember from this trip if i spend $1.6k... what solutions can the bros here think of?

17th July 2007	#8
howeikwok Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bukit Timah Posts: 1,203	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? okie seems the big portion will go to rental of equipment. you might want to source for rental of bc/reg yourself to see if you can get a cheaper price. i've heard of rentals as low as $10 per diving day for bc/reg: $10 X 4 diving days + $40 compared to the $80 you're paying. Wetsuit is advisable to get your own as it seems that you're into diving for the long run, same goes with the dive com, mask, fins & booties. __________________ Canon 50D/60mm & 100mm Macro/Tokina 10-17mm FE/Nexus Housing Inon Z-240

17th July 2007	#9
antacid Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, Singapore Posts: 1,188	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? if budget is a concern, why not go to seaventures? i paid $999 exc flight and transfer for 6D5N. its just a stone's throw away from kapalai and mabul, and you get unlimited dives at the rig. you'll see lots of stuff there...shiokness.

17th July 2007	#10
animian2002 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 101	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? seaventure is a good choice, cos they have got very good housereef. you can find pympy seahouse, elvis the moray eel etc write to them directly and ask for a quote and then book airasia via senai... that will cut your cost alot

18th July 2007	#12
lovells19 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Deep Deep in the sea Posts: 3,235	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? eh.. its cheap if u include the airfare for kapalai don't think u should worry anymore at most u save another $50 max if u go to another dive operator, price for kapalai is ard there, price for gear rental is relatively cheap, average is $20-25/diving day, Dive comp at $20 for the whole trip? its a steal prices have risen over the last 2 yrs.. i went in 2004 i paid $700 for 5d4n trip ex airfare SMART water village.. hahahahahahaha

21st July 2007	#14
airfins Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Anfield Posts: 818	Re: How much does it usually cost to go Sipadan 6D5N? Is this worth it? Seaventure is cheap and good and as mention B4 the unlimited House reef Dive which is very interesting I stayed there as my sole objective is to DIVE...the accomodation is very basic so dont expect much, food and staff is very good and you get to mingle alot with other divers as the rig is not that big so there is no where to go la. I was there alone and end up having 8 new friends from different countries Kapalai and Mabul is more like Honeymoon type accomodation so if you want to relax and enjoy the room and facilities then its good. Doing 4 or more dives a day doesn't leave you with a lot time left to do other things. So if you are going with Girlfriend or someone you are seeing go Kapalai. If alone then can save, save la hehe My trip as per arrange by Dive center(can go direct to get better deal) $850 5D4N, 10 Dive w own Gear $400 Return Air fare + Tax, Air Asia $20 beer... $100 Transport both way to Senai Airport. $50 per trip split among all people(7 seater MPV avaliable) As you got no gear, you can take MRT to causeway then bus to JB, or Senai...check Airasia web site for this option, you can save alot. You have a good deal if Air fare is included, else it is still the market rate la.Try booking direct maybe can get chaper $$ Go ahead bring a camera. It is always special to have a photo of yourself taken u/w but bear in mind that you might not have a lot of keeper as you do need to pratice alot in order to take useable pic u/w. Enjoy the dive of your life time man, Sipadan is a must go __________________ Canon 30D, G11, 50 f1.8II, 10-22 f3.5-4.5, 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f2.8L IS, EX580II