Mabul Paradise Lodge Reviews

It's good place if you want to explore diving in Mabul and Sipadan on a budget. The staff was very helpful and managed to organize last minute Sipadan dive for us. Diving was amazing, and definitely makes up for all the other inconveniences.

The hotel is ok, but nothing to write home about. The standard room (C), has squat toilets. We upgraded to B (with western toilet) and it was perfectly fine and clean when we checked in. However, it was not cleaned during our stay (5N) and only the last afternoon did they ask if we wanted it cleaned... unnecessary at that point. Often 3-5 of the staff would be sleeping across tables/outside guest rooms and we had to step over them... a bit weird to collapse like that, when rooms were not even being cleaned! We also did not appreciate staff smoking in the restaurant, right in front of a no-smoking sign. Smoke goes into the rooms with windows in that direction, not great when you have asthma! Had to tell one guy several times (and get upset) before he stopped smoking there. The main cook, receptionist and the bar guy were very nice and really did their best. The food was bland and repetitive, the fish dry and the chicken was only gizzards (necks), not something western tourists enjoy, as there is barely any meat, they contain a lot of bones and are tough/chewy. Granted, the hotel mainly caters to the Chinese tourist market. We asked for food without onions because of allergies, but they didn't seem to understand. We got all our food cooked separately... but with onion!? After a few days they finally got it, as we showed them which pieces in our food we can't eat. They tried their best, but also always cooked our food early and put it out an hour or more before we came to eat... it was always cold. Luckily they do have a microwave. We appreciated the fresh water melon after dinner and the fact that they had filtered water for refilling yourself. There are aquariums in the dining area and also some fish trapped in a net between the rooms. It is very dirty and sad. I think someone heard me commenting on it, since a guy started to clean the aquariums, but only the front, so the fish can be seen. The rest of the tanks were covered in algae, as was the vegetation in them. It all looks really bad, not great if you want to impress Europeans. We appreciated our dive guide. He was good and speaks English. The equipment worked, but has seen better days... If you are an experienced diver, ask early on to go only with others who are as well. For our first dive, a guy in our group (AOW certified, but had maybe 10 dives) used all his air in under 30 minutes. Luckily, our dive guide split the group afterwards. We kind of knew what Mabul Paradise would be like, after looking at the pictures and reading the reviews. It is a basic place, catering to the Asian market, with very basic food and therefore it's cheaper than places on the other side of Mabul. If you want to be close to Sipadan, it is an affordable place. Side notes (not comments on the hotel): 1. June is the worst month in the area, as visibility is not great. We saw lots of turtles and other great stuff, but it's not easy or cheap to get here, so rather go when the chances are greater to have good visibility, especially if you intend on going to Sipadan. We had two good dives there, but they do not make our top ten list, due to bad visibility. It would've been amazing otherwise. The hotel does not have their own permits, you go with a company from the mainland, who pick up at Mabul at 9:30. Visibility is best early mornings and apparently you're also more likely to see shark action early. The company was perfectly fine, no complaints really. It's just good to know that others, who have their own permits, start at 6:00. You can book your Sipadan dives with them, even if you stay at Mabul Paradise. These dive shops also do 60 min dives, not only 45 min, that the company we went with claimed was max. 2. There is a lot of plastic and other garbage all around Mabul. It is not a pretty island, but still much better than staying in Semporna. You'll see garbage while snorkelling/diving. Please help with cleaning up while doing so!

Got some problems of transportation from Tawau airport to hotel.

Without a doubt the worst experience in our stay in Malaysia, we went with all the enthusiasm and being the most expensive accommodation we paid for on our trip it is the worst service we had. The only good thing is the room and the views, but those are the ones on the entire island. The food was super repetitive and told, we were very hungry. The disastrous bathroom, and at night with cockroaches. And having breakfast watching the rats at the barbecue from the previous day is priceless. The electricity and water service will be cut off for a couple of hours in the morning when we were assured that it would not be like that. The excursions that both on the page and before you go make you understand that they are included, this was not the case nor was the transportation to the hotel. I don't think I had ever felt that when paying you were a stranger who was annoying by asking for a minimum service. Without a doubt, I do not recommend this accommodation at all, much less its service, which is terrible, an accommodation run by children who only want to sleep and sing karaoke and do not like to work.

It is considered to be very cost-effective among water houses. The diving and snorkeling scenes are all beautiful, but the beach is a bit dirty. Maybe it’s because the water house is located near the islanders’ residence and there is a lot of domestic garbage. However, there are also many boats with seafood for sale next to the hotel. It is more convenient than other water houses and the price is better. It can be very affordable, but the hotel's seafood cooking skills are not very good. The cooking time is too long, so it's best to keep an eye on it. The boss is Chinese and can communicate in Chinese without any problem. Remember to check the time to get to the island. You won’t be able to get to the island if you take a late flight to Tawau. If you miss it, your reservation will be in vain.

Attention all tourists, if you are interested in going to the water house on Mabul Island, please listen to me and tell you the following precautions. There are several water house B&Bs on Mabul Island (you can find them on other websites). This one is the worst. First of all, the charges are the most expensive on the island. We have not received any proactive contact from the hotel the day before we go. Fortunately, I can only know how to get to the island after contacting Ctrip. After arriving at the B&B on the island, I discovered that the so-called three meals a day meal included the same chicken, fried fish and two side dishes for three days. The only difference was the sauce. Although there was bread and coffee, they were not fresh. As for the seafood sold in local boats, it is fresh and cheap, but the so-called chef of this B&B does not know how to handle it at all. All of it is either blanched or steamed. In addition, the one who can speak Chinese looks like the proprietress, and her attitude is even more ignorant! well! It's too bad not to say it

A very good itinerary, a good choice for Mabul Island OW, cost-effective, the Chinese diving instructor Yean is a very capable girl, the children learned quickly and smoothly. Snorkeling around Mabul is also very good. It costs 30RM to take a boat. If you have good water skills, you can swim from here to the water house on the east coast. There are many corals, light rain, and three turtles. Live in a sea view cabin with bathroom and balcony. Hygiene is good. If most people go to sea, the electricity will be turned off for a while to save energy, and the electricity will be turned on when the ship comes back, which will not affect bathing. The boss is an old Chinese man with a cheerful personality and loves to chat.

Room C is similar to room B, room B has dripping water, alas. The hotel sells cheap Bajau seafood. There are three times a day to go to sea to float or dive, and float 30B. I don't know. Saw turtles. The boss is generous, and he can eat three meals a day, mainly with southern tastes. Good value for money. Mainly on Mabul Island, you need to add the boss’s WeChat in advance to make an appointment to board the island.

The boss can speak Chinese and is very nice

It's a great place, the boss is very nice, it's a must for diving, the sunrise and sunset are beautiful, the sea is very clear, it's a very cost-effective choice, highly recommended

The room is a bit old, but it's still spacious. The water house is very close to the shore and there are many boats around, so it's not convenient for swimming

The room was very clean and very convenient to Sipadan. You can snorkel below the platform

The room is generally hygienic and the bathroom has a strong smell

Yes, Uncle Xiao is very enthusiastic!