Snorkeling @ Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
We book a full day snorkeling trip to the Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Marine park with Dive Downbelow. Named after the first Prime Minister of Malaysia and covering an area of 50km², the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park was gazetted as a national park in 1974. Five beautiful tropical islands make up the land mass of the TAR Park, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sulug and Pulau Gaya. At 15km², Pulau Gaya, or Gaya Island in English, is the largest of the 5 islands
Gaya Island is surrounded by tropical waters, abundant with diverse and fascinating marine life and sheltered reefs with year round dive access. It is the base of the snorkeling company we used, Dive Downbelow. When we decided to go snorkeling in Kota Kinabalu, I wanted to make sure that we engage a reliable service provider since we’ll be snorkeling in open sea and DD who was only 8yo then, was not confident in the water. I wanted the kids to have proper coaching. The boys did snorkeling in Discovery Cove in Orlando 2 years back but this will be DD’s first experience. We paid MYR285 per pax (same price for kids) for a full day Snorkelling Safari. The package included return pickup from our hotel, lunch on Gaya Island and 3 snorkeling sessions. We will also be accompanied by qualified PADI guides.
The guides were very patient and in fact one of them was so patient with DD and so reassuring that she who initially refused to even try, finally took the plunge and she loved it so much she refused to get out of the sea after that. I felt safe leaving DD in the guide’s able hands. Frankly, I was less patient than the guide and was ready to give up and leave her on the boat! The boys just took off like 2 fishes in the sea but the guides and boat captain kept a constant eye out for them too.
Snorkeling Safari with Dive Down Below
The whole trip was split into 3 sessions. 2 sessions in the morning after a briefing session on the proper techniques. There were short rest breaks in between the sessions. Then we break for a simple local lunch of rice, veg and chicken with fruits for dessert at Dive Downbelow’s base camp at Gaya Island. We had a third session in the afternoon before heading back to the mainland. Each of the 3 sessions were at different locations near a different island including Sapi and Manutik.
We left the island around 4pm in the afternoon and was back in our hotel by 5pm. All in all a very enjoyable day for the whole family. Now the boys want to try scuba diving!
Next up : Kota Kinabalu, Borneo Adventure II (Mt Kinabalu & Poring)