Turtles popping their heads out of the smooth turquoise water off Mataking Island.
The Mataking Island day trip was by far our favourite of the three days spent snorkelling off the coast of Semporna, Borneo.
With its long white beach and crystal clear turquoise water, it is just like something out of those romantic movies in tropical paradise. Just the two of us, on a white beach, under the shade of a tree, looking out over the cobalt water lapping on the shore…
We saw a large number of fish and other sea life, including barracuda, stone fish, colourful varieties of parrot fish, turtles and weird looking tiny things.
The colours here are truly spectacular and this is definitely one of Travelinds’ best places in the world to snorkel and to swim!
We spent time on the beach after lunch while the divers rested and could see the turtles popping their heads out of the water every few minutes (to breathe).
Timba-Timba Island
On the way back to Semporna, we went to the Diver’s Delight snorkelling spot off Timba-Timba island and saw so many turtles here!
It was really exciting for me as I had not had much experience in swimming with turtles, even while snorkelling in Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand!
It was a truly spectacular snorkelling day and we flaunted the sunburn to prove it!
Semporna is a very small city on the south eastern border of Sabah, Malaysia Borneo. It is home to a wide range of cultural groups including Filipinos, Indonesians and Chinese Malaysians. It relies on palm oil and tourism to sustain its economy. It is best known for its association with some of the world’s most beautiful diving and snorkelling islands that lie just off the coastline. Check out Travelinds posts on the gorgeous northern islands off Semporna’s coast – Sibuan, Mabul, Mataking and Timba-Timba.
First impression:
Upon arriving at this town via express bus, we were surprised to find a dirty, poorly maintained town with litter, water leaks and sorely evident poverty. The overall vibe here was so different to that of other charming cities we had visited in Sabah and our sixth senses seemed to kick in to high alert.
Tourist attractions:
The only reason to visit Semporna is to use the town as a stepping stone across to the vast underwater beauty of its stunning coastline and surrounding islands. Scuba Junkie are the dive operators of choice in Semporna. The islands also boast fantastic white sandy beaches that rival the Tip of Borneo.
Getting here:
We took the Dyana Express Bus (from Sandakan MYR 40, about 6 hours, airconditioned, fairly comfortable). The Dyana express bus terminal is only a ten minute walk down to the waterfront and boat jetty so the town is pretty small. You could also take a taxi or intercity bus from Tawau (where the domestic airport is located), or an express bus from Kota Kinabalu.
Accomodation tips:
We stayed at City Inn (right next to the Dyana bus terminal, ten minutes walk from the jetty) for only MYR60 per night. It was clean, quiet, more reasonably priced than backpackers and comfortable. Trip Advisor reviews seemed a bit harsh for the value for money of this hotel.
Staying in Semporna and doing the dives/snorkel trips from there is highly recommended because it generally works out a lot cheaper than staying on Mabul Island. There are also quite a few restaurant choices on the waterfront (unlike on Mabul Island) so this helps keep the budget in line.
If you are diving at Sipidan, however, you have to stay on Mabul Island or at Kapalai resort (this is usually arranged a little while beforehand though as things get booked up quite quickly).
The advice from a local dive instructor was that it was not really worth the money to stay on Mabul Island (no swimming beach, few restaurants, pricey accomodation) unless you were really into diving at a few of the exclusive spots. For regular snorkellers/divers, like ourselves, it worked out better to stay in Semporna and take trips out to the islands every day.
Bus booking tip:
If you are too tired or lazy to walk up to the Dyana bus terminal and book your tickets, there was a waitress at the Scuba Junkie restaurant who also does bookings for the bus from there. She phones, books your seats, takes your cash and issues your official ticket. Helpful when it is the end of a long day of sunburn or passed office hours.
After reading Travelfish’s blog post called Koh Phi Phi Beach Getaways, we decided to try and find this “Secret Beach” while we were on Koh Phi Phi Don. It sounded simple enough to follow the instructions — walk here, turn there etc. However, in the end, we were glad to have taken along some lunch, water and gear on this “short hike.”
Coastline road after Sunflower Bar
Find Phi Phi’s Secret Beach
We began the journey by leaving from Phi Phi beach. This was from Loh Dalam Bay, the one on the opposite side to the main port of Tonsai Bay. We headed towards Sunflower Bar as directed.
The tide was at its highest, so there was not much beach visible at all in the direction we thought we were going in. The instructions said to walk past Sunflower Bar on the back road. So, we headed over the bridge and kept along the coastline road up quite a steep hill.
The instructions then said to find a small path beyond the thatch buildings, but this seemed somewhat impossible with all the new construction happening. Someone was building a whole new resort here. It’s understandable, as the traveller had written the blog two years before.
Navigating these buildings with care, we reached the top of the hill and found ourselves in the middle of a new resort. We had to turn around. It was only when we got about half way back down the hill that we found our route to the Secret Beach — maybe.
Secret Beach Hunt: Updated Instructions (and Some Tips)
As at August 2013, here’s how we got to Secret Beach on Phi Phi Don in Thailand:
Head up the steep hill after Sunflower Bar. Be sure to look for a left turn about midway up the hill. For us, this left turn was sign-posted by a small “Phi Phi Sea Sky” sign, nailed to a tree.
Head through a well-hidden pathway on the left. At the time, this path went between two building constructions towards the beach. Let it take you parallel to the beach.
Look for signs to Sunset Bay and Sunwaree Resort. Somewhere along this path to Secret Beach was where Travelfish mentioned that “a road appears out of nowhere.” It did,quite literally.
Note: We never did come across the 10 foot high rocky ridge that Travelfish mentioned. Maybe we missed something.
The rugged coastline at high tide.
Once you’ve located this path, keep to it. You’ll be walking alongside the ocean until you reach Sunset Resort. Here, we headed down towards the beach and turned right to keep going along the coastline.
At this point, we started walking on the rocks and sand. At low tide, it might have been possible to walk the whole way to Secret Beach over rocks. However, at high tide, we had to go back up onto another steep pathway into the grass.
Keep Going: Secret Beach in Sight
Up the hill, we passed a sign that said, “Tonsai bay 20 minutes Phi Phi Outrigger.” When we reached a small Thai shack at the top of the hill, there was a meditating monk. We tried not to disturb him and carried on down another small path to the beach. There was a swing in a tree here!
Swing in the tree before the coral-covered beach
We clambered over some rocks at the bottom to get onto a coral-covered beach. We had been walking for about two hours, mostly on the cliffs and pathways.
Just after the coral-covered beach, we breathed a sigh of relief. At last, we found Secret Beach. Of course, it only really opened up once the tide subsided. Then, it was absolutely beautiful! As described by our informative Travelfish guide, this discovery was so worth the tedious hike!
Finally! Time To Cool Down On our Secret Beach and Enjoy Phi Phi Don
We were the only people around and enjoy ourselves snorkelling, picnicking and relaxing in the shade provided by the only small tree on the beach. With so many cowries and other interesting shells to be found, time flew by. Reluctantly, we headed back to the main beach later that afternoon.
On the way back to Loh Dalam Bay, the trip was about a million times easier. We knew our way, so it was much quicker. Plus, it was low tide, so we could walk most of the way on the sand and rocks rather than going on and off of steep pathways or through the bush.
Do you only have a few days in Phi Phi? Make this a day trip for some great photo opportunities and some exercise.
Mataking Island
Secret Beach Hunt: Updated Instructions (and Some Tips)
