Tun Sakaran Marine Park Island Hopping Guide – Bohey Dulang Day Trip

Tun Sakaran Marine Park Island Hopping Guide – Bohey Dulang Day Trip

Wondering about a day trip to Bohey Dulang? By far the best way to visit Bohey Dulang and the Semporna Islands is on an island hopping tour of Tun Sakaran Marine Park from Semporna Harbor.

Like many of you, the hike to Bohey Dulang Viewpoint was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Semporna and the surrounding islands. However, as I was planning my trip, I discovered that there wasn't much reliable information online about a day trip to Bohey Dulang or an island hopping trip to Tun Sakran Marine Park.

That's why I've written this comprehensive guide to help you make the most of your time in this incredible part of Malaysian Borneo.

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• alt=“BOHEU DULANG BOOT“>
• alt=“SEEZIGEUNER IN DEN TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK INSELN“>

How to get to Tun Sakaran Marine Park?

To get to Tun Sakaran Marine Park, travelers must go to Semporna, a town on the east coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.

Semporna is an old fishing settlement that has gained popularity among tourists because it is the gateway to the Tun Sakaran Marine Park or Semporna Islands Park as it is also known.

How to get to Semporna?

You have two main options to get to Semporna: take a 12 hour bus or plane to Tawau and then a minibus or taxi to Semporna.
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Arrival to Semporna by plane

Surprisingly, flying from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna is extremely affordable. I usually stick to budget travel options so I overlooked the flight to Semporna. Air Asia offers daily standard flights from KK to Tawau starting from just $18. However, you will need to pay for a Grab car to Semporna (80 ringgit) or find a shared minivan at the airport.

Note that it is also possible to fly directly to Tawau from other parts of Asia, including Kuala Lumpur.

You can compare flights using Momondo or Sky Scanner directly with Semporna. If you're planning on driving to the airport, check out ParkFellows for exclusive airport parking discounts and deals.

ARE YOU VISITING KOTA KINABALU? READ THE KINABALU PARK TRAIL GUIDE

Arrival to Semporna by bus

The more popular option for budget travelers visiting other parts of Sabah is the intercity bus. From Kota Kinabalu there is a morning and evening bus from Inanam Station departing at 7:30am and 7:30pm for 75 ringgit per person.

If you are coming to Semporna to visit Bohey Dulang and do an island hopping excursion in Tun Sakaran Marine Park from Sandakan, Sepilok or the Kinabatangan River, you can also hail a bus from the main road. Depending on where you board, expect to pay around 45 ringgit for this bus ride. It's best to ask your accommodation for help to get the bus to Semporna from these locations.

Unfortunately, although the marine park is home to incredible marine biodiversity and beautiful islands like Bohey Dulang, it has earned the reputation of being the dirtiest city in Sabah. There have also been historical problems with kidnapping cases in and around the city by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. However, this is now well under the control of the Malaysian military, which now has a significant presence in the region.

YOU WANT TO GO TO MABUL? READ THE BUDGET TRAVEL GUIDE TO MABUL ISLAND

Do Sakaran Marine Park Island Hopping

From Semporna you have a few options for an island hopping tour in Tun Sakaran Marine Park. You will most likely see some of these trips advertised around town and most likely at your accommodation as well.

Generally, these rides depart from Semporna Public Jetty early in the morning between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and usually return at 5:00 p.m.
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SABAH TRAVEL GUIDE: SABAH ITINERARY 7 DAYS – THINGS TO DO IN SABAH BORNEO

Cost of Semporna Island Hopping – Where to book

I saw these island hopping tours at Tun Sakaran Marine Park advertised anywhere between 110 ringgit and 250 ringgit per person. There is also a big price difference between Malaysians and non-Malaysians, although the difference in marine park entrance fees is not that big.

If you want to join a group island hopping at Tun Sakaran Marine Park, I recommend you go to Semporna Public Jetty and book directly there or book with your hotel if they offer competitive prices. After some haggling, we paid 110 ringgit per person for the “A package”, including a stop at Bohey Dulang, Mantabuan Island and Sibuan Island. This was inclusive of all fees and lunch.

Private travel option

If you are in a larger group, I would recommend booking a private boat. This gives you more flexibility for time and islands. You can save time and haggling by booking this private boat trip online, complete with eTicket.

If you are only interested in a boat to Bohey Dulang, you can also negotiate this with the guys at the jetty.

Entrance fee to Tun Sakaran Marine Park

In addition to the fee for the Bohey Dulang day trip or the Semporna Island Hopping Trip itself, you need to pay the entrance fee to Tun Sakaran Marine Park. For non-Malaysian nationals, this entry costs 10 ringgit per person. Remember to ask when booking if this is included.

For more details about this entry and conservation fee, please visit the official Sabah Parks website.

Semporna Jetty Fee

In addition to the conservation entrance fee, the local government also charges a Semporna Hetty fee of 10 ringgit per international person and 2 ringgit for Malaysians. This is another fee that you will need to determine whether or not it is included in your agreed price.

Island hopping tours

Because there are so many islands in Semporna and Tun Sakaran Marine Park, you will also find that there are a few different island hopping day trips to choose from. Here is an overview of the typical tours you will find.

Since a day trip to Bohey Dulang was my top priority in Semporna, I opted for Package A. If you are interested in the second option, you can read this detailed blog that introduces both trips.

Bohey Dulang + Mantabuan and Sibuan day trip

Here's a rundown of what you can expect on this epic island hopping in Semporna!

Bohey Dulang

The first stop on the island hopping tour in Tun Sakaran Marine Park is Bohey Dulang. This has become one of the most famous viewpoint hikes in Sabah due to the epic mountain and coral landscapes from the summit.

Each boat to Bohey Dulang arrives at the same dock leading to the beach and the start of the viewpoint hike.
alt=“BOHEY DULANG VIEWPOINT DRONE”>DRONE OF BOHEY DULANG ISLAND

Bohey Dulang entrance fee

There is no special entry fee for Bohey Dulang as the conservation fee is covered by the entry fee for Tun Sakaran Marine Park. However, your boat driver or tour guide will register your names with the island authorities. If you take a private boat to Bohey Dulang, you need to organize the conservation fee in advance.

Hike to Bohey Dulang viewpoint

By now you know that the lookout hike on Bohey Dulang is the clear island highlight. The hike follows a steep climb and rewards you with breathtaking views of the squirrel-shaped island and shallow reefs scattered throughout the marine park.

Bohey Dulang Height: The total height of Bohey Dulang viewpoint is 265 meters. However, the highest peak on Bohey Dulang is 353 meters high.

Difficulty of the hike: As the hike is quite steep, you will need a reasonable level of fitness. However, the trail is well maintained and has wooden stairs in many places, so it should be fairly easy for most people.

Total hiking time: The total hiking distance is 600 meters. Expect around 30-40 minutes to reach the summit.
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My experience

If you are planning a day trip to Bohey Dulang or island hopping in Tun Sakaran Marine Park, I would recommend avoiding bookings after heavy rains if possible. When I visited I was told that the track was closed due to the rain the previous night.

Although the path was blocked by gates and fences, I was fortunately able to sneak around the path by jumping over the wooden walkway and running to the start of the path. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing this as it's probably illegal and it's best to respect the park authorities. But since I'm a pretty experienced hiker, I definitely wouldn't miss the viewpoint because of a little rain (the trail was completely dry and safe anyway...).

Now let me tell you that the viewpoint definitely lived up to the hype and elegantly exceeded it!

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• alt=“INSEL BOHEY DULANG“>

READ ABOUT MY FAVORITE VIEWPOINT IN ASIA: PADAR ISLAND VIEWPOINT

Bohey Dulang Beach

Aside from the hike to the viewpoint, you can also spend time on the beach near the jetty. However, since you only have limited time for an island hopping tour, I would recommend doing the hike instead. If you organize a private tour, you can request a full day trip to Bohey Dulang to explore and snorkel the various beaches around the island.
alt="BOHEY DULANG BEACH">

Mantabuan Island

The next stop was Mantabuan Island. This is a small sandbar island surrounded by the clearest water I have ever seen. The island is home to a small population of sea gypsies and also a large military complex.

Mantabuan Island is a good spot for snorkeling, but I found exploring the island itself was a better way to spend our time there. This second stop was also where our trip ate our free lunch.

Since this is a heavily guarded military area, there are “No Drone” signs everywhere. Although I was seriously tempted to see this incredible island from the air, I didn't want to push my luck.
alt=“SEA GYPSY ON THE ISLAND OF MANTABUAN SABAH”>
alt=“MANTABUAN ISLAND HOPPING”>
alt="MANTABUAN ISLAND BEACH">

Sibuan Island

The last stop of island hopping in Tun Sakaran Marine Park is Sibuan Island. But before we made it, our captain stopped briefly so we could jump in and snorkel on a shallow reef for about 30 minutes.

Sibuan Island is slightly larger than Mantabuan, but still quite small. Likewise, there are a few local residents, a military tower, palm-fringed white sandy beaches, and a thin jungle interior.

We spent our time exploring Sibuan Island both on land and in the water. Our boat driver took us to the hillside on Sibuan so we could see turtles and lots of tropical fish. In my opinion, Sibuan Island was the best snorkeling spot of the trip.

After a quick stop on Sibuan Island, it was time to turn around and head back to Semporna Port to shop for local groceries at the busy markets.
alt="SIBUAN ISLAND BEACH">
alt=“SNORKELING IN TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK, ISLAND HOPPING”>

Back to Semporna – Where to stay overnight

HIGH QUALITY PRIVATE AC ROOM WITH EPIC BREAKFAST - OZZY LODGEBBy far my favorite place to stay in Borneo! The owner here is very helpful, friendly and makes a great breakfast. The location is great as it's just outside the dirty harbor area but still very easy to get to.

BUDGET BACKPACKERS – ZEN HOSTELZen Hostel is one of the best hostels in Semporna and is located right in the center of the city. If you don't mind the trash and hectic atmosphere of the port, then staying at this hostel is a great option.

COMPARE THE BEST DEALS FOR SEMPORNA ACCOMMODATION

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More photos from island hopping at Tun Sakaran Marine Park

Here are a few more photos from island hopping from Semporna!
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alt=“BOAT TO BOHEY DULANG ISLAND FROM SEMPORNA”>
alt=“SEA GYPSY IN THE TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK ISLANDS”>
alt=“MILITARY TOWER ON SIBUAN ISLAND SABAH BORNE0″>MILITARY TOWER WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS ON SIBUAN ISLAND
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alt="BEACH ON SIBUAN ISLAND">
alt=“SNORKELING ON SIBUAN ISLAND”>
alt="SIBUAN ISLAND PALMS">
alt=“SEA GYPSY IN SEMPORNA”>
alt="BOHEY DULANG VIEWPOINT OF SEMPORNA">
alt=“BOHEY DULANG SEMPORNA”>
alt=“BOHEY DULANG VIEWPOINT DRONE”>DRONE OF BOHEY DULANG ISLAND
alt=“BOHEY DULANG ON AN ISLAND IN TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK”>
alt="SIBUAN ISLAND">

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