Mabul | Hope

Mabul…, where do I begin, where do I start, as usual I really have a hard times putting thought into words, I admit it that I’ve a lot to tell, a lot to share, this trip to Mabul Island, a small island off the south-east coast of Sabah in 2008 is personal trip, I mean it’s not related with my job, not an assignment, not really an outing but more like traveling with a small group of friends just wanted to have some fun out from concrete jungle. Not everybody in my group is a photographers, some of them  just wanted to come here to Mabul for diving or snorkeling. Mabul Island is very popular with “Muck Diving”. Please don’t ask me about “Muck Diving” I know nothing about Diving even though I’ve been taking PADI course half way, never completed it, meaning I don’t get the “License to Dive”.

There are more than ten person in our group, only five person is a “photographer”, we are not professional but we carry a camera that can be considered as “Professional Camera”. The other group members does not interested so much about photography, they are more interested with diving in Mabul and Sipadan Island, you can see Sipadan Island clearly from Mabul and most divers who wanted to dive in Sipadan spent their night here at Mabul because nobody are allowed to stay at Sipadan overnight, you can dive but you have to leave Sipadan after your diving, you can’t stay there. I think it is good practice in order to protect the Island, after all, Mabul and Sipadan is not that far, less than 20 minutes can get you there from Mabul Island.

We stay in a cheap “Hotel” in Mabul, I’m just kidding actually, it is not a Hotel but a small lodge, Uncle Chang’s Sipadan Mabul Dive Lodge to be exact, it is not the most comfortable place to stay there but I can assure you that “Uncle Chang Lodge” is the most happening place in Mabul compared to the other resort, but if you want to be comfortable, there are other great world class resort in Mabul. The place that we stay only have “basic” things, actually there were “Nothings” just a place to sleep, there is no TV in our room, and the toilet is outside shared by many peoples. If you want to take a bath you have to get out from your room and wait in line. If you are “Tourist” I would not suggest “Uncle Chang Lodge” but if you are “Traveler” Uncle Chang is the best place to stay.

Mabul is a very small island but bigger than Sipadan, you can take a stroll circling the Island in less than an hour, if you are running, maybe it will take you less than thirty minutes to complete the circle.

Stay tune, I will write more stories about the picture above. I’m sorry about my BAD English but the most important thing is, you get the story, same like a blurry pictures, you can still see the picture and I thinks that’s all that matters…  🙂