Once Upon a Time in Semporna Sabah | Life By The Sea
© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Semporna | Life By The Sea
Depending to whom you ask for, Semporna is a gateway to paradise, gateway to beautiful island of Sabah especially to Sipadan Island which is considered among the top dive site in the world, but there is more in Semporna than Sipadan Island, there is Mataking, Kapalai and Mabul, just to name a few that are famous with divers.
Since this is a photography blog, most photographers that I’ve known come to Semporna for a different reason, unless they are underwater photographers. Most of the photographers that I’ve known like to come here to visit the life of Sea Gypsies here, especially on the island of Mabul, Kalapuan, Omadal, Maiga and some other small island that look much more interesting to some photographers than Sipadan Island. To my foreigner friends who have come to visit my blog here, I would like to let you know here that, photographs taken around this area, around this island which is just less than an hour from Semporna has won many photography competitions time and time again.
Semporna is the gateway to great photographic opportunity around the island. Some of my friends from peninsular have come to Semporna every year without fails. If you come from Kuala Lumpur, there is a daily flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA in Sepang to Tawau and from here to Semporna will take you around one hour journey.
Once you get here, there are many tour operator that will get you into the island or if you prefer to island hopping, you can ask some of the boatman at this area, in front of the Semporna Fish market, where I took this photograph. To make everything easy, I will suggest you make your booking in advance, so you don’t have to waste your precious times looking for the boatman or the tour operator that suit your budget.
Nowadays I think you really need not to worry so much about finding a hotel here, unlike many years ago, now there is plenty of hotel here that you can choose from. During my visit here I stay at Sipadan INN 2 which is located just a walk away from the Semporna Fish Market, very close to where the photograph above were taken. Most people only spent one night here before spending their night in Mabul Island, especially the photographers, but I believe it is worthwhile to spend few more days here if time permit.
This area especially around fish market area is not picturesque, is not postcard type of a picture but to my eyes, this place offer plenty of photography opportunity but unfortunately during my visit here, we don’t have much times because we have some other activity or itinerary that we have to stick. If I ever come here again, I will make sure at least I will spent at least two night here and really explore this area before heading into the island. For the picture above, I spent more than half an hour at the same spot just watching the activity there. It was very colorful, busy and lively especially in the early morning when most people from the island nearby came here to buy something or to sell something.
I wish I can share more pictures from this area but like I said before, we don’t have much time exploring this area and to those of you who plan to make a visit here, please do take your time to explore this area especially the fish market area and I believe there is plenty of subject to be photographed and I do suggest if you want to take a picture here, don’t straight away take your camera and take pictures, instead, slow down, just watch the activity here, blend with the environment, talk to some of the people that you met there and once they no longer pay attention to you and once you don’t look like a stranger here, take your picture. That is what I do to get this picture, I let myself blend with the environment first.
