Lankayan Island

This little known scuba diving island resort lies an hour and a half out from the city of Sandakan in the Sulu Sea. Lankayan is a tiny spit of land ringed by a white sand beach and covered in a labyrinth of tropical green forest. Hidden under the pandan trees and palms is a simple resort whose charm lies in it's healthy respect for the natural environment.

Surrounding the island is a reef system of flat plateaus that gradually drop off into a shallow series of coral reefs. There are no great walls and the slopes are covered primarily in hard corals, which are a haven for the many species who take refuge in the cracks and crevices. There are baby nurse sharks, leaffish, giant jawfish, all sorts of crustaceans and even the rare and elusive weedy scorpionfish.

A special feature for divers are three small shipwrecks, including one that is just below the jetty. This is a fantastic dive that meanders across the sandy seabed past a few manmade items that were deposited to attract critters and ends at the small wreck. The other two small shipwrecks are a little way from the island but both are older and covered in more growth.

Lankayan, a tiny jewel-shaped island located on the northeastern coast of Sabah, is part of the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) and is surrounded blue-green waters and coral reefs. It is also one of Sabah's top diving spots.

The availability of jungle interior and interesting diving attracts both divers and non-divers alike to Lankayan.

14 dive sites including the Lankayan Wreck, all only minutes away from the island, offer magnificent displays of marine life ranging from giant groupers to tiny ribbon eels. Enormous whale sharks are regularly sighted between March and May, and the island is also a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles. You can watch as the baby turtles are released back into the sea.

The Langkayan Island Dive Resort has sixteen attractive wooden chalets with beach fronts and the common dining area extends to a sundeck jutting out to the beach.

A jewel like tiny island in the Sulu Sea, an hour and a half boat rides north of Sandakan; Lankayan has been declared part of an immense Marine Protected Area to adopt the eco-tourism concept. Unpopulated and covered by thick tropical island vegetation on its topside, this peaceful, untouched little bit of paradise is ringed by an endless pure of white sandy beach, offering simply elegant and exquisite accommodation in all 23 wooden, roomy and perfectly appointed seafront chalets. While the ideal destination for those who search for tranquility and relaxation in a virgin natural setting and for families with children, Lankayan Island is also becoming one of the hottest diving destination on the map today: its dive sites - all just a few minutes away - boasting unbelievable colorful macro, fauna, fascinating wrecks and in season from March to May, regular sightings of gigantic and harmless whale sharks, the "dream date " of every diver in the world. The island is also a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles. You can watch as the baby turtles are released back into the sea.

ABOUT THE DIVING
Described as a true macro-world paradise, there are also larger marine creatures such as leopard sharks, marbled stingray and giant grouper as well as schools of bumphead parrotfish, yellowtail barracuda and scads. Lankayan Island is also a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles as Turtle Islands Park are nearby. You can watch as the baby turtles are released back into the sea. The availability of jungle interior and interesting diving attracts both divers and non-divers alike to Lankayan.

HOW TO GET HERE
Take a short 40 minutes domestic flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan.
Meet at Sandakan Airport and transferred to Private Jetty at Sandakan Yatch Club by van. Journey takes approximately 30 minutes drive. Transfer to Lankayan Island by speedboat. Boat ride takes approximately 90 minutes.

FACILITIES
Despite the remoteness we are proud to offer all the amenities of a tropical island resort. Visitors have a choice to stay in chalets twin or triple sharing basis. Made out of local wooden materials to blend into the natural surroundings, chalets and standard rooms are attached with private balcony overlooking the white sandy beach and turquoise colored ocean. Lankayan chalets are well appointed and equipped with hot bath, coffee and tea making facilities, mini refrigerator and fresh water from mainland. Power is available with 220 V or 110 V. All chalets offer direct access to the beach which is in fact just at your front door step.

Internet access is also available at the resort's main building which opens daily from 0800hrs to 2300hrs. Internet Service Charges are at USD 4 for 30 minutes for desktop in the office and USD 5 per day for own laptop (wireless).

A TV room is available for viewing the day's video shots or other footages shoot during the dive.
Water sport gears and equipments for diving, snorkeling and ocean kayaking activities are available for rental at the dive centre
NOTE: A small over the counter shop that sells souvenirs such as postcards, T-shirts, and other necessities such as film, batteries, and toiletries is integrated at the central open building.

Activities whilst at Lankayan Island centre on the world-class diving, ocean kayaking and fantastic snorkelling but on for those who prefer to be on land there are some beautiful beach walks and inland treks to be enjoyed.

Meals are served in a relaxed and informal dining area with seafront terrace and there is also a sunset bar for drinks and barbecues. There is a TV room (largely for viewing the day's diving footage), internet access and also a small shop for essentials. The dive centre has watersports activities and equipment for diving, snorkelling and kayaking.

Rawa Island

On the beach holidays are some of the most relaxing for parents and most memorable for kids. Just over the Malaysian border and a short road trip with kids from Singapore,Rawa Island Resort is a popular family resort because it has just the right combination of chillax vibe, activities for the entire family and entertainment for kids that require minimal supervision. This is one of the best family beaches you will find anywhere near Singapore and because it is such a family friendly resort, you may just never want to leave. To get to Rawa Island Resort head straight to Mersing in Johor, Malaysia and from there it is a short boat ride into paradise. Located in the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park in the South China Sea is a rustic and homely oasis that is the perfect place to unwind from the stresses of city living. What makes this one of the best beach holiday destinations close to Singapore is the back-to-basics feel – instead of screens and urban chaos, at Rawa the kids will play in the sun and really spend their time enjoying being outdoors.

On the beach holidays must start with a beautiful beach and Rawa certainly has that. The water is warm and flat so at high tide the kids can safely go paddling, snorkeling, ride the kayaks, jump off the jetty or do laps round and round the two fantastic waterslides. At low tide you can walk right out into the reef to explore the rock pools or take advantage of the expanded sand to play football or beach cricket. Rawa is one of the more memorable family friendly resorts because the natural beauty is quite remarkable. For the more intrepid, organise a SCUBA course with the new resident dive master, Adam, or ask him to take you out to try other snorkeling spots. He can show you how Rawa’s marine biodiversity has really come alive again in its surrounding reefs. Or, if you prefer to be above the water, go island hopping or hobie cat sailing.

On land, there’s plenty to entertain the kids as well. On a windy day the beach is the perfect spot to fly a kite. Otherwise try your hand at beach volleyball, jump on the large trampoline or follow the resident peacocks as they strut their stuff around the island.

When you really need some downtime, send the kids off to the play area to find some board games, play table tennis or enjoy some communal TV time while you indulge in the new spa services being provided by Chirawan Spa from Singapore.

The Food on Rawa Island Resort

Family friendly resorts should mean everyone gets a break so at Rawa this means absolutely no planning or decision making is required – even at mealtimes. Every meal here is buffet style which means you never need consult a menu – just grab a plate and take what you like.

The restaurant has just brought in a new manager and executive chef trained in Switzerland. This means the meals will be more varied and better quality and you can expect a high level of service inside the restaurant.

The menu is always a good mixture of Western and local savoury and sweet dishes and once a week there is usually a barbeque night. If your kids eat early, talk to the restaurant in advance about what time suits you and they can set up an early kids meal in the evenings. Sandwiches can be provided in between mealtimes at request or you can buy snacks and ice creams from the small shop (that also sells swimmers and swimming toys).

If you are traveling with a baby, let the resort know and they can accommodate space in their fridge for infant milk and food.

To read more about the food on Rawa Island Resort, see the suitcases&strollers story here.

Family Friendly Accommodation: Rawa Island Resort

Rawa Island Resort really is all about on the beach holidays; they offer a range of accommodation across their 77 rooms including chalets that are right on the beach (four of these were just recently renovated with an added bedroom to be more comfortable for families). Prefer to try an over-the-water villa experience? Rawa has these as well (they come with their own private beach and tropical outdoor showers) or you can opt for a hillside villa for a more tropical jungle feel.

All the rooms come with air conditioning and hot water and while there are no baths in the rooms, for instance, this is very much in keeping with Rawa’s chilled out philosophy. You will rarely even need to wear your flip flops here. Just rinse the kids off and throw on a sun dress and that’s all you’ll be expected to do to come to dinner. And with the variety and volume of beach centric activities on offer, you will rarely spend any time in the rooms anyway!