Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2
Semporna

"Where to Sleep in Semporna Sabah, Borneo"

"Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2" was last updated on April 18, 2012
Prices listed below are subject to change

In this article you'll find:


Semporna on Borneo is the gateway to the islands of Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, and Sibuan!

Want to sleep on the beautiful beaches of Sipadan?

I'm afraid that you can't book accommodation on Sipadan anymore. That's because they closed down the accommodations back in December 2004.

Good news is that Mabul Island is still running resorts! Wohoo!

But if you can't afford resorts, you still need a place to sleep between all the diving!

There are enough accommodation options in Semporna, and they're situated near the waterfront. We only stayed at Skuba Junkie, so that's what I'm going to tell you about!

Click here to share a tip or a review of a guesthouse/cheap hotel you like

Skuba Junkie Guesthouse

malaysia budget accommodation semporna sabah borneo our room at skuba junkie backpacking tips asia

Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2 -- Our room at SJ -- malaysia budget accommodation 2

Skuba Junkie is the most popular diving shop in Semporna, and it also provides cheap shelter for travelers.

A tip is to book a room in advance! (especially in the high season from June to August)

We stayed there for 4 nights and here's our review!

But first, I want to share some prices!

Price per night:

The prices below are with and without diver discount

  • Dorm: RM 25/50

  • Standard room: RM 60/120

  • "VIP" suite: RM 70/140

Internet: Free (they have two computers)

Laundry service: Yes

It it's not vacant, go to Mabul Café where there's an internet café.

What's included in the price?

You get towels and breakfast. In the morning, pick up a voucher at the reception. Then go to the restaurant next door. They serve English breakfast (eggs, toast, sausages, potato boats etc.) from 7.30 am to 9 am.

PS! When we went diving, there weren't any toilets on board the boats. You're going to be spending the whole day around the islands, so "do your thing" before you leave...

Ah! Most of the time we enjoyed our nights on Skuba Junkie; we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere at their restaurant, and the laid-back, serviceminded staff.

  • SJ offers diving courses (scuba diving, open-water, PADI instructor etc.), snorkeling trips, white water rafting, trips to Mt. Kinabalu and even nature escapes to the wild to see the rare proboscis monkey!

    To read our review of Skuba Junkie's Diving Course, click here!

  • Pick-up and transport to Tawau airport (if you're going to KL, KK or other places in Malaysia). The ride itself costs RM 80 (you can just split the cost).

So what about the room?

If you just want a simple base to sleep -- then Skuba Junkie can offer you that!


malaysia budget accommodation semporna sabah borneo skuba junkie rooms hallway outside shared bathrooms accommodation backpacking tips asia
Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2

Our room was very spacious, clean and with air-con, TV and windows, while the shared bathrooms were alright (as in clean in the morning and a bit dirty in the evening -- but that's just how shared bathrooms are!)

The whole place is run-down, but you do get what you pay for!

One thing that really bothered us was the "rat race" in the ceiling.

There were two nights when we woke up because it felt like the room was shaking!

It seemed like there were something running forth and back, like hundreds of rats running across the ceiling or a damn typhoon. I don't know what it was. But I got so scared. The thump and noise was in the walls as well. So bring ear plugs in case this happens to you too!

Where: It's by the harbor -- about 20 minutes to walk from the bus station.

You can ask Skuba Junkie to pick you up.


malaysia budget accommodation semporna sabah borneo skuba junkie dorms rooms accommodation backpacking tips asia
Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2 -- Dorms at SJ

But if you forget to ask (like we did), you can do it this way:

We took the Dyana bus from Kota Kinabalu Sabah and were dropped off at a bus station. We asked some locals and they pointed us in the food market direction. You have to cross a large open square and then after two minutes, you will find the main street.

After that, walk along the main street on the right side (maybe for
3 minutes).

Stop when you see a "bridge" which leads you right to the market.

Cross the road, then the bridge.

Turn right and walk for 2 minutes. At the end of that road, you'll see heaven blue buildings. That's Skuba Junkie!

(SJ is divided into three buildings; dive shop, restaurant and guesthouse)

Read other reviews of Skuba Junkie

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Room: rating star icon rating star icon rating star icon rating star icon rating star icon

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Other accommodations in Semporna

The accommodations listed below are not tried by the author,
but are recommendations from other travelers (who we talked to)

If it's full at Skuba Junkie, you can try one of these instead!

Dragon Inn

malaysia budget accommodation semporna sabah borneo dragon inn dorms rooms accommodation backpacking tips asia
Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2 -- Dragon Inn

We took a stroll and ended up at the floating hotel of Dragon Inn! It's located on the pier, right by the jetty where all the boats for the islands leave.

What so cool about stayin on "floating" hotels is that you get to see the fish swimming beneath your feet! ;-)

Price per night: Cheapest you can get are dorms -- RM 20

Single and double rooms start from RM 66. The most expensive rooms cost RM 400.

Read reviews of Dragon Inn

Lee's Resthouse

Lee's is recommended by Lonely Planet, and is popular for its clean and comfortable rooms.

Price per night:

  • Single and double room: RM 50/60

  • Room for 3 people: RM 75

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Have A Great Tip on Where to Sleep?

Got any recommendations for where to sleep in Semporna? Or maybe you own a guesthouse and want to promote it? Share your story, tip or review of the guesthouse/hotel you like!

Tell us: What did you like/not like about the guesthouse you stayed at in Semporna? How was the service? Did you meet fellow backpackers?

PS: I reserve the right to delete a submission if it's not original, duplicate content, or if it's too short.

By original I mean the content is NOT copied from another website. That also means your own website. I will check if the content you provide is duplicate or not. Sorry for sounding strict, but I aim to deliver excellent and original content to my readers - that's my priority no. 1.

Any submission below 300 words will be deleted.

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You're done with Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2 Semporna, where do you want to go next?

Back to Semporna Main Page?

Don't know where to eat in Semporna? Try these!

Wondering about what to consider in your Malaysia Budget?

Or maybe you want to read our review of Skuba Junkie's open-water diving course?

Return from Malaysia Budget Accommodation 2 Semporna to Backpacking Tips Asia Homepage.





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