Big John Scuba, Sabah, Malaysia
4.5 (329 reviews) Thursday: 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM Spent Ranking #3 in Semporna District Scuba & Snorkelling
I would go back in a heartbeat!
Everything was perfect, best budget option to dive in Mabul/Kapalai/Sipadan ! If you need more details: The crew: Big John has a big heart and we felt welcome in his family from the very first minute until the last one. Everybody was friendly and took good care of us! Shout out to Kim, Mark, Ameng and Roy! The dives: Mabul and Kapalai were as worth it as Sipadan! Wonderful dive sites, you will end up staying there longer than you thought, that’s for sure! We did 6 dives with Ameng and he would surprise us every time, showing us the smallest and cutest nudi ever found, looking several minutes into corals to find a pigmy seahorse or an orangutan crab. My friends did 2 discovery dives with Roy and Jerry and loved it, those guys are so chill! The equipment was in good condition and we felt always safe. The place: The new dorm are perfectly clean, good AC & fan + 2 toilets and 2 showers, luxury! Food was good, especially the donuts... I think we all gained 2 or 3 pounds there. I’m a vegetarian and the staff would always make sure that I’d have eggs, veggies and a rice without meat in it. It was super appreciated! Lots of fruits for every meals too! The price: The four of us were traveling on a small budget and as much as I wanted to dive there, the Sipadan permits are so expensive that I wasn’t sure I would be able too. Big John is the most affordable option to stay on Mabul and get your Sipadan permit without compromising on your basic comfort and safety. We ended up staying 4 days instead of 2 and were really sad to leave... thanks again guys, we loved our stay there! *the picture is your view for the next few days...
Address
Jalan Kastam Unit 5, SOTC.. near Dragon Inn, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia, Postal Code: 91308.
Mobile
Website
http://www.bigjohnscuba.com
Working hours
Monday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday : 7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Thursday, May 16, 2024, 1:07
User Ratings
4.5 based on (329 reviews)
Reviews
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5Dobromir Petrov 5:00 PM Nov 15, 2022
Great diving and awesome people - a place to explore the local life
I choose Big John because it looked as a place where I would have good diving and also get to know the local atmosphere and lifestyle. I was right. I had 4 days of great diving (2 days Mabul/Kapalai and 2 days Sipadan). The dive masters/instructors are willing to show the most of the underwater world. They don't have Sipadan permits so diving there is with another dive center (Uncle Chang in my case) but all was fine with them. The place is run by locals and all of them had quite good attitude to me. I had lots of talks with Roy and the others, and got to know well the life on Mabul. The last night was amazing as all the current and formal Big John staff made a gathering, where I was invited. They prepared great food and everyone was as a part of a big family. This place is not a luxury one but the rooms are clean and comfortable, and the food is delicious (here having fish every day in contrast with some other more budget places where people eat chicken all the time). I would be happy to stay again in Big John and see how the folks are doing.
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5lélia l 5:00 PM Mar 6, 2020
I would go back in a heartbeat!
Everything was perfect, best budget option to dive in Mabul/Kapalai/Sipadan ! If you need more details: The crew: Big John has a big heart and we felt welcome in his family from the very first minute until the last one. Everybody was friendly and took good care of us! Shout out to Kim, Mark, Ameng and Roy! The dives: Mabul and Kapalai were as worth it as Sipadan! Wonderful dive sites, you will end up staying there longer than you thought, that’s for sure! We did 6 dives with Ameng and he would surprise us every time, showing us the smallest and cutest nudi ever found, looking several minutes into corals to find a pigmy seahorse or an orangutan crab. My friends did 2 discovery dives with Roy and Jerry and loved it, those guys are so chill! The equipment was in good condition and we felt always safe. The place: The new dorm are perfectly clean, good AC & fan + 2 toilets and 2 showers, luxury! Food was good, especially the donuts... I think we all gained 2 or 3 pounds there. I’m a vegetarian and the staff would always make sure that I’d have eggs, veggies and a rice without meat in it. It was super appreciated! Lots of fruits for every meals too! The price: The four of us were traveling on a small budget and as much as I wanted to dive there, the Sipadan permits are so expensive that I wasn’t sure I would be able too. Big John is the most affordable option to stay on Mabul and get your Sipadan permit without compromising on your basic comfort and safety. We ended up staying 4 days instead of 2 and were really sad to leave... thanks again guys, we loved our stay there! *the picture is your view for the next few days...
