This is generally the route to travel when thinking of visiting Semporna, Mabul, Sipadan, Kapalai, Pom Pom, Mataking or any neighbouring islands including those in Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
► Read this article if you’re heading from Singapore to Sipadan.
In summary, to get to Mabul Island you will want to:
- Fly into Tawau airport;
- Proceed by land transfer (~90 minutes) to the seaside town of Semporna; and
- Board a speed boat that will take you directly to Mabul Island (~45 minutes).
1. Direct flights to Tawau Airport
Tawau Airport is the nearest airport to the islands. Located in Sabah, one of two Malaysian states in Northern Borneo, the airport is mainly served by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia.
Direct flights to Tawau Airport (IATA:TWU) are available from the following 5 cities:
| Route | Duration | Frequency | Airline |
| Kuala Lumpur to Tawau | 2.5 hours | 6 flights daily | MAS, AirAsia |
| Kota Kinabalu to Tawau | 55 minutes | 7 flights daily | MAS, AirAsia |
| Sandakan to Tawau | 40 minutes | 2 flights daily | MAS |
| Johor Bahru to Tawau | 2.5 hours | 4 flights a week | AirAsia |
| Tarakan (Indonesia) to Tawau | 40 minutes | 5 flights per week | MAS |
General tips
- Ensure that your flight to Tawau lands at the latest by 2.00pm so that you can then transfer from Tawau to Semporna, and onwards to Mabul on the same day.
- If your flight to Tawau lands after 2pm, you will likely have to spend a night in Tawau. Late land and sea transfers (after 3pm) from Tawau to Semporna, and finally on to Mabul, are not recommended due to factors including safety, logistics and costs i.e. no more buses from Tawau to Semporna.
- If time is on your side, putting up for a night in either Tawau or Semporna is not a bad idea. Tawau is the bigger town of the two but some of Semporna’s attractions are worth exploring. Remember to inform your resort so that they may pick you up from either Tawau or Semporna the next morning to catch the first transfer to Mabul.
2. Tawau Airport to Semporna jetty
After arriving in Tawau, you will have to travel by land for around 90 minutes to the jetty in Semporna, where you may then proceed to board a ~45-minute speedboat ride to Mabul.
Your resort/dive operator may include or offer transportation at competitive prices for airport pickup + boat ride to Mabul, so it is best to check beforehand.
If, however, you will be arranging your own transportation from Tawau to Semporna, please follow this link for more information.
3. Speedboat from Semporna to Mabul
The final leg of your journey will consist of a boat ride to the island (35 to 45 minutes depending on weather conditions).
Boats from Semporna to Mabul and other islands depart from the jetty near the town center, and are organized by dive operators/resorts.
Daily boat transfers from Semporna to Mabul Island: 9.30am, 1.30pm and 4.30pm
Visitors who will not be staying in Mabul may still tour the island by joining snorkeling/diving day trips organized by resorts/dive operators in Semporna town.