Pulau Maiga, just 35 minutes from the mainland town of Semporna, offers pristine beaches, snorkeling, and encounters with the Bajau Laut community.
Pulau Maiga is instantly recognizable from a distance due to the distinctive way in which coconut trees line its sandy beaches.
Located a mere ±35 minutes by speedboat from the town of Semporna, Maiga sits right in between Sibuan and Selakan.
Tourists to the island, where there are no motor vehicles or fancy commercial developments, are far and few in between. Those who do visit often stop by for a lunch picnic or to go snorkeling in the clear blue waters of this beautiful islet.
Many even end up with a kilogram or two of purple seaweed purchased from the Sea Gypsies (Bajau Laut) who call this idyllic place home.
Accommodation & day tours
There are no major hotels or resorts on Pulau Maiga, or any of the other islands in Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
► Explore more Tun Sakaran Marine Park packages
Things to do
Lunch picnics
There is a sandy beach running right round the island that is well sheltered from the monsoon winds all year round.
Snorkeling & scuba diving
See above for snorkeling and diving day tours to Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
Sea Gypsies village/settlement
A small, friendly community of Bajau Laut (Sea Gypsies) live in and around Maiga Island. Apart from coconut trees, there is no sign of other forms of cultivation on Maiga Island, and the Bajau Laut appear to survive on fishing alone.
Getting here
Maiga is located ±35 minutes by boat from Semporna, ±25 minutes from Pom Pom, ±35 minutes from Mataking and ±1.5 hours from Mabul.
More info
Pulau Maiga is a low-lying, sandy island, rather than a raised limestone platform (as compared to Sebangkat and Selakan).
The island covers an area of ~20.16 hectares. The surrounding reef is fairly shallow, except towards the northern side which drops to 40m or more. The length of the reef rim is approximately 7.8 km.
Maiga Island is separated from the Sebangkat-Selakan reef by a channel about 1-2 km wide with a charted depth of 40m.
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