"Sapi Island or Pulau Sapi most beautiful island in Sabah"

This small island which is part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is only 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu town  in Sabah Borneo and there are boats going and coming from the mainland every other hour. A very popular place for day trippers as there are no lodgings here. Most packages include a lunch, snorkeling and just relaxing on the beach. Not as busy as sister island Manukan but does get crowded on weekends. Sapi Island has some of the best waters and beach here. Local attraction is the huge monitor lizards that look like Komodo Dragons.

Pulau Sapi Island in Sabah, one of the five islands that make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and is just a 15 minute boat ride from the city of Kota Kinabalu. This is one of the most beautiful islands around here and is smaller than Pulau Manukan but the crowd here is much less compared to the neighboring islands. If you are planning on visiting any of these islands while in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, I would easily recommend Pulau Sapi anytime.   

Pulau Sapi is easily accessible from Kota Kinabalu via two places. One would be taking the hourly ferry from Jesselton Pier while the other way getting to Sapi Island is from Sutera Harbor. Both offer about the same time to the island while Jesselton may be a little cheaper. You can simply do a half day trip and be back in KK after lunch. This is the most popular island package tour operators are offering. 

On arrival here, you will be amazed by the clarity and colour of the waters surrounding the island and once  you get on the jetty, you will be mesmerized at the natural beauty surrounding this place. Seriously, you could not stop clicking away. 

As each of the islands around the TAR Park are maintained by Sabah Parks, you need to pay the island entrance fees of RM3 for Malaysians and RM10 for non-Malaysians at the counter which is a very minimal fee if you ask me. Just for the record, Sapi means Cow in the Malay language, reason for this is that the shape of the island is like the head of a cow which was given by the Bajau people in the old days.  

Fish food is sold in recycled mineral water bottles for you to feed when you go snorkeling. Some of the coral fishes are so bold, one need not get into the water while you can just throw the food from the beach and they will come in droves. Remember to practice responsible tourism and dispose of the bottle in a proper way. 

The waters here are so clear, it's unbelievable that the main land is just fifteen minutes away. Many regulars tend to choose Pulau Sapi over Manukan due to the larger crowds there while first timers would most likely land in Manukan. So, with this you now know where to go if you want clearer waters and less crowds. But weekends are no guarantee as it is indeed a very popular place.

As for activities here, there is the Scuba-Doo mini submarine experience for you to try. Something only Sapi and Manukan has where you ride this little motorbike-style-submarine to do a sea walk. 

Sea walking at Sapi Island

The general snorkeling at Sapi Island is one you have to try. The waters are really clear and there are lots of coral fishes ranging from little ones to large ones. A floating barrier protects the surrounding are where you are not to venture out from there. Personally, you got me some fish food and did your rounds of snorkeling here and the schools of fish were following you where ever you swam.

Pristine beaches at Sapi Island

For scuba diving at Sapi Island, there are dive shops that offer packages for dive lessons and actual dives. There are four dive spots at Pulau Sapi which is located on the North-Western part of the island. At the main beach near the jetty, dive training and lessons are conducted in a confined area. The waters here are clear, shallow and easy to manage for beginners. It is best that you ask your tour operator for the dive contacts to learn or dive here.

Student divers practicing in the shallow waters

Apart from the general activities at Pulau Sapi, you can always pretend to be a super model as in the picture above. All you need is a towel, camera and guts the size of the island. Well, why not when the water and sand is beautiful. 

Inland, a unique attraction only available on Sapi Island awaits to be discovered by you. If you walk towards the left section as you enter the island, you may encounter really large lizards that look like the Komodo Dragons but they are not. These lizards are known as Biawaks or Monitor Lizards that grow up to about six feet in length. If you are lucky, your guide will inform you about this and show it to you. 

Special attraction at Sapi Island

On occasion, these monitor lizards may venture close to the tables because of the food. I would advise that you do not try to pat them to let your kids near them. Though they look harmless and slow, they can be a little dangerous in defending themselves. Usually the island staff would chase them back to the greens when they venture too far out.The main reason for them to appear is that the staff cook the barbecues by the edge of the forest attracting this reptiles.

 

Again, take pictures but don't try to pose with them. Their saliva is filled with bacteria while their claws can rip a nasty gash on you. Best option is to keep a 5 feet distance from these prehistoric looking reptiles. Another thing to look out for are the local monkeys or macaques which make the island their home. These monkeys have a tendency to cart away belongings of guests here. so if you are sitting closer to the jungle, I would highly advise to keep an eye on your belongings. 

  

Sapi Island is mostly shaded naturally so you need not worry much about the blistering direct sun unless you head out to the beach. Your lunch meals are taken under the shade usually buffet style. Remember when you book the packages from the operators, they will include the meals unless specified.

You had a buffet seafood lunch package ready for us. Barbecued seafood which included prawns, fish and squid was the main while local fried rice and noodles with sausages was also served For dessert, cut sliced local fruits and for drinks, there was a container of cordial juice. Bottled water was also given to each of us. A decent meal if you ask me so do not expect five star service here. 

 

Sapi Island is truly one of Sabah's little gem as I have never seen clarity and beauty in one island which is so close to the city. One of the fun things to do at Pulau Sapi is to wait for the tide to go down so you can actually walk across to Pulau Gaya and back through the connecting sandbar. Do not attempt this alone and best to do it with someone.  

For those who like camping, you are allowed to do so here but only with the permission of the Park Warden. please inquire about this with your tour agent or company before hand. You have seen some groups camp out here with bonfires. Toilets are provided while a local restaurant/cafe is available.

Though many types of other motorized activities are offered at  Pulau Sapi and the surrounding islands, you would strongly recommend you do not participate in them as motorized sports are non-environmentally friendly and dangerous. But the choice is entirely up to you.

If you are the adventurous type with a little more to spend, book an entire boat that takes you to all the islands here. The experience would be well worth while. 

It was amazing.....