Living it up (backpacker style) at Borneo Global Backpackers Sipadan
So a few months back, I bought a 4D3N scuba diving trip package for RM 1460 through Borneo Global Backpackers (BGB) Sipadan. The dive package includes 6 dives at Semporna, including 3 dives at Sipadan, another 3 at any of the surrounding islands and a Proboscis monkey river cruise on the first day of arrival. The accommodation is a choice of Seafest Hotel, which would add about RM300 to the package fee, or the backpackers accommodation, which is what I went for, and free airport transfer to the backpackers place or hotel is included.
During Hari Raya break (which is the Eid celebration for Malaysian Muslims, I finally got to enjoy the dive package I was looking forward to.
So this post is all about this lovely little backpackers abode called Global Borneo Sipadan.
I stayed at the 8 bed mixed dorm, which is essentially a room with 4 bunk beds, a few towel racks and only one shared bathroom with no toiletries (as is the case at most backpackers). The room and bathroom are clean and well maintained, the room is air conditioned and the bathroom has heated water. Unfortunately there is no locker or lockable cupboard for valuables, but you can put your valuables at the reception when you're out as they have someone there to watch all the time. If you're using a laptop, another option is to use a laptop lock and secure it to the bunk bed.
WiFi is available for free at the common room only, which is too far if you're at the dorm on the top floor, though you might have better luck with the WiFi if you stay in one of the 1st floor rooms. You get a view of the sea from the room, though it's through a sealed window, so don't expect to take cutesy selfies on a balcony.
The place is monitored with CCTV (according to a sign on the wall, not that I actually saw it), which is good if you're into added security.
Below is a photo of the 4 bunk bed mixed dorm and the area for hanging clothes, and a pic of a 4 person dorm with normal beds which I snuck a pic of during cleaning time.
The common room has free tea and coffee, water dispenser with hot water, a few books and mags stacked on a coffee table, and a TV with the local version of cable. As is the case with most backpackers, plenty of Caucasians come and go, with the occasional China Chinese and local tourist like yours truly. Breakfast is included in the package, but not much in terms of choice (only toast and fruit). There a fridge to store your food, which is not huge, so hopefully good enough when the place is full of people.
The people running the place are friendly, while the dive instructors include locals as well as Caucasians who come to live there for a while and do the whole work for free accommodation thing, which Asian folks generally still haven't learned to do yet. Lol.
Just a 5 minute walk away are plenty of shops for basic necessities and food with lots of people bustling around. Lots and lots of seafood restaurants here to choose from, as well as a diver's bar and an internet cafe (Mabul Cafe). My dive guide told me the Internet here is good enough for Skype calls, and price is very cheap at only RM2 (USD 0.60) per hour. Which would be awesome if the place wasn't closed every time I tried to use it. The cafe folks told me the first night that they needed all staff to help at the cafe so they couldn't open the Internet cafe, but even when I went at 10.30am the last day I was here, it wasn't open. Thankfully the wifi at BGB is pretty fast.
All in all, I have no complaints about the GBS Backpackers place, and even met several travellers who left it and came back in a few days after traveling around some other nearby areas. I guess returning customers speak for itself.
My next posts will be about the providing monkey river cruise and the dive trips. Stay tuned! :-D
Signing off with a pic of nice wall artwork at BGB...
During Hari Raya break (which is the Eid celebration for Malaysian Muslims, I finally got to enjoy the dive package I was looking forward to.
So this post is all about this lovely little backpackers abode called Global Borneo Sipadan.
I stayed at the 8 bed mixed dorm, which is essentially a room with 4 bunk beds, a few towel racks and only one shared bathroom with no toiletries (as is the case at most backpackers). The room and bathroom are clean and well maintained, the room is air conditioned and the bathroom has heated water. Unfortunately there is no locker or lockable cupboard for valuables, but you can put your valuables at the reception when you're out as they have someone there to watch all the time. If you're using a laptop, another option is to use a laptop lock and secure it to the bunk bed.
WiFi is available for free at the common room only, which is too far if you're at the dorm on the top floor, though you might have better luck with the WiFi if you stay in one of the 1st floor rooms. You get a view of the sea from the room, though it's through a sealed window, so don't expect to take cutesy selfies on a balcony.
The place is monitored with CCTV (according to a sign on the wall, not that I actually saw it), which is good if you're into added security.
Below is a photo of the 4 bunk bed mixed dorm and the area for hanging clothes, and a pic of a 4 person dorm with normal beds which I snuck a pic of during cleaning time.
The common room has free tea and coffee, water dispenser with hot water, a few books and mags stacked on a coffee table, and a TV with the local version of cable. As is the case with most backpackers, plenty of Caucasians come and go, with the occasional China Chinese and local tourist like yours truly. Breakfast is included in the package, but not much in terms of choice (only toast and fruit). There a fridge to store your food, which is not huge, so hopefully good enough when the place is full of people.
The people running the place are friendly, while the dive instructors include locals as well as Caucasians who come to live there for a while and do the whole work for free accommodation thing, which Asian folks generally still haven't learned to do yet. Lol.
Just a 5 minute walk away are plenty of shops for basic necessities and food with lots of people bustling around. Lots and lots of seafood restaurants here to choose from, as well as a diver's bar and an internet cafe (Mabul Cafe). My dive guide told me the Internet here is good enough for Skype calls, and price is very cheap at only RM2 (USD 0.60) per hour. Which would be awesome if the place wasn't closed every time I tried to use it. The cafe folks told me the first night that they needed all staff to help at the cafe so they couldn't open the Internet cafe, but even when I went at 10.30am the last day I was here, it wasn't open. Thankfully the wifi at BGB is pretty fast.
All in all, I have no complaints about the GBS Backpackers place, and even met several travellers who left it and came back in a few days after traveling around some other nearby areas. I guess returning customers speak for itself.
My next posts will be about the providing monkey river cruise and the dive trips. Stay tuned! :-D
Signing off with a pic of nice wall artwork at BGB...
