Sabah Malaysia: Perfect 10

In Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is Sulug, a small island with a shallow reef sloping down to large coral bommies, where huge schools of glassfish gather. divedownbelow.com

Jason Isley/Scubazoo

Sapi is another must-visit island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. It offers diverse diving with resident turtles and a wealth of macro life. diverse-borneo.com

Roger Munns/Scubazoo

Visit one of the many bustling coffee shops on Gaya Street at the heart of Kota Kinabalu (KK), to start your day with a cup of local coffee and freshly made steamed buns.

Gil Woolley/Scubazoo

Check out Borneo’s topside wildlife on a river trip through the jungle on a Klias river cruise, keeping a keen eye out for the elusive proboscis monkey. traversetours.com

Jason Isley/Scubazoo

On the boundary of the marine park and away from the islands is Edgell Patches, a site where strong currents often bring in large pelagics and huge schools of fish. borneodream.com

Jason Isley/Scubazoo

Visit the Mari Mari cultural village to experience the ancient traditions of various Sabah cultures and tribes. Pick out your own bamboo tattoo. traversetours.com

Jason Isley/Scubazoo

Mount Kinabalu towers over the Sabah skyline at nearly four kilometres high. It takes a couple of days to climb it, but your reward will be breathtaking vistas. mountkinabalu.com

Roger Munns/Scubazoo

Journey north up the coast from KK for a handful of WWII wrecks around Usukan Bay. The shallowest among them, the Rice Bowl wreck, begins in 25 metres of water. scubajunkie.com

Jason Isley/Scubazoo

It’s worth making an excursion to Mantanani, a trio of tropical islands surrounded by crystalline blue water and reefs where you might encounter a resident dugong.

Gil Woolley/Scubazoo

No visit to Sabah would be complete without a visit to Sipadan. On Borneo’s east coast, it features everything from macro to schooling barracuda. borneodivers.net

Jason Isley/Scubazoo