Mabul Paradise Lodge

The hotel is ok, but nothing to write home about. The standard room (C), has squat toilets. We upgraded to B (with western toilet) and it was perfectly fine and clean when we checked in. However, it was not cleaned during our stay (5N) and only the last afternoon did they ask if we wanted it cleaned... unnecessary at that point. Often 3-5 of the staff would be sleeping across tables/outside guest rooms and we had to step over them... a bit weird to collapse like that, when rooms were not even being cleaned! We also did not appreciate staff smoking in the restaurant, right in front of a no-smoking sign. Smoke goes into the rooms with windows in that direction, not great when you have asthma! Had to tell one guy several times (and get upset) before he stopped smoking there. The main cook, receptionist and the bar guy were very nice and really did their best. The food was bland and repetitive, the fish dry and the chicken was only gizzards (necks), not something western tourists enjoy, as there is barely any meat, they contain a lot of bones and are tough/chewy. Granted, the hotel mainly caters to the Chinese tourist market. We asked for food without onions because of allergies, but they didn't seem to understand. We got all our food cooked separately... but with onion!? After a few days they finally got it, as we showed them which pieces in our food we can't eat. They tried their best, but also always cooked our food early and put it out an hour or more before we came to eat... it was always cold. Luckily they do have a microwave. We appreciated the fresh water melon after dinner and the fact that they had filtered water for refilling yourself. There are aquariums in the dining area and also some fish trapped in a net between the rooms. It is very dirty and sad. I think someone heard me commenting on it, since a guy started to clean the aquariums, but only the front, so the fish can be seen. The rest of the tanks were covered in algae, as was the vegetation in them. It all looks really bad, not great if you want to impress Europeans. We appreciated our dive guide. He was good and speaks English. The equipment worked, but has seen better days... If you are an experienced diver, ask early on to go only with others who are as well. For our first dive, a guy in our group (AOW certified, but had maybe 10 dives) used all his air in under 30 minutes. Luckily, our dive guide split the group afterwards. We kind of knew what Mabul Paradise would be like, after looking at the pictures and reading the reviews. It is a basic place, catering to the Asian market, with very basic food and therefore it's cheaper than places on the other side of Mabul. If you want to be close to Sipadan, it is an affordable place. Side notes (not comments on the hotel): 1. June is the worst month in the area, as visibility is not great. We saw lots of turtles and other great stuff, but it's not easy or cheap to get here, so rather go when the chances are greater to have good visibility, especially if you intend on going to Sipadan. We had two good dives there, but they do not make our top ten list, due to bad visibility. It would've been amazing otherwise. The hotel does not have their own permits, you go with a company from the mainland, who pick up at Mabul at 9:30. Visibility is best early mornings and apparently you're also more likely to see shark action early. The company was perfectly fine, no complaints really. It's just good to know that others, who have their own permits, start at 6:00. You can book your Sipadan dives with them, even if you stay at Mabul Paradise. These dive shops also do 60 min dives, not only 45 min, that the company we went with claimed was max. 2. There is a lot of plastic and other garbage all around Mabul. It is not a pretty island, but still much better than staying in Semporna. You'll see garbage while snorkelling/diving. Please help with cleaning up while doing so!

Got some problems of transportation from Tawau airport to hotel.

房間一般，周圍全是巴瑤族人臟亂差的房屋和土路。奇葩的是離開水屋回仙本那的船被安排為距離仙本那很遠地方上岸，客人要拖行李走很長的水上破舊不棧道，並且在茫茫大海幾十公里的乘船行程，船上居然無救生衣。想想都後怕！！！

Sin duda la peor experiencia en nuestra estancia en Malasia, fuimos con toda la ilusión y siendo el alojamiento más caro que pagamos en nuestro viaje es el peor servicio que tuvimos. Lo único bueno es la habitación y las vista, pero que son las que hay en toda la isla. La comida súper repetitiva y contada, que pasamos mucha hambre. El baño desastroso, y por la noche con cucarachas. Y el desayunar viendo como las ratas están en la barbacoa del día anterior, no tiene precio.El servicio de electricidad y agua se cortará par de horas por la mañana cuando nos aseguraron que no sería así. Las excursiones que tanto en la página como antes de ir te dan a entender que están incluidas no era así ni el transporte hasta el hotel. Creo que nunca había sentido que pagando eras un extraña que molestaba al pedir un servicio mínimo. Sin duda no recomiendo para nada este alojamiento y mucho menos su servicio que es pésimo, un alojamiento dirigidos por niños que solo quieren estar durmiendo y cantando el karaoke y les molesta trabajar.

各位遊客注意，如果你們有意去馬布島水屋玩的朋友們，請聽我告訴你們以下注意事項。 馬布島上有好幾家水屋民宿（其他網站可找到），最差的就是這家，首先是收費是這個島上最貴的，我們在前往的前一天還沒有收到酒店的主動聯繫我而幸好主動聯繫攜程後才能知道怎麼前往島上。到了島上民宿後發現所謂的包三餐竟然三天都一樣吃雞炸魚兩個清菜，衹是醬料不同而已，雖然是還有麪包和㗎啡但不新鮮。至於購買當地小艇所賣的海鮮是新鮮及便宜，但是這民宿的所謂廚師一點都不會處理，全部不是開水燙就是清蒸。另外那個會中文的像是老闆娘她的態度更不理不睬！唉！不説了太差了

很不錯的行程，馬布島OW的不錯選擇，性價比高，中文潛水教練Yean是很乾練的女生，孩兒們學得很快很順利。馬布周邊浮潛也很不錯，坐船30RM, 水性好的可以從這邊在水裡游到東岸的水屋邊，很多珊瑚，小雨，遇到三次海龜。 住的海景小木屋，帶衞生間，陽台。衞生不錯。如果大部分人都出海了，會停一會兒電節能，船回來後會給電，不影響洗澡。老闆是華人老伯，很爽朗的性格，愛聊天。