Karen Tukalan-Pinn (Travel & Lifestyle Writer): Sapi Island

What can you do for a day or during a short visit in Sabah? Whether it is exploring the nature and coral islands or visiting the historical sites - there is plenty to do and see on land and on the water while visiting this part of Malaysia.

The island hopping is a popular pursuit among the tourists as well as the locals as you are spoilt with so many choices of islands that you can go to such as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, which is Sabah’s second national park. It comprises of five beautiful coral islands namely Gaya Island, Manukan Island, Mamutik Island, Sapi Island and Sulug Island which are the alternative retreats for those who have become jaded with bustling Kota Kinabalu city.

Well, seeing is believing so I decided to get away from the city for a day – to enjoy the sun, sea and sand in Pulau Sapi. This small 10-hectare island is known for its clean beaches, crystal-clear water and coral reefs fringing the shoreline. I was also advised that it is one of the best places for snorkelling.

Sapi Island does not offer any accommodation facilities but camping is allowed only with a written permission from Sabah parks office in the city. However, since this island is not far from the city, everyone can easily go there in the morning, stay for a few hours and then come back to the city late afternoon.

It was a fine morning, so I packed my gear and of course never go to the island without the sunscreen to protect the skin from the harmful rays. I took a boat ride from Jesselton Point jetty where there are so many tour-operated speedboats available and depart on hourly basis. If you want a hassle-free and more organized trip to the island, you can get a local tour company to arrange everything for you from the transfers, activities or tour on the island and even lunch. I prefer to go to the island and free to do things on my own pace, so I skipped the tour.

I bought a return ticket to Sapi Island for only RM30 at the Jesselton Point jetty. Renting the snorkelling gear costs RM15 and a beach mat for RM10 – my suggestion, better bring your own beach mat if you have one. The speedboat took about 20 minutes to Pulau Sapi and throughout the journey I cannot cease to enjoy the blue seawater, broken only by the froth of the waves.
The moment I arrived at the jetty of Sapi Island, I had to walk along the boardwalk and it was amazing to be able to see schools of fish in the clear water, from small fish to sword fish. Sometimes you can even spot the Clown fish or some people here would call “Nemo” based on the famous animation movie.

I had to pay an entrance fee of RM3 (RM10 for non-Malaysians) which was not much. Well, the Sabah parks has to maintain the island for visitors and the fees will be used towards that.
I can see so many people lazing on the white sandy beach although there are wooden tables and benches provided for visitors. I found an area underneath a big tree, a good place to rest and settle my belongings. The park warden told me to watch for the macaque monkeys that sometimes come out from the forest to prey on visitors’ belongings. I only saw one of them not far from where I was sitting, but it stayed on the tree while spying on everyone who walked around the island.

Even though you did not buy any tours at the jetty earlier, you are still able to delight in a host of activities offered on the beach at minimal charges such as parasailing, jet skiing and banana boat ride. Swimming in the clear water allowed a vivid encounter of the marine life and different species of coral reefs such as the staghorn, mushroom, cabbage, brain, and more. When snorkelling, a group of small fish approached and gave tingly bites on your body but they are harmless. You can get on a glass bottomed boat which leaves you in no danger of getting either wet or impaled with sea urchins.

Forest trails with well maintain walk way through the interior provide an excellent opportunity for nature appreciation. During low tide the sea water decreases so low that it allow ones to walk around the island along the beaches, although some part is more challenging with rocky surfaces. For the less energetic, the beach is there for you to laze and bronze on while being lured to slumber by the sound of waves lapping on the sand.

Do not worry about lunch, snacks or drinks because there are shop, restaurant and food stalls on the island. Bear in mind that the prices are a little higher than normal though. For lunch, I just had some barbecued chicken wings because I cannot resist from the nice aroma.

But obviously I was not the only one who was attracted to smell as I saw bunch of monitor lizards crawled from the forest toward the nearby restaurant and stalls. The monitor lizards belong to the same group of carnivorous lizards like the komodo dragon. They were about three to five feet long and have rough skin, long necks, potent tails and claws, well-developed limbs. Their thin long tongues, which look almost similar to snake’s tongue, were like their sensors and led them to the BBQ pits – they were not afraid being close to humans. Everyone on the island was awed with these creatures and took loads of photographs as some of them claimed that they had never seen a monitor lizard before. The park warden warned us not to get too close to these monitor lizards because their bites are venomous, just like other deleterious lizards and snakes.

After lunch and laze about on the white sandy beach, I enjoyed another swim to cool my body down. Pretty soon it was time for me to leave Sapi Island. Although I was there for half a day, it was a picnic excursion that I enjoyed very much. The speedboat left around 4:15 pm where the sun was mild with the shadow of Sapi Island lurking in the distance, seemingly beckoning me to return.