What is it about Sabah that is so irresistible?

For some, a visit is about gazing deep into the eyes of an orang-utan, one of our nearest primate relatives, while others plunge in headfirst to sample some of the world’s best diving and snorkelling spots. Sabah is renowned for the earthly delights of its rich rainforests and deep, impenetrable jungles, and the 1600 kilometres of coast framing the territorial waters of the South China, Sulu and Sulawesi seas make it Borneo’s premier adventure diving destination.

Located at the point where the two great land masses of Australia and Asia separated millenniums ago, Borneo is the world’s third largest island, with spectacular biodiversity. A vast variety of organisms gained from both continents exist in its ancient rainforests, including more than 3,500 tree species and 1500 types of orchids, far more than anywhere else in the world. The work of the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan on the east coast attracts 1 million visitors annually.

However, nature’s theme park offers more than jungle trekking, and with the growing trend to marine eco-tourism, Sabah’s coral reefs have moved up the conservation agenda. When the late Jacques Cousteau first saw Sipadan Island’s coral wall, which plunges to a depth of 600 metres, he described it as an untouched piece of art, and it soon became a fixture on the world’s top 10 dive spots. Sipadan, or Simpadan as it’s known locally, means border and its closeness to Indonesia was a contentious issue that was only settled in Malaysia’s favour by the International Court of Justice in 2003.

Sipadan was under stress from growing tourism, and as a result the island’s five resorts have closed and will remain so as the Malaysian Government regenerates the island for World Heritage listing. “The environment is our silent partner - if it’s sick we are done,” said Clement Lee, according to a report in Australia. “Visitors can still dive Sipadan’s 18 sites that together with neighbouring Mabul and Kapalai, form Sabah’s ‘golden dive triangle’,” said Lee, who is confident Sipadan has a bright future.

So what would a dive enthusiast with money to burn describe as a luxurious experience? Having access to the macro world of small fish and nudibranchs as well as big-game white-water diving action is an obvious attraction. Combine that with the opportunity to fly directly to Kapalai - landing on a nearby sandbar; your personal dive master and boat; well-drilled boatmen to handle tanks, fins, underwater camera gear and generally take the weight off you as you explore up to 50 nearby sites, and this is diving - or snorkelling - nirvana. “Siu Siu Point” announces the wooden plaque above the entrance to our bungalow and through the open doorway, a watery wonderland gleams on all sides.

Below the boardwalk, our private aquarium is bustling with life and the sultry afternoon sun shimmers with effervescent intensity.

Barracudas cruise by, scattering shoals of small fish across the still surface like confetti. Sturdy wooden shutters are flung open to catch every whisper of breeze as the sun dances across polished floorboards. This is Kapalai, a classic Malay-style water village situated on a shallow reef that falls 27 metres into the warm waters of the Sulawesi Sea off Sabah’s south coast. In this gentle seascape, it’s more about the ripple effect than making waves, and time spent diving, snorkelling or merely contemplating the ebb and flow of life around you leaves an indelible imprint on your soul.

Experienced dive masters carefully brief small groups before the morning departure for the evocatively named Lost World and Sweet Lips Table dive sites that form part of Sabah’s new aquatic frontier.

But it’s Sipadan’s great wall that offers divers the chance to dive with the big boys. Whitetip sharks, manta rays, hammerheads, schools of jacks and a vortex of barracudas all cruise its mighty depths, and there’s a feeling of exhilaration that comes when you first take the plunge into something new: a mixture of trepidation and bravura.

Despite all the opportunities for an action-packed visit, the climate conspires to ensure the pace is slow. For further information see www.sabahtourism.com.

Sabah is a luxuriant location not just in terms of world-class resort facilities but because of the exotic nature of its geography, culture and wildlife.

Close to Sabah’s capital Kota Kinabalu there’s no shortage of five-star resorts to match the environmental experiences on offer. A four-kilometre golden crescent scoops the warm waters of the South China Sea at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, where the newly opened nature reserve has an orang-utan foster program.

Further along the coast, the Nexus Karambunai Resort is framed by the lushness of a million-year-old rainforest. From the golf course, the fairways offer spectacular views of Mount Kinabalu, South-East Asia’s highest peak, with the South China Sea forming a significant water feature.

A two-hour drive from the capital, myths and legends swirl around Mount Kinabalu much like the collar of cloud that adorns its 4095-metre crenellated twin peaks. Mount Kinabalu crowns a World Heritage site roughly the size of Singapore, and was inscribed for its unmatched scenic beauty and richly diverse flora and fauna. Known to the local Dusun people as the home of departed spirits, each year more than 180,000 visitors come to enjoy the bracingly fresh air, with morning mists sweeping through the secondary rainforest creating a sense of eerie isolation.

Despite all the opportunities for an action-packed visit, the climate conspires to ensure the pace is slow. For further information see www.sabahtourism.com.

Sabah is a luxuriant location not just in terms of world-class resort facilities but because of the exotic nature of its geography, culture and wildlife.

For further information see www.sabahtourism.com.