Rated as one of the top diving destinations in the world by Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine Gold List, here are the 10 Pulau Sipadan dive sites that you should definitely visit.

Pulau Sipadan is a small offshore island just off mainland Sabah in the Indo-Pacific basin and its waters are home to some of the richest varieties of marine life that can be found anywhere in the world.

A real jewel, Pulau Tioman in Malaysia offers an astounding range of secret underwater treasures for divers of any ability. Situated just off the east coast of the Malaysian peninsular, Pulau Tioman is a great place for beginners to come and learn. Diving is available throughout the year, even during the wet months of December and January.

The tiny speck of an island named Pulau Tenggol is located half way between the bigger islands of Pulau Tioman and Pulau Redang on the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia, about 25km off the mainland. Pulau Tenggol’s main attraction for divers is the amazing wall diving on offer, thanks to the sheer cliff faces on the eastern side of the island.

The Pulau Redang marine park includes a collection of islands that all offer great dive opportunities along with Redang itself. The islands of Pulau Ling, Pulau Lima, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Paku Kecil and Pulau Ekor Tebu all offer dozens of great swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.

A diver’s heaven, Pulau Layang Layang is a small island completely surrounded by a coral reef, and lies just of the coast of Sabah. The name Layang Layang is actually a new name for the island, which for a long time was known in English as the “Swallow Reefs”.

The twin tropical paradise islands of Pulau Perhentian, Besar (big) and Kecil (Small), are situated 20km off of the Malaysian peninsular on its eastern coast. The islands used to be a stopping off point for merchants and trader ships about a hundred or so years ago, hence the name Pulau Perhentian (“One stop island” in English).