Malaysia is a curious melting pot. The sliver of land that links Singapore to Thailand has been shaped by colonial Portuguese, Dutch and British rules. Along with local Malay and native groups, immigrants from China, India, Indonesia and other parts of Asia have all contributed to the country’s multiracial and multicultural nature. There is a unique blend of religions, traditions, languages and food.

Back in 1957, the individual states of Malaya achieved independence and formed a federation controlled by their Sultans. In 1963 Singapore joined the Federation, as did Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Singapore dipped out again just two years later leaving the remaining states to make up what we now call Malaysia, a very modern nation with a strong government that attracts western investors.

Malaysia’s underwater world is as diverse as anywhere can be: from pristine vistas of immaculate corals with enormous whale sharks or schools of hammerheads to shallow waters rich with tiny and rare marine creatures. It’s this diversity that attracts divers from all over the planet. Peninsula Malaysia has the South China Sea to the east and the Straights of Malacca to the west. Borneo’s two states, over 500 km away, are surrounded by the South China, Sulu and Celebes Seas. Each has it’s own weather patterns and consequent dive styles. Choosing where to dive will be governed by the time of year and where you happen to be, but no matter where that is, there will be a delightful island resort and a friendly dive centre to help you submerge.

Surrounded on all sides by open ocean currents, the sheer variety of marine life, reef structures and land attractions around the top of Borneo make it a world class dive destination. The State of Sabah - which translates as the Land below the Wind - is ringed by a mass of marine reserves and idyllic islands. The diving here is superlative, and your only problem will be choosing between resorts. Heading from west to east around the island.

Labuan Federal Territory: this small island, just 8km off the west coast of Sabah, is an intriguing wreck diving destination. The island has a deep water harbour so has always been a busy commercial centre. Now it’s a duty free port with waterside markets, stores, hotels, night clubs, and excellent restaurants. The beaches are pretty too, but the real draw is the cluster of accessible wrecks. A couple were born from WWII (the American and the Australian wrecks) while the Blue Water and Cement wrecks are more recent. Fish and coral growth is substantial, a good thing as the local reefs suffer from sediments and low visibility. The best dive season is between May and September.

Layang Layang: fly an hour out into the South China Sea, Layang Layang resort shares a tiny man made island with the Royal Malaysian Navy. This outpost was built to lay claim to the Spratley Group of islands, and is little more than an airstrip on the edge of a turquoise lagoon. However, around the edge of the lagoon is one large atoll whose walls are constructed by pristine hard corals that offer a haven to masses of pelagic life. While the corals and reef life alone are worth a visit, most people come for the curious hammerhead phenomena. Every Easter, large schools swarm into Layang then head off again a few weeks later. At other times turtles, reef sharks and schooling pelagics are common. The resort is also a bird sanctuary where rare boobies nest. Open between March and September.

Lankayan: an hour or so by boat into the Sulu Sea, Lankayan is ringed by an iridescent white beach and covered in a labyrinth of unruly green jungle. Surrounding the island is a set of flat plateaus that gradually shelve and drop off into a healthy reef system. There are no great walls, but gentle slopes covered, primarily, in hard corals. A recent survey has confirmed very high bio-diversity byt visibility is variable due to mainland proximity, shallow reef structures and high plankton concentration. However, diving here is about looking for the animals who thrive in these nutrient rich conditions. There are plenty, including rare rhinopias and occasional whalesharks that come to feed. Access to this year-round diving is via Sandakan, home of the outstanding Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary - not to be missed!.

Mabul: well known as a macro destination to die for, Mabul does not disappoint. The island is quite large compared to neighbouring Sipadan and Kapalai, and has a village and several resorts. Off shore there is even a hotel housed in a converted oil rig. It is frankly one of the ugliest things you will ever see, until you get beneath it and discover it’s also one of the best dive sites of your life. This one small space has more frog fish, crocodile fish, lions, scorpions and morays than you ever thought you’d see in one place. The pylons are eerie, reminiscent of a wreck dive, and surrounded by schooling fish. Even the shore dives are spectacular - nudibranchs, squid and seahorses are all common no matter what time of year you come.

Kapalai: although charted on maps, there is only a sand bar remaining from what was once a small island. At low tide you can walk along the beach that emerges, spotting shells and tiny critters caught in puddles. This flat topography is similar underwater, yet visibility here is reasonable as the reef mounds are washed daily by gentle tides. Corals tend to be low lying to the contours of the landscape but they’re all pretty healthy and a great haven for masses of weird and whacky critters. Leaf fish appeared in threesomes, hawkfish all over the place, frogfish on virtually every dive. The resort itself is a water village, wooden bungalows perch on stilts over an aquarium-like lagoon and the dive from the jetty is spectacular - resident mating mandarin fish, blue ringed octopus, clown frogfish, batfish and even baby nurse sharks reside within a couple of fin strokes. This is one of the best places we have been in years and diving is year-round!

Sipadan: if you are looking for the big stuff, then Sipadan is the place for you. Turtles are everywhere, so prolific and curious, that they will follow you around on a dive. One even bit our camera flash! Sharks are easy to spot, white tips always seem to snoozing on the palteaus and hammerheads are frequently spotted out on Barracuda Point. Speaking of which, huge schools of these guys just hang about waiting for a diver with a camera. The wall is quite spectacular, dropping to unimaginable depths, yet there are plenty of small and colourful creatures to see as well. The island itself is tiny, with a group of resorts all huddled together on a pretty white sand beach, perfect for shore dives.

Tenggol Island: the most recently developed of the islands along the coast and some regard it as the best diving on the peninsular. The west of the island is a steep sided wall that descends down to 30 metres where interesting boulders can be found. There’s plenty of colour with soft corals and fans, while on the east of the island you may find some intriguing critters lurking in the sand.

Tioman Island: the movie South Pacific was filmed on Tioman and it is as lovely as you might recall (if you’re old enough). At less than an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur, it is an ideal add-on, but possibly as much for it’s jungle walks, bird life and flora as it’s diving. The island is a designated marine park, but the water is very shallow so best suited to beginners. In fact, this can be a good place to take a course. There is more challenging diving a little way off shore, with all the usual suspects to spot, and a couple of small wrecks lurk in the shallows..

Entry: EU, US and Commonwealth - valid passport required for stays up to 6 months
Flights: Malaysian Airlines to Kuala Lumpur for all mainland, regional and Borneo destinations. Singapore Airlines/Silk Air to Brunei for Labuan and connections on Borneo.
Departure tax: 40 ringitt if not included in ticket

DIVING
Seasons: Tropical climate with warm and humid weather all year round. The mainland and Borneo are affected by differing wind patterns, best dive seasons are listed above.
Visibility: 5 metres to 30 or more
Water temperatures: 25-29 degrees
Deco chambers: Sipadan, Labuan and Singapore

GENERAL:
Language: The national language is Bahasa Melayu but English is widely spoken
Money: £1 = 6.94 ringitt US $1 = 3.82
Electricity: 220 - 240 volts
Health: No specific inoculations but get up to date advice on Malarial regions.

DIVE CENTRES:
Pulau Sipadan Resorts for Sipadan, Kapalai, Mabul and Lankayan
Layang Layang: www.layanglayang.com

SAFETY: The problems that occurred in Borneo some years back should be a distant memory, but some people still show concern. To counteract this, the Malaysian Navy now places security units on all the islands. You couldn’t be safer.

Disclaimer: All facts were checked at time of publication but things change! Check with relevant authorities for updates.