Borneo Dream Travel & Tours

Based in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo Dream Travel & Tours serves as a gateway to some of the most significant marine environments in the Coral Triangle. Since 2007, they have operated as both a dive centre and a full-service travel agency, organising everything from local reef excursions to complex multi-day expeditions across Sabah.

The centre operates as a RAID-affiliated diving provider, ensuring a standardised approach to training and safety. Their team is equipped to handle diverse groups, including those looking for structured educational courses or those seeking bespoke holiday itineraries involving jungle treks and mountain climbs.

Communication is straightforward for international divers, with instruction and guidance available in English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. This multilingual approach helps facilitate smooth logistics for the various group tours and school expeditions they frequently organise.

Training is available through both PADI and RAID frameworks. Beginners can start with the RAID Try Dive or the PADI Open Water Diver course, while those looking to progress can undertake the RAID Explorer 30m or the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty.

For divers looking to specialise in technical aspects of the sport, the centre offers the PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course to explore sunken vessels like the KD Kurama.

The centre provides a complete range of equipment hire for divers, including 3mm wetsuits for thermal protection. For those looking to document their dives, underwater camera rental is also available on-site.

For those diving near Kota Kinabalu, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park is easily accessible, located just 15-20 minutes by boat from Jesselton Point Jetty.

The reefs are home to a wide variety of larger marine life, including green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, and blacktip reef sharks. You will also encounter whitetip sharks, bamboo sharks, and various species of barracuda and jacks patrolling the water column.

Macro enthusiasts will find significant interest in the smaller inhabitants of the reefs. The area is known for a diverse range of nudibranchs, seahorses, ghost pipefish, and frogfish, alongside flamboyant cuttlefish and blue-ringed octopus.

In the more remote locations, the biodiversity shifts towards larger pelagics. During the season from March to May, hammerhead sharks are frequently sighted at Layang Layang, while whale sharks may appear in the region around January and February.

In the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, conditions are generally favourable for training, with low to non-existent currents and warm waters. Visibility in this area typically ranges between 5 and 15 metres depending on the season.

While most local sites offer calm conditions, more distant offshore locations can experience stronger currents. Seasonal plankton blooms can occasionally impact visibility in certain areas.