What to Do on Your Dry Days in Sabah
A few ideas for the days on either side of your dive trip when you're not in the water, from waterfalls in Maliau Basin to what to eat on a Sunday morning.
You've made your dive holiday plans, but it's easy to overlook the dry days, those long stretches when you're not in the water, before you fly back home.
If you happen to come to Sabah, here's a very useful site called My Sabah written by my old friend Murphy that explores many attractions, things to do, and my personal favourite, what to eat around Sabah. I've known Murphy for years and always enjoy reading about his travel adventures. Please check it out and say "hello!".
Most dive trips to this side of Sabah route through Tawau, and there's more to do around it than the airport transfer suggests. Maliau Basin, pictured above, is a protected conservation area sometimes called Sabah's Lost World: a huge, largely untouched forest basin ringed by escarpments, with waterfalls and jungle trekking for those willing to arrange a guide and a few days. It's a proper expedition rather than a half-day trip, so it suits a dry stretch before or after your dive trip rather than a single spare afternoon.
For something closer to town, Tawau Hills Park is a short drive from Tawau itself and makes for an easier half-day: rainforest trails, natural hot springs, and a swimming pool fed by a waterfall, without the logistics that Maliau Basin needs. If your dry day lands in Semporna instead, the town itself is worth a wander before your boat transfer: the jetty market is a good place to see the day's catch coming in, and it's the last place to pick up anything you forgot before heading out to the resort islands.
And whatever else is on the itinerary, don't skip the food. Oh, my favourite food on a Sunday morning would be the Tamparuli Mee.