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Private Boat Charter & Rentals | 1 Day | Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

From: RM1750

A Private Boat Day Charter with Borneo Dream is a great option for families and groups of friends who would love a day out enjoying the islands and tropical waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park with just your group on the boat and an itinerary that is personalised to offer you the best mix of activities. We have two great boats available today charter and offer a mix of activities for you to choose from – guided snorkelling, scuba diving, island cruising, beach time or a short jungle trek on Pulau Gaya. Helping you experience the best day out in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

To Book – The standard charter is 6 passengers, 1 PADI Instructor and 1 Skipper. Below you add additional passengers and instructors plus select your preferred date. Those who wish to scuba dive will need to purchase Sabah Parks Diving Permits, We will contact you to discuss this after booking confirmation.

Private Boat Charter & Boat Rentals in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

When personalised, quality time with friends and family during your holiday is all that matters, we have a solution to help you experience life as it ought to be. Choose a private boat charter with Borneo Dream in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park for a day of exploring the islands, and coral reefs, with an itinerary that is tailored to meet your group’s needs and interests best. With your own private boat charter within Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, you have nothing to worry about except which way to relax. Under the guidance of our friendly and professional crew members (skipper/PADI Instructors), feel free to scuba dive in the clear warm waters, snorkel along colourful reefs and soak up the sun. The pace is yours to set. When you have worked up an appetite, pamper your taste buds while enjoying lunch at the island – Padang Point. Free flow of light refreshments (water, sweets and biscuits) is also provided onboard our boat.

And we offer two great boats for private boat day charters – a 32ft x 12ft wide Motor Catamaran (Borneo Dream 3) and a 33ft x 9ft wide Trimaran (Borneo Dream Elvis). Our well-maintained boats are fitted with Compass, VHF Radio, Fire Extinguishers, First Aid and Medical Oxygen. The boats are fully insured for Capital Replacement and Public Liability and operated by highly trained and licensed staff.

Private Charters in Kota Kinabalu

Snorkeling & Scuba Diving Charters – Private Boat Charters and Boat Rentals in Kota Kinabalu

Your safety and enjoyment are our priority. Our mission is to help make this the best holiday and the best day of your holiday in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Boat Details

Borneo Dream Elvis – Motor Trimaran 33ft x 9ft c/w 2x Yamaha 150 HP Outboards

For up to 12 Persons, The charter comes with a qualified Skipper and 2 x PADI Professionals.

Borneo Dream 3 – Motor Catamaran 32ft x 12ft c/w 2x Yamaha 200 HP Outboards

For up to 12 Persons, The charter comes with a qualified Skipper and 2 x PADI Professionals.

Boat Charters with Skipper in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Trip Inclusions – Private Day Boat Charter in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

  • Private use of one of the Borneo Dream dive and snorkel boats in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.
  • Departures from 09:00 and return to the jetty no later than 16:00
  • Return boat transfers on one of our Borneo Dream boats from Jesselton Point Jetty.
  • Jesselton Point jetty fee and Sabah Parks island conservation fee.
  • We offer free use of our rental snorkel (mask, snorkel, full foot fins, shorty tropical 3mm wetsuit).
  • For Divers, free use of our rental dive gear (mask, full foot fins, BCD, regulator & gauges).
  • Activities during your charter: guided snorkelling tours, visiting the public islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, cruising around the islands, and scuba diving (Discover Scuba for non-certified divers, guided fun dives for certified divers).
  • Guiding by our friendly, experienced, qualified PADI Professionals (1 or 2 PADI Professionals per Charter depending on the charter boat booked)
  • Lunch at a cafe on an island in the Marine Park (choose from a range of meal options).
  • Drinking water.

Trip Exclusions

  • Sabah Parks Diving Permits are payable on the day by those choosing scuba diving. MYR 100.00 for non-Malaysians and MYR 50.00 for Malaysians.
  • We suggest you bring a small change for ice cream or a soft drink/fruit juice at lunchtime.

A camera with underwater housing is available for daily rental at RM 150.00 per camera per day (advance booking required). We use Nikon W300 and GoPro Hero 11 cameras.

Recommended Packing List For Your Guided Snorkeling Day Trip

Swimwear, towel, dry clothes, suntan lotion, sun hat, sunglasses and a smile 🙂

Notes

A PADI Liability Release Form must be signed and understood by the participant before the tour commences. A parent or guardian supervises any participant under 18 years at all times.

We work to the maximum group size per PADI Instructor for scuba diving activities as below. If more of your group wants to dive, you’ll be required to rent an additional Borneo Dream PADI Instructor for your boat charter.

  • PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience – maximum 4 divers to one PADI Instructor.
  • Guided Dives for Certified Divers – maximum 5 certified divers per PADI Instructor during a private boat charter in Kota Kinabalu with Borneo Dream.

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Kota Kinabalu Diving

  • Do I need a scuba review or a refresher?

    We often get asked, Can I have a scuba refresher? or Do I need a scuba review? The simple answer is it is up to you and your abilities. There is a massive difference between a diver who has not dived for 2 years and had logged 75 dives to a diver who completed his diving course 2 years ago and has not dived since. I’m sure many of you would now be quoting me section from various diving agency manuals and instructor guides, telling anyone who has not dived for 6 months should take a refresher or scuba review.

    Well, this is great advice. But that is all it is. At Borneo Dream, we have seen literally thousands of divers, new and old, since we began in 2006. And what I would say is this: If you are very comfortable in the water, you are in control of your own destiny, such as ascents and descents, with no assistance, and you are able to control your position in the water, buoyancy. Then we are happy to take you leisure diving in Kota Kinabalu.

    It is worth noting that on leisure diving or fun dive trips, your guide, whether it be a Divemaster or Instructor. They are there for the group as a guide, not your personal assistant. He is there to keep the group safe and show them items of interest in the water.

  • Can I fly after diving or climb a mountain?

    Flying after diving or going to Mount Kinabalu Park can be risky, and you need to know and understand this. Anytime you have been scuba diving, you should not go above 300 metres above sea level until you have met the following requirements:

    • A minimum of 12-hour surface interval was recommended for the single no-decompression dive.
    • A minimum of 18-hour surface interval for multi-day repetitive diving.
    • Substantially longer than 18 hours after diving involving compulsory decompression or using heliox and trimix.

    Further information can be found on the Divers Alert Network site or DAN – Please click here.

  • Is it easy to get from the city centre to Jesselton Point Jetty?

    Most watersports trips depart from Jesselton Point Jetty (https://g.page/JesseltonPoint) in central Kota Kinabalu. If you are staying at a city centre hotel or guest house you will often find it far quicker to walk to Jesselton Point. If you are staying at hotels or resorts such as Shangri-La Rasa Ria or Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa then I would certainly grab a taxi.

  • Will we still go diving if it is raining?

    The quick answer is “yes”. Sabah has a tropical climate and as part of this, we will typically have some tropical rain later in the day on most days. This rain is warm, often a welcome relief and for most activities does not stop play. Specifically for our scuba diving and snorkeling activities from Kota Kinabalu:-

    • It is still safe to snorkel and dive when it’s raining.
    • You won’t get cold if it rains as the sea temperature, for most of the year, is a toasty 28C – 30C. We also provide all our divers and snorkeling customers with 3mm tropical wet suits for thermal protection.
    • The tropical marine life will still be there to see as you enjoy your scuba diving or snorkeling activity.

    Whilst Sabah’s tropical climate means there’s a good chance it will rain at some point during your holiday, it’s this climate that also supports the rainforest, and it’s inhabitants, found here. Most days in Sabah, especially during the Dry Season, start off with blue sky, sunshine and a calm breeze with a chance of rain typically later in the day, evening or night time. As long as you come on holiday prepared for a hot, humid and sometimes wet tropical climate you will have a great time! Find to more about Sabah, and Sabah’s climate, on Sabah Tourism’s web site.

  • Where can I see whale sharks in Borneo?

    The whale shark is considered the largest fish in the world and is often on the bucket list of divers for their dream sightings on a dive. The whale shark inhabits tropical and warm-temperate seas and we are lucky to have a Whale Shark migration season on the west and east coast of Sabah, Borneo although possible sightings are quite small in number. If you don’t get to see a Whale Shark during your holiday to Borneo, don’t worry. The tropical waters off Sabah are located in the Coral Triangle making them home to an amazing variety of marine life waiting to be seen. The following are locations in Sabah offer the chance to see Whale Sharks during the Whale Shark migration season (if luck is on your side):-

    Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Kota Kinabalu

    Whale sharks come to feed on the plankton during the cooler months typically between November and February. Most years we have had a handful of Whale Shark sightings during a Borneo Dream snorkeling and scuba diving trip within the Marine Park.

    Lankayan Island, accessible by boat via Sandakan

    Whale shark sightings on Lankayan Island off the east coast of Sabah, Borneo are far from guaranteed. The whale shark season runs from March-May, when the sharks are migrating through the Sulu Sea, often passing close to the island to feed near the drop-offs.

    Layang Layang, accessible by flight via Kota Kinabalu

    Layang Layang is an atoll located 300 kilometres north-west of Kota Kinabalu. The island offers world-class diving along its drop-offs with regular sightings of pelagics in its waters. The diving season at Layang Layan is from

    March to August and divers, of they are lucky, may also encounter whale sharks during their migration season.

    For guaranteed sightings of Whale Sharks, we recommend you visit more famous locations in the world-renowned for Whale Shark sightings such as Ningaloo Reef in Australia. Find out more about the distribution of Whale Sharks.

  • Where can I dive in Borneo?

    In Borneo most of the scuba diving locations are to be found in Sabah, northern Borneo. Sabah is home to a range of popular diving locations including the following:-

    • For World famous dive locations choose Sipadan or Layang Layang. Both offer diving along drop offs, sightings of pelagics and regularly feature in the top diving locations in the World.
    • Muck diving at Mabul – Mabul may not have the stunning reef diving offered by neighbouring Sipadan, but it is compensated by offering some really cool muck diving being home a wide variety of unusual critters including nudibranchs, mandarinfish, frogfish and lots more.
    • The most accessible diving is offered at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park – the Marine Park is easy to visit from Kota Kinabalu and offers calm, sheltered coral reef dive sites suitable for beginners as well as offering chilled out diving for more experienced divers.
    • For idyllic island resort diving check out Lankayan Island or Pulau Mataking. Both have just one Resort located offering a secluded stay, white sand beaches and diving along the reefs fringing the island. 

    If you are into wreck diving then check out the wrecks located in the waters near Labuan – the American Wreck, Australian Wreck, Cement Wreck and the Blue Water Wreck. Dive Centre(s) in Brunei typically offer diving trips to the wrecks.

  • Best Snorkeling in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

  • Is it easy to get from the city centre to Jesselton Point Jetty?

    Most watersports trips depart from Jesselton Point Jetty (https://g.page/JesseltonPoint) in central Kota Kinabalu. If you are staying at a city centre hotel or guest house you will often find it far quicker to walk to Jesselton Point. If you are staying at hotels or resorts such as Shangri-La Rasa Ria or Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa then I would certainly grab a taxi.

  • Will we still go snorkeling if it is raining?

    The quick answer is “yes”. Sabah has a tropical climate and as part of this, we will typically have some tropical rain later in the day on most days. This rain is warm, often a welcome relief and for most activities does not stop play. Specifically for our snorkeling activities from Kota Kinabalu:-

    • It is still safe to snorkel when it’s raining.
    • You won’t get cold if it rains as the sea temperature, for most of the year, is a toasty 28C – 30C. We also provide all our snorkeling customers with 3mm tropical wet suits for thermal protection.
    • The tropical marine life will still be there to see as you enjoy your snorkeling activity.

    Whilst Sabah’s tropical climate means there’s a good chance it will rain at some point during your holiday, it’s this climate that also supports the rainforest, and it’s inhabitants, found here. Most days in Sabah, especially during the Dry Season, start off with blue sky, sunshine and a calm breeze with a chance of rain typically later in the day, evening or night time. As long as you come on holiday prepared for a hot, humid and sometimes wet tropical climate you will have a great time!

  • What is the best time to snorkel in Malaysia?

    Malaysia is split across two landmasses, Penisular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak), and the best season for snorkeling differs across these locations. 

    Peninsular Malaysia has an annual monsoon season (from April to October in the southwest, and October to February in the northeast) so you’d avoid these times if snorkeling is on your ‘to-do list’ for your holiday. 

    Sabah, Northern Borneo is known as the ‘Land Below the Wind’ a phrase used by seafarers in the past to describe all the lands located below the typhoon belt, so free from climatic disturbances and typhoons. This makes Sabah a 365 days a year location for holidays with snorkeling offered all year round, albeit the months at the start of the Dry Season (April – June) usually offer the calmest, driest weather perfect for snorkeling.

  • Which is the best island for snorkeling in Sabah?

    In terms of ease of access and affordability, the best islands for snorkelling at in Sabah are located within Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. The Marine Park which is located in front of Kota Kinabalu is home to five islands – Sapi, Gaya, Mamutik, Manukan and Sulug – and each of them is fringed by coral reefs. The three islands with beaches open to the public offer snorkeling from the beach in a cordoned-off area, although the best snorkeling in the Marine Park is to be had from a boat along with coral reef sites away from the busy beaches.

    For that perfect island getaway experience, you should check out Lankayan Island located in the Sulu Sea accessible via Sandakan on the east coast of Sabah. Lankayan offers world-class snorkeling right from the shore and with just one Resort located on the island, you will feel like you have the white sandy beach and fringing coral reefs almost to yourself. The shallow waters are typically beautifully clear offering easy sightings of turtles, rays, and a range of tropical fish life from the beach.

    The dream for non-divers visiting Sabah is to go snorkeling at world-famous Sipadan. However this it not that easy to do as only a selection of Resorts / Operators will allocate Sipadan permits to snorkelers (most allocate them to diving guests only). One Resort who takes snorkelers to Sipadan is Mataking Reef Island Resort (subject to permit allocation).

  • Kota Kinabalu tours

  • Is it easy to get from the city centre to Jesselton Point Jetty?

    Most watersports trips depart from Jesselton Point Jetty (https://g.page/JesseltonPoint) in central Kota Kinabalu. If you are staying at a city centre hotel or guest house you will often find it far quicker to walk to Jesselton Point. If you are staying at hotels or resorts such as Shangri-La Rasa Ria or Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa then I would certainly grab a taxi.

  • How far is Kota Kinabalu from the Airport?

    The Kota Kinabalu International Airport KKIA (airport code BKI) is located to the south of the city and is 8.5 kilometres from the city centre. This journey can be easily done by private car, taxi or shuttle bus. A taxi will charge around RM 30 each way for a pre-booked taxi. Arrivals are on the lower level with departures on the upper level. At busy times allow 30 minutes from the city centre to the airport.

  • What is there to do in Kota Kinabalu in 2 days?

    Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is the starting point for most holidays to Sabah. From Kota Kinabalu, most visitors go to explore other parts of Sabah whether it be on a tour from Kota Kinabalu (to go rafting, biking, climbing Mount Kinabalu etc.), or via a short internal flight to visit other parts of Sabah like the Kinabatangan River or Danum Valley. If you have a couple of days free in Kota Kinabalu during your holiday then there is surprisingly quite a bit you can do and see on your doorstep.

    On the first day, you can explore the city with its many attractions. At the start of the day visit the Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site, a bird sanctuary close to the city centre. You could then choose to walk up Signal Hill to enjoy views out over the City from Signal Hill observatory platform, visit the Sabah State Museum for a walk through Sabah’s history or explore the handicraft market located on the waterfront. Visit the Atkinson Clock Tower, the oldest building in Kota Kinabalu, or one of the famous Mosques in Kota Kinabalu – Kota Kinabalu City Mosque (‘Floating Mosque’) or the State Mosque. Later in the day watch the sunset from Tanjung Aru Beach before heading back into the city centre for a spot of early evening shopping. Finally, choose from one of the many local cafes and restaurants for a tasty meal to end the day. 

    For your second day visit the local islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. The Marine Park is located in front of Kota Kinabalu and easily accessible via a boat transfer from Jesselton Point Jetty. You can choose to join an organised day tour to help you get the most from your visit to the Marine Park whether it be a Snorkeling Trip or going scuba diving to explore the tropical waters. You could also choose to visit the islands independently via an island transfer service and chill out on one of the public beaches on the islands in the Marine Park. Sun, tropical sea, sand – a perfect way to spend a second day in Kota Kinabalu.

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