Malaysia

Best overall months to dive: Apr–Jun

Malaysia's headline dive is Sipadan, an oceanic island off Sabah known for turtles, barracuda and jack schools, reef sharks and a deep wall. Access is capped by a daily permit quota, and most divers stay on neighbouring Mabul or Kapalai, which are macro and muck destinations in their own right. The peninsular east coast adds the Perhentians, Redang, Tioman and Tenggol. The first three suit lower-cost land-based trips and new divers, though Tioman also has current-prone offshore reefs. Tenggol is the more exposed, experienced-diver choice, with walls, pinnacles and an October whale-shark signal that does not translate into reliable encounters. The northeast monsoon closes many resorts and disrupts ferries. Layang-Layang is currently not divable at all.

Dive regions