ROLLING GRACE

Mabul Island Sabah: Meet 2,000 Bajau Laut in Kampung Mabul

The first thing you notice walking into Kampung Mabul is the smell of grilled seafood. The second is how many children there are. Half the population of this village is under 14, and they are everywhere: flying kites on the beach, chasing each other across the wooden walkways, watching strangers with the kind of open curiosity that exists only where tourism has not yet trained it out of people.

Read also: Tuaran Mee in Sabah: Golden Noodle Worth Travelling For

Discovering Mabul Island, Sabah

Mabul Island sits off the south-eastern coast of Sabah, roughly 15 kilometres from Sipadan, and covers approximately 20 hectares of flat ground and sandy beach under the administration of Tawau.

It began as a fishing village in 1970 and grew into a recognised destination through the 1990s, largely on the back of Sipadan’s reputation as one of the world’s top dive sites.

Elderly Bajau woman at Mabul Island Sabah village in Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia
An elderly Bajau woman at Kampung Mabul, where the community has lived on the island for generations.

Bajau Laut Community of Kampung Mabul, Sabah

Pulau Mabul has two main settlements: Kampung Mabul and Kampung Musu. Kampung Mabul is the larger of the two, home to an estimated 2,000 people, the majority of whom belong to the Bajau Laut and Suluk Muslim communities.

The Bajau Laut are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah and are known across the region as sea nomads. So much of their traditional life was spent on the ocean that some older community members describe a physical discomfort when away from it for more than a day or two. Over recent generations, large numbers have made the transition from boat to land, becoming what is known as Bajau Darat.

Kampung Mabul is one of the designated settlements where this community has been permitted to establish permanent homes, despite most residents remaining stateless and without Malaysian citizenship.

Colourful laundry hanging outside stilt houses at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Laundry lines between houses at Kampung Mabul are one of the small domestic details that define the village.
Young Bajau Laut child smiling at Kampung Mabul village on Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Half the population of Kampung Mabul is under 14, and children are a constant presence throughout the village.
Basketball hoop with ABA signage at Kampung Mabul village, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
A basketball hoop at Kampung Mabul serves as a gathering point for the village’s younger residents most evenings.

Walking through the village gives you a clear picture of what that transition looks like in practice. Wooden houses are built on stilts above the water, connected by plank walkways wide enough for a single person. Boats are moored directly below. The village layout mirrors a life organised around the sea even when lived on land.

Bajau Laut resident standing outside a house at Kampung Mabul village, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Residents of Kampung Mabul are predominantly Bajau Laut, a community that remains stateless despite generations of settlement on the island.
Sandy beach at Kampung Mabul with stilt houses and a boat in the background, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
The beach at Kampung Mabul sits directly alongside the village, used daily by residents and occasionally by visitors on walking tours.
Bajau Laut child flying a kite on the beach at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Kite flying on the beach is one of the most common afternoon pastimes for children at Kampung Mabul.
Street view of Kampung Mabul village with stilt houses and residents on Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Daily life in Kampung Mabul plays out along narrow planked paths between stilt houses and open water.
Small barbershop inside Kampung Mabul village on Pulau Mabul, Sabah
A barbershop at Kampung Mabul is one of several small businesses that serve the village’s permanent population of around 2,000 residents.
Bajau Laut mother holding a young child at Kampung Mabul village, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
A mother and young child at Kampung Mabul, where family life plays out in full view along the village’s open walkways.
Bajau Laut children watching television inside a home at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Children gathered around a television set at Kampung Mabul, where domestic life carries on much as it does anywhere else despite the village’s unusual setting.
Bajau Laut children playing on the beach at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Children at Kampung Mabul spend their afternoons on the beach, a stretch of sand that doubles as the village’s open common ground.

Bajau Laut Food and Diet

The Bajau Laut diet is built almost entirely around what the surrounding waters produce. Fresh fish, crab, and shellfish caught daily form the backbone of every meal, supplemented by rice and vegetables traded or purchased from the mainland.

Grilled seafood is the most common preparation, cooked simply over open flame at roadside stalls throughout Kampung Mabul. Little goes to waste in a community where the sea has always been both larder and livelihood.

Fresh crab caught by Bajau fishermen at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Freshly caught crab is among the seafood sold by Bajau fishermen at Kampung Mabul’s small waterfront stalls.
Seafood being grilled at a street stall in Kampung Mabul village, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Grilled seafood cooked fresh at Kampung Mabul’s roadside stalls is caught the same day by Bajau fishermen from the surrounding waters.

What the Bajau Laut are Known For

The Bajau people are skilled fishermen and free divers, with a documented ability to hold their breath for extended periods developed over generations of underwater hunting. They are also known for constructing traditional single-mast sailing boats called lepa, which are decorated with intricate painted designs and handwoven fabrics.

These boats are the centrepiece of the Regatta Lepa, an annual festival held every April in Semporna that celebrates Bajau Laut traditions, music, and seafaring culture. It is one of the more distinctive cultural events in Sabah and worth timing a visit around if possible.

Bajau Laut children are born into a community with no formal citizenship, which limits their access to public education, healthcare, and legal documentation in Malaysia.

Young Bajau Laut child at Kampung Mabul village on Pulau Mabul, Sabah
The children of Kampung Mabul are the most visible part of village life, outnumbering adults on the walkways at almost any hour.
Young Bajau Laut child standing outside a house at Kampung Mabul village, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Children at Kampung Mabul grow up between the village walkways and the sea, with little separating one from the other.

Small stalls run by community members sell bread, snacks, and grilled seafood to visitors walking through the village. Stopping at one is a straightforward way to put money directly into the local economy rather than through resort operators.

Local goods and produce for sale at a stall in Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Purchasing from village stalls at Kampung Mabul puts money directly into the hands of Bajau Laut residents.
Small food and snack stalls at Kampung Mabul village on Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Small stalls selling bread, snacks, and grilled seafood line parts of Kampung Mabul, run by residents and open to visitors.

How to Get to Pulau Mabul

From Kuala Lumpur, fly to Tawau Airport, a journey of approximately two and a half hours. Alternatively, fly into Kota Kinabalu and connect to Tawau on a domestic flight of under an hour.

From Tawau Airport, take a bus, minivan, or taxi to Semporna Jetty, which takes around 90 minutes. Boats from Semporna to Mabul Island run regularly and the crossing takes approximately 45 minutes.

Wooden walkway through Kampung Mabul village on stilts above the water, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
The village walkways at Kampung Mabul connect houses built on stilts directly above the sea.

Where to Stay on Mabul Island

Accommodation on Pulau Mabul spans a wide range. At the upper end, Mabul Water Bungalows sits over the sea and is the most photographed property on the island. Mid-range options include Sipadan-Mabul Resort (SMART), Mabul Beach Resort, Borneo Divers Mabul Dive Resort, Seaventures Dive Rig Resort, and the MV Celebes Explorer.

Budget travellers have several solid options: Scuba Jeff Sipadan, Mabul Paradise Lodge, Sipadan Dive Centre Mabul Lodge, Spheredivers Lodge, Sipadan Micro Dive, Seahorse Sipadan Scuba Lodge, and Mabul Backpackers Longhouse.

Most visitors base themselves on Mabul specifically to dive Sipadan, for which permits are required and limited to 120 per day. Book well in advance.

Pollution and the Cost of Permanent Settlement

The transition from nomadic sea life to permanent land settlement has brought challenges that the village is visibly struggling with.

The absence of adequate sanitation infrastructure and limited intervention from authorities has resulted in waste accumulation across parts of the settlement and in the reef surrounding it. The coral and marine life that draw divers to this part of Sabah are under genuine pressure from the volume of activity and the lack of waste management on the island.

It is worth seeing Kampung Mabul with clear eyes: the community is warm, the culture is genuinely distinctive, and the place has a quality of life that is hard to find. It also carries the weight of statelessness, neglect, and environmental pressure that no amount of resort development has addressed. Both things are true at the same time.

Waste and plastic pollution along the shoreline at Kampung Mabul, Pulau Mabul, Sabah
Waste accumulation along the Kampung Mabul shoreline reflects the absence of adequate sanitation infrastructure across the settlement.

FAQ: Visiting Kampung Mabul in Pulau Mabul

  1. Is Mabul Island good for diving? Yes. Mabul is known for muck diving and macro marine life, and its proximity to Sipadan makes it the primary base for divers visiting that site. The reef around Kampung Mabul has experienced some degradation but the diving around the island’s resorts remains worthwhile.
  2. Can you visit Kampung Mabul as a non-diver? Yes. A half-day walking tour of the village is possible independently. The community is generally welcoming to respectful visitors. Purchase food or goods from local stalls rather than arriving empty-handed.
  3. Are the Bajau Laut people Malaysian citizens? Most residents of Kampung Mabul are stateless. They are permitted to reside on the islands of Sabah but have not been granted Malaysian citizenship, which limits their access to education, healthcare, and legal protections.
  4. When is the best time to visit Mabul Island? The best diving conditions are between April and October. The Regatta Lepa festival in Semporna takes place every April and is worth combining with a Mabul visit.
  5. How far is Mabul from Sipadan? Approximately 15 kilometres. Boat transfers to Sipadan are arranged through resort operators and dive centres on Mabul.

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