KK Dive Club NIGHT Diving !

The islands within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - TARP offer some very safe and rewarding night dive sites with plenty of marine life to be found including a variety of crustaceans, nudibranchs, squid and cuttlefish, feeding coral polyps and much more.

Night diving is a unique experience, with your vision restricted our other senses are heightened and more alert !

The KK Dive Club aims to get specifically locals - Malaysians and Expats in the water to appreciate what we have right here on our doorsteps.

If you live in Kota Kinabalu or Sabah and you love diving, then you've gotta dive with us!

KK Dive Club patrons Richard & Jo from Downbelow are crazy about diving and a passion like that is infectious. 

Further more, they love the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine National Park (TARP) and show you thing you never knew existed so close to the city.

So how do i get involved ?

Please visit the KK Dive Club website or CONTACT US for more information.

To join please call us on +6 012 867 7375 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.downbelow.co.uk

The Beach House on Gaya Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu is the ideal location for friends and families to spend a fun filled activities day out whilst in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo.

Home to PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures it is the perfect setting and provides the perfect venue for friends and family wishing to relax, snorkel, go trekking and scuba diving, snorkelling safaris, island hopping, play football, frisbee and volleyball !!

Our 37ft Speed Boat provides very comfortable transportation for such activities.

Wildlife lovers will be amazed by the diversity of wildlife that can be seen in one day, monkeys, butterflies, snakes, hornbill and lizards are seen regularly.



Wild Boars and Proboscis Monkeys also inhabit the island but they are very shy, occasionally they are heard but rarely seen.

Time and time again our quests tell us how wonderful it is to spend the day with their family whilst they enjoy their different activities with everyone returning for tea and coffee breaks, refreshments and lunch throughout the day.

Often Grandparents will relax or try our guided Snorkelling program, Mums and Dads will Scuba Dive or go Trekking whilst Children can play on the beach or grassy lawns or try our Kids Discover Snorkelling Program.

Our Adventure Centre is at the base of the best trekking trails in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

We have a confined lagoon, a fabulous house reef for snorkelers and divers and all snorkel and dive sites in the park are within a few minutes from our Adventure Centre.

The ultra adventurous visitor can camp overnight at our centre, we provide waterproof tents, dinner and breakfast and guests enjoy a safe environment with a 1 million star hotel accommodation !

A trip to our Adventure Centre is a 'Must See" day out whilst in Kota Kinabalu.

Our international staff team provide premier 5 Star service which it to be expected from a 5 Star Centre.

We pride ourselves on very small group tuition providing a very personal service.

We have extremely high safety standards and procedures and follow British HSE Guidelines. 

For more information please peruse our website or call us on +6 012 866 1935 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Scuba Diving, Snorkelling, Trekking, Island Hopping, TARP, Kota Kinabalu

PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures is offering an end of year Scuba Diving Special Discount Package in Kota Kinabalu and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP).

This 4 Night, 3 Day Scuba package includes Accommodation and Buffet Breakfast at the Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu City.

Centrally located this hotel offers very good mid range accommodation twin/double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, internet and satellite TV.

With a great watering hole on the ground floor scuba divers of Downbelow can enjoy beer buckets at discounted rates, arguably the cheapest in town !!

The diving package includes 3 full days of diving (9 guided dives in total), equipment rental, jetty fees, park fees, lunch and refreshments all included - NO HIDDEN Extras !!!

The hotel is located 5 minutes walk from our daily pick up point at the Jesselton Point Jetty, from here our boat will collect you and take you on a 10 minute speed boat ride to our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located at The Beach House on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

This is where we surface interval and take our lunch break, all dive sites are within a a few minutes from our centre. You will also have time to look around, its very peaceful and surrounded by primary rain-forest with lots of wildlife.

Priced at MYR 1140.00 per person (approx. GBP 189.00) This really is a fabulous offer, pre booking is advised as availability is limited! Prices are based on 2 person bookings. For single travelers there is an additional MYR 200.00 surcharge.

You can discover more information about the daily diving and marine life you are likely to encounter here Downbelow Daily Diving Package.

The park offers some great diving for beginners and experienced divers alike, lots of hard and soft coral, great macro life, schools of tropical fish and many prized critters. 

You can find more info about Tunku Abdul Rahman Park ( Tarp ) the park here Scuba Diving TARP.

We have a Dive Shop and Classroom located on the KK mainland, please feel free to drop in, we offer free wireless internet, tea,coffee and biscuits !!!

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Accommodaion Kota Kinabalu, Scuba Diving

Looking for a Career Change ? Are you a Gap Year Student ? Are you looking for a Challenging Internship Program in Asia ? Do you thrive on Adventure Sports ? Looking to live and learn about another culture, meet new people and learn new languages ?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you should consider joining one of our Professional Scuba Diving Internship Programs in the exciting city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo South East Asia.


Our great value internship programs can be suited to non divers wishing to enter the professional sport of scuba diving or qualified divers wishing to continue their scuba diving education.

The minimum internship period is 1 month.

To co-inside with these internships we run at least two PADI Instructor Development Courses (PADI IDC) annually which are followed by the PADI Instructor Examination (PADI IE)

On all our internships you receive UNLIMITED scuba diving.

We can offer this because our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is actually based within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP)with direct access to our training lagoon & house reef and just a handful of minutes boat ride from TARPs surrounding dive sites.

Based only 10 minutes from the City of Kota Kinabalu, we dive everyday!

We also have a Dive Shop and Classroom in Kota Kinabalu City.

We can also include very affordable accommodation to participants.

At Downbelow we also offer internship programs to local people under long term contract, providing opportunity and security for their career development.

Local and international candidates mutually benefit from the mixed program by providing opportunity to learn new languages, cultures and traditions and most importantly it brings people together forging new friendships.

For more information please visit the Scuba Diving Internship section of our website.

Feel free to call us on +6 012 866 1935 or Email Us with your enquiry.

With our Adventure Sports Training & Team Building Season 2008 almost coming to an end (only one more group to come), we thought we should write a quick review and say a "BIG Thank You" to the Downbelow Staff Team, Sabah Parks, Friends and Colleagues.

Its been a hard working year but great fun and once again we've met some fabulous people.

Probably our biggest achievement this year was our British Army Royal Gurkha Riffles Event for 291 pax.

Run over a period of 8 weeks this was the largest single PADI Certification Event in Malaysia and arguably in South East Asia !




During the program participants camped at our Beach House Adventure Centre on Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP.

Every participant completed a PADI Certification including Discover Scuba Diving, Open Water Course, Advanced Open Water Course and Rescue Diver Course.

In addition we conducted Sea Kayaking, Skin Diver Programs and White Water Rafting. After days of Adventure Training & Team Building participants went Trekking along the fabulous Gaya Island Trails, played Volleyball and Football !!

Since conducting the event we have received numerous emails from the British Army with glowing feedback from organizers and participants, to the extent that we're now making plans for the same program next year.

We will soon be updating our Photo Album page to include many of the images taken throughout the event.

We have also had the pleasure this year of accommodating many other corporate groups and special interest organizations.

We are very fortunate to be based on a small island in the South China Sea, surrounded by stunning coral reef and rainforest - all this only 10 minutes from a bustling city !!

Should you be interested to learn more about our company and location, please visit our website:

www.divedownbelow.com

Or Contact our International Events Organizers Richard or Joanne

Yes, Sharks, a Whale, Giant Sting Rays, Turtles, Mandarin Fish, Cuttlefish, Ribbon Eel, Octopus, Fascinating Jellyfish and schools of Snappers and Fusiliers are just some of the marine life that we have seen in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu THIS WEEK !!

This is not to mention the Bornean Short Python, Pied Hornbills, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Long Tail Macaques and Green Crested Lizards that we saw during our surface interval !!!

Almost everyday we return buzzing from the marine and wildlife experience that us and our guests have experienced.

To elaborate on the Whale sighting, which is not a normal occurrence -"Whilst scuba diving one of our favorite dive sites just 5 minutes from our dive centre Downbelows boatman was drawn towards some enormous splashing".

Our divers were infact underwater at the time but Osmera (boatman) was a little perturbed, when realized he was watching a Whale longer than our boat (37ft) surface and dive 5 times !!!

Coincidentally it was almost two years ago that we found a 21 meter Brydes Whales beached but alive on the reef at Gaya Island, perhaps we could be experiencing a migration - yet a new project for us to investigate !!

Fortunately Richard has been taking his camera to the island this week so managed to catch some of the marine & wildlife on camera

Should you be interested to learn more about some of the Marine & Wildlife to be found in Sabah please peruse our Photography Section or visit us at Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in the TAR Park (TARP) was a buzz yesterday when the morning dive boat returned to the Beach House on Gaya Island with a group of very happy divers from Australia, UK, Denmark and Holland.

The excitement was over a Black Ribbon Eel that they discovered on a deep dive just a couple of minutes boat ride from our Island Dive Centre.

Our knowledge and experience tells us that these delightful little critters remain in the same area for some time, so revisiting this prize find should be possible.

Ribbon Eels (Rhinomuraena quaesita) are a rare find and quite secretive usually only showing their head and their distinctively large flared nostrils.

Should a diver get to close, they will hide away in their hole and probably stay hidden for a few minutes.

Black Ribbon Eels with a yellow dorsal fin are juveniles and sub adults.

To read more about Ribbon Eels please peruse our dedicated Marine Biology Section within our website.

Should you wish to Scuba Dive with us, please peruse our Daily Diving Package or PADI Courses Section.

Alternatively please call us on +6 )12 866 1935 or Email Us for a quick response.

Everyday people write to us asking about the Dive Sites and Scuba Diving in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, TARP, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

So i thought i would write a very quick summary for those that are interested.

Firstly its important to say that we enjoy year round scuba diving.

Often people think that the monsoon season is off limits for us divers but its not, infact monsoon time can bring some of the best weather because its no longer the Typhoon season.

Scuba Diving wise there is really no best or worst time to visit in terms of weather for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

March through May is Whaleshark season so i guess if you can visit any time atall this would be an additional bonus and our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is ideally located to track them down safely and unobtrusively.

For Beach Lovers, Snorkelers, Skin Divers, beginners to the sport of Scuba Diving and professionals alike the park offers a great deal.

Tropical waters abundant with diverse and fascinating marine life, sheltered reefs, idilic island paradise settings to relax and while away surface intervals - all this within view of the KK city centre and Mt Kinabalu.

Dive sites within TARP are predominantly sloping coral reefs with stunning hard and soft covered coral blocks, mangrove areas and sand slopes with plenty of fish life and macro subjects - ideal for photographers both beginners and those more advanced.

Depths range from shallow coral gardens at 5m to caverns and overhangs at 30m. Some of the well know Dive Sites include, Clement Reef, Rons Reef, Edgell Patches, North Sulug and Police Beach, but we make many many more new dive site discoveries all the time in and around the TAR Park.

So What Can We See ?

Macro life is what we are passionate about but having said this there are plenty of larger marine creatures to found. We regularly see Turtles and Rays, especially at Turtles House Dive Site.

At the moment Eagle Rays seem to be hanging around with a recent Open Water Course student seeing one in our lagoon in 4m of water !!

Schools of Barracuda, Snappers, Fusiliers and Anthias are common. We often see Cuttlefish, Moray Eels, Lionfish and Pufferfish.

Occasionally we see Sharks but sadly Sharks are these days a minority due to overfishing and illegal Shark-finning practices worldwide.

Nudibranchs are common, so too are all 7 species of Clownfish which can be seen in just one dive site! Many species of Crustaceans, Scorpionfish, Pipefish, Demon Stingers, Cuttlefish and Stonefish are also usual suspects.

From time to time we find Frogfish, Ghostpipefish and once in a while the highly prized Blue Ringed Octopus !

Our House Reef and Home Corner Dive Site which is just a giant stride from our Beach House Dive Centre jetty has many surprises. Generally we know where to find Mandarinfish at certain times of the day.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park should not be missed when visiting Sabah, often overlooked this Divers paradise offers constant surprises.

TARP also a perfect location for a Scuba Review before a trip to Sipadan or for non divers to try out the sport of Scuba Diving with the Discover Scuba Diving program. Also for qualified divers to continue their diving course education.

Two or three day dive packages offer great value for money and you certainly wouldn't see the same dive site twice - unless you wanted to of course, which can happen !!

For more information on packages please visit our Travel Packages page.

Or Contact us for Bookings.

To learn more about the Marine Life we find, please visit our dedicated Marine Biology Section of our Website.

We are running a day trip to Pulau Tiga - Survivor and Snake Island this Sunday 12th October due to popular demand !!

Guests old and new plus our KK Dive Club Members are welcome to join the fun, places are limited so advanced bookings are required.

We have the fastest Dive Boat in Kota Kinabalu which makes a trip to Tiga very comfortable and quick !!!

Made famous by CBS as the location for their Survivor Island reality based TV show.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way of the coast of Borneo. To this day warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.


The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

Aboard our 37ft spacious speed boat a day trip to Palau Tiga, Survivor Island departs at 7am and includes the following:

Return sea transfers from Kota Kinabalu (approx. 1 hour each way, sea conditions permitting), Unlimited Snacks and Refreshments, BBQ or Buffet Lunch. Park Entry Fees, Jetty Fees. Guided Snorkelling and/ or Scuba Diving 2 x Boat dives (depending on package). Guided Trip to Mud Volcano and Snake Island. Optional overnight stay.

Non divers and snorkelers are also welcome !

To discover more about this fascinating island and great day trip please visit our Pulau Tiga pages.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.

CALL NOW TO BOOK YOUR PLACE +6 012 866 1935

We are night diving in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on 19th October 2008.

The islands within the park offer some very safe and rewarding night dive sites with plenty of marine life to be found including a variety of crustaceans, nudibranchs, squid and cuttlefish, feeding coral polyps and much more.

Night diving is a unique experience, with your vision restricted our other senses are heightened and more alert, i liken this feeling to walking through the woods at night !

Departure from the jetty is at 6 pm and we should return by 8pm for the 1 dive program.

All equipment including torches are available to rent. Please contact us if you'd like more information and would like to join us.

We are running a day trip to Pulau Tiga - Survivor Island on 2nd November 2008.

Guests old and new plus our KK Dive Club Members are welcome to join the fun, places are limited so advanced bookings are required.

We have the fastest Dive Boat in Kota Kinabalu which makes a trip to Tiga very comfortable and quick !!!

Made famous by CBS as the location for their Survivor Island reality based TV show.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way of the coast of Borneo. To this day warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.


The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

Aboard our 37ft spacious speed boat a day trip to Palau Tiga, Survivor Island departs at 7am and includes the following:

Return sea transfers from Kota Kinabalu (approx. 1 hour each way, sea conditions permitting), Unlimited Snacks and Refreshments, BBQ or Buffet Lunch. Park Entry Fees, Jetty Fees. Guided Snorkelling and/ or Scuba Diving 2 x Boat dives (depending on package). Guided Trip to Mud Volcano and Snake Island. Optional overnight stay.

Non divers and snorkelers are also welcome !

To discover more about this fascinating island and great day trip please visit our Pulau Tiga pages.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre had the pleasure of entertaining the Wang Family from Singapore and Australia on their Day Trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Tarp Kota Kinabalu (KK).

We like to post news of "out of the ordinary" clients and we feel that to host a family of 12, grandparents, parents and children is quite special.

Basing themselves at our Dive Centre at The Beach House, Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP, just 8 minutes speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu City.

Their day consisted of Daily Scuba Diving, Discover Scuba Diving, Snorkelling and Trekking.

On their day trip and between all their activites, the Wang family enjoyed a freshly cooked lunch and relaxed on our verandah to the sound of hornbills flying next to the Beach House where primary rainforest meets reef !

Everyone had a fabulous time and we'd like to thank the Wang Family for spending the day with us.

For more information on our daily packages ideal for families and individuals please visit our dedicated website section Travel Packages.

PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures is offering an end of year Scuba Diving Special Discount Package in Kota Kinabalu and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP).

This 4 Night, 3 Day Scuba package includes Accommodation and Buffet Breakfast at the Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu City.

Centrally located this hotel offers very good mid range accommodation twin/double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, internet and satellite TV.

With a great watering hole on the ground floor scuba divers of Downbelow can enjoy beer buckets at discounted rates, arguably the cheapest in town !!

The diving package includes 3 full days of diving (9 guided dives in total), equipment rental, jetty fees, park fees, lunch and refreshments all included - NO HIDDEN Extras !!!

The hotel is located 5 minutes walk from our daily pick up point at the Jesselton Point Jetty, from here our boat will collect you and take you on a 10 minute speed boat ride to our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located at The Beach House on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

This is where we surface interval and take our lunch break, all dive sites are within a a few minutes from our centre. You will also have time to look around, its very peaceful and surrounded by primary rain-forest with lots of wildlife.

Priced at MYR 1140.00 per person (approx. GBP 189.00) This really is a fabulous offer, pre booking is advised as availability is limited! Prices are based on 2 person bookings. For single travelers there is an additional MYR 200.00 surcharge.

You can discover more information about the daily diving and marine life you are likely to encounter here Downbelow Daily Diving Package.

The park offers some great diving for beginners and experienced divers alike, lots of hard and soft coral, great macro life, schools of tropical fish and many prized critters. 

You can find more info about Tunku Abdul Rahman Park ( Tarp ) the park here Scuba Diving TARP.

We have a Dive Shop and Classroom located on the KK mainland, please feel free to drop in, we offer free wireless internet, tea,coffee and biscuits !!!

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com