Pulau Layang-Layang, Sabah

Pulau Layang-Layang is an intriguing islet in the South China Sea, approximately 300 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu. It is one of the islands within the Spratley Islands archipelago, a group of islets that have been disputed over by Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China. Known as Layang-Layang in Malaysia, the island is also called Swallow Reef in English, Danwan Jiao in China, Celerio in the Philippines and Da Hoa Lau in Vietnam. Scuba divers regard it as one of the best dive sites in the world.

Pulau Layang-Layang rise up from the seabed 2000 meters below. It is less than one square kilometer is area and is part of an oblong atoll which is 7 km long and 2 km wide. In between is a pristine lagoon that teems with marine life. The atoll comprises a band of thirteen coral reefs that garlands the lagoon like a casually strewn necklace.

Divers come here to experience diving the vertical wall where it is common to encounter schools of barracuda and tuna. It is also one of the places where manta rays and hammerhead sharks can be seen.

Getting there

As with most of the dive sites in Sabah, a trip to Pulau Layang-Layang is for the rich, if not the famous. There is one resort on the island, Avillion Layang Layang (contact in Kuala Lumpur: 03 21702185, www.avillionlayanglayang.com), formerly Layang Layang Island Resort. To get there requires a flight from Kota Kinabalu which can be arranged by the resort.

Pulau Layang-Layang Location Map

List of Islands in Sabah and Islands in Malaysia

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Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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