Lankayan Island Resort

Good · No. 1 of 1 on Pulau Lankayan

The only resort on Pulau Lankayan, on the south shore by the jetty.

Position

6.506° N, 117.918° E · Lankayan

No photograph of this stay yet: we only show images we are licensed to use. Pictures of the island are on the Pulau Lankayan page.

Tier: GoodNo. 1 of 1
Beach: LankayanSouth shore, by the jetty
Open: Mar–DecClosed Jan–Feb every year
Boat: 1.5–2 hOne boat a day from Sandakan, about 10:30

Verdict

Lankayan Island Resort is the only place to stay on Pulau Lankayan, a small coral island in the Sulu Sea about 77 km off Sandakan. It opened in 1997, and some booking sites still use its older name, Lankayan Island Dive Resort. Discovery Journey Tours and The Ark Kapalai Travel now manage it.

The resort sells full-board packages only, for divers and non-divers, with beach chalets and newer water chalets. Each has air-con, a fridge, a bathroom with shower and bathtub, a balcony and tea and coffee things. The diver package adds 3 guided boat dives a day, and the dive centre runs PADI courses. Its 2026–27 brochure prices 2 nights in a beach chalet, twin share, at about RM3,143 per non-diver and RM3,798 per diver.

The catch is cost and terms. Two nights cost over RM3,000 per person before tourism tax, parties of fewer than 4 adults pay a RM870 boat surcharge, and the 30% deposit is not refundable, with nothing back within 30 days or for bad weather. There is one boat a day each way, so check-out is at 6 am. Wi-Fi works only in the restaurant area, the resort closes in January and February, and UK travel advice is against all but essential travel to the islands off eastern Sabah; check your insurance.

Good for

Divers and couples who want a small reef island with one resort and no village, from March to October.

Not for

Tight budgets, anyone who wants flexible booking terms or Wi-Fi in their room, pregnant guests and wheelchair users, or travellers whose insurance will not cover eastern Sabah.

Particulars

Type: Resort
Rooms: Beach and water chalets
Board: Full-board packages, diver or non-diver
Transfer: Resort van from Sandakan airport, then the resort boat from its Sandakan jetty, 1.5–2 h; included in the package
Season: Open March to December; closed January and February
Check-in: 13:00Check-out 06:00
Website: lankayanislandresort.com

Checked 9 November 2026 against the resort’s site and partner listings.

III

Getting there

The resort's van meets you at Sandakan airport, if you land by 9 am, and takes you to its jetty, about 30 minutes. Its speedboat leaves once a day in the late morning, at about 10.30 am, takes 1.5 to 2 hours, and brings you back at 7 am. All routes to Pulau Lankayan.