Labuan Marine Park

The marine park gazetted in 2000 covers about ten square kilometres around three small islands south-west of Labuan - Kuraman, Rusukan Besar and Rusukan Kecil - along with their fringing reefs and seagrass. Kuraman is the largest and has a beach and some day-trip facilities; the two Rusukan islands are smaller and mostly uninhabited. The snorkelling is shallow and easy, with hard coral, giant clams and reef fish, and turtles pass through. It is not the east-coast Sabah standard of coral, and some areas show bleaching and blast-fishing damage from before protection, but it is close to town, cheap to reach and almost empty on weekdays. Boats are hired from the Labuan waterfront and most trips combine snorkelling with a few hours on the Kuraman beach.

What you actually see

• Three uninhabited islands - Kuraman and the two Rusukans with fringing reef.
• Shallow snorkelling - hard coral, giant clams and reef fish close to the surface.
• A beach day - Kuraman's sand with basic day-trip facilities.
• Very few people - almost empty on weekdays, close to Labuan town.

When to go

March to October. A day.

Honest expectations

Coral quality is below the east-coast Sabah sites and some areas are damaged. Facilities are minimal and there is no accommodation on the islands. Boats do not run in rough weather.

Nearby

Labuan town and the war cemetery are on the main island.