Lankayan Island is situated within the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) which aims to protect the diverse and unique marine life within this small group of islands (Lankayan Island, Bilean Island & Tegaipil Island). The island is uninhabited and covered by thick vegetation in the interior of the island and encircled by pure white sand beaches and calm turquois waters. 

Lankayan Island is quite small and at low tide you can walk along the beach for 20 minutes and end up back where you started. Not dissimilar from the Maldives, the island forms a hotel complex with less than 100 people on the island including guests. There are two main buildings on stilts, namely the docks/dive centre and the reception/restaurant which are connected to the island by two wooden walkways. Approximately 30 beach huts look directly onto the beach creating the most idyllic view to wake up to.

The island is also well known for its turtle nesting and release programme, with Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles nesting on the beach. Guests are invited to come and view these wonderful sites as turtles lay their eggs and as hatchlings take their first dive into the sea.

Borneo enjoys a sunny tropical climate year-round with temperatures generally between 24°C (75°F) and 30°C (85°F). The rainy season is November to February, but is somewhat unpredictable as tropical showers rarely last for any length of time.

Generally the best time to visit the island is during the dry season which runs from March to October. April to September is typically the best time to see a wide variety of marine life, with Whale Sharks very occasionally spotted in specific areas from March to May. Namely around Kota Kinabulu and in the straits between Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan Island.

It goes without saying that there are a lot of turtles in the waters around this island. From imply snorkelling off the beach you can usually spot a few turtles feeding or passing by. A couple of minutes boat ride from the island are some more substantial reefs, reef walls and sand bars where the can see a myriad of reef fish,  large shoals of barracuda, moray eels and plenty of smaller marine life such as crabs and nudibranch. Above this whale sharks are occasionally spotted in these waters from March to May.

Most tourists visiting the island transfer from Sepilock (having visited the Orang-utan Sanctuary), which is approximately 45 minutes by car from the Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty (depending on the traffic conditions). The other main route is a transfer directly from Sandakan Airport which is 60 minutes car transfer (Sandakan Airport is a 45 minute flight from Kota Kinabulu, the capital of Borneo). Getting from the Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty to Lankayan Island takes approximately 90 minutes by boat. Usually this is on a small boat with a capacity of up to 20 people. Our transfer was quite bumpy and as it was at the end of the rainy season and we got thoroughly soaked. Luckily the luggage is kept in the hold so the luggage remained dry. When you get to the island you arrive at the dock which is a short walk to your accommodation, bearing in mind you can walk around the island in under 20 minutes.

From start to finish Lankayan Island is 2 hours 30 minutes from Sepilock when you factor in the waiting time for the boat and 3 hours from Sandakan Airport (also factoring in the boat waiting time).  Transfers to the island are relatively infrequent, so it is worth checking the departures ahead of time.

The island is quite isolated, other than diving, snorkelling and enjoying the wonderful beaches, there is not a lot to do here.

Limited activities for non divers, other than sun bathing.