Currently, no tourists are allowed to stay overnight on Pulau Sipadan. To go diving at Sipadan you need a permit which is allocated by Sabah Parks. Sabah Parks issue an allocation of Sipadan permits to Resorts located on islands near Sipadan (such as Mataking Resort or Kapalai), and to a selection of Dive Centres located in Semporna. If you book to stay at a Resort near Sipadan the Resort will collect you at the start of your stay from either Tawau Airport (TWU) or a hotel / Lodge in Semporna. From there you will be transferred to a jetty in Semporna and then join a boat transfer to the Resort. You can fly to Tawau Airport either from Kota Kinabalu (BKI) located on the west coast of Sabah, Kuala Lumpur (KUL) or Singapore (SIN).