Pulau Tiga Park
Kuala Penyu, Sabah, Malaysia
Pulau Tiga Park sits off the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia, a cluster of three small islands best known outside the region as the filming location for the first season of the reality show Survivor. Mud volcanoes bubble up on the main island, and the surrounding reef draws divers and snorkelers to a park most tourists in Sabah never make it to.
A genuinely rare, uncrowded park with a strange claim to fame in the mud volcanoes, but it's remote enough, and conditions change enough, that checking current advisories before heading out is worth the extra step.
Check current conditions and any posted advisories before swimming or snorkeling around the islands. Sabah Parks staff at the jetty can tell you what's open on a given day.
There's a jetty at Kuala Penyu where boats depart for the roughly 30 minute crossing. Kuala Penyu itself is reached by road from Kota Kinabalu, with parking available near the jetty.
Boats land at a jetty on the main island, from which paths lead to the mud volcanoes and beach areas, mostly flat but not paved.
The dry season from March through September brings calmer water for the crossing and better snorkeling visibility, while the monsoon months from October through February bring rougher seas.
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