Kota Kinabalu Tours
Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 30 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu
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Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 30 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu

By Borneo Dream Travel & Tours
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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As the majority of the planet is covered in water, why not explore it? The RAID Open Water 30 Diver Course is open to all those fit, healthy and able to swim (Please get in touch with us for clarification) from age 10 years and upwards. Those less than 18 years of age will need to be accompanied by an adult. The course takes 3 days on our boats to complete. Collecting and returning to Jesselton Point Jetty each day. There is pre-study (4 hours) for this course, which can be done at our office the day before your course starts or on your own time. Just let us know :-) Prior to the course, we will require you to provide your full name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, height, weight and shoe size, plus any special dietary requirements.
Lowest price guaranteeFree cancellation

Ages 18-88, max of 12 per group
Duration: 3 days
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: Chinese, English
More


  • Full diving equipment
  • Dive Permit and Park Fees
  • Lunch (3) and drinking water
  • Small groups and a fantastic time
  • RAID Materials
What's not included
  • Anything not specifically mentioned above
  • Travel Insurance for unforeseen circumstances/force majeure.


Start:
  • Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, Jln Haji Saman, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
    The course takes 3 days, on the morning of each of your wet days you will meet us on Jesselton Point Jetty. Our meeting point is the two Red British Phone Boxes located on the lefthand side of the jetty. You will meet us here for 08:45 as the boat leaves without fail at 09:00. If you have any issues then please call our booking hotline on +60178118149 (Lines open from 08:00 till 20:00 daily).
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65313P5

    • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
    • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65313P5

    From
    ₹32,305.38
    per adult
    Select date and travellers

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Borneo Dream Travel & Tours
      1,137
      Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
      Joined in January 2010
    • Jia Nee C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Open water diving 20 course
      We joined open water diving 20 with Bas (instructor) and Yadi (skipper). They have been awesome throughout our 3 days courses. I am a scaredy-cat but Bas was able to reassure me and push me further despite we were under the water and I got better each time because of him! Also, their chemistry with us were superb and we have had lots of laughters throughout our courses. Bas was also very accommodating slowed down our descend when my partner had difficulty in equalising his ears. He was sooo good in finding beautiful underwater creatures including many green turtles, cuttlefish, shark and many more! One of the many things I love about them is they are very good in capturing those beautiful moment of ours be it at the surface or underwater! Can’t wait to dive with them again! Highly recommend if you want to be a certified diver with lots of fun and memories!
      Written 6 February 2025
    • 30rebeckak
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful day!
      We had such a great time diving! Our dive guide Alex was very good at teaching us the basic skills, and he made sure we all felt safe during our dives. Very professional! The skipper Yadi was also very kind and he took a lot of photos that we got afterwards. We saw many fish and corals, and we also spotted a proboscis monkey on our way back to Kota Kinabalu. We would definitely recommend this if you are interested in diving!
      Written 4 February 2025
    • kinleongl
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great day snorkeling
      We had Yadi as the guide. He was a great guide and followed us in the water and showed us a multitude of sea life..Nemo's black and orange strip, lion fish, barracudas, eels, shark, etc. Not forgetting our friendly boat navigator Azmie
      Written 23 January 2025
    • kkN9974OK
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommended !
      We had really good time with Borneo Dream Travel & Tours for both the Try-Dive and Leisure Dive. The diving masters Basir, Amir and Alex are very experienced and very caring. They gave clear instructions and make sure you are ok all the time during whole diving trips. They took good care of each of us. We are so lucky to see lots of different species of fishes and turtles.
      Written 20 January 2025
    • Climber45456275413
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great day of diving 🐢🐠🐡🐟🪸
      We went out for a fun and beautiful leisure dive with DM Bas and captain Yadi. The crew went above and beyond to make sure that we felt comfortable and safe during the whole trip. We saw beautiful marine life and was lucky enough to see a green turtle! 🐢 Bas set aside time for us to do some “sea walking” as we had never heard about it before. Overall a fun and great experience and we will recommend Borneo Dream to anyone going to KK or Gaya Island.
      Written 16 January 2025
    • yuew675
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      amazing experience!
      we learned AOW with Borneo Dream at last year , and had a great memory . so we ordered 3 times fun dive last week. we went to bunga raya , magic rock and lighthouse . our DM Alex was very nice, he pointed a lot of cute fishes. our AOW instruct was Bas, he is great! if wanna get some license, just follow him, he has great patience so that students will have confidence to do better and better.
      Written 7 January 2025
    • Starofsirius
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highlight of our KK trip
      These guys do a wonderful and well organised snorkelling tour. The entire experience from WhatsApp inquiry to disembarking was handled flawlessly. I liked how our snorkelling guide and captain, Bas and Azmi, went out of their way to find marine life for us and we had three proper 45-minute snorkelling sessions. Unlike other snorkel tours we’ve been on where the guide brings food to attract fish, I appreciated how the guide was respectful of marine life and didn’t resort to such antics, reminded guests to care for coral life and picked rubbish whenever seen. As for the marine life we were entreated to, they included: lionfish, moray eel, reef shark, turtle, barracuda, clownfish, angelfish, blue sea stars and sea urchins. Really memorable experience and highlight of our KK trip.
      Written 30 December 2024
    • 225ml
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Outstanding customer service team
      Borneo Dreams have an incredible team answering my questions in the most timely and prompt fashion. Thanks Priscilla! Prior to our arrival, and through the period of our OWC, Haniff handled all our queries in the most welcoming manner. To the owners of Borneo Dreams - you are really lucky to have Priscilla and Haniff on your team!
      Written 29 December 2024
    • 736berits
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So worth it
      Had the best day! Never seen so many different species in one day; octopus, pufferfish, stingray, bannerfish, turtle, trumpetfish. Enjoyed a delicious lunch at a nice restaurant(included in the price). Bas and Yadi was very professional and I always felt safe. They have a funny humor and made us laugh plenty through the trip! Quite inexpensive experience, so worth the money :) Thank you for a great day.
      Written 26 December 2024
    • Willem S
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unforgettable Snorkeling Adventure with Borneo Dream!
      We had an absolutely amazing snorkeling experience today with Borneo Dream Travel and Tours! The team, led by Bas, Yadi, and Alex, was outstanding. They took us to three fantastic snorkeling sites, and their knowledge of the marine life was incredible. They showed us so many amazing sea creatures—sharks, a turtle, squid, and so much more. What really stood out was how friendly and professional they were, especially in helping our children feel comfortable and enjoy the experience. The food on the island was good, and the overall organization of the trip was spot on. It was such a memorable day, and we’d highly recommend Borneo Dream Travel and Tours to anyone looking for an unforgettable snorkeling adventure. Thank you, Bas, Yadi, Alex, and the rest of the team, for making it such a special day!
      Written 15 December 2024
    • sydneyw230
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Nice of the Experience for Snorkeling!
      We did snorkeling with Bas and Yadi from Borneo Dream. It was amazing! We stayed in exciting . Thefood was delicious. We were well taken care of by local people who were super passionate about what they're doing and can answer all your questions. Thank you Bas and Yadi for making this an unforgettable experience!
      Written 6 December 2024
    • Andigya
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      More programs
      We participled more programs. First time Turtule island and Kinabatangan river tour. Our river maister Mohamed was amasing ❤️, his eyes as eagle. We saw a lot of animals from orangutans to crocodile. We learnt a lot about animals. He is very funny and nice. Next program was diving with Basir, he is also amasing with his knowledge and experiance. Hete is also funny. Last program was biking tour with Cris. He is also very prepared and Eti heard a lot of information about county side. One of our program was incomplete. The city tour in Sandakan. Our tour guide missed water village and 2. worldwar statement.
      Written 24 November 2024
    • jenspC1257DE
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      JP
      Did the 3d2n tour to Turtle island and Kinabatangan river. We had an excellent time. Everything worked really smoothly. From pick-up to excursions. A little confusement about storage of luggage but certainly no hassle. We actually got to go on two extra excursions that were not in the booking since we “tagged along” with another pair that had it in their package. The Tanini lodge surpassed our expectations. Was expecting a lot more basic place after looking at the pictures. I don’t think the pictures make the place justice (Borneo Dream maybe should replace them?). All staff were excellent but our river guide Mohammed deserves extra mention. Truly the man is blessed with hawk eyes! :)
      Written 22 November 2024
    • Szurovceva
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic days on Turtle island and in the jungle
      We did the Turtle Island and Kinabatangan River Safari, 4D3N tour. This trip was absolutely amazing. Great value for money, all transportation was very punctual, if I had questions, the office was very responsive and everything went very smooth. We went in the off-season which resulted in us being the only people at Tanini Kinabatangan Lodge, which was great! The accommodation is amazing and our guide, Omar did an excellent job finding us all the animals and telling us about the jungle. Do not hesitate to book this trip, it’ll give you ever lasting memories and a superb experience!
      Written 11 November 2024
    • BFD
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Well run trip. Highly recommend.
      An excellent, well organised trip with great guide to guest ratio 3:8 We felt safe and looked after all day. Equipment was good and we had three lovely guided snorkels on the reef. You could choose to use a buoyancy aid or not, depending on how confident you are. Depth 3-10m approximately. Arthur kept a close eye on the 7 of us and pointed out interesting sea life. Highlight was swimming with turtles. We saw three across our swims. A good value day out. Highly recommended.
      Written 7 November 2024
    See all 1,137 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles74 reviews
    Excellent
    73
    Very good
    1
    Average
    0
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    0
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    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
    This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

    Marjolijn B
    Utrecht, The Netherlands8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great professional diving school! Good communication, flexible availability so we could take lessons on the days we wanted and what suited our itinerary. This gave the two of us one instructor, Sabri. Very nice, kind man who explains everything professionally and calmly. Has a lot of knowledge of the fish and coral and humor. He is also patient so that we could gain confidence in diving. Not an overcrowded boat, clear communication, beautiful diving spots and delicious lunch (included). We couldn't have wished for a better diving school, thank you again and highly recommended!!
    Google
    Written 20 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Geoff R
    United Kingdom45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023 • Family
    I'd really recommend Borneo Dream to take the hassle out of your holiday in Borneo. We booked our flights directly, then booked diving, Tabin nature reserve, Turtle Island, and a few other things too. With all these different elements, we were worried things might not work out. But as they're based in Borneo, they clearly knew how to put the whole package together and made us feel assured things would go well - and it did !
    I'd be here all day if I went through everything we did, so I want to focus on the 2 day PADI diving course our teenage children did - their teacher was so patient and helpful, knew all our first names from the start, and we could just relax knowing we were in good hands. Esther and the team also really knew their fish, so was great being shown so much in such a short period of time.
    Written 30 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Charlotte D
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2024 • Family
    My 14 year old daughter did the PADI Open Water Diver Course at Gaya Island with Bas as her instructor. Bas was very friendly, always smiling, great at explaining everything and making it fun. She had a great time and can't wait to do more diving. Bas was very thorough in going through the learning and skills practice and was always focussed on safety. We saw lots of beautiful fish and wildlife! Great experience
    Written 8 August 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Charlotte, Thanks for your lovely review. We are happy to hear your daughter got the most underwater experience together with her Instructor. Your kind words serve as a great testament to the hard work and dedication we invest in our job. We are looking forward to welcoming you again. Cheers! Haniff
    Written 16 October 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Purple F
    England, UK118 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Always wanted to learn to scuba dive and as this company came with good reviews we booked a 3 day PADI Open Water package.

    Communication with the company office before we arrived was excellent and any questions I had were quickly answered.

    The course itself was very good. The instructors and equipment were both excellent and we felt in safe hands at all times.

    If you are doing the PADI Open Water course, make sure you do all of the E-learning topics on the PADI App before you arrive. All of e-learning took around 6/7 hours to complete.

    The lunches provided whilst doing the course were simple Malay food so if you want extra food or drink, bring additional money with you.

    The course usually started with a meet up at Jessleton Point (if staying in KK) at 8.45 and consisted of one dive in the morning and one in the afternoon. Returning to Jessleton Point around 4pm.

    All in all a great experience!
    Written 14 August 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Ward S
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023 • Family
    We did our Padi Open Water Diver Course with Borneo Dream Travel & Tours. Jabri Tenden was our instructor for these 3 days. He’s very professional and takes his job seriously to ensure you learn everything you need to know about diving and the safety connected to it. Everything was well organised and went smoothly. I highly recommend them.
    Written 23 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, Ward. Thank you for sharing a 5* review about your PADI Open Water Diver Course with Borneo Dream. Congratulations on becoming a certified PADI Open Water Dver!! It's great to hear that your PADI Instructor, Sabri, looked after you well during your course, and he has helped you become a safe and able diver. We look forward to welcoming you back for more dives soon as a certified diver. Best wishes, the Dream Team :-)
    Written 29 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Joyce K
    London, UK11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2022
    Esther was a phenomenal instructor and made the initially daunting 3 day course a breeze. She was very thorough and clear on her instructions and did exceptionally well in maintaining control under water when I sometimes got a bit freaked out.

    We got our certifications and definitely recommend Esther to anyone who's considering a dive.

    The set up is amazing as well, with direct access to the boat from the dock without having to go through the large lines in the main terminal.
    Written 11 November 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Adventure27624041054
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023 • Friends
    The experience was amazing! Learning with passionate instructor-Ester made me less nervous and more confident. Not only she has extensive and a solid base of dive knowledge, she explained all the theories and skills very well and has a positive attitude to keep us motivated and engaged.
    Written 3 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, Adventure! Thank you so much for sharing a 5* review about your PADI Open Water Diver Course. Congratulations on becoming a certified diver!! I'm really pleased you had a fantastic time learning to dive with us, and your PADI instructor, Esther, went above and beyond to help you get the most from your 3-day course. It's great to hear that she trained you incredibly well, shared her knowledge with you and helped you have an enjoyable time as you learned to dive. Enjoy your first dives as a certified diver and come and visit us again in Kota Kinabalu for more diving adventures. Best wishes, the Borneo Dream team
    Written 5 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Angliojoe
    manchester16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022 • Couples
    Great experience! My wife and I did this on honeymoon and Sabri was a great and patient instructor! She wanted to get over her fear of open water and was very nervous to start with. Sabri worked with all of us and took the time to help my wife stay calm, gain confidence and complete the course. We are now excited to dive more and already looking at diving options back in our home country. The whole crew were polite, professional and passionate divers. We would be happy to recommend them to family and friends visiting Borneo. Thank you again!
    Written 6 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Maxime S
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2022 • Friends
    Had the best experience!! Our instructor Basir was so nice and helpful, we learned a lot and saw so many cool fishes and turtles. We felt really safe during all the diving exercises and learned a lot. Basir has a really good eye to spot wild life which made the experience even better than it already was. So happy we got our padi certificate with borneo dreams! 100% recommend.
    Written 22 November 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Ro T
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We had a 3 day padi course here. Every morning we were picked up from Jesselton Point by boat, then went to one of the islands close by (Gaya Island, Sapi Island). Around there we did all the instruction parts, got our lunch on the Island and also had some rec time diving. The instructions were repeated often and guided well by our instructor Amir, who is also a very nice guy! He was very experienced and made sure we had fun and felt confident in our skills. We saw many fish on our dives, moray eel, stingray, giant puffer fish, cornet fish, a turtle, clown fish and lots unknown to me. On the last day we joined some snorkeling with guide Bas, and saw black tip reef sharks and many turtles. Overall we had a great time and also got our certificate :D. Many thanks to Amir, Bas and the skipper! Recommended!
    Written 26 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Robin, Many thanks for your review and we are so happy to hear that you have a great time with our crew during your course. We are pleased our crew was helpful to ensure you get an amazing experience and it looks it worth for your 3 days course with us. Hope to see you again! Haniff
    Written 6 October 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Showing results 1-10 of 74
    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Learn to Dive | RAID Open Water 30 Diver Course | Kota Kinabalu provided by Borneo Dream Travel & Tours

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