All previous reviewers mention that the rooms on the island are very basic and the food nothing great. I would fully agree with these sentiments.

But , and this is a very big but , I would rate my night on the island amongst the highlights of my trip to Sabah.

This island itself is very pretty and the reef pretty good for snorkelling. The beach is lovely and because there is nothing else to do there except read and relax , it's very enjoyable.There's also a very convivial atmosphere.

The previous night the first mother turtle did not appear until 11.45 p.m. , so we were warned that the turtle may not appear until after midnight. Luckily our turtle appeared at 9 p.m. and laid 82 eggs. I found the experience of watching her lay her eggs extremely moving and left feeling nothing but admiration for the staff.

The rangers managed the process well , making sure that she was not disturbed and that we all got our turns getting fairy close. Then you are allowed watch while the rangers bury the eggs in the hatchery and release a basket full of hatchlings ....soo sweet.In all 15 turtles visited the island that night and laid 800 eggs !

Despite spending a fantastic 5 days on Kapalia afterwards where I saw dozens of turtles , I would still visit Turtle Island again tomorrow !

We had not booked this trip prior to arriving at Sandakan. We were incorrectly led to believe you could journey to the Island in the afternoon and be bought back to mainland later in the evening. This is not correct so we had to make a very quick decision to visit or not, luckily for us there were rooms available, this is not often the case and if you really want to go do book in advance.
The upside to this was we were tossing up about going or not (as we would lose our 2nd night booking at Hotel Sabah) and the price for the tour went down considerably as we deliberated. It started at 575rm per person and we ended up getting it for 360rm so quite a difference.
Everybody is correct when they say there is not much else to do on the island, the snorkelling is very average so its that or lie on the beach.
However this is an island dedicated to conservation and assisting an endangered species, so we are lucky to even be allowed to visit. The rangers take their job seriously and the viewing of the turtles at nighttime has to be fast and controlled or they will soon be wiped out. You are now not even allowed to handle the baby turtles or even the eggs.
Our family was extremely lucky to be on the beach about 4.30pm when the lifeguard found a wild nest of hatchlings about to be born, we were able to witness the eruption firsthand and even help out the little ones who struggled to get to the water. Then not 10 minutes later another was spotted. We had an 8yr old and 13 yr old and it is something we will never forget.
Yes the accommodation is basic and the food and drinks limited and you can wait for hours to view the turtles, but how many people can actually say they have experienced an event as amazing as this.
Keep up the great work Turtle Island.

As others have mentioned the chalets are very basic and there is little to do on this small island near to Sandakan; but the opportunites to get up close to these turtles in their natural environment make the trip more than worthwhile.

In the main building they serve pretty decent buffet meals and the shop is well stocked with beer, water, and soft drinks to help the early evening pass by as you wait to be called to witness the arrival of the first turtle of the evening.

Once you're beckoned onto the beach it's a slick routine which I'm sure is followed every evening with everyone getting a good sight of the egg laying process, the relaying of the eggs back in the hatchery, and the release of newly hatched turtles. You have the chance to handle an egg and a newly hatched turtle wriggling in the palm of your hand before the show is over.

If you're an early riser then an early morning walk on the beach could yield a few surprises. At 6am, in the early morning light, I did come across a couple of turtles still on the beach and working their way back slowly to the waters edge. A chance to see these wonderful creatures in daylight without the clamber of other visitors.

The main reason you go to Turtle Island is for the turtles. You are there for less than 24hrs and I feel the idea is that they provide you with the bare basics when it comes to ammenities. It is a lot of money to see the turtles, but I realise it furthers their conservation not our personal comfort whilst you are there.
We travelled with 2 kids aged 7 & 9, and they had a great time as did we (we are not 5 star travellers anyway).
You are expected to entertain yourself until the turtles come ashore. We found the snorkelling OK. Many people did not seem to work out where the best coral was, and we certainly pointed many in the right direction. You need to go to the right of where the path comes out at the beach (near the hire shack), it also helps to go out half way at least to the buoys. You will see clown fish and some nice coral. Our sons enjoyed splitting the coconuts on rocks and climbing the trees as well.
The rooms are definitely poor quality, yes no hot water, no water supply to the toilet overnight as they have to desalinate their water etc, food average, yes the odd critter too! Turtles, wow!