We thoroughly enjoyed our stay on the island - despite going to see the turtles in a tropical thunderstorm! It was the highlight of our trip to Sabah!
Lunch on the way and breakfast the following morning are at a nearby island - the food was fine. I agree that food on turtle island is not spectacular - but then that was not the reason for the visit. Rooms were better than expected after reading the reviews. We had towels and air conditioning in addition to all the basics.
Snorkelling off the beach was very good - lots of fish and corals. Hire of the "gear" v reasonable. We were called to see the turtles about 9pm. Our group had about 15 in it and all got a good view of the egg laying. Then on to see the eggs moved to the hatchery before moving some baby turtles to the beach to be released. You cannot hold the turtles anymore - but in our group some of the babies headed off in the wrong direction so some volunteers were allowed to pick them up and put them in the sea. Be quick to offer if you want to hold one!
If you don't get good photos you can buy some really good ones at the little shop.
A lovely experience overall - and one I shall remember for a long time!

A short boat journey from Sandakan deposits you on the beach. Short stroll into the chalet which is the restaurant/ office/ gift shop. Accommodation is basic and varies depending on which building you get. But dont have high expecations! Spend the day on the beach. you can hire snorkel, fins and beach mats. You are not allowed on the beach between 6pm and 6am. After dinner everyone watches a movie on the turtles and national park, then broken up into groups. Once they turtles are spotted they call the groups. You only get a few minutes. You may have to wait quite a number of hours. So make sure you bring snacks, drinks and cards. There is next to no service from the staff.

I agree they need to be careful in relation to not disturbing the turtules, but they need to manage the expectations of the tourist. I felt uncomfortable and not welcome. We waited until the very early hours of the morning and only had 3 mins with the turtle in a group of 15.

Overall we did not find the experience enjoyable.

The main reason to visit this island is to see nesting turtles. The package usually involves leaving Sandikan by boat in the morning, having lunch at the centre - the afternoon is at leisure and we hired snorkles and fins, and relaxed on the beach. Beware of the tide going out, the water can get very very shallow above the coral, dont get caught out. Unfortunately for us, the day we went was the day they sprayed/clouded the island against mosquitos, which apparently only happened once a year!, and they did a thorough job!!
After supper, and a video about turtles, it is the wait to be called to see a nesting turtle ("Turtle Time")
We did not have to wait too long.
There is a charge to use cameras in the evening of 10 Ringits, and no flashes are allowed. Videoing is not permitted unless prior permission has been saught.
Next you see the collected eggs placed into their new nest, and then the hatchlings released.
The chalet is basic, but they make no claims that it is otherwise - quite functional.
The next morning you leave before breakfast and have it in the water village in sandakan.
We really enjoyed our visit to the island, and would highly recommend the trip.
It can get very booked up, so it is sensible to book in advance

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 !