Layang Layang Island also known as the Swallow Reef is an isolated atoll in the South China Sea about 300 km or an hour flight NW of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It is the Malaysian part of the Spratly Islands chain. The 50 acre island is build through reclamation from the surrounding atoll by the Malaysian government and now has a runway and resort that is open to public besides the initial permanent Royal Malaysian Navy base which began operating prior to that. There is also a Malaysian Fishery Department research center on the island. Due to it's isolation and difficulty in getting there, not many Malaysians are aware of this island let alone been there. The resort is only open 8 months in a year and attracts serious divers. The island has a shallow and protected lagoon and outside depth of 2000m makes it ideal for wall diving. The area is also great for fishing and a nearby purpose built bird island sanctuary attracts thousands of migratory seabirds. View album.
