Things to do in Kota Belud

Our family and a friend's family, 4 adults and 4 children, signed up for this tour. We were picked up at our hotel at 7:30 AM, followed by a 2.5-hour drive to the Mount Kinabalu viewpoint. The city roads from Kota Kinabalu to Mount Kinabalu were congested, but our guide was flexible and accommodated the children's restroom breaks along the way. After taking many photos at the viewpoint, we headed to Desa Farm. On the way, we made a detour to a local fruit shop. Our tour guide, Jeff, introduced us to fruits we had never seen before, and we bought and ate one or two of each. We were excited by fruits we had never heard of or seen, like apple jelly, avocado cheese, and snake fruit! The avocado cheese tasted like sweet steamed pumpkin, with a texture and flavor unlike any fruit! It was delicious. From there, we went to Desa Farm. Located at an altitude of about 1,500m, it wasn't too hot and was very comfortable! The weather was clear with few clouds, and we took many great photos with the sharp ridges of Mount Kinabalu in the background. Was that a sun halo? Jeff smoothly guided us through recommended activities like soft-serve ice cream and feeding calves and goats. Jeff, who is also a father of four, is knowledgeable about funny TikTok videos, and our children had a blast taking funny videos with him, making it a very satisfying experience. Afterward, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and then went rafflesia watching. We were worried if we would see any, as they only bloom for 5-7 days a year, but we saw two blooming rafflesias! We also saw buds and withered ones, which was a unique experience only available locally. Nearby, there were also cacao and durian trees! I was surprised to see durians growing on such tall trees. By this point, it was past 3 PM. The children were getting tired, so we decided to change the itinerary and head back. The morning traffic jam was long. On the way back, there was a strange cloud hanging over the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Jeff told us it was a rare sight. The return journey was also a bit congested, but we managed to get back to the hotel around 7 PM. We had originally planned to be back by 5:30 PM, but the road congestion and it being summer vacation season caused delays. I recommend bringing a bit more cash, as there are places at the rafflesia site that don't accept credit cards for insect repellent, and some restaurants for lunch. Thank you, Jeff, for a fun tour! The magnificent scenery and your enjoyable assistance made it a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

The itinerary was very well organized, allowing us to visit several spots in one trip. The duration at each stop was just right, so it never felt rushed. Our first stop was the observation deck, where there were many fruit vendors nearby selling fresh and delicious fruits! The best part was realizing later in the city that the fruit here was actually the cheapest! The farm was also a lot of fun; for 20 Malaysian Ringgit, you could feed milk and forage to the animals, and the yogurt and milk ice cream were amazing! The fish spa was very entertaining, and the tour guide taught us feeding techniques. It was a bit scary at first. Lunch was better than expected, featuring vegetables, meat, and fruit. The tour included a complimentary ATV experience, allowing us to ride through the wilderness. We were very lucky to see a Rafflesia flower this time; although it had been blooming for five days and was starting to turn dark, there was still an unopened bud right next to it. On the way back, we had roasted wild boar and pulled tea. The roasted wild boar is highly recommended! The two of us shared a portion and were left wanting more. Overall, the value for money is extremely high, and I highly recommend it!

Just finished a one-day tour of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, and I have to give a huge shoutout to our private guide, Xiaoyang (William)! 👍🏻🙋🏻‍♂️ I originally thought the long drive to and from the mountain would be exhausting and boring, but Xiaoyang was a fantastic conversationalist along the way. He shared a lot of local history and culture of Sabah, guided us on a short trek up the mountain, and even stopped to introduce us to unique plants we saw along the trail 🌴🍃. The content was engaging and fun, and time flew by. 🥹 We were super lucky to catch a glimpse of Mount Kinabalu and the Rafflesia! The guide truly put a lot of thought into arranging everything for us, ensuring the entire itinerary ran smoothly, and even treated us to Malaysian cuisine for lunch 🍱! He took such good care of us throughout the trip, constantly reminding everyone to stay safe. The biggest surprise was his photography skills 📸. His composition was top-notch, and he was incredibly patient, taking tons of gorgeous photos for us to keep as memories. There was non-stop laughter all day, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. 😆✨ Meeting Xiaoyang this time really added so much value to the whole trip! 🩷 If any of our friends go to Sabah in the future, or if we visit again ourselves, we will definitely ask him to be our guide again! 😍

My guide is Xing Yu. Xing Yu is a sincere and dedicated guide who brings a positive experience to the tour. On the way to Mount Kinabalu, he did a good job introducing us to the various local fruits and sharing interesting information about the local surroundings and culture.

We had an amazing experience on this tour. The entire day was well-organised and felt personalised from start to finish. Our tour guide, Adeor, made the trip memorable and enjoyable. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and shared interesting insights throughout the journey. He also accommodated our request stop at the Upside Down House on the way (even though it wasn’t in the itinerary. The tour itself had so many great experiences packed in and the lunch was also absolutely delicious, with a nice view. Another thing we really appreciated was how thoughtful the team was. Adeor carried extra raincoats, umbrellas, and essentials in case of weather changes, which made us feel very well taken care of. Both the guide and the driver were extremely warm and friendly, and we ended up bonding over our shared love for Bollywood. Overall, a fantastic tour with beautiful sights, great food, and genuinely warm hospitality. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Kota Kinabalu!

We participated in the company trip with 8 people. We were the only Japanese, and most of the other tourists on Mantanani Island were Chinese. Our guide, Xiao Zhong, was particularly excellent. We were initially concerned because the tour was primarily in Chinese and English, but he used a translation device to explain everything to us. The snorkeling, proboscis monkeys, and fireflies were wonderful. Although we had to wait for over 30 minutes due to a sudden downpour, it was an amazing experience overall.

Five-star experience! Five-star trip! A perfect journey! Our tour guide, Sue, contacted us via WhatsApp the night before and was incredibly patient in answering all our questions. She also helped us take photos throughout the trip without any hesitation. Some of our group members had very high expectations for photography, and Sue was surprisingly patient in helping them get their shots. It's worth noting that our group was a combination of several smaller groups, but all the guides knew each other, so they were great at creating a lively atmosphere. One guide constantly played music through a loudspeaker, which really boosted the mood, and they even matched the theme – for example, playing Jay Chou's "Rice Field" when we were watching fireflies! Truly professional! Be aware that the local mosquitoes are very aggressive and aren't deterred by mosquito repellent, so that's something to keep in mind. The sunset there is stunning! We had plenty of time for free activities and taking photos. My first snorkeling experience was also amazing. The only downside was that some people in our group might have been afraid of water, so we had to accommodate them and couldn't visit more spots. We ended up staying at one spot for about an hour. You can rent a locker on the island for HKD $60, but you honestly don't need to; no one is going to steal your belongings on a deserted island... Watching the fireflies is an absolutely unforgettable experience! Photos can't capture the awe-inspiring sight; you'll understand once you go! P.S. The meeting time that day was 7 AM! So it was a very early start, but totally worth it.

We had an amazing time on our tour. Our guide Sue Yee was very informative and fun, and Max was a very good driver. we saw proboscis monkeys and fireflies, and the fried bananas were a tasty snack!

overall very good experience, the bus going there aircon was not working at its best. But the bus coming back was much better.