Kota Kinabalu

🥇 Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (Kota Kinabalu) Islands: Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik, Gaya ⭐ Best for: First-timers, short trip, families 👍 Pros • Very close to KK (10–20 mins boat) • Easy half-day island hopping • Clear water on good weather days • Snorkeling, parasailing, sea walking 👎 Cons • Can be crowded (especially weekends & holidays) • Coral quality is average, not pristine ⭐ Verdict Best convenience island hopping in Sabah. Easy, fun, no long travel.

We were assigned William as our driver and guide. William proactively introduced attractions as we drove past them. He was also very helpful in taking many photos for us throughout the trip. On the way back to the city, we were caught in a traffic jam and needed to add an extra hour. While he could have simply dropped us off at the original destination—which would have meant paying an extra hour for only about a 30-minute drive—he instead took us on a mini city tour, pointing out key landmarks around Kota Kinabalu. He extended the route and eventually dropped us off about 1.5 hours later, while only charging us for one additional hour.

The driver planned the route in advance, so we were able to smoothly tour the Kinabalu Park area! I hired him as a driver, but he also acted as a guide, which was a great help.

This trip was definitely my highlight of 6-day vacation in KK. The trip was well organized, with great itinerary and service from all the crew. We were being picked up on time at our hotel in KK by Jordan who drove smoothly and very kind. There were some selections of beverages for high tea (cold water, juice, coffee), also mung bean porridge and banana fritters, which were really good. During the cruise, we saw the proboscis monkeys, long tail, monitor lizard, and crocodile. Our guide, Garry was funny, knowledgeable, and was great in explaining about the animals & surrounding areas. We got back to the Jetty for early dinner with Malaysian cuisine buffet & it tasted delicious. Then we countinued the cruise to the mirror beach and took some pictures. On the way back, we got to see a lot of fireflies on the trees and Garry and the crew were good on inviting them to fly around us on the boat. Jordan then drove us back safely and comfortably to KK. Overall this tour is highly recommended!

Very nice and cosy island hopping experience. The boat ride was smooth and windy, the weather was very good that day. Both Sapi and Manukan Island had very nice beach. The tour guide, Nanak, is very friendly and answered all our question, also helped everyone take care of their bags and things. The banana boat and snorkelling are must go. Managed to see quite a few species of fish, snorkelling is limited to the areas near the shore but can spot quite a lot of fish. The sun is very strong so must apply sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Time was also sufficient and ended quite early at 3pm.

We were a group ranging from 8yrs to 71yrs. This trip was great for all! The transfer was comfortable, we saw Proboscis and long tail macaques, crocodiles and birds. The sunset was breathtaking and the fireflies were so beautiful. on the beach, you can pay extra to ride a small ATV which was likely the highlight of my 12yr old’s day! Our guide, Cathy was wonderful, we learned a lot about the mangroves and the creatures because of her!

We had a wonderful experience on this snorkeling trip. It was our first time snorkeling, and everything was well organized from start to finish. Our tour guide, Birdy, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the day, making us feel safe and comfortable. The snorkeling spots were beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the marine life and crystal-clear waters. We especially appreciate Birdy’s patience, helpful guidance, and excellent service, which made our first snorkeling experience enjoyable and stress-free. Thank you, Birdy, for making our first snorkeling adventure such a memorable one. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kota Kinabalu. A truly unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of our Sabah trip!

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.

our guide (from wavehunter) was da best! he did not just paddle us downstream, but played many fun games, showed us good spots to jump from the rocks and swim, and did not rush to finish! though it was the dry season and the rapids were only at grade 1, we had a fantastic time and highly recommend wavehunters for all levels of thrill seekers. our photographer was great too, standing in the water at times and the pictures were wonderful. thanks!