Tuaran

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!

Veldig fornøyd med turen! Jeg fikk se rafflesia, akkurat som jeg ønsket, og de andre aktivitetene var også bra. Guiden Calvin var veldig hyggelig og ga detaljert informasjon om programmet, og vi følte oss trygge med hans forsiktige kjøring. Jeg hadde forstuet foten og trengte å se en lege, så han anbefalte og kjørte meg til en klinikk. Jeg fikk raskt time hos legen og tatt røntgen, og legen bekreftet at det ikke var brudd, noe som beroliget meg. Kostnadene var også rimelige. Tusen takk igjen for Calvins hjelp. Denne heldagsutflukten hadde mange aktiviteter, og lunsjen var også god. Jeg synes prisen for turen var rimelig.

Selv om jeg ikke vet hvorfor de andre gjestene ikke møtte opp, noe som resulterte i at min partner og jeg fikk en bil og en båt for oss selv, dro vi først til samlingspunktet for å spise. Etter å ha spist, kjørte de oss til bryggen for å rafte. Jeg hadde allerede informert instruktøren om at jeg ikke kan svømme. Fra å være veldig redd i begynnelsen, følte jeg meg veldig spent og trygg midtveis. Instruktøren var virkelig flink, og han var morsom og humoristisk. Selv om han snakket engelsk med aksent, var det ingen problemer med kommunikasjonen. I tillegg var det en fotograf som tok bilder av oss på flere steder. Pakken inkluderte lunsj, ettermiddagste og middag. Selv om maten ikke var spesielt velsmakende eller overdådig, var vi fornøyde. Guiden tok oss også med til en ubebodd øy og tok utrolig vakre bilder av oss, noe som var helt fantastisk. Til slutt gjorde guiden en stor innsats for å tiltrekke seg ildfluer, og vi hadde en magisk kveld. Det var vanskelig å fange ildfluene på kamera, men det var vakkert å se dem med egne øyne. Det var en innholdsrik dag.

The only downside was the weather; due to a long drought, the water level was too low for a truly thrilling rafting experience. However, I highly recommend our coach, Ah Ming! Not only is he multilingual, but he also has 23 years of experience and is excellent at keeping the atmosphere lively. He had our group of 10 laughing constantly! He knows the Kiulu River's safe and dangerous zones intimately, allowing us to experience floating in the river in a safe area. We hope to come back again during peak season when the water levels are higher for another experience! 👍

Overall the rafting and cultural village tour was a great experience. The water level was a bit low but it was still fun and suitable for beginners. Our guide Jeff gave detailed explanations and is very helpful. Got to try different food and snacks from the native culture. Highly recommend

We had a wonderful trip. We were so lucky to be the only participants so we ended up with a private tour. Our guide was helpful when getting in and out if the kajak and he also told us about the area along the way. Our driver Tam was also very talkative. He had a history lesson with my boyfriend the entire drive back to our hotel which was really funny. I would really recommend this trip if you want a beautiful sunset and a more active tour.

Det var en fantastisk opplevelse, spesielt for mitt 4 år gamle barnebarn. Å gli gjennom elven i totalt mørke, se trærne opplyst av dusinvis av blinkende lys og føle de skjøre ildfluene i hendene våre – er noe vi ikke kommer til å glemme på lenge. Vi fikk også tatt fantastiske bilder under fotostoppet ved solnedgang. Båtmannskapet var veldig oppmerksomme og ga oss informasjon om ikke bare ildfluene og dyrelivet, men også om livet til lokalbefolkningen i nærheten. Det er den perfekte måten å tilbringe en kveld i naturens favn med de du er glad i.

the hotel was nice and the booking experience was straightforward. comfortable room. Overall it was a good stay.

This is a beautiful, tranquil, and relaxing resort that blends seamlessly with nature. The private beach, stretching for several kilometers, is stunning and impeccably clean. Walking along the beach is very peaceful, and despite its size, the presence of lifeguards ensures safety. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the buffet is delicious!