Kota Belud

It takes nearly four hours one way to get to Mantanani Island, making it an eight-hour round trip. Following the advice of other travelers, I chose to stay for two nights, and it turned out to be a very worthwhile decision. The magnificent sunrise, the colorful underwater world, and the starry night sky were all unforgettable and well worth the long journey.   I stayed in a sea-view chalet. The room decor was simple and the facilities were not luxurious—there was no refrigerator, the water pressure was a bit weak, and the staff forgot to turn on the water valve at check-in, which was likely left off because the room had been vacant for a long time—yet it was still comfortable overall. The air conditioning was strong, the bed was comfortable, and coupled with the unbeatable ocean view, it allowed me to truly relax. The staff was warm and friendly, replied to emails very quickly, and even helped me arrange a birthday cake in advance, making their service commendable. Although there was no Wi-Fi in the room and the television signal was unavailable, cellular coverage was good, so this had little impact.   Since I enjoy fishing and saw in reviews from other travelers that the resort offered fishing activities, I was particularly looking forward to it. I even emailed to inquire before departure and was advised to sign up with the staff upon arrival. However, the activity required at least four participants to run and was not listed on the daily activity schedule, making it difficult for guests to know about it or gather companions on their own. When I inquired with the staff, another guest happened to be interested, but because he was only staying for one night and the activity was scheduled for 4:00 PM the following day, it ultimately could not be formed. Unless you travel with a group of four or are willing to pay the fee for four people, there is almost no chance of participating. This was indeed disappointing, as I believe the fishing activity would have added a lot of fun to the overall stay.   The resort is entirely cashless, and the massage service was temporarily suspended during my stay. Aside from snorkeling (which is highly recommended, though prone to seasickness—remember to prepare motion sickness medicine in advance, as I saw several passengers on my boat get seasick) and various water sports, other entertainment options were relatively limited. The diving experience seemed good, but since I do not dive, I did not participate. Therefore, I recommend that travelers come with the mindset of enjoying nature, dedicating their time to marine activities, lounging on the beach, and taking in the beauty of this place far away from the hustle and bustle.   All in all, while some facilities and activity arrangements still have room for improvement, the pros far outweigh the cons. For me, this two-day experience of escaping the city and returning to nature was extremely pleasant, and snorkeling was the absolute highlight of the trip. If you love the ocean, ecology, and a tranquil resort atmosphere, Mantanani Island is definitely worth a visit.   A quick tip: If you book through Klook, the tourism tax is usually already included in the payment amount. It is recommended to keep your payment proof, as the hotel system may not show the relevant record. I was unable to find an English receipt on Klook at the time and ultimately had to use a translation app to explain and prove that the amount had already been paid.

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! 😍

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.

Vi hadde en fantastisk opplevelse på denne turen. Hele dagen var godt organisert og føltes personlig fra start til slutt. Reiselederen vår, Adeor, gjorde turen minneverdig og hyggelig. Han var vennlig, kunnskapsrik og delte interessante innsikter gjennom hele reisen. Han imøtekom også vår forespørsel om et stopp ved Upside Down House på veien (selv om det ikke var i reiseplanen). Selve turen hadde så mange flotte opplevelser pakket inn, og lunsjen var også helt nydelig, med en fin utsikt. En annen ting vi virkelig satte pris på, var hvor omtenksom teamet var. Adeor hadde med seg ekstra regnjakker, paraplyer og nødvendigheter i tilfelle værendringer, noe som gjorde at vi følte oss veldig godt ivaretatt. Både guiden og sjåføren var ekstremt varme og vennlige, og vi endte opp med å knytte bånd over vår felles kjærlighet for Bollywood. Alt i alt en fantastisk tur med vakre severdigheter, god mat og genuint varm gjestfrihet. Anbefales på det sterkeste for alle som besøker Kota Kinabalu!

Femstjerners opplevelse! Femstjerners reise! En perfekt tur! Reiseleder Sue kontaktet oss via Whatsapp kvelden før og svarte tålmodig på alle spørsmål. Hun hjalp oss med å ta bilder hele veien uten å nekte. Det var noen i gruppen som hadde høye krav til fotografering, og Sue var utrolig tålmodig med å hjelpe dem også. Man må vite at flere grupper ble slått sammen den dagen, men alle reiselederne kjente hverandre, så de var flinke til å skape god stemning. En reiseleder hadde med seg en stor høyttaler og spilte musikk hele tiden, noe som skapte en fantastisk atmosfære. Musikken passet også til temaet, for eksempel spilte de Jay Chous «Rice Field» når vi så på ildfluer! Helt fantastisk! Det er viktig å merke seg at myggen der er veldig aggressiv; de er ikke redde for myggspray eller vann, så dette er noe å være oppmerksom på. Solnedgangen der er utrolig vakker! Vi hadde god tid til fri aktivitet og fotografering. Min første snorkleopplevelse var også fantastisk. Den eneste ulempen var at det kanskje var noen i gruppen som var redd for vann, og vi måtte ta hensyn til dem, så vi fikk ikke besøkt flere steder. Til slutt ble vi på ett sted i omtrent en time. På øya kan man leie et skap for 60 HKD, men det er egentlig ikke nødvendig, ingen vil stjele tingene dine på en øde øy... Å se ildfluene vil definitivt være en uforglemmelig opplevelse! Du kan ikke fange den sjokkerende følelsen på bilder, du må oppleve det selv for å forstå! p.s. Oppmøtetid den dagen var kl. 07.00! Så vi måtte stå opp veldig tidlig, men det var verdt det.

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.