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!

En mycket tillfredsställande resa! Jag fick se rafflesian som jag önskade, och de andra aktiviteterna var också bra. Guiden Calvin var vänlig och förklarade programmet noggrant, och han körde försiktigt vilket gjorde att vi kände oss trygga. Jag hade vrickat foten och behövde träffa en läkare, så han rekommenderade och körde mig till en klinik. Jag fick snabbt träffa en läkare och ta röntgenbilder. Läkaren bekräftade att jag inte hade några frakturer, vilket lugnade mig, och kostnaden var rimlig. Tack igen för Calvins hjälp. Denna endagstur med bara aktiviteter hade många programpunkter, och lunchen var också bra. Jag tycker att priset för turen var rimligt.

A delightful little place to visit, it’s well-kept and plenty of photo opp although photography is not allowed inside (it’s okay). The souvenir shop is nice too.

Även om jag inte vet varför de andra gästerna inte dök upp, vilket resulterade i att min partner och jag fick en hel bil och båt för oss själva, åkte vi först till samlingsplatsen för att äta. Efter att ha ätit åkte vi till kajen för att åka gummibåt och forsränna. Jag hade redan informerat instruktören om att jag inte kan simma, och från att ha varit väldigt rädd i början, tyckte jag att det var väldigt spännande och säkert i mitten. Instruktören var verkligen fantastisk, rolig och humoristisk. Även om han hade en accent när han pratade engelska, var kommunikationen helt problemfri. Dessutom fanns det en fotograf vid flera stationer som hjälpte oss att ta bilder. Paketet inkluderade lunch, eftermiddagste och middag, och även om det inte var det mest utsökta eller överdådiga, var vi ändå nöjda. Dessutom tog guiden oss till en obebodd ö och tog underbara, underbara bilder av oss, vilket var helt otroligt. Slutligen ansträngde sig guiden för att locka till sig eldflugor, och vi hade en magisk kväll. Det var dock svårt att fånga eldflugorna på bild med mobilen, men att se dem med egna ögon var också fantastiskt. Det var en händelserik dag.

Det enda som var synd var väderfaktorn; det hade inte regnat på länge, så vattennivån var för låg för en riktigt spännande forsränningsupplevelse. Men jag rekommenderar starkt instruktören Ah Ming! Han talar inte bara flera språk, utan har också 23 års erfarenhet och är mycket skicklig på att liva upp stämningen, vilket fick oss 10 personer att skratta oavbrutet! Han känner till Kiulu-flodens säkra och farliga områden, vilket gjorde att vi kunde uppleva känslan av att flyta i floden i de säkra områdena! Vi hoppas verkligen få möjlighet att komma tillbaka och uppleva det igen under högsäsong när vattennivån är hög! 👍

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.

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

It was a wonderful experience especially for my 4 year old grandson. Gliding through the river in total darkness, seeing the trees illuminated by dozens of blinking lights and feeling the fragile fireflies in our hands - is something that we will not be able to forget for a long time. We were also able to take awesome photos during the sunset photo taking stop over. The boat crew were very attentive and provided us with information about not only the fireflies and wildlife but also life of the locals in the vicinity. It’s the perfect way to spend an evening in nature's embrace with the people you love.

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