Mga bagay na dapat gawin sa Kota Kinabalu

The half-day itinerary was packed, and our guide, Daniel, was absolutely fantastic! He spoke Malay, English, and Chinese... I bet he could handle Cantonese and Hokkien too! He was incredibly patient and meticulous with his explanations and arrangements throughout the trip. Even the two little ones in our group loved chatting with him. We found the proboscis monkeys, saw the sunset, but the grand finale was truly the highlight: a sky full of stars and trees full of fireflies. One star twinkled in the sky, and a firefly rested in my hand – it was the most beautiful and serene experience imaginable (the camera couldn't capture even a fraction of it). Thank you, Daniel, and thank you, Kawa, for a wonderful journey and a delightful encounter.

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!

Lubos na kasiya-siyang biyahe! Nakita ko ang Rafflesia na gusto ko, at maganda rin ang ibang mga aktibidad. Si Calvin, ang tour guide, ay mabait at detalyadong nagpaliwanag ng mga aktibidad, at maingat siyang magmaneho kaya kampante kami. Napilayan ako at namaga ang aking paa kaya kailangan kong magpatingin sa doktor. Ipinakilala niya ako at inihatid sa klinika, at mabilis akong nakakita ng doktor at nakapagpa-X-ray. Kinumpirma ng doktor na wala akong bali, na nagbigay sa akin ng kapayapaan ng isip, at ang gastos ay makatwiran at hindi mahal. Muli, salamat kay Calvin sa kanyang tulong. Maraming aktibidad ang one-day tour na ito, at masarap din ang tanghalian. Sa tingin ko, makatwiran ang presyo ng tour na ito.

We had such a great time on this tour, and a big part of it was thanks to our tour guide, Kelvin! Kelvin was our driver, tour guide and also our photographer for the day. He was very knowledgeable and made the mangrove and fireflies tour really enjoyable. He introduced us to the different animals we saw, including the proboscis monkeys, and shared interesting facts about what they eat, their digestion and their behaviour. It was really interesting to learn about them along the way. He was also very entertaining and took great care of us throughout the whole trip. He definitely went above and beyond, especially when he took the time to help us take photos at the sunset spot. We really appreciated how attentive and thoughtful he was. Also, a big shoutout to his co-tour guide, Gary, who was equally helpful and made the experience even better. Thank you, Kelvin and Gary, for such a memorable day!

Limang-bituing karanasan! Limang-bituing paglalakbay! Isang perpektong paglalakbay! Ang aming tour guide na si Sue ay nakipag-ugnayan na sa amin sa WhatsApp kinagabihan pa lang, at napakapasensyosa niyang sinagot ang lahat ng aming tanong. Sa buong biyahe, tinulungan niya kaming kumuha ng mga litrato nang walang pagtutol. Mayroon kaming mga kasama sa grupo na napakataas ng pamantayan sa pagkuha ng litrato, at nakakagulat na si Sue ay napakapasensyosa pa rin sa pagkuha ng kanilang mga larawan. Dapat malaman na ang araw na iyon ay pagsasama-sama ng ilang grupo, ngunit ang lahat ng mga tour guide ng mga grupong ito ay magkakakilala, kaya't mahusay silang magpataas ng mood. May isang tour guide na laging may dalang malaking speaker at nagpapatugtog ng musika, na nagbibigay ng napakagandang kapaligiran. Bukod pa rito, ang musika ay akma sa tema, halimbawa, kapag nanonood ng mga alitaptap, pinapatugtog niya ang "Rice Field" ni Jay Chou! Tunay na kahanga-hanga! Dapat tandaan na ang mga lamok doon ay napakalala; hindi sila natatakot sa mosquito repellent, kaya ito ay isang bagay na dapat bigyang-pansin. Napakaganda ng paglubog ng araw doon! Maraming oras para sa libreng aktibidad at pagkuha ng litrato. Ang unang beses na snorkeling ay nakamamangha rin. Ang tanging ikinalulungkot ay marahil mayroong mga kasama sa grupo na takot sa tubig, kaya kailangan silang alagaan, at hindi kami nakapunta sa mas maraming lugar. Sa huli, nanatili kami sa isang lugar at naglaro ng halos isang oras. Sa isla, maaari kang umarkila ng locker sa halagang $60 HKD, ngunit hindi mo naman talaga kailangan. Walang magnanakaw ng iyong gamit sa isang liblib na isla... Ang panonood ng mga alitaptap ay tiyak na magiging isang di malilimutang karanasan! Hindi kayang makuha ng litrato ang ganoong uri ng pagkamangha; kapag pumunta ka, maiintindihan mo! p.s. Ang oras ng pagtitipon sa araw na iyon ay 7 ng umaga! Kaya napakaaga naming gumising, ngunit sulit naman.

Enjoy a safe and fun stand-up paddleboarding experience at Tanjung Aru Beach, home to one of the world's most famous sunsets! We highly recommend stand-up paddleboarding in Sabah! First, a big shout-out to our coach! The coach was very responsible, dedicated, and humorous in their teaching. They provided careful guidance throughout the process and paid attention to everyone's safety, making our first stand-up paddleboarding experience completely stress-free and incredibly fun! After placing our order, the travel agency promptly contacted us to confirm the itinerary. The staff were friendly and patient, and the pick-up was very punctual. The entire process made us feel very reassured. The biggest fear when traveling is not being able to reach someone after booking an itinerary or uncertainty about pick-up, but this time, we had none of those issues. From booking and communication to pick-up and the on-site experience, everything was very reassuring. Stand-up paddleboarding is truly a blast!

Had the best day in Sabah! 🥹✨ A huge thank you to all the staff, especially Casey, Johnny, and Willy, for all the joy they brought to the day. You guys made the experience even more memorable. :)

Napakaganda at komportableng karanasan sa island hopping. Ang biyahe sa bangka ay maayos at mahangin, napakaganda ng panahon noong araw na iyon. Parehong may napakagandang dalampasigan ang Sapi at Manukan Island. Ang tour guide, si Nanak, ay napakabait at sinagot ang lahat ng aming tanong, tinulungan din niya ang lahat na alagaan ang kanilang mga bag at gamit. Ang banana boat at snorkeling ay dapat subukan. Nakakita kami ng ilang uri ng isda, limitado ang snorkeling sa mga lugar malapit sa dalampasigan ngunit marami pa ring isda ang makikita. Napakainit ng araw kaya kailangan maglagay ng sunscreen upang maiwasan ang sunburn. Sapat din ang oras at natapos nang maaga bandang 3pm.

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.