Kota Kinabalu Mga Paglilibot

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!

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!

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 had a wonderful time on the mangrove cruise! We were amazed to see animals we had never seen before. The fireflies were also incredibly beautiful. The way they gathered in the trees made them look just like Christmas trees. When the captain called to them, the fireflies gently fluttered over to him. It was like watching magic happen right before our eyes. Our guide, Jason, was also very kind and taught us so many interesting things. We learned for the first time that male and female proboscis monkeys have different nose shapes. We were truly grateful that Jason always treated us with a smile, even though our English wasn't very good. It was a wonderful experience and a memory we will treasure for a long time. Thank you so much!

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! 😍

Humigit-kumulang 20 hanggang 30 katao ang grupo, at kaming dalawa lang ang Hapones. Karamihan sa mga kalahok ay mga Tsino, kaya ang tour ay kadalasang nasa wikang Tsino, ngunit ipinaliwanag ito ng tour guide sa amin sa Ingles sa bawat pagkakataon at palagi kaming binabantayan. Umabot nang mahigit isang oras ang biyahe patungo sa isla sakay ng isang mabilis na cruise ship. Sobrang bilis nito at medyo maalon! 😂 Ngunit dahil napakabilis ng bangka, parang wala ka namang panahong mahilo, ha ha. Nagpatugtog din ng musika ang mga guide sa loob ng barko para masaya, kaya naging masaya rin ang oras ng paglalakbay. Bago at malinis ang mga pasilidad sa isla. May kumpletong banyo, shower room, at hair dryer, kaya naging komportable ang aming pananatili. Nagkaroon muna ng safety briefing bago ang snorkeling, at may nag-iisang staff na nakatutok sa aming dalawa na nagpakita ng mga paalala na nakasalin sa Hapones habang nagpapaliwanag. Sinisiguro rin nila sa bawat pagkakataon na naiintindihan namin nang mabuti, kaya naramdaman namin na napakahusay ng kanilang pagpapahalaga sa kaligtasan. Sa snorkeling, pumunta kami sa dalawang lugar sakay ng bangka. Napakaganda at napakawarla ng dagat! 🐠 Palagi ring binabantayan ng mga guide ang aming kalagayan at pinasaya kami habang inaalagaan ang aming kaligtasan. Pagbalik sa isla, inihanda ang isang masaganang hapunan tulad ng alimango at hipon, at may malayang inumin din 🦀🦐 Pagkatapos noon ay oras na para sa sariling lakad. Tumambay lang kami sa ilalim ng payong sa beach. Nang sumapit ang oras, sumakay ulit kami sa napakabilis na cruise ship pauwi. Dahil maagang nagsimula ang tour, medyo pagod na kami pauwi, ngunit naging sulit at makabuluhan ang buong araw. Ang tanging pinagsisisihan ko lang ay nakalimutan kong magbigay ng tip sa aming mabait na guide sa pag-alis namin. Ganoon sila naging kabait hanggang sa dulo. Dahil humigit-kumulang 90% ng mga kalahok ay mga Tsino, maaaring medyo kabahan kayo sa simula kung kayong mga Hapones lamang ang sasali. Gayunpaman, marami ang mga guide at staff na talagang nag-alaga at nagbigay-pansin sa amin bilang mga Hapones, kaya sa huli, naging masaya at walang pag-aalala ang aming karanasan. Maganda ang dagat, masaya ang snorkeling, at masagana ang pagkain. Ang pinaka-tumatak sa akin ay ang mainit na suporta ng lahat ng mga staff. Lubos kong irerekomenda ang tour na ito kahit sa mga nag-aalangan dahil sa kaunting bilang ng mga kalahok na Hapones! 🌴🐠✨

Napakagandang tour, nakakita kami ng maraming baka sa Desa cattle farm at may kasama pang libreng maliit na karton ng gatas. Nakakabusog ang aming kinain at pinalad kaming makakita ng rafflesia at iba't ibang bihirang uri ng orkidya na namumulaklak. Maraming magagandang tanawin mula sa tuktok ng bundok. Ang tour guide na si Michael ay napakatalino at masigasig din sa iba't ibang uri ng halaman sa bundok, lalo na sa mga orkidya. Maganda at nakakarelax na day trip dahil susunduin kayo ng bus mula sa hotel at ibabalik sa lungsod.

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.