To review downbelow would be simple, can be done in 2 lines-
Very professional, great staff, good value for money, good
planning and execution. They are just the right people to show Sabah to you.
Now, coming down to what we covered with them will give more
insight into the experience we had.
We took a 3 day package while we were in Kota Kinabalu. The
bookings were done over email using my credit card and the initial
communication itself was very professional. The response time was quick and
replies were detailed.
We did a proboscis monkey and fireflies cruise on the first
day, which was from about 2 pm to 9 pm including pick up from the hotel.
The drive was for about 2 hours to get to the Klias river.
We had some snacks and then proceeded for the boat cruise. We were in the boat
for an hour and half approx, during which we saw some proboscis monkeys in
their natural habitat. They are a little difficult to spot, but the guides were
doing a fine job of pointing them out. We also saw some birds and the odd
monitor lizard.
Once back on the shore, we had dinner which was freshly
prepared, mainly fish, chicken and rice, but special vegetarian food had been
prepared for my wife on request, and i was surprised at the effort taken to
serve her something she could eat including a variety of fruits, corn, veg
curry and rice.
Post dinner we went again in the boat to see some fireflies,
and it was an interesting experience to see them for the first time. Almost impossible
to photograph them too.
The experience in entirety - The travel was too long and
boring. Guide was average. Overall the experience was ok, not extraordinary.
Day 2 - We went diving at the dive center in Tunku Abdul
Rahman Park. It was an early pick up around 8 am, and we were at the dive
center in about 40 mins after a short boat ride.
My trainer Pablo, is an excellent guy. He took a long time
explaining the process of diving with the help of a guide, equipment and we
even took a test before being allowed to get in the water.
It was my first dive and to my good luck, i was the only one
with Pablo that day, so he was able to give full attention to me.
At first it's a little panic, and it takes a while to get
used to breathing under water, diving, the equipment etc.
By the end of the third dive, i wanted to go on longer...
The sea is calm and filled with corals and fishes. We were hardly 3-4 meters
below water and could see so many corals. A remarkable experience and a great
guide. The dive center itself is quite good, they have tea/coffee/water
available apart from lunch which is served between dives. Shower,washrooms all
are neatly maintained and equipment is first class.
Day 3 - We went river rafting in River Klias again. The guide on this day was not from dive down below but another company they have a tie up with. Morse was his name as we understood, and he was a wonderful guide. We drove up to the river and then got into groups where 8 of us where in a raft including our guide. The water levels were quite low in March, and there were no rapids to speak of. That being the case it was the raft just cruising along because of our paddling. The guide was the one who made this day worthwhile as he made us swim and float in the river 2-3 times. He kept speaking to us and entertaining us and suddenly this group of strangers from 4 different countries were bonding well. Lunch was served at the end of our journey and gave us a chance to dry ourselves a bit on the banks.
They also do a variety of other stuff, including the popular
climb up to Mt. Kinabalu.
I loved the way everything was handled, especially the
diving. Will highly recommend them to anyone visiting Kota Kinabalu.
Rating - 4/5
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