🇲🇾Trekking Lover's 2-Night, 3-Day Kota Kinabalu Free Travel Itinerary Recommendation

#TravelGuide Kota Kinabalu is a versatile travel destination where you can enjoy both the mountains and the sea. My first time in Kota Kinabalu, I enjoyed island hopping, but compared to Thailand and the Philippines, which are famous for island hopping, it's relatively less cost-effective. Malaysia's high cost of living may be a factor, but I personally wouldn't recommend island hopping. ❗️So, what are some things to do in Kota Kinabalu? Kota Kinabalu's Borneo rainforest is said to be the oldest and most preserved rainforest in the world. While the Amazon rainforest is certainly worth the time and money, visiting it from Asia is quite expensive. So, if you're interested in jungle trekking or exploring diverse flora and fauna, I recommend the various trekking experiences available in Kota Kinabalu. For my short trip of two nights and three days, I took the Mount Kinabalu Tour, which allowed me to explore the alpine ecosystem; the Bongawan Tour, where I enjoyed a river cruise through the rainforest and a breathtaking sunset; and the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, where I encountered diverse species unique to Borneo's rainforest, including pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and hornbills. It was a short but fulfilling experience of Kota Kinabalu. I'll share my tour and detailed itinerary. Day 1️⃣ Flights from Korea to Kota Kinabalu typically arrive late at night or early in the morning. Therefore, for my first day, I booked a Mount Kinabalu day tour from Korea on Trip.com. I thought about searching at Jesselton Point, but since the main focus there was on hopping tours and firefly tours, I couldn't find any companies offering Mount Kinabalu tours. The price was around 50,000 KRW, and admission to the Rafflesia Garden and Poring Hot Springs wasn't included. For detailed information on the day tour, please refer to my other post. 🏞️Mount Kinabalu Day Tour The bus departs from the Waterfront (downtown) at 7:00 AM and visits Mount Kinabalu Viewpoint, Rafflesia Garden, Poering Hot Springs, and Desa Palm Farm. Jungle trekking is available at Poering Hot Springs. We trek for about 20 minutes to Kipungit Falls. Along the way, we encounter a variety of plants, insects, and birds. The guide provided helpful explanations, ensuring we didn't miss a single detail. 🌅Todak Waterfront Sunset After arriving in the city, we headed to the observation deck near the Kota Kinabalu Central Market, a popular spot for locals. Take a moment to gaze out at the stunning Kota Kinabalu sunset, considered one of the world's top three sunsets. 🥭Filipino Market (Pasar Kraftangan) Mango Boy, a Kota Kinabalu celebrity who once took the internet by storm, is the place where you can meet him. You can sample and purchase a variety of mango flavors, including honey mango, apple mango, and guava mango. If you visit after 10 PM, they sell pre-cut mangoes at a discount. Since my accommodation was nearby, I went out and bought mangoes at the discounted price every night during my stay. These mangoes were actually even more delicious. 😅 Day 2️⃣ 🏨Jesselton Sunset Seaview Vacation Condos I stayed at a condo right next to Jesselton Point. The infinity pool was perfect for a swim. After a late night's sleep, a dip was a perfect way to wake up and start the day. 🏞️ Bongawan Firefly Tour After lunch, we left our accommodation at Jesselton Point for the firefly tour we'd booked. Bongawan is 80km from the city center and takes about an hour and a half. Here, you can experience the rainforest by riding an electric boat along the Bongawan River. Water lizards and monkeys are common, and if you're lucky, you might even spot crocodiles. Furthermore, because the area is pristine, you can also see fireflies that twinkle like Christmas trees. It's a great place for couples and families alike. It's also a famous sunset spot. The panoramic sunset view from Sunset Point, where the sea and river meet, was one of the most beautiful moments of my Kota Kinabalu trip. 🍴 Suang Tain Seafood Restaurant By the time we returned to the city after the tour, it was past 9pm, making it a bit awkward to have dinner. Although the tour provides food, it's a bit disappointing, so we decided to have dinner at a restaurant that serves seafood (crustaceans) that suits Korean tastes. It's a bit pricey, but you'll enjoy high-quality seafood. Day 3️⃣ 🕌Kota Kinabalu Masjid (Masjid Bandaraya) This blue-roofed mosque is a regular sight in photos taken in Kota Kinabalu. For a small fee, you can wear traditional attire and experience Islamic culture. However, photography is prohibited inside, so if you're just looking for photos, you can just buy a ticket to the building's garden. 🐒Lok Kawi Wildlife Park (Taman Hidupan Liar Lok Kawi) On Day 2, we saw proboscis monkeys on the firefly tour, but we saw them from afar, which was disappointing. Then, I heard about a wildlife park where injured wild animals are cared for and where you can get up close and personal with them, so I decided to visit. I was able to get up close with a variety of Borneo's iconic animals, including the world's smallest elephant, pygmy monkeys, a family of proboscis monkeys, orangutans, hornbills, and Borneo moon bears. After treatment, the animals are released back into the wild, and only those that cannot survive without human assistance are cared for here, making it an ethically sound place. 🛒KK Plaza I returned to the past and finished my trip to Korea with some shopping at a supermarket. I bought jams like kaya jam and pineapple jam, as well as local black tea called Sabati. The staff spoke Korean fluently, so shopping was hassle-free. This concludes my three-day, two-night trip to Kota Kinabalu. While it was a bit short, I was still able to fully enjoy the beautiful nature not far from the city center. If you have any questions, please leave a comment :-)