Personalized trips to Malaysia
for independent travelers

An absolutely fantastic tour service. Not only were they available to answer any questions 24 hours a day, more importantly they really cared about our enjoying our trip. I highly recommend them. All our local guides and drivers were terrific!

Hotel Reviews

Pangkor Laut Resort

Lumut

I chose this hotel as it was recommended by a friend, and it didn't disappoint!

Sukau Greenview Lodge

Kinabatangan River

I stayed at the Sukau Greenview Lodge in Sandakan for three nights. While the accommodations were okay, given that it’s in the jungle, I wasn't expecting high-level amenities. They were great about some things, like the air conditioning which was terrific, but not so good about others, such as only accepting cash. I had no Malaysian ringgit and wanted to buy an ice cream but couldn't because they didn't accept credit cards. The staff at the desk weren't very helpful, but the guides were excellent.

Activity Review

Sandakan: Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre

Sandakan

I visited the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, and while the center itself was nice and the guides and staff were terrific, it felt a bit too much like a zoo for my taste. I personally enjoyed the part of the trip where we were in the wild more, especially at the Greenview Bed and Breakfast in the Borneo jungle. The nature in the area was absolutely stunning and exactly what I traveled for.

Faida organised a trip to Borneo for my family in collaboration. She was great at making changes or incorporating my wishlist. We absolutely loved it. I was a little hesitant to book as I had never gone via KimKim but the experience was incredible. They were able to organise details I would never have been able to figure out. From the moment we were picked up from the airport - every transfer was seamless and on time. It meant I was never thinking about "what next" or "how do we get a taxi?" as it was all done. It felt like I had a team behind the scenes running the holiday so all I had to do was enjoy it.

We spent a a few days in the jungle, then a few on the islands and it was an ideal mix (it was a one week holiday). We saw so many animals in the wild including probiscos monkeys, orangatangs, baby turtles, tarsiers (the big eyed cuties) and many many more. Our itinerary was a two half days / one night in Sepilok, 2 nights on the River Cruise (Wetlands Resort was great, as was Omar our guide) , a night on turtle island then a two nights at the Dive Resort in Lankayan Island. The diver resort was absolute paradise with incredible snorkelling (good for kids), swimming with turtles (they just graze the sea grass casually most of the time) and seeing baby turtles hatch and run on the beach. The set up is like Bora Bora - so luxurious. The staff were also wonderful.

I normally organise holidays myself but I am so glad I did it via Faida. She made everything work like clockwork and she set up a WhatsApp group so if I had any changes or questions while on holiday, they were able to answer them. I didn't realise but a lot of transfers are by boat and there was no way I would have known when they all leave and arrive. However, thanks to Faida - this was all sorted. I was also worried about the timings of everything as it seemed like a lot to fit in, but it worked very well and everything was timed perfectly.

This was a wonderful holiday for our whole family. I cannot recommend Faida highly enough.

Hotel Reviews

Lankayan Island Dive Resort

INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE! This place is magical. From the chalets that sit over the blue water, to being able to swim with turtles - it was one of the favourite experiences. Everything about this place was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Dreamy island. Ample fish to look at while snorkelling. Lovely accessible reef.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxurious!

Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort

Sandakan

Lovely hotel in the jungle. Very comfortable. Excellent staff and food. You fall asleep to the sounds of the rainforest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Walai Penyu Resort Libaran

Sandakan

This doesn't promise to be a fancy experience - but even for "glamping" this was quite basic. However, that becomes part of the appeal - you get to see the village and the way villagers live (but again, this is very basic). The food and staff were great. It is very rustic - think table and chairs on the beach. The part that was oddly disappointing was the turtles. Compared to other islands, where I saw many adult turtles and babies live hatching - the island had about 3 nests only. I also worry that if they are holding turtles back for tourists to "release" - then it's not ideal for the baby turtles who must sit in a bucket. I would see this island for an off the beaten track tour of what village life is like.

Authenticity & Character

Location

it's an island

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It is very basic but they tell you that - there is no air conditioning

Activity Review

Kinabatangan D1

Malaysia

Omar was an excellent guide - definitely worth doing. We saw so many animals in the jungle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had an amazing trip in Malaysia. Faida was an amazing trip planner. Planned the trip exactly as I asked. She fulfilled all requests and changes etc and organised amazing people to take us around Malaysia. Definitely recommend