5 Days Best of Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang & Mari Mari. Highland Sunrise, Island Snorkelling & the Living Culture of Borneo's Five Tribes.

Arrive at Kota Kinabalu International Airport and meet your private English-speaking driver-guide. The journey to Kundasang begins with a series of stops that introduce Sabah's cultural and natural character before you reach the highlands. Rumah Terbalik — the Upside Down House — is one of only five such inverted-architecture structures in the world, where furniture, fittings, and entire rooms are fixed to the ceiling, creating a playful optical experience that sets a memorable tone for the trip. Continue to Jambatan Tamparuli, the traditional long suspension bridge spanning the Tuaran River at Tamparuli town, swaying gently underfoot as you cross above the river valley. At Pekan Nabalu's craft market, browse handwoven textiles, handmade crafts, and traditional goods sold by Kadazan-Dusun artisans — this is one of the best places in Sabah to purchase authentic indigenous crafts at fair prices. The final stop before Kundasang is Kinabalu National Park, where your guide leads a gentle nature trail through the lower montane forest — a UNESCO World Heritage ecosystem containing more plant species per unit area than anywhere else on earth, including carnivorous pitcher plants, rhododendrons in full flower, and orchids that grow from the mossy trunks of ancient trees. Check in to Hotel Benjamin, Kundasang, and step out onto the terrace as Mount Kinabalu catches the last golden light of the day above the tree line.

An early start before dawn for the Sosodikon Hill sunrise hike, a gentle 10-minute walk to a 400-metre summit with one of Sabah's most breathtaking panoramas: Mount Kinabalu's granite peak and the full sweep of the Crocker Range lit by the rising sun, while the highland valleys below are still filled with morning mist at temperatures around 15°C to 17°C. Return to Hotel Benjamin for a full breakfast before departing for Desa Cow Farm, known throughout Malaysia as 'Sabah's Little New Zealand' — a working dairy farm at 1,700 metres altitude where Jersey cows graze on rolling green hills against a backdrop of mountain forest, and where guests can bottle-feed young calves, taste chilled fresh dairy products, and photograph the cows and their mountain surroundings. The scenic resemblance to New Zealand's hill country is genuine enough that the comparison has become a permanent part of the farm's identity. After the farm, continue to Bombon Marakau Village in Ranau district for the natural river fish therapy: a clear, cold mountain stream populated by wild Garra Rufa fish that congregate around visitors wading into the river and begin their cleaning work naturally. The combination of the cold highland water and the sensation of hundreds of wild fish creates a deeply relaxing experience that commercial urban fish spas cannot replicate. A visit to Ranau Rabbit Farm precedes the scenic drive back to Kota Kinabalu via the PPNS building and the photogenic Floating Mosque before arriving at Tanjung Aru for a South China Sea sunset. Check in to Howard Johnson by Wyndham Kota Kinabalu.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Jesselton Jetty for a 09:00 speedboat departure to Sapi Island, one of the finest reef sites in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. At Sapi Island, your guide points out the best snorkelling sections of the fringing coral reef — typically the northern point of the island, where visibility is highest and the diversity of reef fish is greatest. Parrotfish, triggerfish, clownfish in their anemone homes, and occasional sea turtles are among the residents. For the adrenaline option, the Coral Flyer zipline harnesses you for a 250-metre flight over the open ocean between Sapi and Gaya Islands at 60 km/h — 90 seconds with the turquoise channel below and the Kota Kinabalu skyline on the horizon. At Gaya Island's sandbar, walk the shoreline at low tide while watching for proboscis monkeys — Borneo's distinctive large-nosed endemic primates — descending from the mangrove forest to the water's edge, a wildlife encounter unique to Borneo that needs no artifice. At 12:00, the speedboat transfers to Manukan Island: a 1,500-metre arc of pristine white sand with calm, clear snorkelling water along the western reef and optional water sports including parasailing, banana boat rides, and scuba diving (own cost). An optional island BBQ lunch is available at RM55 per person. At 14:00, return boat to Jesselton Jetty and transfer to your hotel. In the evening, the local seafood restaurants of Kota Kinabalu await — Todak Restaurant near the waterfront is recommended for its fresh catch priced at market rates.

The cultural centrepiece of this package. After breakfast at the hotel, transfer approximately 25 minutes from Kota Kinabalu city to Mari Mari Cultural Village — the only site in Sabah, and the first of its kind in all of Southeast Asia, where all five major indigenous ethnic groups of Borneo are represented together in authentic longhouse replicas built by descendants of the tribes themselves. The half-day experience is guided and structured around each tribe's traditional home and skills. The Dusun and Kadazan longhouse introduces Sabah's most numerous ethnic group — rice farmers and traders who developed a complex agricultural calendar around the rice planting cycle and whose female spiritual leaders (bobolian) conducted elaborate rice harvest ceremonies. The Rungus longhouse showcases the distinctive copper jewellery, intricate beadwork, and gong music of this Kadazan-Dusun sub-group. The Lundayeh section covers the hunters and fishermen of the deep interior, whose traditional territory bridges the border with Sarawak and Kalimantan. The Bajau — Sabah's 'sea cowboys' and equally famous as 'sea gypsies' — have one of the most distinctive dual identities in Borneo: fearless horsemen on land and extraordinary free-divers at sea. The Murut section is the most dramatic: the Lansaran, a traditional trampoline of springy bamboo slats historically used to celebrate successful headhunting raids, launches participants several metres into the air in group jumping sessions. Live demonstrations throughout include blowpipe dart-shooting with handcrafted sumpitans, bamboo fire-starting using flint in under 60 seconds, traditional tattoo art, and the betel nut preparation ritual. Lunch is included in the village. Return to Kota Kinabalu in the afternoon for hotel rest, followed by a local restaurant dinner with the Dhesu guide.

A final morning of Kota Kinabalu cultural sightseeing and shopping before departure. Begin at Museum Negeri Sabah, one of the finest state museums in Malaysia, with permanent galleries covering Sabah's ethnological heritage — the 30-plus indigenous groups of Borneo, their material culture, traditional costumes, and oral histories — alongside natural history galleries on the ecology of the Crocker Range and the marine environment of the surrounding sea. The museum's grounds include reconstructed traditional longhouses and the Sabah Art Gallery. Continue to Jamilah Jewellery for Sabah's distinctive cultured South Sea pearls, produced in the waters off the east coast, and hand-crafted traditional silverwork. The Filipino Market, a sprawling waterfront market operated largely by Filipino vendors, offers handmade shell crafts, cultured pearls, woven rattan goods, and Moro-style brassware at competitive prices — bargaining is expected and part of the experience. Sabah Choco House introduces the world-class local cacao story: Teck Guan cacao from the Tawau area has won international chocolate awards and the handmade chocolates produced from it — available in an array of local flavours — are among the finest edible souvenirs in all of Malaysia. Final stop is Sabah Layer Cake (kek lapis Sabah): the rainbow steamed layer cakes in dozens of colours and flavours that have been Sabah's most popular take-home gift for generations. Transfer to Kota Kinabalu International Airport for your departure flight.