Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

By Borneo Dream Travel & Tours
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Ages 18-88, max of 12 per group
Duration: 24h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: Chinese, English
More


  • We include lunch served on tropical island with a choice from a menu. Vegetarian options available.
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Snorkelling equipment including life jacket if required.
  • Drinking water onboard our boats
What's not included
  • Anything not specifically mentioned above.
  • Travel Insurance for unforeseen circumstances/force majeure.


Start:
  • Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, Jln Haji Saman, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
    We meet at the Red British Phone Boxes on Jesselton Point Jetty at 08:45. A member of the Borneo Dream Crew will be there to meet you. The boat leaves on time at 09:00, please do not be late. If you are going to be late call +60178118149
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65313P3

    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65313P3

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Borneo Dream Travel & Tours
      1,137
      Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
      Joined in January 2010
    • Jia Nee C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Open water diving 20 course
      We joined open water diving 20 with Bas (instructor) and Yadi (skipper). They have been awesome throughout our 3 days courses. I am a scaredy-cat but Bas was able to reassure me and push me further despite we were under the water and I got better each time because of him! Also, their chemistry with us were superb and we have had lots of laughters throughout our courses. Bas was also very accommodating slowed down our descend when my partner had difficulty in equalising his ears. He was sooo good in finding beautiful underwater creatures including many green turtles, cuttlefish, shark and many more! One of the many things I love about them is they are very good in capturing those beautiful moment of ours be it at the surface or underwater! Can’t wait to dive with them again! Highly recommend if you want to be a certified diver with lots of fun and memories!
      Written February 6, 2025
    • 30rebeckak
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful day!
      We had such a great time diving! Our dive guide Alex was very good at teaching us the basic skills, and he made sure we all felt safe during our dives. Very professional! The skipper Yadi was also very kind and he took a lot of photos that we got afterwards. We saw many fish and corals, and we also spotted a proboscis monkey on our way back to Kota Kinabalu. We would definitely recommend this if you are interested in diving!
      Written February 4, 2025
    • kkN9974OK
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommended !
      We had really good time with Borneo Dream Travel & Tours for both the Try-Dive and Leisure Dive. The diving masters Basir, Amir and Alex are very experienced and very caring. They gave clear instructions and make sure you are ok all the time during whole diving trips. They took good care of each of us. We are so lucky to see lots of different species of fishes and turtles.
      Written January 20, 2025
    • Climber45456275413
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great day of diving 🐢🐠🐡🐟🪸
      We went out for a fun and beautiful leisure dive with DM Bas and captain Yadi. The crew went above and beyond to make sure that we felt comfortable and safe during the whole trip. We saw beautiful marine life and was lucky enough to see a green turtle! 🐢 Bas set aside time for us to do some “sea walking” as we had never heard about it before. Overall a fun and great experience and we will recommend Borneo Dream to anyone going to KK or Gaya Island.
      Written January 16, 2025
    • yuew675
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      amazing experience!
      we learned AOW with Borneo Dream at last year , and had a great memory . so we ordered 3 times fun dive last week. we went to bunga raya , magic rock and lighthouse . our DM Alex was very nice, he pointed a lot of cute fishes. our AOW instruct was Bas, he is great! if wanna get some license, just follow him, he has great patience so that students will have confidence to do better and better.
      Written January 7, 2025
    • 225ml
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Outstanding customer service team
      Borneo Dreams have an incredible team answering my questions in the most timely and prompt fashion. Thanks Priscilla! Prior to our arrival, and through the period of our OWC, Haniff handled all our queries in the most welcoming manner. To the owners of Borneo Dreams - you are really lucky to have Priscilla and Haniff on your team!
      Written December 29, 2024
    • 736berits
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So worth it
      Had the best day! Never seen so many different species in one day; octopus, pufferfish, stingray, bannerfish, turtle, trumpetfish. Enjoyed a delicious lunch at a nice restaurant(included in the price). Bas and Yadi was very professional and I always felt safe. They have a funny humor and made us laugh plenty through the trip! Quite inexpensive experience, so worth the money :) Thank you for a great day.
      Written December 26, 2024
    • 155lucah
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best 3 days
      I can just confirm all the other 5 star reviews! I had a great time and Basir is really great both personally and professionally so I would 100% recommend it.
      Written December 20, 2024
    • Flyer40333583816
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome dive experience!
      our instructor Basir, was amazing! he is very thorough with requirements and guide us skillfully, very friendly and funny too! the whole 3 days of dives was a very memorable one! I'll recommend to others:)
      Written December 19, 2024
    • Willem S
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unforgettable Snorkeling Adventure with Borneo Dream!
      We had an absolutely amazing snorkeling experience today with Borneo Dream Travel and Tours! The team, led by Bas, Yadi, and Alex, was outstanding. They took us to three fantastic snorkeling sites, and their knowledge of the marine life was incredible. They showed us so many amazing sea creatures—sharks, a turtle, squid, and so much more. What really stood out was how friendly and professional they were, especially in helping our children feel comfortable and enjoy the experience. The food on the island was good, and the overall organization of the trip was spot on. It was such a memorable day, and we’d highly recommend Borneo Dream Travel and Tours to anyone looking for an unforgettable snorkeling adventure. Thank you, Bas, Yadi, Alex, and the rest of the team, for making it such a special day!
      Written December 15, 2024
    • Andigya
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      More programs
      We participled more programs. First time Turtule island and Kinabatangan river tour. Our river maister Mohamed was amasing ❤️, his eyes as eagle. We saw a lot of animals from orangutans to crocodile. We learnt a lot about animals. He is very funny and nice. Next program was diving with Basir, he is also amasing with his knowledge and experiance. Hete is also funny. Last program was biking tour with Cris. He is also very prepared and Eti heard a lot of information about county side. One of our program was incomplete. The city tour in Sandakan. Our tour guide missed water village and 2. worldwar statement.
      Written November 24, 2024
    • jenspC1257DE
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      JP
      Did the 3d2n tour to Turtle island and Kinabatangan river. We had an excellent time. Everything worked really smoothly. From pick-up to excursions. A little confusement about storage of luggage but certainly no hassle. We actually got to go on two extra excursions that were not in the booking since we “tagged along” with another pair that had it in their package. The Tanini lodge surpassed our expectations. Was expecting a lot more basic place after looking at the pictures. I don’t think the pictures make the place justice (Borneo Dream maybe should replace them?). All staff were excellent but our river guide Mohammed deserves extra mention. Truly the man is blessed with hawk eyes! :)
      Written November 22, 2024
    • candelam236
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      100% recommended!
      Basir is the best instructor ever!! He was super professional but also super fun. He made our experience amazing and we are so grateful we had him as our instructor. Also the captain Didi was a 10/10!! I recommend it 100% 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼🐡🐡🐡
      Written November 16, 2024
    • F6056CXjuanam
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The best Instructor!
      Basir has been our instructor for 3 days and I can only thank him for his patience and the incredible treatment he has given us. 100% recommendable, the best open water instructor, thank you.
      Written November 15, 2024
    • Szurovceva
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic days on Turtle island and in the jungle
      We did the Turtle Island and Kinabatangan River Safari, 4D3N tour. This trip was absolutely amazing. Great value for money, all transportation was very punctual, if I had questions, the office was very responsive and everything went very smooth. We went in the off-season which resulted in us being the only people at Tanini Kinabatangan Lodge, which was great! The accommodation is amazing and our guide, Omar did an excellent job finding us all the animals and telling us about the jungle. Do not hesitate to book this trip, it’ll give you ever lasting memories and a superb experience!
      Written November 11, 2024
    See all 1,137 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles154 reviews
    Excellent
    144
    Very good
    10
    Average
    0
    Poor
    0
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    0

    Vatsala H
    Jersey, UK2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2024 • Family
    The guided snorkeling day tour by borneo dreams travel and tour was amazing. We were a family of 3 adults (2 non swimmers) and 2 children on this trip. Alex and Asri were our guide and they were superb! Both of them were very knowledgeable and briefed us of the do's and dont's on this trip, prioritising our safety at all times. The snorkeling spots chosen were away from crowded tourist areas, therefore we could get the maximum enjoyment out of this tour. Alex and Asri were also very patient and supportive towards the non swimmers in my group, helping us overcome our fear and apprehension, therefore making it a pleasurable snorkeling experience. The captain of the boat, Mr.Azmi was very helpful in getting us on and off the boat safely, as well as navigating choppy areas of the sea, ensuring a comfortable and safe boat ride to the snorkeling spots. I highly recommend this snorkeling trip with borneo dreams travel and tour, for anyone looking for a fun filled, enjoyable and safe snorkeling experience. Alex and Asri. you guys are simply the best at what you do. It has been our privilege to have such an amazing snorkeling experience with both of you as our guide. A massive thank you from all 5 of us.
    Written July 22, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Vatsala, Thanks for sparring your time for this lovely review. We are happy to hear our customers were enjoying their undewater experience and our crews were helpful to ensure you got the most of your day out. Many thanks and looking forward to seeing you again! Haniff
    Written October 23, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    ash44_in
    Mumbai, India593 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We were a group of 5 friends (2 couples and one single) and had signed up for scuba diving but it was cancelled due to some freak accident earlier. Borneo Dream offered us a day long Snorkelling trip instead and we accepted as we did not have any other option. While missing out the scuba was a big disappointment, the Snorkelling trip turned out to be wonderful. Our guides were dot on time to pick us at Jesselton Ferry Point by the red telephone booth. After quick paperwork we were taken in the boat. There was another very sweet French family (mom and two kids) with us, so all in all we were 8 tourists along with 2 guides and the boat driver. We did 3 dives in all, 2 before lunch and 1 after lunch. The lunch served at the restaurant was also great especially the chicken curry, as recommended by our guide. Considering this was a small group, each one of us were given special attention by our guides. The spots chosen were isolated without other crowded tourists, so the experience was exclusive. What really stood out for us was how helpful, considerate and knowledgeable our two guides, Alex and Ian were. Three of us from the group don’t know swimming but Ian and Alex made all of us very comfortable. They were in the water all through and helped the non swimmers tag on the lifebuoy. While the water was not very clear and I have seen better marine life in other destinations, the guides made the trip truly memorable. Ian’s sense of humour is amazing and kept us cracking. Highly recommend them.
    Written July 26, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, Many thanks for your review. We love to hear from our customers to make sure we are doing our best. I am so pleased our crew was helpful and made sure you had a great day. We look forward to seeing you again. Haniff
    Written October 21, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Iuliana M
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2024 • Family
    The snorkelling was straight to the point, we've seen so many colorful fish, lots of clownfish, parrotfish, zebra, buttefly fish, giant pufferfish, 2 sharks, turtles, sting ray. We got what we came for and more! We got lucky with a baby turtle who came at the surface just a few cm away from us. Our guide, Didi deserves 5 stars + for being so observant, pointing and naming the fish, we felt safe and I'd like to thank him for being so nice to my daughter. More, I've seen him a few times collecting plastic wrap and a can from the sea bed. Overall, a very relaxing and fullfilling experience, small group, we recommend it.
    Written February 9, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, Many thanks for your review and we love to hear your feedback for your amazing experience with our team. We are pleased our crew was helpful to made your day with a variety of marine life especially the baby turtle. It was rare experience to have! Thanks and we are looking forward to seeing you again! Haniff
    Written October 6, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Nicole M
    Howick, New Zealand4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023
    Absolutely incredible day trip! I found it very overwhelming trying to pick a tour company to visit the islands with as the price and options varied so widely. So glad I read the reviews and went along on this trip, as it was amazing value for money and worth every penny! The guides are very helpful and insightful and go above and beyond to make this trip a memorable experience - thank you so much! :-)

    NB: I went on this trip on the 12th of Feb, and there were a lot of jellyfish in the water due to the current dragging them in. If you have a fear of this, I would recommend asking the tour company about the conditions before attending on the day. Regardless, they were very supportive in helping me face my fears and enjoy myself!! I know others who went on the same tour and did not see any jellyfish, so luck of the draw!
    Written February 27, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Vaninidapanini
    24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    From booking to actually going to the tour, the team was extremely responsive and helpful - on email and through WhatsApp. On the day itself, the team paid keen attention to safety both in the water and in the sea. Our guide, Esther was always made sure we felt comfortable + was great at pointing out marine life to us. I came with low expectations, just to see some garden fish but was surprised to see clusters of sea urchin, Groupa, blue ring sting ray, turtles, nemos, parrot fish, angel fish, a reef shark etc etc most of the coral was brown/ green/ dead but there was also bright purple coral, some blue and light pink ones. We were also in groups of about 5-6 following a guide.

    Esther and her team was very knowledgeable about the ocean and was always very helpful in giving advice for our holiday. We had a lot a lot of fun and cannot recommend this agency enough!
    Written July 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi! Thank you so much for sharing a 5* review about your experience with Borneo Dream. I'm so pleased you had a fantastic time during your Guided Snorkelling Trip, and your PADI Snorkel Guide, Esther, helped you get the most from your day and see lots of really cool tropical marine life. It's fantastic you saw turtles, stingrays, sharks and Nemo! :-) The coral reefs in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park are a mix of hard corals and soft corals. The soft corals are usually very colourful - like the ones you saw, which were blue and pink (my favourite!). Hard corals are ty[cillay a browner colour -, so it's normal to see brown and colourful soft corals together. Enjoy the rest of your holiday in Borneo, and we hope to see you here again for more snorkelling adventures in the future. Bst wishes, the Borneo Dream team.
    Written August 1, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Quest812257
    Worcester, UK22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Professional operation, high quality snorkels and flippers with a team of 3 men to look after us and we were only 9 in the boat. Bad weather necessitated change of plans to snorkel in calm waters, many other boats cancelled leaving punters with an empty day.
    Anyway ... The snorkeling was completely fantastic, plenty of sea life to see in 30°c waters. Or guide, identified with the life-bouy, called us over many times to see various species he'd spotted. And a great personality.
    Many thanks to the team on my boat, a holiday highlight
    Oh ... And once back ashore there was hot food and drink for us, in with the package, from the cafés on the pier.
    Do it!
    Written July 18, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, thank you so much for your 5* review. I am so pleased you had a fantastic time during your Guide Snorkelling Trip. We put a lot of effort into offering our customers safe, high-quality and fun experiences. It's always great to hear when we get it spot on - from the small group sizes and tasty lunch through to your PADI snorkel guide going above and beyond to help you have the best day possible. We hope this was one of many highlights of your holiday in beautiful Borneo. :-). Best wishes, Borneo Dream Team
    Written July 20, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    thelimsonholiday
    Singapore, Singapore25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience for the whole family! I was honestly a bit jittery having previously had a traumatic experience while snorkelling a few years ago. Amir was jovial and extremely reassuring, cracking jokes with our two teenage sons while extremely reassuring at the same time. He periodically checked on us and because of his experience and guidance, our family really enjoyed the whole experience and are looking forward to our next snorkelling trip. My sons were ecstatic about the creatures they saw, especially the hawksbill turtle and the black tipped reef shark. Kudos to the boatman too for his responsible diligence too. It was definitely a pleasant experience and I'm glad we chose Borneo Dream for the experience.
    Written October 7, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi, Many thanks for your review. We are so happy to hear from our customers that they have a great time with us. We are pleased our crew was helpful to ensure you got an amazing experience during your trip. Cheers and hope to see you again. Haniff
    Written October 8, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Nichole S
    10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023 • Friends
    What an amazing day trip! I'll acknowledge that we has some luck, nature was on our side, we saw 4 sharks, a sea snake, 2 green turtles, an eel, and 5 cuttlefish fish, one of which was laying eggs! But I would have missed most, if not all of it, if not for the guide. He was fun and funny and tried really hard to make sure you got the most out of your trip. The gear was of good quality and they took extra measures to make sure you got what was best for you. They take pictures for you and emaul them afterwards. They provide lunch, no drinks. Grab a thermos.

    The trips are capped out at 12, so they are kept to a relatively small size. Mine only had only five, three of which were locals.

    I can't recommend enough. It was a great value and a wonderful time!
    Written February 11, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Sarah G
    Melbourne, Australia102 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was a rewarding and enjoyable day of snorkeling with a small group of 6.
    Bas, our snorkeling guide, was very experienced and helpful. He took us to 3 sites where we spotted green turtles thrice ( thanks to good fortune too!) and a proboscis monkey on the rocks. There were lots of marine life, and Bas will call out the names for us. Lots of blue starfish, several puffer fish, clown fish (nemo), angel fish, sergeant major, giant clam, squid, butterfly fish, rabbit fish, squirrel fish, cornet fish and variety of corals.  I was particularly thrilled to watch the big green turtle swimming up close just beneath us. From my limited experience, turtles could not be found; they could only be "met". I hope all of you will see the turtles too.
    Lunch of fried bee hoon (part of tour) and coconut water was simple and nice.  Do bring some cash for the drinks.  If you are a new or beginner snorkeller, I highly recommend this tour. Weather cannot be controlled but having a good and knowledgeable crew made a huge difference to the outing. Bring lots of positive attitude and watch the magic happen 😉
    Written December 5, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Xiaodong W
    Singapore, Singapore151 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We took this snorkeling trip yesterday. It was an excellent tour. At first, I had trouble to book the tour, since they need minimum two people. And my friends joined me. They gave us a private tour for three of us! We stuck in traffic jam in the morning, and they are very nice and waited for us. My friend and her daughter are first time snorkeler. Our guide Bas was very nice and patient to teach them and take good care of us. He hs very good at pointing out turtles (we saw three) and sharks (we saw two), and other hard-to-spot fish to us. He also helped me dive down and took some really good pictures and videos of turtles and eel. We are very satisfied with the service!
    Written February 15, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Xiaodong, Many thanks for your review. We are so happy that you have a great time with our crew and got to see the wonderful marine life during your trip. We are pleased our crew was helpful to ensure you have an amazing experience. Thanks and hope to see you again! Haniff
    Written October 6, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Guided Snorkeling Day Trip, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia provided by Borneo Dream Travel & Tours

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