Malaysia Travel Agents

Our local specialist was Nick Jansen in Kuching, Sarawak. In a word, Nick is fantastic! He is with the tour operator, Borneo Transverse, and has extensive experience booking trips in all parts of Malaysia and was able to easily understand the trip we wanted to undertake, and provide a trip plan a couple days later. This was quite a challenge, because he had to accommodate the 14 people in our group into the rather small rainforest lodges we wanted to visit. His initial trip plan was very close to what we ended up with. After some conversations and adjustments, we finalized the trip plan less than a week later. Nick quickly set up a system for each couple to make their own payments. A couple of months before the trip we had to make some adjustments in our traveling group members. Nick was able to sort this out in a very satisfactory way.

The main thing that I want to say, is Nick and Borneo Transverse came through 100%. Everything that was specified in the trip plan was provided exactly as specified. We were a large group, and had plenty of luggage, so it was so nice to be confident that at each location we would be met with friendly personnel, who were able to get us to our destination easily. The hotels and the rainforest lodges all provided excellent accommodation. Our time on Lankayan Island was amazing.

Unfortunately, one of our team members suffered a serious medical emergency during the trip. This was rather frightening since we were at a remote location far from medical infrastructure. However, Nick and his staff and Sarawak staff were able to make appropriate arrangements, as well as to provide on-the-ground personal assistance.

Overall, I would have to say it was the trip of a lifetime. It was an expensive trip, but we felt we got full value for what we paid. If you ever go to Malaysia, especially, if you are traveling to Borneo, make sure Nick Jansen is making your trip arrangements. He is the best.

***NOTE***
This paragraph provides comments to the kimkim staff at kimkim headquarters. This was my fifth trip with kimkim and was surprised at how poorly our request was initially handled. Our trip request was misinterpreted to be a partial itinerary. My initial text/chat to clarify was ignored. After the five minute initial call with the kimkim team member, it took over a week to be assigned a local specialist. I got bounced around a with a couple of different people, and only got assigned to a local specialist after making a direct telephone call to kimkim headquarters.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Del Rio Hotel Melaka

Milaca is an interesting location, absolutely full of history. The Casa Del Rio Hotel has a perfect location to learn the history. The rooms are quite nice, but have some stairs leading into the bathrooms. Can be quite dangerous to navigate at night in the dark. Recommend some Night lights.

Authenticity & Character

An older property that fits in well with his location.

Location

Very central location to start from for historical walks.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Grandis Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu

Nice hotel of fairly standard quality. Amazingly located and connected to a shopping mall. Everything could be found at this mall. We had fun checking out Malaysian KFC.

Authenticity & Character

“OK, but of fairly standard character. No special features with regard to authenticity.

Location

Perfect location adjacent to the historical quarter, shopping mall, seafood restaurants and night markets.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Danum Valley Rainforest Resort

Lahad Datu

This is the real thing. Not easy to get to, but extremely worthwhile. A rare opportunity to see unspoiled nature. The rooms are comfortable when the food is good. He had extremely qualified nature guides, Helen and Alex. We saw nature up close and personal. Lots of monkeys.

Authenticity & Character

This is the real thing. Architecturally fits in well with the rainforest.

Location

In the heart of primary rainforest. Untouched by loggers and far from palm oil plantations.

Staff

Full board, and the food was really good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking City Tour Melaka

Melaka

So interesting to learn about the complicated and varied history of Melaka.

Kuala Lumpur City Tour & Batu Caves

Kuala Lumpur

A lot packed into a short amount of time, and an excellent introduction to KL.

Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Springs

Malaysia

A long day, but really amazing. I have to say the Botanical Park, had the most amazing and varied selection of plants in a small area, absolutely authentic and we got to see Rafflesia. The canopy walkway was arduous, but interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Zee was the best. She took so many pictures, and shared them with the group. Very knowledgeable!

The overall trip was wonderful, beautiful and amazing. The guides were good and connections and transfers went smoothly. Accommodations were great and food was super. Overall everything was well organized.
Here are a few thoughts, my personal opinion:
A better list of what to bring for the Rainforest Resort would have been helpful. We needed long socks, long sleeved shirts and long pants. It would be a good idea for the resort to provide boots. It was very muddy and slippery. Utan Rainforest Lodge did provide boots.
The snorkel gear was not included in our stay as the information provided said.
Melaka was very interesting and I enjoyed the historical background, but it took a lot of time in transit.
I would leave out the day of the Heritage Walk and Trainride Adventure in Kota Kinabalu and substitute a day to walk around the waterfront, shops and markets.
The cooking class was great and the Kinabalu Park was great.

Great trip and I would highly recommend it to others.
The logistics seemed spot on, the guides were excellent, and the lodging was top notch.
As for activities, the day trip from KK to Papar was the least enjoyable activity. This felt like a missed opportunity to learn about the people/culture. Also, I wish I had known in advance that the Danum Valley Lodge did not provide boots and gators for hiking through the jungle. The cooking demonstration in KK and the excursions at the jungle lodges and Lankayan Island Resort were truly awesome.

Activity Review

Heritage Walk & Trainride Adventure

Kota Kinabalu

The train adventure involved getting on a regular train for a short trip to a town just outside of KK. The heritage walk amounted to walking to a church, mosque, and temple. The entire activity felt like a missed opportunity to learn about the culture and people. The time for this activity could be better used doing something else.

The entire Kym Kim team did a great job. The things that really stood out for me personally are as follows:

1. Helen, who was one of the guides at the canopy tour did an excellent job of hanging back at the end of the line where I was struggling along because of my Parkinson’s disease. She was very encouraging and supportive, but did not attempt to push me ass doing something I didn’t want to do or wasn’t comfortable. As it turns out I did in fact cross all of the bridges on the canopy tour and it was amazing. On our way back we had a really good personal discussion about Parkinson’s disease, it turns out that Helen‘s mother has Parkinson’s disease as well. So we ended up talking about all of the work that the caregivers have to do to support a Parkinson’s patient in the family. It was a very real and touching discussion. I appreciated her honesty and her wellness to share.

2, on a lighter note, Layne provided a great experience of buying all the ingredients for lunch at the market and then taking him home for her and her mother with the help of several other people made us this fabulous lunch. But it was the richness of the discussion, especially with lanes, mother, who clearly is the matriarch of the family that made much so special.

3. By far, Sylvester was the biggest highlight of them all. When it was clear that I had a serious medical condition in my left eye that required immediate attention. He was on top of the situation from the beginning to the end and stayed with me and my wife, every step of the way. I especially appreciate his support from my wife. I’m not sure if she would’ve held it together if it hadn’t been for Sylvester. He made it quite clear that he was there to remove any barriers and help us get to Singapore to get medical help as soon as possible. He helped us understand, not only the policies and procedures but at times also the politics around how to get things done in the Malaysian system. He was excellent at offering a third alternatives that might help us achieve our goals quicker and better but he also let us make the final decisions. It was clear that he had management support this endeavor as no obstacle was too big for him to tackle. We will be indebted to him for the rest of our lives. As it turned out, I had a very successful surgery and the doctors expect I will recover to 90% of my vision in my left eye. Without his help, it could’ve easily been an entirely different outcome. And lastly, I want to thank Nick for developing such a caring culture in his organization and other senior leaders as well or their critical role in the behind the scenes Support of all the help that Sylvester provided to us. Of course the help was not limited to Sylvester, we got support from the office staff. The on-site staff, etc., if you ever need someone to talk about what a caring culture looks like in the action and how Kym Kym exemplified carrying culture, I would be happy to share my story and experiences with others. do some, it may not seem like that big of a deal. But letme insure you that when you lose virtually 100% of the vision in one eye and you’re not sure if it’s gonna be permanent or not. You are so preoccupied with worry and fear about the loss of your vision, that it is hard to focus on solving the immediate problems at hand to enable you to get the medical care you need. So the role that Sylvester played is not only essential because we were in a foreign land far away from home. But it was also essential because we were not in the best mental frame of mind to sort things out and make the best decisions on our own. I will be forever grateful to you and your team for the support we received which was certainly way beyond the minimum that could be expected. Please share as you see it. Thanks for everything, Byron.

I have spent 3 weeks travelling around Borneo in June 2025. This was my second trip organized via KimKim and I have absolutely no regrets.
I was working on the planning with Faida who was very flexible because the trip was originally planned for 2024, we have almost fully finalized the itinerary but due to some personal events I had to put it on hold until 2025. At the end of 2024 finally we managed to finalize the trip for 2025 June and the countdown started.
My trip started from Kuala Lumpur where I had one night and a street food tasting tour with Shaz who was a really funny and entertaining guide who helped me pick some delicious local food.
I entered Borneo from Sarawak in Kuching where my guide was Rosli for the next 2 days. He was my ultimate favorite of all the guides I met during my stay. He was so enthusiastic, knowledgeable, kind with amazing stories who is so proud of his origin that he makes you want to stay and spend much more time there. He gave me great food recommendations what to try in Kuching so I had the chance to try the best seafood there. We did some trekking in the forest to a waterfall, saw orangutans in Semenggoh which was an incredible entry to Borneo.
My next stop was in Mulu which was most probably one of the highlights for me. My guide was Liam. I was part of a smaller group there, they were very noisy during our walk in the rainforest so after addressing it to Liam he was so attentive to ensure I can be a little bit more separated from the group during our programs so that I can enjoy the sounds of the nature in more peace. We saw several caves, the Clearwater cave completely swiped me off my feet with its gigantic dimensions, the fresh breeze inside, wildlife and formations. There are no words for that experience.
I have seen many interesting wild animals there, during nightwalk hundreds of spiders shining like a diamond on the floor, hundreds of bats flying out of the caves at sunset to hunt for food…truly magical.
Next stop was at Kota Kinabalu but only for a day off before travelling to Lahad Datu and Danum Valley. The second highlight of my trip. The rainforest in the valley is real treasure, full of amazing animals like hornbills, wild orangutans, different type of monkeys, flying squirrels. My guide was Nick who accompanied me and my small group for 3 days. We even made some great friendships within the group. I also had the chance to go for rafting in the river with our guide Bob, it was a super cool program, very relaxing and the view was simply breathtaking.
Next stop was in Sukau at Kinabatangan river with my guide Rizal (nickname Jar Jar) who was a really passionate and funny guide. I stayed in a simple but fantastic eco lodge called Borneo Nature Lodge. The food was super delicious every day. We had boat rides 2 or 3 times a day where we saw crocodiles, monkey, birds, hornbills. Even though we did not manage to sport any elephants we have seen a Malayan civet which is not so easy to spot.
Next stop was in Sepilok where I was guided by Levi, a very friendly guide. I really enjoyed the Sun Bear Conservation center, spent morning and afternoon in the orangutan rehabilitation center watching moms with their babies eating and playing. I also went for a nightwalk in the RDC where I saw slow loris and western tarsier which was a true highlight for me.
My last destination was Kota Kinabalu with my local guide Vincent who accompanied me to a half day island trip and the Kinabalu Park with a beautiful botanical garden.
Overall it was a really action packed trip with a lot of highlights, memories for life where you can really see the time and energy Faida and her team invested in making all programs, transportations, accommodations as smooth as possible. It was a real effortless vacation where all my job was to lay back and enjoy every moment.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ibis Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Kuala Lumpur

Really good, clean and comfortable hotel only 10 min walk from the Twin Towers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel The Meritin

Kuching

I really loved this hotel because it is just behind the end of the waterfront so with an easy walk you can get to the river where the view is great. I had a corner room on the top floor which was spacious, clean, very comfortable. They have great breakfast, I really appreciated that they offered Sarawak Laksa for breakfast, its a must to try :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nexus Resort & Spa Karambunai

Kota Kinabalu

It is difficult to give a review about Nexus because the location, the beach is simply incredible. I would say that this is one of the nicest beaches in KK area. The hotel premises are huge, you can meet with monitor lizards in the garden, I have seen even hornbills staying on the trees. I was staying in a sea view room on the top floor, the room was huge, clean and nice. However…many parts of the hotel are neglected, there is no guard on the beach, some of the furniture is totally destroyed by the weather. The breakfast time is handled in their main restaurant which does not have the capacity to accommodate all guests therefore you have to wait to get a table. Overall its a pity that certain services, areas of the place are neglected because it would be a really great hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa

Mulu

One of my favorite hotels during my trip, its an incredible hotel with huge, comfortable rooms. The hotel premises very nicely melt into the surrounding nature. The food was delicious and the pool is an absolute plus. They offer free shuttle between the hotel-airport-national park which is so convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Borneo Rainforest Lodge

Lahad Datu

The lodge has a registration office in Lahad Datu where you are welcomed, you can have some refreshment, they explain you the road trip which takes 2,5 hrs to the lodge which is already a great adventure. It is a real treasure in the rainforest, an incredible accommodation. I was staying in a Jungle Chalet which was spacious, very comfortable bed with mosquito net which I loved. During the night it felt like sleeping out in the forest, really nice experience. The food was incredible, huge variety or everything. Very nice and friendly staff, special thanks to Ben and Irene from the bar for their kindness and entertainment. Very organized welcoming of the guests, rangers are explaining the programs before you start them.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Borneo Nature Lodge

Sandakan

This accommodation was a real surprise for me, I was not sure what to expect and I was surprised in a very positive way. Rooms are super comfie, clean and the food is absolutely delicious. I could not thank enough for their kindness staff for it :) I really appreciated that its not a huge lodge so they only a few rooms therefore it feels really cozy. I love their eco solutions for water and electricity.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Borneo Sepilok Rainforest Resort

Sandakan

Best location because its very close to the RDC and also only a few min drive from the Orangutan and Sunbear centers. The rooms are nice and clean, I really liked that you live in individual small chalets. The pool was amazing after a tiring day on the sun.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort

A real gem. I have been to many 5 star hotels but this one is very special. Originally I was booked into the Garden wing but straight away at the check in I got myself upgraded into the Ocean wing. Right from the beginning the staff was incredibly helpful, they even gave me an interim room to refresh myself until my Ocean Wing room is ready. I had a sea view room on the 4th floor. The room is fantastics, my first thought was that I would love to have it as it is as my own flat. Incredibly spacious, smart layout, comfortable furniture, tub on the terrace with a sunbed and a fan. Every evening they give you a local short story as part of the turn down service, such an attentive detail. The hotel premises are huge and as expected the ocean wing provided real privacy and peace. I really enjoyed the huge swimming pool and also visited the beach. I had a massage as well in the spa at the golf court which i can highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lahad Datu: Danum D1

Lahad Datu

I would say already the trip from Lahad Datu to Danum was already a great adventure, I loved the ride. We already saw monkeys on the way and some nice butterflies. We started at the lodge with an easy walk, and for our greatest surprise we spotted an orangutan mom with her baby. This was an absolute highlight and it was only an hour walk. Later we had a night drive, its was so nice and calm with some animal spottings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kuching: River Cruise

Kuching

I was the last one to board the boat which gave me a really good spot to sit at the end of the upper deck. The who journey gives you a really nice overview of the city, the surrounding, how people live in the area, fishing boats which are super cute and colorful. The absolute highlight was the sunset in the end behind Kuching.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kota Kinabalu: City Tour

Kota Kinabalu

It was actually an hour program, we visited the city by car and made a stop to take some pictures of the Mustapha tower and the ministry building. In the evening I had the most amazing sunset of my Borneo visit, KK is situated in a perfect location to catch incredible sunsets.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lahad Datu: Danum D2

Lahad Datu

We did the coffin trail trekking which was very challanging physically to climb in the mud but the view in the end is a great compensation for the efforts. In the afternoon I went rafting, that was a real highlight to me in Danum. We were two in the boat plus our guide Bob so it was a really relaxing program. We also had the chance to swim a bit in a spot. The scenery is just amazing. We heard the sound of a helmeted hornbill which I will never forget :) We finished the evening with a short nightwalk, we had a bit cloudy evening but still the sky above the rainforest was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarawak: Mulu National Park D1

Mulu

The Deer cave was incredible. Already the walk to the cave was really cool, all the way in the forest but on ramps. After the cave we watched the bat exodus, hundreds of bats flying out of the cave to go for food in huge groups one by one…a true memory for life especially also if you keep silent and listen to the sound of their wings. The walk back to the park entrance in semi darkness brings out all the sounds of the forest, hundreds of spiders watching you and when the torch light touches their eyes, they shine like a diamond…it kinda feels like in Avatar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kinabatangan D1

Malaysia

We arrived late at the lodge therefore it was not possible to go for the full 2 hr trip however my guide Rizal did not want me to miss anything so they quickly took me out to introduce me to the proboscis monkeys before they go to sleep. I really enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kinabatangan D2

Malaysia

We had 3 boat trips during the day, one in the morning where I was alone. In the afternoon I went with two other tourists from Spain and evening I was alone again. All cruises were really great, I enjoyed the calm and silent small channels of the river. During the night ride we spotted some very cute animals.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kota Kinabalu: Snorkelling or Diving in UNESCO Site

Kota Kinabalu

I was mainly interested in snorkeling for the program. We went to Dreamer island which is a private island and is mainly for water sports. There was nothing to see so its not a good spot to see anything. They organized intro diving but it was not too encouraging that all the people on the island went in turns so the entire experience seemed a bit like mass tourism. The island had a nice beach, if you dont mind swimming monitor lizards in the water its a nice sport to take a dip in the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kinabatangan D3

Malaysia

Last day in Kinabatangan with morning and afternoon boat rides. We were trying to chase elephants but did not make it but still we managed to see wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kuching: Kubah Wildlife Park

Kuching

The first highlight of this trekking was my guide Rosli. He has such an incredible knowledge, he is so proud of his heritage that you can hear it in all his stories he shares. The park is really nice, calm, we have seen some pitcher plants, birds, forgs, amazing trees and as a bonus a nice waterfall in the end. Even though I expected the water to be cold, it was really pleasant. In the afternoon we continued our trip to Semenggoh orangutan center as a separate program where we saw many orangutans coming for the afternoon feeding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarawak: Mulu National Park D2

Mulu

My ultimate favorite cave is the Clearwater cave. Its gigantic, the dimensions are incredible. There is an nice small sport at the exit to take a dip in the water which is very refreshing so highly recommended. We stopped on the way in a small handcraft market, I really liked the hand made products there. Lunch was very tasty and extra bonus I had midin as well :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sandakan: Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Santuary

Sandakan

Its a great place to see the monkeys from very close. Bonus was two hornbills :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kundasang: Town Tour

Malaysia

First we visited the Kinabalu Park, the flowers and plants here are beautiful. I have seen some orchids and pitcher plants. Later we visited a dairy farm, I really liked that you can see the cow milking and also try their local products. I tried their yogurt ice cream, it is a must, was super delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sandakan: Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre

Sandakan

I visited the SunBear and the Orangutan Rehab centers, both really worth the visit. I also had a Nightwalk in the RDC where we went to skywalk to wait for the flying squirrels. I can recommend to check out the canopy bridge also during the day, its an incredible establishment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport