Discover Kota Kinabalu: Mount Kinabalu & Mangrove Self-Drive Day Tour Adventure

Returning to Sabah Island, after my diving adventure in Semporna last year, this marks my second visit to this enchanting place🌊. During the Spring Festival, I decided to bring my family along for a leisurely getaway to Kota Kinabalu. Despite it being the rainy season, with daily showers, we opted for a self-driving tour, which turned out to be an excellent choice 👍

🚗 **Mode of Transportation**: We chose to self-drive, booking our vehicle through Zuzuche and picking it up at the Kota Kinabalu airport, which was incredibly convenient. Driving on the left side of the road in Malaysia, with my previous experience in the UK, made the journey smooth and enjoyable. For added peace of mind, I highly recommend purchasing full insurance.

🕐 **Trip Overview**: Originally, this route was planned as two separate day tours. However, by excluding Poring Hot Springs, paragliding, Rafflesia, and the proboscis monkeys near Mount Kinabalu, we condensed it into a single, more efficient day. Surprisingly, it wasn’t tiring and saved us a lot of time! Here are the key stops, easily found on a map👇

**Stop 1️⃣: Desa Dairy Farm 🐄**
🧭 **Navigation**: Ladang Tenusu Desa Cattle
📌 **Tips**: Book your tickets in advance on the official website for just 5 RM per adult 🎫. Don’t miss out on feeding the calves, watching the milking process, and indulging in a delicious chocolate milk ice cream or other dairy products (Photos 1-7).

**Stop 2️⃣: Viewpoints**
🧭 **Navigation**: There are two scenic viewpoints to explore: Kundasang Point View and Mt Kinabalu Viewing Platform.
📌 **Tips**: You can stop by these viewpoints on your way up or down the mountain. There are local markets nearby where you can grab some fresh fruits. Unfortunately, when we visited, it was quite foggy, so the views were obscured (Photos 8-9).

**Stop 3️⃣: Roasted Pork at Mount Kinabalu (Absolutely Delicious! A Must-Visit!)**
🧭 **Navigation**: Sinalau Bakas Himbaan Bongol
📌 **Tips**: The roasted pork is priced at 50 RM per kilogram. For two people, half a kilogram is perfect (Photos 10-12). The flavor is truly unforgettable!

**Stop 4️⃣: Fireflies**
🧭 **Navigation**: Nanamun Firefly Jetty
📌 **Tip**: Upon arrival, you can join other tour groups to share a boat. Bargaining with the boat operator is possible; he initially asked for 30 RM per person, but we managed to get it down to 50 RM for two. The fireflies were a mesmerizing sight, though capturing their magic on camera proved challenging…