Other than providing all the necessary gear, an experienced guide can provide you a more relaxed and enjoyable experience by pointing out all the underwater creatures that you might otherwise miss. Also good to have around in case of any unforseen situations.

Snorkelling requires only a minimum level of fitness, but you should have moderate levels of energy to swim/flounder in the water for a few hours. Swimming ability is not absolutely necessary, as you can wear a life jacket, but you should be comfortable in the water.

The best months to visit are April, May, June, July, August, September, October

We recommend the above period because you would have:

• Better visibility
• Good weather

The activity usually starts at approximately 8am and ends between 3-4pm on the same day (depending on the option chosen).

Kota Kinabalu is a great town with a lot going on at any given point in time. If you're a fan of wandering about colourful night markets, check out the seafood at the Sinsuran Night Market which is frequented by many West Malaysians because of the relatively low prices of the seafood in Kota Kinabalu, or the Filipino Market (close to Le Meridien hotel) which bursts into life each evening and has everything from cooked food to handicraft.

Kota Kinabalu has also been voted to have some of the best sunsets in the world (we can attest to that!) so, come sunset, do head down to the waterfront to see the colours and shapes in the sky shift and change. When we were there, the sunset lingered and changed from pink to purple to a flaming orange.

Finally, the food! Kota Kinabalu has incredibly yummy food if you know where to go. A couple of our favourites are: the sticky chicken wings at Fatt Kee Coffee Shop (Ang's Hotel, Beach Street) and the dry bak kut teh at Sin Kee Bak Kut Teh (at Jalan Pantai) - they're within a minute's walk of each other so if you're hungry, you can try both!