Review Author: MISATO YAMADA

Review Date: 04 Jan 2020

Review Body:

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Celina Schmidt-Petersen

Review Date: 09 Apr 2026

Review Body: Our hike up Mount Kinabalu was an unforgettable experience and easily one of the highlights of our trip. From start to finish, everything was incredibly well organized, and it really showed in the quality of the infrastructure and accommodation on the route. The lodge was comfortable and well maintained, which made a big difference after long hours of hiking. There are showers at the lodge, but only cold water though (to be expected 😊). Towels and soap is provided, so no need to bring this. We also had a wonderful guide, Johny. His English wasn’t great, but he was incredibly kind and paced the hike well. And then there are the views - absolutely breathtaking. As you ascend, the landscape changes dramatically, and reaching higher elevations rewards you with stunning panoramas that make every step worth it. The sunrise from near the summit is something we’ll never forget. That said, it’s definitely a strenuous hike and shouldn’t be underestimated. A good level of fitness is important to fully enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed. Also, it gets surprisingly cold near the peak, so bringing proper warm clothing is essential. Overall, we loved every minute of it. It’s a challenging but deeply rewarding adventure that we would highly recommend to anyone considering it.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Zhou Xue &Wing

Review Date: 17 Apr 2026

Review Body: Our first stay at the Pine resort is wonderful, i would like to bring my parents come to this place again! Though the hiking is a bit rough, we still made it to the summit. Kudos for Seek Sophie to arrange a really patient and professional mountain guide for us, without him (His name is Jiro!) we probably cannot reach the summit and to see the splendid view of Mt.kinabalu. For the stay at the mountain, it's really clean and cozy, as a hiking dormitory, they even have the warm water for showering(if you are lucky enough). we also joined the short walk the torq, amazing view at the steepy rock wall with reliable equipment to make sure you are safe. For beginner climbers, i think doing some jogging exercise twice a week for at least one month before the hiking will really make some difference, you will feel much better at the journey to 4092.5 summit, it will reduce the chance of altitude sickness also. Personally, i didn't do the jog that often so i was a bit nausea and feel light headed due to my heart beat too fast on the way to the top.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Nicole_L0w

Review Date: 15 Jul 2019

Review Body: Title: challenging experience and great services. Highly recommended (tour guide, Sylvester and Andrew) HiKing mount KK was a very memorable and the most challenging experience in my life.

I went to Kota kinabalu in few days ago. Our tour guide, Sylvester and Andrew was very helpful and take care of us, specially Sylvester. At first i thought i not able to complete this challenge due to i thought my stamina has reached the limit and almost plan to give up in half way. Sylvester give me a lot of supports , motivation and helps to reach the peak. He is a very patient and good experience guide. He also help to take many nice photos of me and my team.

I highly recommended Sylvester and Andrew as they are really very very responsible mountain guide. They accompanied my friend and myself going down the mountain slowly and safety even though there's heavy raining in that moments. They also carry about 25kg++ on their back but they still accompanying and motivating us under the raining on the descend route. So...

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lauren Abston

Review Date: 28 Sep 2024

Review Body: Climbing to the top of Mt. Kinabalu was the coolest experience I've ever had, and I think the price and experience booking through Seek Sophie were well worth it. The hike is definitely not to be underestimated; you need everything listed on the packing list, especially warm clothes. Once I booked the trip, Olivia reached out to me to give me more details and collect all the information needed. She was extremely knowledgable and also helped give advice for the rest of my trip on Borneo! The driver for my trip, Rashid, was fantastic. And my trail guide, Jiro, was amazing. It was just me so it was a very different experience than it would be if you were with a partner or a group. Everyone was very professional, and I always felt taken care of. I wouldn't highly recommend adding on the night at the Poring Hot Springs, but it was nice enough since it was in the area. I went the day before my hike, but it might have been better to have it the day after. Highly recommend this excursion!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Richard Selby

Review Date: 07 Aug 2025

Review Body: I booked a 3 day 2 night trip for 4 people on Mt Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Seek Sophie were perfect. Their friendly driver met us at the airport, unbothered by the flight delay. I was expecting to be consolidated with other people arriving but we had the minibus and driver all to ourselves, also on return trip to town. This meant we could stop off on request for snacks. All handovers to other parties - hotel, mountain lodge, mountain guide, Via Ferrata, were flawless. The first night hotel, Pine Resort, was a great way of settling in before the 6 hr hike to the mountain refuge. Recommend stay here rather than start super early from Kota Kinabalu which is 2 hr 15 mins away. Extra hours sleep are what you need. We booked the extra Via Ferrata activity near the summit. In the end, only 2 out of 4 of us did it. The lazy ones decided the extra 2 hrs rest meant more to us, and went back to rest in Pendant Hut refuge. The energetic ones hung off iron ropes and loved it.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: nliondaris

Review Date: 26 Nov 2018

Review Body: Olivia helped us to organise a 3D2N mount kinabulu Climb, followed by 2D1N Kinabatan river cruise and finished off on 3D2N Tabin wildlife safari excursion. Olivia helped to organise this trip for us wonderfully and all our driver and guides were superb! Everything flowed amazing and she was absolutely fantastic at answering all my many questions over whatsapp, in terms of professionalism I couldn't have asked for more. The climb was beautiful with some great views - also very challenging at times and you're pretty knackered by the time you get to base camp but there is lots of food to refuel you. The Kinabatan river cruise was excellent for spotting wild animals however the rooms were a but infested with insects. Tabin wildlife was lovely area to stay in and our guide was fantastic. Overall an amazing experience and beautiful part of our honeymoon.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Bill Faries

Review Date: 21 Apr 2024

Review Body: The experience with Olivia and the Seek Sophie team was first class from start to finish. They responded quickly to all my questions and prepared us well for what was ahead. My son and I did the hike with our guide and porter, Jabadi. It's not an easy round-trip, but it was well-worth the work. One piece of advice that I got from a friend and which was a big help: take multiple changes of clothes. Even if it doesn't rain on you, you'll get extremely sweaty on the hike up and will want to get into something dry, perhaps twice. Take a Camelbak-style water bladder so you keep your hands free from carrying water bottles. And be prepared for near-freezing temperatures at the top, especially if you arrive early and are sitting to wait for the sunrise. But what a trip!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: kungfunc

Review Date: 14 Aug 2019

Review Body: Don’t look anywhere else for My Kinabalu. I called Olivia on a Sunday and the day before a holiday. I also Contacted two other tour agencies. Olivia responded that same day and the other tour operators took two days. She also had the best price for better service and same experience. She provided me with complete information and was just all-around awesome communicating with me on WhatsApp. she was very thorough and i felt confident going into my trip. Sylvester was very helpful especially on day 2 when it matters. He took great pictures of me on his phone that I didn’t even ask him to. They were better than ones that I took! Then Olivia was kind enough to send them to me that night. You can trust this company and I would absolutely use them again in a heartbeat

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Evgeniia

Review Date: 07 Jun 2026

Review Body: I will definitely recommend this place if you want to climb the Mount Kinabalu. First of all, everything was organized top notch. As a single lady traveler, I didn’t need to think about anything, even though I’ve booked this trip last minute - I was picked up from the hotel, brought to the starting point where I met my wonderful guide Jabadie. Once we got down, I was picked up again and transferred to Hot springs place to have rest after the trek. When I needed to get back to catch my flight, my new good friend Mr. Minang did everything for me to catch it. Special thanks to Olivia who was there for me the whole time. Thank you so much, team! I had wonderful time getting to know a small part of Borneo. Next time we try something else together. Take care! ☀️

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Consultcorrine

Review Date: 18 Mar 2019

Review Body: Fantastic 2D1N KK hike (15-16Mar'19) I very much enjoyed partnering Olivia to confirm this KK tour. Unlike other options I explored, she stood out because she gave me alternative suggestions (when I preempted her about possible obstacles) and at affordable rates. Being an efficient person, I truly appreciate her prompt, detailed and accurate responses consistently. If the company can replicate more of Olivia, that would be fantastic. Guide (Bungin) assigned to my friend and I for the 2D1N hike was very experienced and informative which made the climb alot more enjoyable. Driver was prompt in picking us to and from our hotel. Overall a memorable experience in celebration of my birthday too :) Thank you!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Selvam Suppiah

Review Date: 20 Feb 2026

Review Body: A sense of achievement having climbed 4095m. The gusty chilly wind, the freezing cold, the rope climb closer to the summit and of course the panaromic view from the top of the majestic mountain. Money cannot buy this. One got to experience it to understand. People are generally v nice also. I had an excellent guide who allowed me to walk my pace. He was extremely encouraging. Olivia was super responsive and this put me at ease. And I had to just focus on my climb. Everything else was taken care of. The ascend was exciting while the descent was painful. Cos I probably pushed myself to complete the descend within 2.5hrs. My quads r hurting now but it should subside in no time.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Bethyjames

Review Date: 09 Sep 2019

Review Body: Simply the best holiday - thank to olivia! I’d heard a lot about Olivia while I was researching for a borneo holiday and she exceeded every single expectation and more. She is kind friendly efficient - found loopholes in my itinerary that I wouldn’t have noticed (travelling times between places) and called me to make sure I understood everything. THE HIKE - it’s hard! But incredible. I was well prepared thanks to olivia & team but don’t take it lightly! Well worth doing it. She was even texting me after giving me advice on how to ease the leg pain (there’s a lot) thank you Olivia I jus wish I could have given her one big last hug to say thank you thank you thank you xxxxx

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Matthew

Review Date: 13 May 2025

Review Body: This was very well organised. Communications were great, the organiser was in touch beforehand via whatsapp with details about pick up etc. The experience on the river itself was fun, we saw lots of monkeys, hornbills, woodpeckers, and a crocodile during the day, and lots of fireflies in the evening boat ride. The buffet dinner was decent too. Only thing to be aware of is that you do probably spend more time on the road getting there and back from KK than you do on the river itself, though to be fair this is actually quite clear in the trip notes. All in all, if you are not in a hurry and are keen on seeing wildlife this is a good trip to do.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: lauren D

Review Date: 12 Jul 2019

Review Body: Unforgettable experience. Myself and my friend booked to climb Mt Kinabalu in June. This company were great! They were so quick at getting back to us, they were very accommodating as we only enquired about the hike a couple of days in advance and they gave us a good deal. Olivia was so friendly, she organised everything for us and gave us great recommendations for places to stay also which we booked and were fab! The hike itself was amazing!!!! Such an incredible experience. Our guide Sylvester was great and really helped us along the way. I would highly recommend doing the hike and organising it though this company.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Eugene Chew

Review Date: 12 Jul 2024

Review Body: Trip was well planned and enjoyable. Olivia was very responsive and helpful in the organisation of the climb. Rashid brought us to Kinabalu National Park and back to our hotels efficiently with an entire mini bus to ourselves. Jerald, our guide, was so helpful with pacing us through the entire hike, taking many photos for us and ensuring that we were safe throughout. in all, it gave us peace of mind that every thing was well taken care of mind when we were already so pre-occupied tackling the challenging Mt Kinabalu. Couldn't have asked for better people during this trip.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: concheta2017

Review Date: 26 Oct 2019

Review Body: Highly recommended. Trekking at Mt Kinabalu was very hard but memorable to me. Everything is unforgettable, no matter the climbing and the person I contacted. Very impressive is the service provided by Olivia. Her prompt response, efficiency, professional service and the detailed information she provided made everything go smoothly. It was the first time I had no worry about the tour. I would also like to share how efficiency is Olivia and her team was - Olivia returned the trekking pole to me within an hour after I have found that it was left in the driver's car. Super !

Review rating: 5

Review Author: janelimce

Review Date: 14 Aug 2019

Review Body: Worry-free booking with Olivia. Booking the package with Olivia was relatively easy and smooth. Whenever we raised a question, Olivia responded promptly. She sent us great info that we needed to know and pack for the trip. The climb was tough, though it was made easier by our friendly guide, Arno, and our porter who can handle more than 20kg. Everything is worry-free. Olivia arranged pickup for us from Mt Kinabalu nearby town on the day of climb and transfer to the city after we have completed the climb. Thanks Olivia for helping us to achieve our dream!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Richard Wood

Review Date: 23 Jun 2024

Review Body: We had a wonderful time. Olivia truly is as wonderful as everyone states in the reviews. We went for the 2D1N trek with an extra night near the mountain before. Olivia picked us up from Kota Kinabalu and drove us back again with their driver. Our guide Ajit was great. Olivia sorted out the porter and all the matters we needed. The fact you get a very speedy reply on a WhatsApp just makes a world of difference when you’re a little unsure about a trek. 5 star service for a similar price to all the other hikes. Thank you! Highly highly recommend.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Tracey P

Review Date: 17 Aug 2025

Review Body: Klias River Cruise. Collected on time from my accommodation and driven in a mini bus to the river. Tea/coffee and 3 sweet snacks, which were very tasty, on arrival. During the 1st river cruise, we saw 3 types of monkey - Dusky Langur, Long Tailed Macaques and lots of Probisis. Back to base for a buffet dinner, which I enjoyed and then out again for the Firefly cruise. So many seen twinkling in the trees; they were very beautiful. Minibus transfer back to my accommodation. Driver was very friendly throughout. Highly recommend the cruise.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Today, you'll get to Kinabalu Park, where your adventure begins!

Itinerary Description: 1pm: Meet at Kota Kinabalu city and proceed for 2 hour drive to Kinabalu Park 230pm: Check into Kinabalu Park 7pm: Dinner

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Today you will hike up to Laban Rata (3,353m).

Itinerary Description: 7:30am: Breakfast and check out 8:30am: Meet designated mountain guide 9:00am: Shuttle bus to from Kinabalu Park to Timpohon Gate and begin climb 12:30pm: Lunch break 3pm: Settle in at Laban Rata (3,353m) 6pm: Dinner at Laban Rata

Itinerary Day 3

Itinerary Summary: Sunrise summit hike

Itinerary Description: 1.30 – 2 am: Wake up for early morning supper 2.30am: Start hiking up to the summit with your mountain guide 5.40am: Catch the sunrise on Low’s Peak 6am - 8 am: Descent from Low’s Peak to Laban Rata for a well-earned breakfast 9am: Check out of Laban Rata and descend to Timpohon Gate 3 - 4 pm - Arrive at Timpohon Gate and depart Kinabalu Park. 5 – 6 pm - Arrive back at your hotel in Kota Kinabalu