Kota Kinabalu: Mari Mari Cultural Village & Bongawan River Cruise Day Tour (Fireflies & Sunset)

Experience Sabah's indigenous cultures
at Mari Mari Cultural Village

After morning pickup from your hotel in Kota Kinabalu, drive about 30 minutes to Mari Mari Cultural Village. With a local guide, you go from house to house in a village recreating the traditional homes and lifestyles of five Sabah tribes, including the Dusun, Rungus, Lundayeh, Bajau and Murut.

Hands-on activities include making fire with bamboo and trying blowpipe hunting, and you can also see traditional tattooing, rice wine making and a traditional dance performance. There is also a local food tasting, and the village visit lasts about 4 hours.

After lunch, head to the quiet fishing village of Bongawan

After the cultural experience, enjoy a local lunch and drive about 1 hour 30 minutes south to the peaceful fishing village of Bongawan. On arrival, your guide welcomes you with light refreshments.

Meet proboscis monkeys and the sunset on a Bongawan river cruise

Around dusk, board a river boat and cruise slowly along the calm Bongawan River, looking for Borneo's native proboscis monkeys, known for their long noses and big bellies, with your guide. You may also see long-tailed macaques, crocodiles and monitor lizards. As the sun sets, enjoy the sunset in a "mirror of the sky" scene where the river reflects the sky.

End with fireflies in the mangroves and a local dinner

After dark, the boat slowly approaches the mangrove trees so you can watch the fireflies twinkle. After the cruise, enjoy a local village-style dinner buffet and return to Kota Kinabalu.

※ Wildlife and fireflies live in their natural habitat, so sightings are not guaranteed.
※ Departure time may vary slightly depending on the pickup location.