Sky-Mirror Beach & Fireflies Tour from Kota Kinabalu

Proboscis monkeys, mirror-flat water at sunset, and fireflies lighting up the mangrove.

An afternoon and evening tour from Kota Kinabalu that combines river wildlife watching, beach photography, and fireflies viewing in the mangrove. Hotel pickup starts at 14:45, followed by high tea at the jetty, a boat search for proboscis and macaque monkeys, sunset photography at Superview Beach (also called Sky-Mirror Beach), a fireflies cruise, and dinner before returning to your hotel around 21:10. The tour includes a live guide in English or Chinese, Malaysian local food, and a beach photographer to capture your moments.

Step-by-step itinerary

Mangrove tour with wildlife and sunset

• Hotel reception pick up
• High tea at mangrove jetty
• Explore mangrove by boat
• Search for proboscis monkey and monkey king
• Photograph sunset at Superview Beach
• View fireflies on boat
• Dinner at jetty
• Return to city hotel

The experience

The tour picks you up from your Kota Kinabalu hotel in the afternoon and takes you to the mangrove jetty, where you'll have high tea and rest before heading out on the water. The main wildlife event is searching for proboscis monkeys (the shy ones that eat leaves and watch from the trees), and the macaque family that lives along the river and isn't afraid of people. Baby monkeys sometimes come close enough to take banana from your hand.

Superview Beach, also called Sky-Mirror Beach, is the centerpiece: the water sits so flat at sunset that it mirrors the sky, and a beach photographer is there to capture the moment. After sunset, you board again to watch the fireflies. They live in the mangrove trees and light up like stars. The biggest groups create what the operator calls a "fantasy world" on the water. Dinner happens back at the jetty before the drive back to your hotel, which takes around 20 to 40 minutes depending on where you're staying in or near the city.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transfer.
• high tea at the jetty.
• Malaysian local food and dinner.
• coffee and tea.
• a live guide in English or Chinese.
• a beach photographer at Superview Beach.
• snacks during the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 13:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 75 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by EasyGo Tours

Is this one for you?The tour runs from mid-afternoon into the evening (roughly 6 to 8 hours total), so it fits into a day where you have the latter half free. Infants can join if they sit on an adult's lap, and the physical demands are light (you're mostly on a boat or standing on a beach), so it suits most fitness levels.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are proboscis monkeys, and will I actually see them on this tour?

Proboscis monkeys are a species native to Borneo with distinctive large noses. They eat leaves and live in the mangrove. The tour searches for them by boat, and they often wait in the trees watching: the operator describes it as a game of hide and seek. Spotting depends on where the monkeys are on the day you go, but the river also has macaque families that are less shy and more likely to come close.

How does the Sky-Mirror Beach photography work?

Sky-Mirror Beach (also called Superview Beach) has shallow water that reflects the sky like a mirror when conditions are right, usually at sunset. A beach photographer is included with the tour to take photos of you and your group with the reflection. You'll have free time to walk and compose your own shots as well.

When do the fireflies come out, and how long do you spend watching them?

Fireflies are viewed after sunset, once you're back on the boat. The tour boards around 18:50 for the fireflies cruise. The exact duration isn't specified, but it happens before dinner at 19:30, so you'll have roughly 40 minutes on the water with them.

How long is the drive back to the hotel, and does the price change if I'm staying far from the city?

The return journey takes around 20 to 40 minutes depending on your hotel's location in or near Kota Kinabalu. If you're staying in the outskirts, there is an additional fee of MYR 15 to 25, which you'll pay separately.