slothis · English

Mantanani Tour: The Best Island in Kota Kinabalu

2018-10-02 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

If there's one disappointing thing about coming to Kota Kinabalu, it's that the ocean isn't as beautiful as I expected. (Of course, what's even more disappointing is that the jerks I call friends didn't come with me, so I'm traveling alone.) It's not that Sapi Island or Manukan Island are bad. But for Southeast Asian waters, they fell short of my expectations—the coral was all dead, just like I saw in Cebu, and there were barely any fish left. So yesterday, I impulsively booked the Mantanani Nanamun tour.

I already knew about Mantanani's reputation from my research before coming here. I thought about just going straight there right away, but I figured that might make everywhere else feel less impressive. So I waited and waited, saving it to end things with a bang! And that day is today. Since the countdown to my flight home has started, I finally allowed myself to experience Mantanani.

People about to board a white van stopped on the side of the road
The shuttle bus arrived at 8:00 AM. Unlike the Damnoen Saduak tour in Bangkok, it arrived almost exactly on time.
Back view of people sitting in the backseat of a moving van
Everyone was Chinese. I don't know which regions these Chinese couples are from, but the way they treat each other is like night and day depending on the region. Some couples are incredibly affectionate, while others are very "you do you, I'll do me," like the one in the photo.
A white van parked and people standing in a clearing surrounded by palm trees and woods
People walking on a walkway over the water made of wooden pillars and a corrugated roof
After riding the shuttle for over an hour, wondering if this is an island tour or a mountain tour, you finally arrive at the place to board the boat.
A monkey walking on a wooden railing and a person sitting next to it
Three monkeys sitting side by side on a wooden railing
Two monkeys hanging from a ceiling structure and another monkey poking its face through a gap
The things you have to watch out for here are these guys!! If you take your eyes off your food for even a second, they'll steal it right away. They aren't as aggressive as the monkeys in Bali and are actually afraid of people, but you still shouldn't tease them with food. There are enough of them to easily inflict serious injuries on a grown man.
A white boat moored by the river and a person looking out the window
People wearing life jackets sitting inside a boat with a blue canopy roof
Once the boat arrives and everyone gets on, we speed off toward the ocean. I think we drove for over an hour and then rode the boat for over 30 minutes. If you multiply the travel time by 80, it feels roughly like the distance from Seoul to Daejeon.
A white sand beach under the shade of palm trees, an emerald sea, and a moored boat
A white boat moored on a white sand beach by the emerald sea
A person looking at the emerald sea and white sand beach under palm trees

Just as I was getting exhausted from all the moving around, we arrived at the island.

'Is this Mantanani Island?'

I thought to myself, but I honestly had no idea where we were. Still, the ocean was incredibly pretty, and the island was absolutely beautiful. The guide who had been enthusiastically driving us said we would take a short break here before moving on. Judging by the people selling drinks and snacks, it didn't seem like just a random rest stop. I laid out the mat I brought and just spaced out, letting my mind wander.

'It must be nice for the people here to run a business while looking at such a pretty ocean.'

'No, would it be too boring?'

'Would these people be jealous of me, stuck working in an office?'

I sat there having these useless thoughts to myself, sipping on a drink I bought, and then it was time to move again.

View of the emerald sea and a distant island seen from a boat
The scenery is just too good for a quick stop to buy and drink a Coke.
People wearing life jackets enjoying snorkeling in the emerald sea
Finally, the island hopping tour!

The boat stopped, and the captain, who had been speeding along, signaled for everyone to get ready to jump into the water. After a long, long wait, it was finally time to snorkel. The water color was distinctly different from Sapi Island and Manukan Island, which got everyone excited, and I jumped in screaming right along with them.

"Now this is the ocean!!!"

My action cam decided to act up, so I don't have a single video left, but I can guarantee the beauty of the ocean near Mantanani. Being able to see such a beautiful sea without strapping on an oxygen tank—that alone made today perfect.

A white boat moored on a sandbar in the middle of the clear blue sea, and a person snorkeling in the water in front of it
People resting on the beach under the shade of trees and a view of the sea
People gathered sitting and eating or standing under a large white canopy on the beach
After the hopping tour, we ate lunch. Since it was a meal after playing in the water, I scarfed it down without even noticing if it tasted good or not.
A plate of rice, noodles, meat, and vegetables, along with drinks, on a wooden table on the beach
Several white boats moored on a beach with an emerald sea and white sand

I don't have photos or videos, but we went snorkeling one more time after that. Even the people who were swimming around passionately at first were now just floating on the water, staring at the coral and fish. More than half of the tour is just travel time, but I have no real complaints. I know all too well that if we hadn't come out this far, we wouldn't have been able to see such an amazing ocean.

Brown cows grazing in a grassy field against the backdrop of a lush green hill
Silhouette of a child walking among cows grazing in a grassy field by the beach under a blue sky
A child with a backpack standing and looking at several cows grazing in a grassy field by the beach
A can of Sprite and a plate with fried noodles, rice, watermelon, and fried food on a table

After another exciting boat ride, we arrived at the place for dinner. The taste was, well, just okay as expected. But it's hard to just write this place off as a 'place that serves bad food' because the sunset you watch while eating is absolutely stunning. I filled up on energy with my eyes rather than my mouth, barely knowing if I was eating food or eating the sunset. A few pioneers brought cup ramen and poured hot water into them. (They also sell ramen there.) Bad food, the pungent smell of ramen, and a fantastic sunset. It was my first time experiencing such a bizarre combination in my life, but I loved it.

Silhouettes of people sitting against the backdrop of the sun setting behind trees on a red-tinted beach at dusk
People watching the sunset on the beach
People on the beach and the sea with the sun setting over the horizon
An evening sky filled with orange-tinted clouds

Once it gets completely dark, we go to see our firefly friends. We take a boat for this, too. I wonder if I've ever ridden a boat this much and for this long in my entire life. The guide explained our future in clumsy but accurate English.

"Mosquito! Dinner time!!"

Just a heads-up, there are a ton of mosquitoes. You have to go in expecting to get bitten three or four times. Plus, if you apply too much bug repellent, the fireflies won't come near you either, so you should only apply it to the spots where you really don't want to get bitten. Everyone armed themselves in their own way, and the boat set off.

People gathered under a wooden structure with life jackets hanging on it in the dark evening
A single yellow light floating in the dark night sky
A night sky with stars twinkling through the clouds
They look like stars, but they're fireflies. You can't take a picture without using a flash. But if you use the flash, all the fireflies run away. You end up falling into a dilemma similar to the mosquito repellent situation.
An emerald sea, a white sand beach, and two boats seen under palm leaves

Leaving early in the morning and returning late at night around 9:00 PM, this tour is the most expensive one at Jesselton Point. But if you're someone who can't stay in Kota Kinabalu for long, I think it's better to go on the Mantanani tour instead of wasting time on other islands. It boasts the most perfect itinerary at Jesselton Point. As for what to bring, you'll need snorkeling gear and mosquito repellent, or a willingness to get bitten by mosquitoes. If local food really doesn't suit you, you can buy cup ramen to bring along. But the most important thing is a friend or family member to hang out with. Even on such a great tour, it's boring being alone.


Expenses (Calculated conservatively, multiply by 300 to get the amount in KRW)

Daily expenses : RM 112.3

Total trip expenses : 2,875,000 KRW + RM 2634.88