Gaya Island Resort

Michael South

Beautifully located resort on a tropical island. Our huge room, #823, was perfect, with a spectacular view from it's veranda. It was higher up the hill, so may not be suitable for someone with mobility/fitness issues. The food in the 'Feast Village' was very good, and the food in its formal restaurant 'The Fisherman's Cove' was excellent. Staff were, without exception, genuinely friendly and very helpful. Any issues were very quickly dealt with. Enjoyed a wonderful Malay massage at the spa, in a very pretty setting. Only used the private beach which inlvoved a short boat trip, but well worth the effort. Quieter than the hotel beach, which was mainly used by families staying in the resort. Mangrove kayaking was enjoyable and informative. Highly recommended.

K DG

Gaya island resort was incredible! Stunning views from our luxurious room, friendly staff, lots of varied free activities on offer (yoga, private beach trips, nature walks), and great sea-life right out the front of the resort (we brought our own goggles and enjoyed exploring the coral reef). Pool was great too, especially for our toddler. Fantastic buffets on offer with so much variety (you pay a premium but it’s worth it!). Love, love, love this place!

John Oakey

The staff here has by and large been awesome. So friendly! Things are pretty nice overall. I have to say though, particularly coming with young children, they charge A LOT here. I guess it’s my fault for coming to an island but it feels like a bit of an expensive trap in that sense. I’ve been to more expensive island resorts that don’t charge in such a petty way so it doesn’t feel so bad. But if you want luxury and still see amazing Borneo wildlife, this is a cool place if you’re willing to pay a lot.

Hannah Gray

We had an incredible stay at Gaya Island Resort. We stayed for 3 nights which felt like a good amount of time to do some of the activities, lots of swimming and relaxing as well. The resort offers a range of activities - many require a fee but a few are free including daily yoga, meditation and walks around the National park near the resort. We brought goggles and swam every day, there are SO many fish to see right in front of the resort! We stayed with our 1 year old and overall it was very baby/family friendly. They have high chairs, a little baby pool in the shade and the buffet has heaps of food options for babies. We stayed in a Kinabalu Villa and the views were absolutely spectacular! You can see KK across the water but that doesn’t detract from the view at all in my opinion. We couldn’t get over how amazing the view from the villa was. The villa itself was so spacious, way bigger than the photos depict. Bed is amazing, shower/bathroom is amazing. Staff were so friendly and the whole resort was always immaculate. We had the best stay and would highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience the coastal beauty of Borneo.

Perry Wheeler

Sometimes, five stars is just not enough to do justice to somewhere. Gaya Island Resort is so very close to perfection that it really needs an extra star. The staff are outstanding, nothing is too much trouble and you’re left with the absolute conviction that you are being looked after by a team who are dedicated to making your stay as enjoyable as possible. The food... Well above what I’ve come to expect at similarly rated hotels. While we stayed on a full-board package, we still expected to eat a couple of times in the resort’s two premium restaurants. We didn’t; the food in the ‘Feast Village’ was of such a high standard and there was so much choice that we were never tempted away. This is the gold standard that other 5-star holiday hotels should aspire to. Accommodation… Is well designed, well appointed and blends in with the rainforest-edge natural environment. Each villa is separated into 4 suites, each suite has a large bathroom, office/walk-in robe and bedroom. Your rooms are surrounded by a large veranda with either day beds or sun loungers. We stayed in a ‘Kinabalu’ villa, the main difference between the classes of accommodation appears to be location and view - the incredible view from our villa made the upgrade well worth it. All the usual 5-star features are present (with the odd exception of an iron, although these are available from reception on request). There’s a smart TV that you can use your own streaming accounts on (remember to delete the accounts at the end). Each room also has its own dedicated wifi. Location… Private and secluded. As part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, the resort takes conservation very seriously. Protection of the rainforest and marine environment underpins all activities. The resort is constrained by the rainforest on one side and the ocean on the other. There are forest walking paths but guests are strongly advised against venturing out on these without a guide. We did one short guided walk and it was clear how easy it would be to get lost or to fall on the many steep slopes. The fact that we saw two pit vipers and were harassed by a troop of monkeys that didn’t share the resort's welcome for visitors was more than enough to ensure that we followed the advice. The bay is a perfect location for swimming and snorkelling, so good in fact that we never found time to use the resort pool. The resort has a small private beach a little further around the island and there’s a free speedboat shuttle there and back roughly every hour. It’s here that you’ll find another small cafe and the marine conservation centre (well worth a visit!). The downsides… This wouldn’t be a fair review without finding something on the negative side (although it’s not easy), so these are the best I can come up with: Cost. Other reviewers have complained about the price for activities and meals. It’s not cheap but I wasn’t too shocked - pick and choose, a lot of things are quite reasonable, some things are exorbitant. Accessibility. This is not a recommended destination if you have limited mobility. I had no problem keeping up my daily 10,000 step-count just getting around the resort. It’s spread over a wide area and there are a lot of stairs to go up and down. Mosquitos. It’s a rainforest - there will be bugs after your blood. The rooms all have mozzie spray and anti-itch cream. Remember to use repellent and you’re unlikely to have a problem. Additional Charges. There are plenty of warnings, there's even a sign on the check in desk at the pier before you board the boat but it still comes as a surprise to some guests who then insist on giving the poor hotel staff a hard time. You will get hit with Malaysian tourist tax (10myr per day per room) and the National Park fee 35myr for the first night and 25 for each subsequent night, per person). The hotel, by law, has to collect this - Please don’t be that person who takes it out on the staff. We’ll be back!