Gaya Island Resort

“Exceptional in every way”

Had an exceptional stay at Gaya Island Resort. The staff were so welcoming and friendly and could not do enough for their guests. Food and service was amazing, the huge range of food at the Feast Village and the staff made each meal time an exceptional experience. We enjoyed several activities,… more

Had an exceptional stay at Gaya Island Resort. The staff were so welcoming and friendly and could not do enough for their guests. Food and service was amazing, the huge range of food at the Feast Village and the staff made each meal time an exceptional experience. We enjoyed several activities, including mangrove kayaking and both snorkling activities. Safwan was an amazing guide, ensuring that we saw a whole range of sealife. The accomodation was very clean and comfortable, with fantastic air con which was needed during our stay. We hope to come back again one day.

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“A wonderful place to kick back and relax - love it!”

My wife and I enjoyed our second 11 night stay at Gaya Island Resort in March 2026. For us it is the perfect relaxing laid back holiday. Many visitors to the resort stay for just a few nights as part of a wider tour of Borneo and the resort is perfect for such a trip. For us, however, many of our … more

My wife and I enjoyed our second 11 night stay at Gaya Island Resort in March 2026. For us it is the perfect relaxing laid back holiday. Many visitors to the resort stay for just a few nights as part of a wider tour of Borneo and the resort is perfect for such a trip. For us, however, many of our holidays are jam packed with activities and Gaya Island provides a great environment for a truly rejuvenating break. There are several factors that tick all the right boxes for us. First the location. The resort is set amidst and blends into the rainforest but fronts onto the ocean with superb views towards Mt Kinabalu. The villas are spaced well apart, have stunning views and are generously sixed (we stay in a Kinabalu villa). You feel you are staying in a private villa, not in a soulless hotel. The environment is hilly with some steep steps, which we enjoy as part of our daily exercise. There is no traffic apart from the resort vehicles which always give way to guests. It is simply delightful to walk around the grounds and sink into the ambiance. The staff are superb. Really friendly,, helpful and simply thoroughly nice people. It was our second 11 night visit and we were welcomed back like family. The food is delightful and Chef Dolis made us many special dishes which we thoroughly enjoyed. The pool is magic, rarely has more than a dozen people at a time using it and the Cabanas make a perfect relaxed place for a siesta. The spa is really atmospheric and the massages heavenly. It is possible to do quite a few activities but we established our own routine and apart from a trip to Kota KInabalu Sunday Market (worth a visit) did not do many of the activities on offer. We exercised at 6.30am each day, running or walking around the resort which was wonderful. We had a 'KInabalu Villa Indulgence upgrade' which included all food, happy hour drinks (for us converted to soft drinks at dinner time) 2 50 minute massages each, one speciality dinner, plus, plus, which was great value for money. It was a wrench to leave and we think often of the many friends we have made at the resort and hope to return in 2027. The re-sort is best suited to those seeking a relaxing laid back stress-free break and if that is you, I would recommend Gaya Island Resort 100% without reservation. WE travelled from the UK and it is a long journey. On the way out we stayed in Kota Kinabalu (Grandis hotel - great stay) and on the way home had an 8 hour layover in Singapore. We had valid MRT cards so had a wonderful few hours revisiting some of Singapore's highlights, In summary - Excellent in every way.

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“Fantastic experience”

Gaya Island Resort has pretty much everything you could ask for. The staff are really great, the rooms are spacious and clean, the food is excellent and varied and there is a good range of activities from snorkeling to nature walks. Service in the pool bar and main restaurant was sometimes a bit … more

Gaya Island Resort has pretty much everything you could ask for. The staff are really great, the rooms are spacious and clean, the food is excellent and varied and there is a good range of activities from snorkeling to nature walks. Service in the pool bar and main restaurant was sometimes a bit slow, which was frustrating on a couple of occasions when we were pressed for time, but overall it just added to the relaxed atmosphere. We were on a full board package, which gave unlimited access to all the restaurants (subject to availability). Drink prices were not far off UK prices but four hours of happy hour every day helped to keep the overall bill down. Yes, the setting is hilly but the resort isn't huge and staff seemed happy to provide a lift back up to our room after dinner, so it wasn't such a big deal. Whilst we enjoyed the experience, a few things could have made it even better: 1. A no under-12s (or even under-14s) policy 2. A more flexible ferry schedule for arriving guests. Having missed the 6pm ferry we had to wait nearly two hours for the 9pm departure after a full day travelling (spent mostly waiting around because our tour operator had a fixed schedule that they were determined to stick to) 3. A less punitive charge for the ferry (about £30 per person return) 4. Proper enforcement of the smoking/vaping policy, which was simply ignored by some guests The above aside, we wouldn't hesitate to stay again.

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“Nice resort however not 5* luxury!”

My husband and I stayed at this resort for 7 nights following 10 days touring Malaysia and Borneo. The hotel is in a fabulous setting and offers quite a few activities including yoga, snorkelling, kayaking, guided walks etc. We stayed in a Kinabalu Villa which offered comfortable accommodation inc… more

My husband and I stayed at this resort for 7 nights following 10 days touring Malaysia and Borneo. The hotel is in a fabulous setting and offers quite a few activities including yoga, snorkelling, kayaking, guided walks etc. We stayed in a Kinabalu Villa which offered comfortable accommodation including a large bathroom with stunning sea and mountain views over to Kota Kinabalu. The downside was accessibility to the room, which is via a steep slope and then approximately 70 steep steps to climb. This is not an easy task especially if you had mobility issues. The resort seriously needs to invest in some golf buggies for guests to make their way around the resort should they need. When we left our room in the morning to get breakfast we took all belongings needed for the day with us as we didn’t want to have to tackle the slopes and steps more than absolutely necessary, especially considering the heat and humidity. The hotel has a main restaurant which serves a buffet breakfast, a la carte lunch and buffet dinner. There is a fair selection of food on offer with some live cooking stations. The head chef is a lovely man and makes a point of coming to chat to guests and offers to cook other food options should you not be able to find anything that suits. He cooked my husband and I a beautiful fish dish and a nasi goreng on 2 separate occasions, nothing is too much trouble for him and he clearly takes alot of pride in his work. We ate at The Fisherman’s Cove on our wedding anniversary and had a nice meal although we felt that it was lacking a little atmosphere. They did present us with a celebration cake which was a nice touch. We also spent one evening at the beach BBQ, the food was a bit of a disappointment as it is barbequed food however it is presented buffet style. There was not a huge amount of choice, in fact the food offering in the main restaurant was far superior. We were expecting to choose food items and to be cooked to order on a BBQ. The entertainment provided was quite fun though. The pool bar is small and not really fit for purpose. It is the only bar area within the resort therefore is often busy and was mainly understaffed therefore there were long waits for food/drinks. There is certainly a need for an additional space for guests to go for drinks either before or after dinner. The resort itself is nice but it is certainly showing signs of wear and tear in places,especially the pool with missing tiles and cracks appearing. Also the furniture in the restaurants and pool area are poor quality and not particularly comfortable. We enjoyed our stay and the staff are all lovely however there is clearly a lack of staff especially in the restaurants and pool area. We did visit the private beach, reached by speedboat, it’s a small beach, very peaceful and a lovely area to bathe in the sea. In our opinion this resort does not warrant a luxury 5 star rating however a few tweaks could improve it alot. Also beware of the monkeys, we experienced 2 occasions where they became very aggressive with hotel guests!

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