Gaya Island Resort

Spent 7 nights at the Gaya Island resort staying in a canopy villa. Our stay included breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a 1 hour unlimited cocktails at the pool bar. The transport to the island was effortless and the room was superb. The staff throughout the resort were excellent, in particular at the restaurant and pool bar. Nothing was too much trouble and they could not do enough to make your stay enjoyable. The food was excellent, in particular the cook stations where they were very happy to cook to order. The tuna flambe was superb. The Head Chef walked around regularly to make sure everyone was happy. A very memorable stay and highly recommended. Thank you to all the staff who were amazing.

Gaya Tripadvisor Gaya Island Resort is in a beautiful setting with a range of beaches to enjoy and swim from, so long as there are no Box jellyfish around. The views of Mt Kinabalu are excellent. There is a range of activities available, mostly at high extra cost but a few free. The activities are posted on a chalk board in reception late each afternoon. It is important to understand that once on site you are their captive, the only food available is from one of their relatively expensive restaurants, even the bar food, indeed almost all (Omakase excepted) comes from only the Feast restaurant. There is no option for a light snack or candy. There is no shop where you can pick up anything from a souvenir keyring/mug, swimming trunks or a candy bar! The resort is a 15 minute boat ride from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal in Kota Kinabalu. You start your check in at an office on Jesselton Pier before boarding the boat. You will need your passport to check in. Your luggage will be transferred from the pier to your room for you. On arrival at the resort you may have to wait a while for your room key but you will then be walked to your room and given a guided tour. One interesting point is that hot water is only available if you have the air conditioning on, but the AC has only two settings arctic and very cold. There is a sign in the room saying “If you would like to use hot water but do not wish to turn on the AC, kindly inform reception”. However when you approach reception they say there is no alternative!! Even when a maintenance person comes they still shrug and say it can’t be done. If the AC had a wider range of settings it might be OK but otherwise it’s a difficult choice. The nearest beach away from the main resort is Tavajun Bay for which there are occasional free ferries. When we were there the only food available at Tavajun had to be ordered first thing in the morning from The Feast and was then ferried out to the beach at lunch time. This could be fine for a cold meal but risky for hot food. We asked about going on the regular scheduled ferries back to Jesselton Point to do sightseeing or some shopping, returning on a later regular scheduled ferry but we were initially told it was not allowed and on pressing were told it was RM170. I’m not sure if we were in the down season (is there such a thing that close to the equator?) but many of the activities on the website were never mentioned. So in summary, beautiful place, very relaxing but with many drawbacks and issues. Be clear what you expect before you book.

After spending 4 days at Sukau Rainforest Lodge which was amazing, lots of walking, river boat cruises searching for wildlife and exploring to find the big Five in Borneo (Pygmy elephants, Orangutang, Proboscis monkeys, Crocodile and Hornbills) with Borneo Eco Tours who I would highly recommend, Gaya Island was the place to rest, relax and rejuvenate. We snorkelled every day directly in front of resort, and relaxed on one of the many beach recliners on the beach or by the pool or rested in one of the gazebos soaking up the view of the bay. Cocktails every afternoon at the pool bar and enjoying a wonderful selection of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The villa we stayed in was lovely, with king size bed, air conditioning and a beautiful view over the resort from the balcony. As it was our wedding anniversary, we had a special dinner in a private gazebo in Fisherman's Cove, seven delicious courses all served in a magical evening setting. All of the staff were beautiful and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. From massages to monkeys (who were quite naughty at times), interesingt talks about turtle rehabilitation and marine conservation, to snorkelling and seeing an array of beautiful marine life, Gaya Island is a place which can offer many different experiences. All the staff were delightful and Chef Dolis went over an above to ensure all the guests were accommodated for and on our last night cooked us a special dinner of chilli crab and black peppercorn prawns. We stayed 9nights and each and every day and night was wonderful. How we will go back to reality after being in such a beautiful tranquil place is going to be hard. Thank you to all the staff and management of Gaya island Resort who were part of making our holiday, so memorable, relaxing and special.

Safwan was very knowledgeable and guided us through the coral snorkelling experience. Despite it being our first snorkelling experience, he made us feel safe during the experience, found some good spots and took lots of photos for us - great experience overall and would come back!

We had a lovely time there. The settings are beautiful. Because of the season we always had sun loungers available. The staff is honestly really nice and offering very good service. The Chef at the feast village is always asking you if you would like something special cooked. The buffet is always varied and good quality. We had a couple of issues but we communicated directly with the staff and these were solved straight away. The room is big and bed is very comfortable. You have everything you need. If you want to scuba dive I would recommend booking in advance. We went to the Tavajun Bay for the day. It was a good distraction. We would come again if we had the opportunity.

My first time on a solo trip to Asia. I went with Audley Travel who I couldn't recommend enough. I did a four center holiday with Gaya Island resort being my second destination. From start to finish I was in awe. The setting, the chalet's, the staff, the food. The whole resort. As a solo I was a bit apprehensive in case it was couples central and I felt a bit out of place. It was fine, the activities were amazing. Make sure you book all your activities and restaurants when you get there to avoid disappointment. I booked the paid snorkeling trip (a small fee) which was excellent. The spa is also divine, such a relaxing place. Travelled over to see the conservation happening on the other island. It was a privilege to see sea turtles so close up. They are doing amazing work to help rehabilitate sick marine life. All in all it was a once in a lifetime experience. I would definitely recommend.

We stayed at Gaya Island Resort as Hilton members and appreciated the upgrade to a sea-facing Kinabalu Villa. However, our overall experience was mixed. The main disappointment was the lack of attentiveness and recognition, even though we had informed the resort several times that our stay was for a special celebration. There was no greeting or acknowledgement during check-in, and we eventually had to request for just one candle at dinner ourselves. Secondly, communication and information sharing need much improvement. We were not informed pre-trip that dinner at the restaurant would be a buffet and that à la carte options were not available. We also received wrong directions for the marine talk — if we hadn’t run into the marine biologist by chance, we would have gone to the wrong venue and missed the session entirely. The rooms, while spacious and comfortable, are showing signs of age and could benefit from refurbishment. On a positive note, we enjoyed the conservation talks at both the Marine and Wildlife Centres. The staff there were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work — we learned a lot about their sustainability efforts. The Watersports Centre team was also friendly and helpful, especially during our kayaking session. Overall, Gaya Island Resort has a beautiful natural setting and some great staff in certain areas, but service consistency, communication, and attention to detail need improvement to meet the level of experience expected at this price point.

After a full-on trip around Borneo taking in the wildlife and culture, it was lovely to finish our travels at Gaya Island Resort and relax! Or so I thought!! Every day my wife and I went snorkelling led by a highly professional and knowledgeable team. Our sea adventures were enhanced by our guides, Rosman and Safwan - in particular we appreciated the set of pictures Safwan sent to us so we could identify all the fish we sighted - and there were lots of them!!’ We would also like to mention Scott, the marine biologist who labours so hard to nurse injured and damaged turtles whilst at the same time working to conserve the coral in the area! ALL the Staff we met at the resort were so welcoming and friendly and showed Malaysia in the best possible light! Lovely people and we are very grateful for everything that was done to make our visit so enjoyable and memorable! Best wishes and thanks!! Jamie and Shiona

A Great representative with exceptional hospitality and care from Safwan at Gaya Island Resort Watersports Centre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had a wonderful experience with Gaya Watersports Centre, especially thanks to Safwan, who was an exceptional host. His attention to safety and care during both kayaking and snorkelling was outstanding. Our kayak journey through the mangroves was magical, even in the rain — made all the more special by Safwan’s informative and friendly guidance. We snorkelled twice and saw an array of beautiful tropical fish and even a stingray! Safwan checked on me regularly to ensure I was comfortable and captured some amazing underwater photos with his freediving skills. A truly memorable and enjoyable experience with a very personable and professional guide. Highly recommended! #thetravellingcouturier #janetcourtneydesign2025

The staff and team made our stay very pleasant and enjoyable particularly the watersports team, Safwan and crew who went out of their way to ensure we had a great team. The chef in the village feast was sensational providing great food and he also prepared a special fish dish for us.