Gaya Island Resort

What a fabulous time we had with an itinerary packed to celebrate the Harvest Festival during this special time of the year. We absolutely love the trip to the KDCA cultural village, cooking class, BBQ dinner with cultural performances, snorkeling, sun bathing, crystal clear water and so much more! The highlight for us was the astonishing Mount Kinabalu view amidst the beautiful sunset colours with different shades; viewed from our room. Such a breathtaking sight! We also saw a beautiful rainbow while sipping cocktail at the beach. Next comes the company of new found friends and enjoying our 'Lunkus' toast at the beach. Finally, it's the warm, friendly and sincere hospitality we received from everyone working there. A BIG THANK YOU for being a part of the enjoyment of our stay there. Thanks Joana for being a wonderful host! See you next time!

Amazing snorkelling trip by speedboat to coral island with Safwan@ONE. He’s supposed to be an expert at finding black tip reef sharks and he more than deliverd… I saw three very close up and many other beautiful fish and coral. Highly recommended!

We read with interest some of the less than glowing reviews of Gaya Island Resort and, noting they were very much in the minority, went ahead with our booking through Audley Travel. Wow! We were not disappointed and found this resort to be everything we wanted it to be. From arrival to departure, every member of staff, no matter the role, was superb; polite, friendly, helpful, informative and eager to assist. Nothing was too much, if any, trouble for them. The hotel is beautifully located and designed, mixing modern with tradition whilst the rooms have a very Japanese/SE Asian feel due to the sliding doors. Immaculately clean throughout. All 3 restaurants were excellent with a wide variety of food in the main buffet restaurant, Feast Village. We found Feast Village not very busy - certainly not the mad scrum often associated with buffet restaurants of a lesser quality. It had a calm, classy and quiet feel with plenty of seating options, ample space and superb food. The head chef deserves a special mention. He walked the dining room every night, engaging with diners and was always happy to provide something not on the menu. In every way, Gayá Island Resort is a luxury establishment and thoroughly deserves 5 stars. We plan on returning.

The moment you stepped of the boat warm friendly staff were there to greet you with a wide smile and a very welcome cold drink. My room was 715 which overlooked all the foliage and the sounds of birds and other wildlife. Room was spotlessly clean with all the amenities kettle teabags etc. The food in the main restaurant was excellent which included breakfast, lunch and evening meal. I was only there for five days which was meant for a relaxing break after treks in jungle and Kuala Lumper so it was a welcome chill out time. Plenty to do if you wished including lots of beach activities. I went on the complimentary boat trip to their private island ( 15mins) which was lovely and quiet. Although getting on and off the boat was a tricky for anyone with mobility issues. On the main resort were signs which said beware of the monkeys, I only saw two on my last day they did look slightly scary, but this their home give them some space. Overall a very enjoyable stay and would throughly recommend

Amazing snorkelling experience with One who made sure everyone got to see some amazing fish, sharks, and sea creatures. He helped calm me down even in deep open water and it was amazing to get so close to the reef sharks with his expert guidance. Highly recommend the snorkelling trip as part of the Gaya Island stay.

The hotel was clean and in a peaceful picturesque location. The staff couldn't be nicer, they couldn't do enough for you. We did the snorkel trip with Safwan. What a lovely young man he is. He was patient with some of the other snorkellers and great with us, going out of his way to spot some lovely marine life. He was courteous, knowledgeable and well mannered making our trip a really worthwhile experience. Thankyou Safwan

From the minute you are met by the friendly and helpful staff at the office at the Jetty, until the staff wave until you are out of sight when leaving, the service Is exceptional and always with a smile. The views are spectacular. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable. Bathrooms are open to the main room, with the shower and toilet each having a glazed cubicle. There is an enormous bath tub - which we had trouble getting hot water to - though I am sure of we had have phoned reception there would have been help at hand. Food was reasonably priced for an island resort and was fresh and tasty. The private beach was lovely - sad to see the washed up litter (which the staff cleared). The water was clear and warm (sadly so, given the coral bleaching risk). We did the mangrove kayaking which was well worthwhile. The coral at the coral garden snorkeling paid trip is not spectacular, but the fish are. For snorkeling you are as well to borrow gear from the water sport centre and see the coral and fish each side of the jetty. Overall a 10/10 experience!

We were a group of nature lovers who were using this as a three night stay to get used to the temperature and time change upon arrival in Borneo. Loved the grounds and snorkeling right from the beach. Fantastic nature center staffed by several biologists. The food options were a bit pricey but we were expecting that. The grounds were very birdy and we found two Borean Pit Vipers. The mangrove tour was fantastic. Room is very good quality for the price.

We stayed for a week at GIR in March and really enjoyed the resort. The service from the staff was excellent as a whole as was the food. The Malaysian and Chinese options at breakfast and dinner in the buffet were really good, we didn’t have any of the Western options as there was no need. We got a private dining by luck at the Teppanyaki which was a really special experience, as it’s a fixed menu some dishes we would not choose but still left really happy, the fish restaurant felt a lot more international in its menu choices which was a real shame. Having normally done all-inclusive holidays, the pricing policies at GIR really hit us. We were surprised that a nature walk with a full time member of staff is a chargeable extra, as were watersports just off the beach. Drinks are massively overpriced at Rm30-35 for a can of beer and Rm35-40 for a glass of wine, then an additional 10% service charge, then the 8% Government tax! Happy hour does reduce this by 50% for 2 two hour sessions. We were on full board but noticed the buffet was RM 140 per person, plus the service charge and tax so over a stay, it really can add up so factor this in. We would go back but probably for only 3 or 4 nights max.

My husband and I stayed here for a week.There are so many good things to say and a very small number of not so good. The arrival to the office on the Quay before transfer is a little underwhelming and understated of what is to come, everything is dealt with efficiently however and there are shops and a mall to visit if you have to wait for your transfer. There is 7-11 just over the road! Stock up on snacks as there are none available on the island. On arrival to the island we were greeted by Chelsea and given a lovely introduction and shown to our beautiful room. Everywhere was immaculate and well designed. The rooms are spacious and well equipped. The only slight irritation is the light and A/C controls are under a wooden flap ledge by the bed where I wanted to put my water and phone. We had arrived at night so in the morning we awoke to amazing sunshine and incredible jungle views, so gorgeous. Breakfast is plentiful and includes everything you could wish for. The hash browns are spectacular! The head chef, Chef Doli, is an amazing person. We are vegetarians and every single night he cooked me and my husband a special dish to make sure we were catered for. He went above and beyond for everyone to ensure they were happy with their food. I have never known such an experience, he is a legend! Thanks again to him and his team. OUTSTANDING! The house reef is accessible and so many fish. We spent many hours enjoying the sea and the reef. You can also pay to go a nearby island by boat on the Coral Garden trip. Sadly, alot of this reef is dead due to bleaching but there are still fish and we had a brief glimpse of a turtle, a fellow snorkeller saw some small reef shark. Again, the crew who guided us were brilliant and informative, they took us around the reef for over an hour and we saw some interesting purple anenome. We went on the nature walk through the jungle, as the guide Ruth said, it wasn't easy and it wasn't hard! I am 57 and a bit overweight, I managed ok but some steps are high and the uphills are steep in places. I coped fine but wouldn't have wanted it any harder. Being in the jungle was fascinating and Ruth managed to spot a few lizards and a pit viper in a tree that we wouldn't have seen. My husband went on another walk that was longer and enjoyed it. Around the resort we saw long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, including one that swam by in the sea couple of times! A pied hornbill, some beautiful butterflies and gorgeous flowers all around the grounds. The alcohol is expensive, £5.50 for a small can of lager or a glass of wine but there are happy hours, the food is reasonable, especially as the buffet only charges half price for vegetarians. The nearby private beach, Tavajun bay was very windy on the day we went and there was alot of washed up plastic debris. The staff did start to clear this at around mid day but there was a large area at the far end of the beach that looked like it hadn't been cleared for a while. We had a great talk from Dhiv at the marine conservation area that is there however. Sadly, the friendly pigs that are mentioned on the website are no longer around so disregard that info. All in all, this resort is actual paradise, so relaxing, friendly staff and very laid back. I highly recommend.