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Gaya Island Resort

Beach and Island Escapes
Borneo, Malaysia

A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Gaya Island Resort has a beautiful setting, fringed by golden sandy beaches, mangroves and coral reefs. Inland is lush tropical rainforest and in the distance, on a clear day, Mount Kinabalu can be seen.

The accommodation has been designed in a traditional style typical of the state of Sabah and uses local materials in all of the 120 villas.

Why we like Gaya Island Resort

This luxurious retreat has a wonderful island location yet is only a short boat ride from the city of Kota Kinabalu so makes the perfect end to an action-packed trip exploring the mountains, rainforests and wildlife of Sabah.

Facilities

Spa village
40-metre lap pool plus a wading pool for children
Fully equipped gymnasium
A host of dining choices

Activities

There is plenty to explore within the ancient rainforest that surrounds the resort which is home to some amazing wildlife including proboscis monkey, giant red flying squirrels, fireflies as well as wonderful flora. Kayak through the mangroves, embark on a sunset cruise, dive, snorkel or take a cookery class – there are many ways to spend your time during a stay here.

Sustainability

The resort has several conservation programmes in place and it is possible to learn about these at the Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre. They include turtle rescue and rehabilitation and coral reef restoration.

Gaya Island Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Idea

Malaysia

Best of Malaysian Borneo

This two-week holiday to Malaysian Borneo explores the state of Sabah from Danum Valley to Sepilok and Kota Kinabalu, including wildlife encounters, tropical jungles, mountains and idyllic beaches.

14 days from £4,545pp

Young orangutan in soft release programme in Lamandau, Indonesian Borneo, Orangutan Foundation

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Idea

Malaysia

Best of Peninsular Malaysia

Journey from the eclectic skyline of Kuala Lumpur to the jungles of Taman Negara and onto the island of Penang, where east meets west. End your adventure to Malaysia with a stay on the beach either on the tropical island of Langkawi…

14 days from £4,485pp

Elevated Walkway, Taman Negara, Malaysia

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Idea

Indonesia

Beyond Bali

Moving away from Bali to discover more of Indonesia, this 14-day holiday showcases the rainforest wildlife of Borneo followed by Java to explore the temples of Borobudur and Javanese culture.

14 days from £5,075pp

Long tailed Macaques, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

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Need Inspiration?
Browse our Malaysia holiday ideas.

We know a thing or two about bespoke holidays – we’ve been creating them since 1989. Take a trip through the Malaysia holidays that we love today.

Idea

Malaysia

Best of Malaysian Borneo

This two-week holiday to Malaysian Borneo explores the state of Sabah from Danum Valley to Sepilok and Kota Kinabalu, including wildlife encounters, tropical jungles, mountains and idyllic beaches.

14 days from £4,545pp

View Holiday Idea

Idea

Malaysia

Best of Peninsular Malaysia

14 days from £4,485pp

View Holiday Idea

Idea

Indonesia

Beyond Bali

Moving away from Bali to discover more of Indonesia, this 14-day holiday showcases the rainforest wildlife of Borneo followed by Java to explore the temples of Borobudur and Javanese culture.

14 days from £5,075pp

View Holiday Idea

View all holiday ideas

Where to stay

Some of the wonderful places to stay that we frequently recommended.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort £££££

Malaysia
Beach and Island Escapes

Shangri La Rasa Ria Resort sits between forested hills and a beautiful two-mile sandy beach on the shores of the South China Sea. Although large, the resort is spacious and rambling with over 400 rooms which are split over two separate wings. Fabulous facilities range from swimming pools to a spa, 64-acre nature reserve, canopy walkway and kids club.

View Property

Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa £££££

Malaysia
Beach and Island Escapes

Located a short boat ride off the coast of Malaysian Borneo, Bunga Raya Island Resort and Spa is an island hideaway fringed by a white sandy beach on one side and tropical rainforest on the other. The 48 stilted villas are nestled into the hillside and have all been hand-crafted by local tradesmen. Each has a private balcony offering beautiful views of the beach and the South China Sea beyond and eight of the villas have a private plunge pool. A hilltop spa and infinity pool are the cherries on top.

View Property

More luxury accommodation

Start planning your trip

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It really helped that Clare and Amy had personal experience of where they were sending me and could describe the experiences and answer a ton of questions. You guys are fantastic.

Malaysia

Clare was brilliant when I was organising my holiday and understood my brief from the word go. Some of my trip was as a lone traveller and she made sure I was well looked after the whole time - every part of my itinerary worked perfectly and was very well organised. All of the guides were excellent with wonderful local knowledge and lots of ideas to keep the itinerary interesting and flexible.

Malaysia and China

Steppes helped me recover my lost camera from Kuala Lumpur airport. Fantastic service involving lots of extra work on my behalf, not only collecting it but returning it to my home address.

Malaysia

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.

Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?

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