Great stay”

My wife and I stayed at Gayana for 3 nights as part of our honeymoon. We had a great time and the resort was the highlight of the trip. In reading some of the reviews I was worried there would not be much to do, however, we found that we couldnt fit in all the possible things on the list (diving, kayaking, jungle walk, snorkelling, visit the marine ecology centre, visit the sister resort Bunga Raya - which has motorised water sports and a large sandy beach, spa treatments, sitting by the pool etc). I would note that while there are lost of activities this resort is not suited to children. The staff were friendly and would go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. For example, as my wife doesnt scuba dive the dive crew arranged a morning of diving for me within close proximity of Sapi island so that she could sunbake and snorkel and I could meet her in my rest times. I would definately recommend a day trip/dinner to the sister resort Bunga Raya. The staff organised a boat for us to go out at 3pm for an afternoon on the beach and a dinner at the restaurant. They then picked us up at 9:30pm after dinner. For dinner we were the only guests so the staff at Bunga Raya went to great effort to set up a romantic dinner in a gazebo on the beach - the whole experience was great. In terms of your room selection at Gayana, I would recommend either the Ocean View (most expensive) or the Jungle view (cheapest). We stayed in the Mangrove view room (second most expensive) because we thought that the direct ocean access would be a novely but didnt want to pay top dollar for the most expensive room. This was our only regret as: - the Mangrove view room looks towards the staff quarters; - the water outside the mangrove view room is only waist height with rocks underfoot so its not very inviting to swim in; and - the balcony gets the full brunt of the afternoon sun so you are unlikely to use it. As such I would either go all out and get the ocean view room as th

Huge room, helpful staff”

nestling on the north shores of borneo and set in the crystal clear waters of the south china sea, the gayana eco resort is a fabulous luxury stilted resort. located just 20 minutes from kota kinabalu, yet a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the resort is also an important marine research centre. malohom bay, the setting of the resort, is well protected from adverse sea conditions so it is perfect for diving and snorkelling at the nearby reef.

Stay made perfect with access to both hotels”

I'll start off by saying the staff at Gayana is amazing. They go above and beyond to be genuinely friendly and attentive. We especially loved Eduardo at the restaurant near the pool. The resort is lovely - we had a lagoon view room and we loved our spacious room and balcony (even had dinner delivered one night so we could enjoy it). The resort is small so we were happy to find out that we could take the complimentary boat (about 10 min) to the sister resort . We really wanted a nice big beach and to use our snorkeling equipment, so we headed there on our second day, and wow did we absolutely love it. The water is crystal clear, the setup of the hotel is fantastic, it was quiet without being too dead, the pool was great, and there was a fitness center that we used as well. Again, great staff. We really enjoyed going between the two resorts - Gayana was slightly more affordable for us (lagoon room)and we loved our above water accommodations... but we really enjoyed loved our full days at sister resort. Truthfully, had we never gone there, we may have been a bit underwhelmed and even a bit bored. We spent three nights on Gaya and that was just the right amount. My one complaint - the prices of the food and especially the drinks. We live in Hong Kong and are very used to inflated prices, but was disappointed to find that wine was at best, $13 USD per glass and a salad was $17. It definitely did put a limit on how much we consumed and we were really thankful that we brought a bottle of wine with us. I suppose the prices were on par with what we experienced back in KK but with only a couple restaurants to choose from and the high prices, it was a bit different than what we've encountered on other trips (wining and dining to the max in places like Thailand and the Philippines!) Overall though, our stay was fantastic and wish we were back there now!

Paradisiac Stay”

Extremely nice hotel with the best view, and amenities, and accommodations. The staff is also very very friendly and helpful. You can ask to take a complimentary boat ride to the other resort BUNGA RAYA that has a wonderful beach (careful of the sand flies in the sand). Gayana Marine Resort CACAC restaurant is excellent! I warmly recommend

Beautiful resort and excellent service”

We have a right decision to stay in Gayana for Christmas. There were free flow of drinks including alcohol, snacks which was superb and entertainment by a group of carols and a band. The staff were friendly and try by all means to make your stay a memorable one. The rooms are large and clean and have good views. The food is the restaurant is really good and not very expensive. The only downside is the poor frequency of transport from the mainland (KK city) to the resort on Gaya Island. There are only 3 ferry per day which may not work with your flight time. I have also booked a diving lesson which was on the other side of the island and had to pay RM250 for a drop & pick up which was only 15 mins each way.

Water living”

Gayana is a piece of heaven just a 20 minute boat ride away from KK. All villas are built on stilts over water in a bay. We were upgraded to an ocean villa which has the advantage of giving you direct access to the water through the balcony. Upon arrival we were greeted by the staff and even the Manager came to welcome us. Even with a red tide and monsoon season afternoon downpours, we had a lot of fun diving, snorkeling and kayaking. We even planted a coral at the adjacent marine research centre! More activities are available at the twin resort of Bunga Raya, which you can reach by free boat ride arranged by the front desk. On the down side, wifi is almost non existent anywhere in the complex, unless you pay for overpriced premium connection. The food offer is limited to 2 restaurants, both good but extremely overpriced, taking advantage of the fact that you are in an isolated complex and need to take a boat to go anywhere else. The spa ambience could also be improved.

Fantastic Getaway”

decided to do an overnight trip to gayana whilst staying in kota kinabalu & had a great time. many reviews complained of price, & whilst it is pricey, you get a very unique & quality stay in a very well run hotel. had a waterfront bungalow , breakfast delivered by water & found the room very comfortable. infinity pool & bar were amazing & prices were reasonable for this kind of hotel, restaurant food was quality & also reasonable price. for an active traveller like me, a maximum of 2 nights would suffice, longer for anyone wanting some real r&r.

Peace and quiet at a boutique hotel”

A lovely hotel on Gaya Island. Fabulous swimming pool with views over to the mainland. Kayaking good fun. Must visit their sister hotel on the island - Bunga Raya - which is truly beautiful with a good beach to relax on (Gayana no real beach but this again depends on time of year and sea tides). A few walks to be done on the island so bring good shoes too!

Great Getaway”

We were well looked after by well-trained friendly staff, from start to end. The island is exclusive only for resort guests (non-guests have to purchase tour package), and we didn't miss the usual jam packed touristy atmosphere. Marine Centre is tucked away at the other of the resort, nice setup, got a good insight into the local marine life and ongoing conservation efforts. Free wi-fi at public areas, but non-existent in our rooms. Complained, but nothing they could do about it. Wasn't a big issue for us, but some may think this is inaccurate advertising. Be prepared for expensive dining at the 2 restaurants. No beach access, sadly, but one could catch a boat to Bunga Raya (sister resort), free for resort guests. Overall, we were very satisfied. We would definitely consider staying here again.

5 days in Gayana”

The resort is nicely built on stilts over water. Boat ride to and fro KK takes about 30min each way. Two restaurants available at the resort. Guest can go over and utilize the facilities at sister resort BungaRaya (better and cleaner beach and sea). Can snorkel around Gayana but largely the corals are dead or limited. Gayana offers a dive center and if one needs to, head off to Sepanggar Island for boat dive. Gayana offers daily scheduled boat rides to and fro KK that’s FOC. Guest can hop on it for lunch or walkabout in KK as well. And beware of monkeys. Never leave any doors and windows open/ajar. Don’t leave any food around unattended outside on the balcony or else it’s good as gone.

Gayana delivered”

Our 3 nights at Gayana Eco Resort were all , if not more than, we hoped for. Right from the start, the friendly staff made an impression and helped in every way possible. The view that greeted us from the transfer boat was very enticing and knowing we'd be snorkelling off our own deck the next morning had us very happy to have chosen Gayana. We can highly recommend this venue, especially the Ocean view rooms. Thank you again to all who made our stay at Gayana so memorable.

Exceptional”

The reception are exceptional. Once our boat arrives, we are warmly welcome by the resort staffs and managers. Their rooms are set above the crystal clear sea waters, elegant decor and really comfortable. Rooms on the outside have balcony access to the sea. What I 💖 most is their ecology conversation initiatives. Their breakfast is ala carte style, no buffet = less food wastage. This is the first resort/ hotel i visit that keep their salads, yogurts and cut fruits in small standing refrigerator which helps to keep them sanitary and fresh. Rooms comes with water bottles for guests to refill water, fill takeaway drinks and also bring home to use so they don’t provide plastic bottles of water there too. They run a Marine Ecology Research Center in the resort where they work to propagate endangered giant clams, nursing and planting corals in the waters around them. Apart from ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ treatment, guests also get enriched during their stay. 🤩

Lovely and luxurious hotel”

We had a lovely 2 nights at the Gayana Eco Resort, which was very welcome as we had just climbed Mount Kinabalu and had to recover from our muscle aches. Only downpoint are that you need to have breakfast/lunch/dinner at the resort, as it is very secluded (which is also a good thing). Another point would be that I would expect an 'eco resort' to put more effort in keeping the water around the resort clean. Very often you could see foodwarps and cans floating around the cabins...

Relaxing weekend gateway”

We booked the room the day before we depart, our names did not appear in their list, but mr Santos was very nice and patient to check through, and put us in their list. Unfortunately he was the only one that works there, and taking care the check-in for 2 resorts (Gayana Eco and Bunga Raya resort),we waited 15 mins before get onto the boat. Service was great, there's bell boys to take care our luggage, and sent to our room after check in. After 10mins boat ride, we reached the island, view was amazing! Hut on the sea! just like Maldives! we reached the island around 1:15pm, but the room only be ready by 2pm, so we sit in the Chinese restaurant for our free welcoming drink (taste really good!) and lunch. I booked the rainforest room, as i do not have any idea the difference between rainforest and ocean view, thought it might just be a term. Well, literally our balcony is facing the forest, while the opposite rooms are facing the sea, means, coming out from the balcony, can straight away jump into the sea. So we called to reception, wanted to top up and change to the ocean view room. He said he will get back to me, but waited for 10 mins, I called again, he said his colleague will call me in 10 mins, and waited again for 20 mins.. we gave up, and just keep this room. Overall was alright, food were over-priced i think. And limited of food selection. Not satisfied with the check out procedures, hotel did not inform well what time to check out. We called and they said it's 11am, and we must leave our room by 11:30am. We missed the first boat which leave on 11am, so we have to wait for 1pm boat. It means both of us sitted at the quay from 11:30am-1pm. But we seen other guests checked out later than us. We are upset with this. The resort got nothing, but just Spa and restaurant. No gym facilities, while their sister resort - Bunga Raya resort, even offer free Pilates class. With the same price, i will rather stay in the other resort, than this.

Paradise!!! No more words needed! ”

We chose Gayana Eco Resort for our honeymoon stay. The resort is a beauty located in a secluded area far from the city and noise. Surrounded by forests and the ocean, the view is breathtaking. Room is so clean and comfortable with huge bed and an extra sofa bed. It was tidied up daily. We thought that food provided by the Resort's restaurants were 5 out of 5 (I had the best spaghetti in my life!!! surprisingly!). The food is not that expensive considering the quality and taste. Free welcome drink at the bar and free kayaking and snorkeling services are something we really appreciated. We didn't find our stay at all boring, but quite serene, beautiful, comfortable, and we will remember our stay forever memorable. Boats and check-in service from Jesselton Point were easy and conveniently arranged. We hope to visit here once again!

Great relaxing hotel, ”

We stayed for 5 nights in a jungle view room. It was very nice, and comfortable bed. We found the jungle view entertaining to watch the monkeys, but if you've got the money and want the ultimate relaxation, then a water view would be better. Perhaps the best thing about this resort is the lack of things to do. The snorkeling just in and around the resort is fantastic, with love coral, you never know what your going to see. The wildlife is pretty amazing as well, but i'll leave that to see for yourself. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable. You can take a boat over to the sister resort the bunga raya and use there facilities. This is a much more secluded resort, tucked away on the other side of the island. You can also take their boat back to jesselton wharf at Kota Kinabulu it's only 10 minutes away. I'd highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for some relaxation and luxury, it was perfect for us after our safari in Borneo.

relaxing resort!”

Gayana is really a nice place for relax! The staffs there are really helpful and nice! Thanks for their assistance for my proposal to my fiancée. The location and the facilities allow us to relax and enjoy the stay. Mangrove kayaking and snorkeling are another new experiences for us. Staying in Gayana is the best part of our trip in Kota Kinabalu.

Excellent”

We stayed in Gayana Eco Resort, Palm Villa for our honeymoon. The room was huge with a sea view. The entire resort and sea are clean. Upon checking in, our request to have the room decorated was met and it was beautiful. The food from Macac Restaurant were delicious and our breakfast was delivered by boat. The staffs were friendly throughout our stay. It is highly recommended for couples that wish to have some time alone. They provide snorkelling and kayaking as well. Thank you Gayana Resort for the lovely stay! :)

Exceptional”

We love this resort. It’s exclusive and beautiful. Staff are hardworking and helpful. We commend for their extra effort, attentive and good service, Mr. Eduardo and Mr. Terry of Macaq Restaurant. Ms. Yaneesa of front desk for great help and customer service. Keep up the good work 👍 and Thank you all🙏 Thanks to their Resort Manager Mr. Karl Sims for being accommodating and friendly. Highly recommended Gayana❤️ Will definitely be back again.

Definitely must stay”

I can’t describe how much i loved this place. We stayed in ocean view room which was best in my entire journey in Kota Kinabalu. The veiw from the balcony was astonishing. You can directly jump into the sea from the balcony. You can borrow snorkeling tools and kayak at the reception for free. Also hotel offered free boat service from Jesselton point to the hotel at fixed time. I would definitely come and stay here again!!! Hope this place doesn’t become so famous that i can easily book. :)