Gayana Marine Resort

Gayana Marine Resort on Gaya Island, near Kota Kinabalu, is a hidden treasure. Nestled in a stunning location, the guest lodges and villas are directly on the water, adding charm and a sense of uniqueness with the sea just outside your door. Resort manager Karl looks after his staff and guarantees top-quality service, ensuring every detail of your holiday is covered. Upon arrival, we received a warm greeting from the receptionist, Lidya, and the duty manager, Ahnaf. They were very helpful, making our check-in quick and smoothly transferring our bags to the Villa. Ahnaf also provided an overview of the resort and guided us to our accommodation. The view from the villa was stunning, truly "blowing us away." The villa was well-prepared, spacious, clean, and fully equipped. The glass floor in the living room, offering a view of the sea filled with many fish, was breathtaking. We had no shortage of things to do, spending hours snorkelling around and beneath the resort, discovering a wide variety of marine life. There were so many creatures we hadn’t seen before, including lionfish, moray eels, lobsters, giant sea clams, green turtles, beautiful corals, and much more. You can easily get dizzy from the mix of colours and shapes. If needed, the very friendly activity centre team was always happy to help with renting water sports equipment, such as kayaks, snorkelling gear, paddle boards, and more, all for free. They also offer snorkelling excursions to nearby islands and scuba diving lessons for a reasonable fee. What made our holiday truly special was the delicious food and drinks served at Macac, the resort's restaurant. The wide variety of delicious dishes allowed us to try something new each time we visited for lunch or dinner. The breakfast, delivered to our villa by boat, made us feel like royalty. The highlight was the restaurant team - Eduardo, Kristy, Bronsons, and others - who provided exceptional care. Each time we arrived, they greeted us with beautifully decorated tables and professional service. Their warm smile and kind words left a lasting impression. I could probably keep going and write a book, but since this is just a review, I think it's best to stop here. Thank you, Gayana Resort team, for making our holiday unforgettable!

Great short vacation on a tropical island. We were picked up from Kota Kinabalu harbor, without additional charge, and - in 20 minutes - taken to this exotic resort. The villas are very spacious and the staff is very friendly. We renjoyed the spectacular sea views and the good (and fairly priced) food. In some reviews I saw complaints about the price of the food, but knowing that everything needs to be delivered to this resort it is only logical that the prices are slightly higher than on the mainland.

Gayana Marine Resort is an idyllic place to spend time and relax. Located 20 - 30 mins by boat from Kota Kinabalu on the edge of the National Park, the resort has a range of facilities and amenities: restaurant, day spa, dive tours, guided morning hike, kayaks and snorkelling equipment...or you can just take a dip in the pool, relax, and enjoy the peace and quiet. All the employees at the resort were excellent and very welcoming and went out of their way to ensure we had a wonderful experience. The villas are clean and well appointed, and there was a wide range of delicious and well-presented meals available - and one morning we even had breakfast delivered to our room by boat. The Marine Ecology Research Centre is located at the edge of the resort and we spent a rainy afternoon at the centre learning more about the work they are doing to try and preserve the reef and the giant clams, and to fight the effects of plastics pollution. I would have loved our stay to have been longer!

Great place, great service. Love this place Staff are friendly and attentive, place is spotlessly clean, food is delish

We had so much fun at this resort for our honeymoon trip to Malaysia. Our main issue was that we wish we could stay longer. I was worried about the transfer from the mainland, but it was fine. We took Grab to the brand new ferry terminal, where they have an air conditioned waiting room for the resort guests. Staff assisted us with our bags and got us on the scheduled boat. Overall, we found all the staff to be kind and wonderful. Special thanks to Awang, Lydia, our spectacular server Eduardo, Mr. Karl, to Siti and Christy who even made us a cheat sheet so to learn Malay. The restaurant is great. The marine conservation work is cool. The Palm Villa felt like a very good value to us, water is most beautiful at that end, and I would recommend anyone to stay here Disclaimer: Unfortunately you will see trash in the water. The resort actively works to clean it up and give you the best possible experience. We were able to enjoy swims clear waters.