Guide No. 18 · Stay 1 of 4
Stay · Pulau Gaya
Gaya Island Resort
Pick · No. 1 of 4 on Pulau Gaya
On Malohom Bay, inside Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, 10 minutes by resort boat from Kota Kinabalu.
Position
- Tier
- PickNo. 1 of 4
- Beach
- Malohom BayMalohom Bay, inside the park
- Open
- Ask the resortNo closure dates published
- Boat
- About 10 minResort boat, MYR160 return + fuel
Verdict
Gaya Island Resort sits on Malohom Bay, inside Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, about 10 minutes by its own speedboat from Kota Kinabalu. It is a member of SLH and the most reviewed stay in the park on Trip.com.
It has 120 villas and a two-bedroom suite. Its Marine Centre at Tavajun Bay rescues turtles and is open to guests daily from 10:30 to 17:00, and the resort books dives through Borneo Dream. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00; Wi-Fi is free, the full stay is charged to a card at booking, and Trip.com lists a MYR800 deposit per room. Trip.com guests rate it 8.6 from 229 reviews.
The catch is what you pay on top of the room. The return boat is MYR160 per adult plus MYR10 fuel each way, and only the resort’s own boats may land there; a private boat is MYR500 one way (MYR700 at night) plus MYR100 fuel. Every guest also pays the resort’s conservation fee, MYR35 the first night and MYR25 each night after. Trip.com guests repeatedly ask for lower, clearer fees, and 2026 reviews mention the boat fare and costly dinners. The resort publishes no closure dates; confirm yours before booking.
Good for
Couples and families who want a quiet bay, a marine centre and a short crossing from Kota Kinabalu.
Not for
Tight budgets: the boat, the conservation fee and meals add a lot to every stay.
Particulars
- Type
- Resort
- Rooms
- 120 villas and a two-bedroom suite
- Board
- Room only or with breakfast
- Transfer
- Resort speedboat from the Gaya Lounge, South Jetty, KK Port, about 10 min; 12:00 to 21:00
- Season
- No closure dates published; confirm with the resort
- Check-in
- 15:00Check-out 11:00
- Website
- gayaislandresort.com
Getting there
Check in at the Gaya Lounge at South Jetty, KK Port, and take the resort speedboat, about 10 minutes. Boats leave for the resort at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 21:00; confirm return times with the resort, as its two pages list different ones. All routes to Pulau Gaya.
Other stays on Gaya
| No. | Stay | Tier | Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sutera Sanctuary at Manukan Island | Pick | Manukan |
| 3 | Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa | Good | Polish Bay |
| 4 | Gayana Marine Resort | Listed | Malohom Bay |