Guide No. 18 · Stay 2 of 4
Stay · Pulau Gaya
Sutera Sanctuary at Manukan Island
Pick · No. 2 of 4 on Pulau Gaya
On Pulau Manukan, the park's most developed island, 15 minutes by boat from Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu.
Position
- Tier
- PickNo. 2 of 4
- Beach
- ManukanPulau Manukan, inside the park
- Open
- All yearRougher seas Nov–Feb
- Boat
- About 15 minFrom Sutera Harbour; book with the room
Verdict
Sutera Sanctuary at Manukan Island, also known as Manukan Island Resort, is the only place to stay on Pulau Manukan, the second largest island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and home to the park’s administration centre. Sutera Sanctuary Lodges runs it.
There are 29 units: two- and three-bedroom Manukan Villas, Hillside Villas and a beachfront suite. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 12:00. Trip.com guests rate it 9.1 from 218 reviews, the highest of the four stays in this guide.
The catch is the day crowd and the basics. Public boats bring day-trippers to Manukan’s beach and jetty until the last boat back at 4 pm. A guest in October 2026 reported no Wi-Fi in the rooms and daily power cuts of about an hour. There is one restaurant, with a limited and pricey menu, and guests mention sandflies.
Good for
Families and couples who want a villa on a park island and a short crossing from Kota Kinabalu.
Not for
Anyone who needs Wi-Fi in the room, a choice of restaurants or a quiet beach in the daytime.
Particulars
- Type
- Resort
- Rooms
- 29 villas and suites
- Board
- Room with breakfast, or with the return boat
- Transfer
- Boat from Sutera Harbour Marina, about 15 min; book it with the room
- Season
- Open all year; rougher seas Nov–Feb
- Check-in
- 15:00Check-out 12:00
Getting there
The boat leaves from Sutera Harbour Marina, about 10 minutes from Kota Kinabalu airport, and takes about 15 minutes. It does not use the public South Jetty; book it with the room. All routes to Pulau Gaya.
Other stays on Gaya
| No. | Stay | Tier | Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaya Island Resort | Pick | Malohom Bay |
| 3 | Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa | Good | Polish Bay |
| 4 | Gayana Marine Resort | Listed | Malohom Bay |