Gaya Island Resort

Within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park off the coast of Kota Kinabalu in Borneo, Gaya Island Resort rests along the coast of Malohom Bay, a natural sanctuary nestled in the hillside of an ancient rainforest with a stunning outline of Mount Kinabalu on the horizon. Accessible only by boat, where all that nature has created, from sheltered coral reefs to protected mangroves, over thousands of years has been preserved by those devoted to its care.

Accommodations: With 120 villas, each villa features a spacious bedroom, a safe box, a television with satellite channels, a large open bathroom with an oversized bathtub and an outdoor verandah with day beds. There is also a luxurious two-bedroom suite with ocean views and an outdoor deck. Villa interiors are designed with a contemporary elegance and offer a variety of views including mangrove, canopy, tropical rainforest and the South China Sea.

Facilities: 3 restaurants, lounge and pool bar, swimming pool, library, shop, spa, jungle trails, house reef, snorkelling, diving, additional private beach (5 mins by speedboat), resort activity programmes and cultural excursions.

Pangkor Laut Resort 

Situated on the delightfully private island of Pangkor Laut, which lies in splendid isolation three miles off the west coast of Malaysia, Pangkor Laut Resort offers peace and tranquillity with idyllic white sands and untouched coves. Although the island encompasses a total of 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed to house the resort and the awardwinning Spa Village; leaving the rest of the island’s ancient rainforest, rocky outcrops and white sandy beaches largely untouched.

Accommodation: There are 140 Malaysian-style traditional villas and suites at Pangkor Laut Resort. Every villa and suite is elegantly designed and furnished, yet complements and blends with the surrounding natural environment whether set on stilts over the water, surrounded by tropical gardens or high in the hillside amidst the luxuriant rainforest. As the island is only accessible to the guests of the resort, it makes the perfect private holiday getaway.

Facilities: The resort offers many fine dining opportunities with several different restaurants and bars, a wide range of facilities and activities from exotic Spa treatments to guided walks through the ancient rainforest, and has been widely praised for its attentive and gracious service. The resort’s Emerald Bay has also often been cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.