Gayana Marine Resort

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2026

Byeongkwan

Superb

8/10

Excellent

24 Nov 2025

Terence

Staffs are helpful. Great people.

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2025

Nien Hwa

The resort staff services were perfect! From from desk to cleaners to security to waiters etc. were all very good.
The facilities were a bit old. Inhouse Wifi connection was poor. Only 1 restaurant for you throughout your stay. But the food were delicious!
There is no way to walk out of the resort area. Basically you are confined within the resort compound.
The management & staff took very great efforts to preserve and enhance the environment and natural eco system. Well done to the team!!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2025

Michael

The resort was incredible and the staff were amazing. Highly recommend!

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2025

Nicolas

Feels like we found paradise. This was just an amazing experience with the most professional staff and the best food. Worth every penny.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 May 2025

imad

Overpriced

Let's start with the good points: amazing staff (from waiters to manager), nice view and environment. great breakfast.
Now the not so good point: except snorkelling, there is absolutely nothing to do. the facilities are quite limited and you can't explore the island (no beach, no walking way to the island), F&B prices are a way to expensive compare to the mainland, and most annoying, you have to pay the boat everytime you want to stay some time on the mainland (100MYR return per person!!!). with a family of 3 I let you imagine the cost. I think this place is perfect for a 2 night stays so you enjoy a full day on this remote place.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

Andrew

This place is small but beautiful. The pace is slow and relaxing. The staff are so friendly and cannot do enough for you. There are activities to do each day if you want a bit of action and the equipment is all available. The timing of the scheduled activities can be a bit hit and miss but they make them available if you want them. Poolside is very relaxing. The spa treatments are wonderful with Amy but make sure you try and book them in advance. Lovely breakfasts and menu in general. A great place to relax and chill out.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2025

Vivian

Nice and relaxing

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2024

Lydia

A nice place with clear water, good food and good service.
Recommend to stay at least 2 days or above.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Sep 2024

michael james

Old, not 5 star and in need of maintenance

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2024

Nasheita

Great getaway resort away from the hustle and bustle. Perfect for a couple nights stay as may run out of activities within the vicinity if staying longer. Staff were amazing and kind! Thank you to all!!
Property condition is a bit outdated with expected wear and tear but kept clean enough for an enjoyable stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2024

edward

Beautiful island resort. Palm villa was unreal . Amazing in all aspects

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2024

CHRISTINE

Fantastic location and such helpful friendly staff

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2024

Jin woo

The most beautiful room I’ve ever stayed

Its nice/modern interior, beautiful ocean front. It was really amazing and I strongly recommend to choose ocean view room

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2024

Deborah Brand

Trying to be Eco and Luxury but could Better

The best thing about this resort is the service. People are so friendly and bend over backward to ensure that your stay is pleasant. If it werent for that I would rate it maybe a little lower. They really model themselves to be an eco friendly luxury resort to the point of saying if we had plastic on us, that we needed to immediately abandon it at the lobby. And yet in the rooms, there are all those little packages of plastic wrapped toothbrushes, razors, one use disposable plastic items. I do like that they provide water in glass bottles. They also cannot control the amount of plastic floating in from the ocean everyday - we did see them out on the boat picking it up one day. Our fan never worked in the room even though they came and fixed it, it immediately short circuited again. We would not have had to run the AC so much if it worked. We loved the little Marine Center and what they were trying to accomplish. Lastly a luxury resort would have more convenient boat arrival times (maybe 2x in the morning and 2x in the afternoon synching up with the check in and check out times?). Wifi in the rooms would be nice - these days it seems it is an expectation - not a luxury. And sadly there is no fitness center.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2024

Jill

This resort has fantastic staff. Their best asset! The manager ( having met him, not interested in guests) needs to make an effort at cleaning up all the debris in the water. It is an eco resort but there is no evidence that they are doing anything to clean the water. It is a Malaysian issue but the resort needs to make an effort. I would not snorkel in the sea of waste!Make an effort!…not even a garbage can or a staff member assigned to clean up!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

10 Apr 2024

Luca

Great sea and snorkelling, with super easy access especially with OCEAN VILLA

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2024

Philippe

Unique unforgettable experience !

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2023

Kyle

If you looking for some place is clean, clear water, private, safe environment and served by a group of nice/warm/polite staffs, this is it. I thought I would be coming to this island only once, but yes I will come for another time if there is a chance!

Thanks Gayana Marine Resort! You guys made me and my wife trip a great one👍

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Sep 2022

Yoke Fong

My staying experience

The room is excellent, the platform from ocean view direct to snorkeling is really awesome.

The room provide a Bluetooth speaker is so considerate.

The food is very delicious but not much variety.

The Resort Manager, Karl is very friendly and his briefing is important for guests.

But the water got some floating rubbish, the hotel claimed that they maintain it by collecting the rubbish every morning 7am, i staying for 2 nights didn't see that happen.

The swimming water is so dirty. I m disappointed with that

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2022

Annuja Nair

If you love wildlife, this is the place. Snorkeling with lovely marine life and coral just outside water villas, monitor lizards, monkeys, birds. All water sport activities are included except diving - snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boards. They have a dive centre, 1 day advanced booking for those with dive licenses. For PADI certification courses book with them in advance. Jungle trekking is available too. There is a spa and gym. They have a games room and bar, though bar is not open yet. There is 1 restaurant for all meals (all delivious but pricey). The pool has a great view of the ocean and surrounding islands, although the water is a little murky. The staff are all amazingly friendly and really helpful - shout out to Rechey the dive guide and Eduardo at the restaurant and Karl the manager - all lovely, helpful and constantly asking if they can do more for you. Rooms are comfortable, nice, clean albeit a little dated and worn (the sea does ruin things quickly), but we loved our stay as there was a lot of outdoors to explore.
The only thing I would say would be the obvious plastic trash problem which washes in. May I suggest leaving long nets outside the doors of each room - incentivise the guests to help net the trash when they see it. Have beach clean up days every week where guests comb the beach at low tide together (provide gloves and bags and perhaps a free beer at the end), let us be part of the solution to a more eco friendly environment too.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

29 Feb 2020

K J M

Diving was moderate. Overall rather expensive compared to Malaysian standards.
Super service! Staff was extremely attentive. Monkeys were enjoying!

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

02 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

1. Lots rubbish in the sea, at least to have net to block the rubbish flown in the resort area, can’t swim
2. The resort lack of flexibility, if you want to go to KK downtown that you have to pay the boat fees each way per person, either they have empty space for the scheduled free shuttle which reserved for check in/check out. If you are the first time to visit KK, it is not the choice to stay in this resort for your whole trip, you cannot to go to the downtown or site seeing without the pay

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

We loved our stay here! Great view from the room. Having a free nightly cocktail at the latitude bar was a pleasant surprise. The food was delicious. One thing to note is that there was no Wifi in our room - this was actually a blessing as we spent more time interacting or out doin other things.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

To be honest

It wasn't really as nice as I expected.
I was disappointed because the ocean was so dirty, literally garbage Is floating around, so I didn't go in the ocean at all. It would've been nice if they cleaned up the trash that they can see because the water is shallow.

There is no wifi in the rooms, and wasn't that clean.
There are no fitness rooms, and nothing to do at night.
Overall I give it a 3/10.

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

04 Jan 2020

SY

The hotel is super run down, the ocean is dirty, definitely not worth the price.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2019

LK

some fixtures and facilites need to be repaired after we move in. the cleanliness of bathtub and outdoor pool is poor. Follow up was ok upon request. Staff and front desk try their best to fulfill our request. Overall very sincere and friendly services.
Not recommend to visit during moon tide season... the sea could be flowed with garbage and seaweed, low visibility for diving nor snorkel ... quite disappointed with rainy days

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2019

DAVID YUK VUI

Maldives on budget

i went there with my wife and parents to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary wedding. They were very delighted. They live in Kota Kinabalu for their entire life, and my dad commented:\" I have never seen anything like this!\". they were excited by the ocean view and the fish. Our house are big, and the ladder at the balcony lead to the ocean, the sea level wasn't deep on the day of our arrival, so we enjoyed ourselves even though we couldn't swim. BTW, floating suit were provided. There were some activities kept us busy: free kayaking, free snorkeling, visit to the Marine Research Center, infinity pool, pub that provides 1 free drinks, table pool, darts,..... for those who want to experience the green can have forest trekking. We could see the majestic Mt Kinabalu in clear sky.
The drawbacks: no WiFi in the room, you can go to lobby to get free WiFi. The paid meal can be at high side as compared to the Sabah mainland.

Overall, my parents are very happy with their stay, so am I. It's a \"Maldives-on-budget\".

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2019

Blu

Nice staff and great place for relax. Will recommend this hotel to my friends.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Great rooms over the water. It was great to swim straight from the room. Friendly and efficient staff - nothing too much trouble. Good snorkeling and kayaking round the bay. We enjoyed the day trips to the sister resort and doing some walking and snorkeling from there. Only criticisms were the divider between the rooms let noise through (so hope you get quiet neighbors) and that the bay itself had little coral (better at Bunga Raya). We saw turtles in the bay, rays and lots of other fish. Breakfasts were superb and the dinners very good but pricey. A free cocktail each evening was welcome but the bar prices were steep with no local beer which was a bit strange. We

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2019

David

Not quite five star

Our water villa was well located with lovely views of the ocean from the veranda, but inside it was somewhat worn looking and in need of renovation. The food was average. Staff were friendly. It’s a good location for kayaking and snorkeling but does not have the level of comfort one would expect from a five star hotel.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

overall

upgrade the room at the reception with extra payment. But the room condition was not good as could not open the ocean side window. After a long time waiting and talking with reception, I can change the room. except for that part, other things were good. restaurant food and breakfast is a good and reasonable price.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Beautiful location, enhanced by access to sister resort, which has a beautiful beach. Lots of activities and staff very friendly. Very kindly left bottle of Champagne on my daughters birthday.

Let down by a couple of issues. There is a lot of plastic and cans in the water. We were told it washes in from the mainland but we noticed it was the same litter during the week and could have been collected for disposal. The furnishings in the room were adequate but compared with similar hotels we have stayed at a bit tired for hotel that is listed as 5 star.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2019

Jenny

Overall was good.

It was a very relax resort with gorgeous scenery. Serve nice food and great place for snorkelling. However, on the last day, there was a little disappointment on our breakfast as our order was somehow left out and we were not informed. We waited for more than half an hour till we approached them. Abd was told that the breakfast buffet was closed.

Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Jun 2019

Elisabeth

Jungle paradise

Gayana Eco resort is definitely worth a visit. The staff are amazingly friendly and helpful and the service is brilliant. The room was clean and fresh (possibly in need of some updating). The location is exciting and the food is good. The water is crystal clear if you miss the rain and wind. Sadly bad weather brings with it an huge amount of rubbish in the water.
The experiences they offer are varied, but perhaps a little overrated as they don't have enough kit, guides or boats.
There wasn't enough entertainment for kids on rainy days (only a pool table)

Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Loved that we could just jump in the water from our bungalow.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 May 2019

Steve

Good and peaceful, no people at all ~ with a nice clean sea

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

We stayed at Gayana Marine Resort after our trip to Sarawak specifically for the scuba and snorkeling. After having done a fair amount of hiking and visiting sightseeing spots across Sarawak, we were really looking forward to some fun water sports to beat the heat. Unfortunately, the diving instructor had his day off on the day we were at the resort and they didn't have any substitute in his place. In addition, it's jellyfish season and there are massive jellyfish all around the area where you're allowed to snorkel / swim so getting in to the water was a complete no-no unless you were okay to take the risk of being stung by a jellyfish, which we weren't since we still had 2 more destinations post our stay at Gayana. This was extremely disappointing because it was the sole reason we decided to stay at the resort. I don't understand why it isn't mentioned on their site.

In addition, the place is ridiculously overpriced. One of the manager's was on the ferry with us on the way from KK to Gaya Island and told us the Chinese restaurant at the resort was the best in the world. Well I must say it was good but nowhere close to being anywhere among the top restaurants in the world, not to forget how overpriced it is. The food and service at their bar and poolside restaurant were just about average.

Before we got to Borneo, I got in touch with the property informing them about our arrival and departure time. The strange thing is their ferry is free only if you check-in between 1:30PM

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

a truly lovely resort that is very well run. Food is outstanding, facilities well maintained and staff service exceptional in all aspects. The marine research centre adds a unique interest. Unfortunately the surounding marine waters are plagued by plastic pollution and infestations of jellyfish.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

27 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Five star prices for a two star resort. The facilities claim to be something they are not. Our Rainforest villa backed on to a cliff sparsely covered with trees. No drinking water was in the room. The plug socket fell out when we pulled out plugs. Door latch wouldn’t close without key. The small beach fronting the pool is dirty with rubbish. Staff agreed the dangerous monkey that was eating ginger behind the bar was a menace a threat to customers. No internet in the room despite adverts for Wi-fi. Staff corrected water, plug and Wi-fi and we’re helpful. Pool needs thorough clean and resort looks generally very tired. Breakfast was excellent. Feel of the resort could be so much better. Massively over priced and felt thoroughly disappointed by the experience.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

14 Mar 2019

AK

We got to this resort in the middle of the night, arranged a boat for pickup - everything was fine. We checked-in and they even prepared us sandwiches - everything was great.

The rooms were a little disappointing. They look dirtier in real life - we overlooked it. The next day is when things took a turn for the worst.

They don't tell you it's JELLYFISH season - nowhere do they have a sign in the room, the only pamphlet they had in the room was for LUNAR NEW YEAR dinner in February - we went in MARCH! There's also no pamphlet of the activities they offer, you have to go to the activity center or call the front desk for it. AND they only tell you about the jellyfish IFFFF you go to the activity center.

Next, they warn you about the monkeys. Nice right? No. They don't tell you or have a paper at least in each room for instructions on how to deal with monkeys when you are approached by one. Fine, let's use common sense when you see one right? EXCEPT, I was sunbathing with my mom on the balcony (we got ocean view) and two monkeys came down, grabbed my bags and were rummaging through. Fine, take whatever, except THEY FLASH THEIR SHARP TEETH AT YOU AND HISS AT YOU if you even slightly move. FURTHERMORE, there was a worker who saw what happened, and instead of getting help, he just left - not his problem. My sister in the room called the front desk SEVERAL TIMES and all they said was they were sending security over - WE WERE OUT THERE FOR OVER 10 MINUTES. THE MONKEYS HAD US COR

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Dec 2018

Rerry

i do not recommend to stay in this resort... but the quality of restaurant is good

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2018

jenny

very good. kindly staff and excellent landscape. I saw Clownfish.

6/10

Pleasant

21 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

2 days in Gayana marine or Gayana echo

1. The service in general was pretty slow. We made several calls to the front desk because we left one of our things in another room and they never called us back (even though they said they would). We also made calls about certain things that were missing in the room and it took almost an entire day for them to respond and get back to us.
2. In terms of cleanliness, I expected the ocean and palm villas to be cleaner given the price. I was disappointed by all the ants in the palm villa and the villas in general all had really old furniture and the bathrooms werent very clean.
3. This isnt really a complaint about the villa itself but it rained everyday so we werent able to do a lot of activities.
4. The wifi connection here is really bad. We can only get wifi at the restaurant. If you want wifi you have to rent a pocket wifi (1GB) for 25 RM.
5. If you want to do want to do any watersports or any activities in general, you have to go to another island or get arrangements earlier on at jesselton point where they have all the agencies.

But the ocean view from the villa was beautiful and all the restaurants were pretty good. The location overall is really serene and quiet so it is perfect for someone who wants a quiet vacation.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

This hotel has a spectacular location. The staff were warm and helpful. However, it is showing it’s age and many facilities require updating and improvement. The faucets in the bathroom and the toilet were broken, outdoor furniture broken, and towels were frayed. If there are adjustments and commitment to quality, this property could be something special.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2018

Jeremy

Wonderful hotel, with true eco passion

Gaya Island is a short boat ride from Kota Kinabalu. The Marine resort only has boat journeys at set times of the day. Upon arrival at the boat terminal we had to wait an hour for a scheduled departure. For a nominal sum you can arrange a private boat to take you. Contact the hotel directly to arrange. Once we arrived checkin was smooth and friendly. In fact all the staff are very welcoming. It is 100% worth the extra money to get a room with a sea view. Whilst the staff are keen to please they aren't the fastest, and they don't really serve around the pool area at all, despite the restaurant being only yards away. Pool towels are available but we had to ask for them 4 days in a row. Breakfast offers a decent amount of variety with a buffet style and a menu choose other things from. The resort has a no single use plastic policy and issues you with useful red bottles to refill. They really believe in cutting down single use plastic. They offer free drinks in the in room fridge ( sprite,coke, beer etc) and a free drink in the bar at 5-7pm. They have a marine conservation centre on site and put proceeds from the hotel into protecting marine life. Their water sports centre will rent you a kayak or snorkel for free. And if you want a change of scenery you can hop on a boat to their sister resort Bunga Raya, which has a gym and a beautiful beach. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the resort and would definitely recommend other go there.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2018

Ash

While everything else was pleasing, the water and shoreline next to the pool was somewhat dirty. I witnessed a foreign tourist family actually cleaning the shore of trash, which was what should have been done by the staff.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

또 갈래요

보트를 타고 30분정도 들어가면 섬이 나옵니다. 조금만 더 빨리 도착한다면 더 좋을 것 같습니다. 그 점 제외하고 너무 만족스러워 다음에는 더 오랫동안 가보고 싶습니다.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Jun 2018

Lin

beautiful views with variety of activities.

overal this hotel is good except the restaurants have less variety of food chose from.

Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

Room for improvement

Great staff and hotel, however things are getting a bit old, could use some minor upgrade.

10/10

Exceptional

30 May 2018

Verified traveler

We stayed in this resort after a 12 day tour of Borneo. It was the perfect way to relax as the resort was peaceful and charming with friendly staff. Our villa had excellent facilities.
The only negative was the rubbish in the water around the resort.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2018

Stuart

Amazing views and plenty of nature.

We had a brilliant experience with our two children. It was a relaxing getaway and beautiful landscapes and friendly people.
The marine research centre was superb and a great education. We were all fascinated with corals, fishes, and the scientific knowledge provided by the marine biologist.
The standard of service was high and the food was fantastic.
Friendly and welcoming people and employees of Gayana.Sukherien, Jesielyn and Johnai who all work there were amazing.
Thanks to everyone at Gayasana.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Need to improve cleanliness on the sea

Very nice stay and viewing in the resort. U also can see there’s a lot of fishes In the sea, however, u can see a lot of rubbish as well. Like : water bottle, plastic bag etc.. there’s good if their management can manage some cleaner to clear it and can protect the environment. Hope they can improve their cleanliness when we visit them next time.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2017

Jennie

Nice hotel for couple.

Very nice food especially the breakfast. Don't good during Christmas time as usually there will be heavy rain in the evening, causing the water very misty. Not good for snorkelling.

You may be surrounded by monkeys in the morning and evening. Need to be careful not to put your belongings outside the balcony, or else the monkey would steal it.

Limited activities within the resort. Good for a rest and couples would enjoy its quietness. For families with kids, they need to take a boat shuttle to its sister resort where there are more activities and a bigger beach.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Dec 2017

BH

An Ocean Villa at beautiful island

Close distance (15 minutes by speed boat) from KK boat terminal and hotel locates at the beach side of beautiful island. Wooden villa stand above sea water and you can dive any time from the balcony of villa (It should be \"Ocean Villa\". The villas located back side of \"Ocean Villa\" has no balcony entering water so please make sure to book \"Ocean Villa\" when you book). A lot of many kinds fish can be seen through snorkeling. No need to go other place for snorkeling by separate arrangement. Just a few step diving is enough for all day. Breakfast is simple but OK to enjoy, however you have only two choice of restaurant (including the place for breakfast).for lunch & dinner. Normally room dining is good for lunch but not so much fancy restaurant for dinner. Good for relaxing whole day just for reading, sleeping and snorkeling. The wooden villa is a bit old and shabby.. I do not care for this...it is quite natural but hotel management should upgrade some interior parts (furniture, lantern, bathroom interior etc) so that customer can be more relaxed. Worst is air-conditioner which is quite old and dirty and not so much cooled air which make me angry during my 3 days stay.

8/10

Excellent

04 Dec 2017

Raynard

Needs an extra push to be amazing

Overall I liked the resort, it was comfortable and the villas were great. I just felt that there were some details that were overlooked that could've improved the experience. A concern as well would be the trash that ends up being drifted a shore. There wasn't too many so they should've done the initiative to sift these out when it reaches their property. The balcony could also use better lighting, it would be a nice area to chill during the night. We also found out that other amenities advertised like the gym is found on their sister resort which is a 30min boat ride away. We were hoping to do yoga but earliest transfer was 11am. So it was simply impossible to catch the 9am class, so it didn't really make much sense to me.

Additionally, I didn't feel that the price difference I paid for the ocean villa with sea access justified the cost. The lagoon villas were much more conveniently located near all the facilities, while ours was quite a long walk.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2017

Rena

Cozy room, fantastic view, nice restaurant!

The room is very comfy and quiet, very nice for a city escape. Complimentary snorkeling and kayaking, we brought our own snorkeling equipment so cannot comment on that but the kayaking was fun and safe. Water is clean with lots of fishes (but quite depend on weather I suppose). Staff are friendly and attentive. There are one Western and one Chinese restaurants. We went to the Western one and it surprised us! The grilled fish fillet was amazing! Complimentary breakfast also served in here was so good too. Thanks for giving us an enjoyable holiday :)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2017

family of four

Lovely villas all on the water

Staff couldn't do enough for you Taste of luxury at a reasonable price Not far from KK so you do get the odd bit of rubbish but at most times water is as clear as it could be for this part of Borneo Free snorkels and kayaks Pool lovely too

4/10

Poor

18 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Very tired accommodation

The resort claims to be 4 stars , which it may have been 10 years ago. Now it's looking very shabby and tired. Many things are not working, broken or not even available . We had to report missing or malfunctioning items every day.
Lovely location and the staff are super friendly .
However I would not go back. It's not 4 star :(

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2017

paul

Piece full, tranquil and chilled

Great relaxation stay. There is no one around, the snorkeling and fish feeding is cool. We went diving which was good. Food is expensive, but the stay was worth it. The staff are so friendly! The monkeys make it hard to sit on the deck as they steel everything

2/10

Poor

18 Mar 2017

Michelle

Is not worth the price at all. With what we are paying i expected it to be way much better. i am really dissapointed with this. The view is nice but the rooms are not well maintain.

Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2017

Tobias

Amazing views

Fantastic stay! Amazing place just let down but the rubbish in the sea. Views are simply breathe taking though and a must see!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Nice place to refresh ad relax th life.

It is good place to relax and the refresh change of you life.
I will recommended this place to traver in Kota Kina Balu

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2016

Ting Chao William

Great resort

The place was amazing. We had a really good time there. It's Maldives on a budget. Can't beat the rooms right above the ocean with tons of fishes and corals in your backyard. They could use a few more shuttles between their sister resort and town. The staff is very friendly. Overall a great experience. One complaint we had was that the Chinese restaurant served us raw chicken. My young kids ate them. Luckily they are ok, otherwise would have been quite serious.

Family

4/10

Poor

17 Jul 2016

Verified traveler

I will not recommend this hotel to all

I will not go to Gayana eco resort again. Hotel staff at the check in counter at the Jesselton point is not efficient. It takes for more than half an hour. The boat travelling customers to gayana Eco resort is small and the seats is not comfortable. A hotel staff promised me for room upgrade as for celebrating the wedding anniversary if rooms is available in emails. But then no one help for room upgrade at check in procedure and the hotel staff said rooms is free for stand-by. Actually I don't understand the reason that more than ten spare rooms to stand-by for what. Bed, toilet and amenities in my Rainforest villa is just the same with that in my friends' Lagoon villa. The differences is just a table is provided in the balcony of Rainforest villa. But the price difference is 120 USD. Good in both restaurant is bad. Drinks in the bar is tasteless. Not many fishes and coral can be seen in snorkelling. Swimming pool is small. The wind from air conditioner in villa directly blow towards my head whole night and I got sick at that days. Curtains in villa is useless. And I couldn't see smile from staff at most of the time. The only thing that I appreciated is a few stars can be seen at the night.

6/10

Pleasant

29 Apr 2016

Isa

Nice but somehow no charm...

Nice hotel in a beautiful spot but spoiled by all the plastic floating around the bungalows. Too bad no energy is put to clean up the water. Could easily be done and for a hotel that is supposed to be 5 stars it would be important. Otherwise the rooms are beautiful and clean.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2016

Steph

Beautiful stay

We loved our three nights here. Every small touch was well considered and we enjoyed the snorkeling and kayaking offered. Only very minor complaint was noisy neighbour ma could be heard through wall of adjoining villa on the first night

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2016

tess

Beautiful location

I went in April 2016 and it was very quiet so felt like we had the resort to ourselves. I had an ocean hut which was stunning - complete with a deck and stairs leading to the ocean. A breakfast boat delivered our breakfast every morning. Staff incredibly friendly and helpful. Free snorkelling and kayaking, free boat to the mainland twice a day, and also to the sister resort (bunga raya) which has an amazing beach, restaurants and infinity pool.
My only very small criticism is alcohol is very expensive, though guests do get one complimentary cocktail in the evening and a free fridge stocked daily with beer and soft drinks!! Food is delicious.
There's an eco centre which educates you about reef protection and they breed giant clams. Also a touch pool so you can hold a sea cucumber/ starfish if you want to.
More a romantic break for couples and divers rather than a family resort, though kids are welcome.
Highly recommend.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2016

Verified traveler

Great value for short escape from big cities!

Kitchen was really good! Exec Chef Josef Budde really shows his experience with a very broad selection in the menu and consistent delivery. On crowded days/evenings service gets a bit too slow and chaotic though.
Ladies in spa very friendly and competent. Our family used them a lot and a big thanks should go to Alicia for alleviating a lot of deep \"knots\" in my shoulders in multiple sessions !
A couple of house dogs and cats are very efficient \"employees\" around the resort. They efficiently keep the mice/rats away (cats) and big lizards, monkeys et co (dogs).
Bartenders in bar also try hard but are working with a somewhat limited selection of alcohols. For some reason they have discontinued Shisha service which is a pity. Would be great place to do that at sunset.
Wifi in room doesn't work reliably. Even after they gave us \"MyFi\" device it still wouldn't work. Pool area is the only place where proper reception can be found.
There is no beach, but you can take a nice 20-30 min boat ride around the island to the sister resort and spend a day on theirs (and cross charge drinks, meals etc).
Rooms are big, very clean, air conditioned and have complimentary soft drinks, water and beer. Restocked every day.
\"Rainforest Villas\" are right next to \"Waterfront\" villas and are identical except they don't have direct access to water, swimming which is a great plus.
We really enjoyed our stay and it was not least thanks to the great, friendly staff you encounter everywhere.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

A very comfortable resort, with friendly and enthusiastic staff. Great food too.
Snorkelling right off the resort with numerous clams, anemone fish, parrot fish and groupers.
MERC was a highlight- videos, an aquarium and live displays of reef rehabilitation - especially with respect to coral repair and giant clam breeding.

8/10

Excellent

03 Nov 2015

Amanda

Picturesque, relaxing escape

The people are lovely, the food is out of this world delicious and the location is very picturesque. It's a small and isolated resort without much less to do than it may appear. Great for a few days of relaxing, not so great for the serious adventure traveler. The hotel was undergoing renovations which were slightly inconvenient, but the staff was very accommodating.

Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2015

Paul

Great place to chill and relax and superb staff.

The resort was quiet, relaxing and gorgeous. For a family with two young kids (10 & 8) it was ideal. We visited the Marine Ecology Reseach Centre twice, as the kids loved it, endlessly swam and relaxed either in the pool or sea and also completed the jungle/canopy walk at its sister resort, Bunga Raya, via a free boat trip around the island.

8/10

Excellent

04 Aug 2015

Rita

Nice and tranquil hotel, very beautiful view

I stayed in this resort for 2 days in July, the view is just great. I went snorkeling and kayaking there. There was not many fishes but the water is clear for the first day, however, there are lots of precipitate in water on the second day. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. We were satisfied with the room which was clean, you can hear the tides inside the room.

8/10

Excellent

17 Jul 2015

Glenn

Good hotel, better manager, best staff

Overall the holiday was extremely enjoyable - optimized by the hotel Manager and Staff. We chose to do the PADI Open Water Diver Certificate which cut down our exploration time and, unfortunately, we saw little of the location - we have to go back and catch more of what is on offer, the variety of trips available is inspiring.
It's a very peaceful resort - we took the speedboat a few times to KK which was very enjoyable.
Other than the holiday memories, I will remember the courteous and charming nature of the people we met - how friendly they were..

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2015

nathan

Paradise

Perfect. Total paradise

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Apr 2015

angel

Good breakfast

the hotel view is beautiful and good taste breakfast

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jan 2015

isaac

Relaxing trip

Stay 4 days. 8 friends! We booked ocean villa.
Beautiful view and comfortable. Relaxing infinity pool, excellent chinese restaurant and quality seafood.

If you go this villa, must book ocean villa above.
Another not very good

Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2014

Steve

Amazing resort with with wonderful staff

Gayana Resort is a wonderful place. Our villa was truly amazing with world class lighting, bathroom and a supersize and very comfortable bed. The staff were as friendly as anywhere I have been in the world. The resort is bordered by sea and rainforest - a sublime location.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2014

KA YEE

Enjoy your life with Sunshine and seaview

you can check in at pier office and free boat transfer service is provided. Excellent hotel service and experience for us, the hotel staff are helpful =],the sunshine and sea view are fantastic.

Will return there if I travel gaya island again ~!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2014

Dennis

Secluded getaway

Good, warm and friendly staff, food quality excellent and prices reasonable. Limited room availability ensure tranquility in the resort.

8/10

Excellent

20 Jun 2014

Nesh

Excellent mix of serenity, luxury and access to KK

We traveled in the quiet season and spent 7 days at Gayana also traveling 1 day to the sister resort Bunga Raya (on the other side of Gaya island) for a day to check out the beach and canopy walk. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, even assisting us with planning our day trips to Sepilok Orangutan sanctuary and river tour to see the probiscus monkeys and fireflys. We would recommend the Water facing villas, they have all the creature comforts.

Note: If you are comparing this to the Maldives it's like comparing apples to oranges. The Maldives was clean and remote with not much other than diving and snorkling. Gayana and KK are beautiful places that are close to civilization hence you may find some rubbish in the ocean (though the hotel regularly cleans the beaches and coves) however there are plenty of activities and exploring that can be done.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Apr 2014

Verified traveler

nice location

There is no turtle in marine center so little bit sad

8/10

Excellent

03 Apr 2014

CP

Lovely hotel with friendly staff

We visited this hotel for one night after a week on Kinabatangan River. It was a welcome luxury to top off what had been a wonderful adventure for the whole family. Guyana resort is lovely but best of all there is a free shuttle to the sister resort on the same island so it is possible to share the facilities of both. As we only had one night there we were not able to take advantage of all the facilities which could have kept us busy for several days. We did enjoy the canopy walk and the infinity pool.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2014

Lucy

Great Place to Relax

My fiance and I splashed out on this hotel for the last two nights of our Borneo trip. The rooms are very spacious, clean and comfortable. The boat shuttle service was great, but it was difficult to get information about this beforehand. Boats depart from the Jessleton Point ferry terminal a few times every day. You can check in from the ferry terminal and they sort out all of your luggage for you. Breakfast was excellent, a lot of choice and everything freshly cooked. You can go snorkelling or kayaking from the resort. It was a great place to relax for a couple of days.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2014

Daniel

A wonderful place to escape

We stayed for a week and loved every bit of it. The resort is beautifully locatated on Palau Gaya Island with views to the spectacular Mt Kinabalu and the Borneo mainland. The experience of staying in over water bungalows is magical especially at night with the relaxing sound of water lapping all around. The resort staff are welcoming and friendly, plus the food and wine choices are surprisingly diverse with a broad range of dining styles and choices. There are two high quality restaurants and a well stocked bar with very reasonable food and drink prices. We often stayed in rather than journey to KK, but it is well worth the 15 minute speed boat trip to go shopping, sightseeing or exploring the handicrafts or food markets. Other activities are the Marine Centre and a visit the sister resort at Bunga Raya, for a bit of soft adventure, the canopy walk takes you up into the trees. Best of all there were free boat transfers day and night to the mainland. Otherwise do as we did and take a cheap boat ride to visit some of the smaller islands where they have many water based activities. We visited in mid-January and even though it was monsoon season the afternoon rain was refreshing with daily temperatures around 30 C or 90 F. Also watch out for the cheeky Macac monkeys. As others have mentioned, we did see some debris carried into shore by the prevailing winds but we also regularly saw a busy clean up team make the place gorgeous again. Overall we loved it and will return one day.

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jan 2014

Verified traveler

not worth of money

pretty expensive... not only accommodation but also the meal.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Jan 2014

Tyler

Eco Resort!

Nothing Eco about the joint.

Pool is dirty and uncirculated!

Older and not being maintained.

Villas are sinking unevenly into the sea.

Some of the charges are ridiculous re: corkage is higher for champagne vs. wine

If staying with this chain, go with Bunga Raya. More staff, cleaner, better pool and etc...

One positive about Gayana, is the trip to KK is quicker. If that is important to your stay. Only relevant, if you will be back and forth several times.

6/10

Pleasant

09 Oct 2013

Nicole

Service speed to be increased

Good overall impression.Service speeds faster it would be nice.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2013

Jill

Great honeymoon hotel

We loved this resort. It looks like a dream resort with the flowers, the sea and the rainforest backdrop. The room was amazing, large, great veranda, very well equipped. Breakfast was fresh and plentiful. The snorkelling and kayaking are well organised and safe. The Marine Reserch Centre was interesting. Seeing a huge monitor lizard, the herons and all the amazing fish was great.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Aug 2013

Verified traveler

very good hotel, little bit overcharged

it's near by the KK with 15 mins ferry time. hotel is quiet, comfortable, with free breakfast, which is delicious. but the service is not always as good as expected, for example, they first got one of my luggage sent to another hotel in Gaya Island, then promise me will send it back in 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours.... I kept waiting at my room, until over 7 hours, I finally got my luggage back after complain a lot. Also, the environmental protection is not so good at Island, we saw cleaners just clear leaves into the ocean...

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2013

wen

Best hotel for us

We had such a wonderful time here. Best relaxing hotel for us

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jul 2013

Karin

nicest resort ever!

Nicest resort I've ever stayed in. Fabulous surroundings, the staff go out of their way to make your every wish come true, very luxury rooms.
The resort is in the middle of a national park and the surroundings are simply stunning. it's also very nice that you're able to use the facility of their sister resort, which is only a 15 minutes (free) boat ride. They have a tree top walk and a flying fox. We went over for breakfast and dinner and it made a nice change.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2013

Lucas Buranelli

Isolated, but easy access, small piece paradise!

This is an small paradise!
Even if it is on an island, in a remote place (Kota Kinabalu - Borneo), the access to the resort is very easy. At local ferry terminal they have their on speed boast terminal, were you already make your check-in. Transfer to island is included free of charge. They do not high-lite, but even if you arrive at night time, the last boat from KK to the resort is at 10:30pm! It takes only 15min boat ride to Gayana.
On the resort, everything is just perfect for rest and relax. It is not a beach with blue water and withe sand! Water is green and little cloudy at the hotel. If you want real diving have to hire a boat to farther areas in opened waters.
Lot's of trash comes on the high tide. Unfortunately, it is that only bad thing about the location. Poor people from close by fishing village trough a lot of trash on the sea, and the current brings it to hotel private beach. Really a lot of plastic, charcoal and rubbish at all...
The room is a dream! Everything is luxury, clean, well maintained as far as possible, breakfast is Ok (not good as the other things), and the stuff is very kind and helpful.
The Alu Alu restaurant is very good! Talk with AK (very friendly waiter) and he will do all the best to make you get full satisfaction. Prices are little expensive, but you are isolated. No other option! Not many things to do apart from rest, relax, kayaking and snorkeling. If you can get Ocean View rooms, it is the best ones! Private access to sea!

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2013

Jo Jo

Excellent Stay

The staff are nice, helpful and passionate! I enjoy my stay there a lot! The water sports equipment are all clean and in good condition which make us feel safe to use and enjoy! The dining service is great and reasonable. Thank you all the staff there and make my trip so memorable and sweet! Though there is still downside, like there are dirty marks on bedsheet or some unpleasant sewage smell from the washroom, I still highly recommend this resort to others!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Feb 2013

lam.i

dirty water, staff mess

small beach and dirty very much, actually i don't think that is beach so only can stay at small swimming pool, staff nice and smiling but always forgot booking, loss reservation, wrong bill..... ferry to Bunga Raya which same brand on the other side of the island is free but they said no scheudle accept pay so charge $75.00 per head incl 1 lunch, Chinese restaurant taste good

Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2012

Verified traveler

Great place to relax

great friendly staff and a great place to relax and unwind. Quiet and peaceful setting. Highly recommend

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2011

Verified traveler

Amazing place for a honeymoon!

After booking what we thought were the huts over the ocean; we arrived at paradise and were very disappointed with our \"lagoon view\" villa. The hotel staff were all amazingly friendly and Thomas the General Manager was able to sort us out and move us to the room we thought we had booked; which was in fact a \"ocean view\". Once moved, all was beyond fantastic. Highly recommend the resort; located on a remote island a convenient boat shuttle away from the city; it was absolute paradise! The food was amazing, the service was incredible and the \"ocean view\" or better rooms were a perfect!

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2011

Emerson

good hotel

Eco Gayana is located very close to KK's city centre, only by 10 min high-speed ferry. * the ferry schedule is not very frequent, averagely every 90 or 120 min, it depends.

Room is big, friendly staff, and I spend 3 days there, have a lot of things to do. There is a swimming pool with good view, and SPA with fantastic view as well.

there are two restaurants, chinese and western. In the western, food is okay but nothing special. In Alu Alu, you can try oriental food and fresh seafood as well. But as a Chinese, I don't think the food are very original, but specially cooked for westerners.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Apr 2011

Veronica

Not up to 5 star

The place of this resort are perfect location, the food in Alu Alu restaurant is excellent but the breakfast are not as good as other 5 star resort and not much varity; request a side by side room is not provide dut to the air-condition of the room are not maintained. Sevice is so so and their service are good on the marine centre and the lady introoduce their marine species are adquarted; but not much things can do due to the resort is just small complex but its good to take photos in the nature surrrounding.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2011

Tran

loved the whalesharks and the people

Apart from a little wait for the boat to take us to the island, we were really please.

all staffs (from service staffs to cleaner/mainternance) possed great manners. every staffs went an extra steps to provide assistant when we required.

we were guided by a personal service staff who walkthrough the facilities of the resort and led us to our room.

My only suggestion is to keep the water clean and not to wash into the sea. we look to snorkel and would rather do it in a clean environment.

highly recommended.