Gayana Island Resort was a dissapointment.

The reason our stay here wasn't a positive one was that the hotel lacked a stretch of beach or place to swim and relax. My girlfriend and I felt 'stuck' at the resort with nowhere but the spartan and dilapitated room to lounge.

As the ferry from KK neared the resort and it came into focus my heart sank. The resort was run-down. It was located only a headland away from local water villages and far from the remote and exotic destination I had imagined. The check-in and first wander around the place confirmed my fear that the resort was third-rate. This was NOT the tropical paradise we had been hoping for.

We stayed in a Water Bungalow. The room was poorly decorated, basic in every way. It lacked charm and taste. The airconditioner buzzed loudly and the TV blinked two local channels and fuzz. As the balcony was un-shaded it was too hot to sit out there on our solitary chair except early morning and after sunset. We decided to spend as little time as possible inside that miserable room. Where to then?

There is nowhere to wander, no long walks along the beach, and only a ripped-to-shreds rusted-out wire tank that they called a 'open water pool'. No sun lounges. No sandy or shady areas to read or sleep. Whilst the water around the resort is clear, with many visible fish, it is not inviting to swim in.

The nearby Hornibill beach, which one must pay to enter and for boat transfer, was more mangrove than beach. This was NOT the Maldives! (Nor budget destinations such as Thailand or Gili Islands Lombok for that matter).

The restuarants and food were basic, as we expected, but the buffet breakfast was very poor.

The reason we came to the island was for white sand and crystal clear water. To do this we had to charter a boat (expect to pay around RR380 for the day). I was convinced that other island areas couldn't be as poor as Gayana. We found the Sutera Lodges chalets at Munukan Island superior in every way and beaches much better. We checked-out early from Gayana Island Resort and enjoyed 2 great nights on Munukan.

Sabah and the surrounding islands were a disspointing destination in general. We would not return. Thailand is a much better choice, and Gili Trawangan (Lombok).

Had the pleasure of a stay in Gayana for 3 nights in October. This was one of the first places to stay that lept out of me when I was planning our trip to Borneo.

Website made the place out to be luxurious - although the photos gave it an oddly hazy feel. A quality of light caused by the Kalimantan fires. Although it was beautifully clear when we were there.

The prices on their site seemed prohibitive, but managed to book via a travel agent in KK for a substantially cheaper rate.

It's the kind of place that seems the epitomy of the idyllic island retreat. Stilted traditional huts with balconies directly over clear, coral filled waters. Teeming wildlife all around in an untouched reclusive spot.

Reality has a less romantic Mills & Boon sheen. Beautiful as it is, Gayana is a mere 30 mins by boat from KK - a mishmash of low rent urban sprawl. A messy, smelly port devoid of charm. Thankfully the resort is sheltered in a bay away from offending views, but its proximity haunts your thoughts.

Worse than this though are the shanty towns erected on the other side of Gayana itself. From a distance, this stilted mass evokes an odd colonial fascination. But only on closer inspection do you see the environmental damage it is inflicting.

No sewage and no waste disposal means the South China Sea is the towns repository. And despite a team at Gayana patrolling with wheelbarrows and cleaning craft, there is a constant layer of rubbish floating about the resort.

The wildlife seems unperturbed, but aesthetically it is saddening. As are the potential long term effects.

All this removes the gloss from the resorts situation - and calls into question it's title as an eco-resort. However, overall they have done well.

A slick, boardwalked complex of traditional huts (some rather balding) around a tiny beach, two restaurants and a dive centre.

The rooms are huge, clean and spartan. Designed around the astounding views from your giant balcony dropping into the sea. Avoid the jungle view huts, as there is so much joy in watching the shoals of tropical fish swim underneath you as the sun sets.

Of the two restaurants, the beach bar is the better appointed. Growing out of the jungle, the vibe is fantastic, and the lapping sea divine. The food, as at the other restaurant though is functional at best. More western skewed, but fills a hole. And the cheeky local monkeys love it.

Beware the milk based drinks throughout the resort (and Borneo entirely for that matter) - cows aren't abound, and UHT and creamer are the specialities. So when it comes to fruit shakes, the spartan fruit taste is lost to the fake milk.

The seafoood restaurant does provide straight-from-tank freshness, but still slightly underwhelmed. And beware of resorting to the ice cream selection in the bar - local specialities include sweetcorn, yam or kidney bean flavour. Bizarre.

Staff are fantastic. Smiles everywhere from some genuinely happy people. They can help you with a quick boat trip to Hornbill beach for a sunbathe or snorkel. Or kit you out in a kayak to make the trip yourself. Alternatively the dive school is a stunningly welcoming place - even for nervous novices.

All in all - a fantastic, welcoming place which is fraying ever so slightly round the edges. Go for the people, the sunsets and the island jungle backdrop. The food and rubbish are more than compensated for.

2nd trip to Gayana and the good news is that it is being very nicely renovated.
The new rooms overlooking the sea are a real delight. Not 5 star but very good quality 3 star - clean, roomy and comfortable. Gayana also has access to 2 private beaches, both only a walk away or you can take a boat or hire a canoe and paddle yourself. The restaurant has new owners and the food is now a delight. The seafood is freshly caught. Not a place for kids as there's not much for them to do - but for anyone wanting a quiet, peacful, relaxing, overwater bungalow it's great. And only a 20 minute ferry ride from Kota Kinabalu main wharf.

we have just returned from a fortnight in borneo, the first week we did a tour with wildlife expedtions, this was amazing, very informative guide, 'Charlie' stayed at different lodge's, from kinabalu park right across to sukau and tunku rahman park..we returned to kota kinabalu and stayed at Gayana Resort on the island of gaya, lovely staff but the resort needs some work it is starting to fall apart and is need of some repair, its location is amazing and some great snorkelling to be had across the bay at hornbill beach, but do a day trip and then stay elsewhere, the resort isnt cheap and isnt anywhere near 4 stars, as they say..enjoy..