Boutique-Hotels Pulau Gaya

"The whole resort was simply dreamy. The 2 km-long beach is the most beautiful we’ve seen in Borneo so far, with crystal-clear water and an abundance of marine life — including baby reef sharks and even a turtle. It’s the perfect place to unwind after trekking through Borneo’s jungle. Both restaurants on the property are excellent, offering a wide variety of seafood. The sambal seabass is especially worth recommending. The staff were consistently warm and helpful, always ready to assist with any questions we had. We also appreciated the thoughtful touches, such as complimentary water bottles and a lovely batik sarong. The villa itself was very spacious, with a large and extremely comfortable bed. Although we didn’t have a direct sea view, we could still hear the soothing sound of the ocean. Our only point of concern relates to the water buffaloes. We understand that they help with beach cleaning, and we did see them walking along the shore, even with a young calf. However, we also noticed that they were kept overnight on the far left side of the beach, tethered by a rope attached to their noses, which was quite distressing to witness. Aside from this, everything about our stay was truly exceptional."