Since moving to Singapore, we have been enjoying the perks of being able to travel as a family around South East Asia. One of the first trips we booked was a week staying at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo (Malaysia). We travelled as a group of 6 – two grandparents, two parents and two kids, aged 8 and 6 and here’s why we think the Shangri-La Rasa Ria is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for a family holiday to Borneo.
1. Incredible Service
Before our holiday had even started, we began to realise what brilliant service we would have by booking a stay at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria. We were travelling as a group of 6 – me, my husband and our our two kids, and my in-laws who were visiting us in Singapore. We couldn’t easily book two rooms on the website and so we called the hotel to book directly. They were able to advise which rooms would work best for our needs and also talked us through the various packages (read more about how they made our trip as easy as possible for us below!)
Whilst we had high expectations, I had no idea just how incredible our service would be once we arrived at our hotel in Borneo. We were met by the Shangri-La Rasa Ria team at the airport who transported us to the hotel in two taxis with drivers who gave us plenty of great insight into life in this part of Malaysian Borneo, as well as tips for the week ahead. After being greeted at the hotel lobby with ice-cold towels and drinks, we went through a seamless check-in where the staff also talked us through everything we had to look forward to.
During the stay at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, the staff couldn’t have been more helpful and frequently went above and beyond to make our stay exceptional.
2. Everything made easy
When we initially looked at booking the Shangri-La Rasa Ria, one of the things that stood out was the option to either book just a room, breakfast-only or all-inclusive package. As we were travelling as a group and the main focus of our trip was spending time with visiting family (rather than a road-trip adventure), we decided to opt for their all-inclusive package. It made for a totally stress-free trip and we all appreciated the chance to spend quality time where everything was taken care of. Our package was the “All-inclusive Borneo Holiday” but the hotel seems to have lots of different packages available which can be tailored to your interests, be that a golfing trip, a romantic break or an adventure trip with excursions included.
Included in our all-inclusive package at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria hotel was:
- daily breakfast
- daily lunch at set restaurants
- daily buffet dinner (or dinner at one of the a la carte restaurants for a small surcharge per person)
- unlimited drinks (from list) from 12pm-10pm.
- return airport transfer
- one-hour usage of kayaks or body boards
- unlimited access to kids club and outdoor playground
- unlimited access to rasa ria nature reserve
- unlimited bike rides in resort premises
- one laundry bag per stay (up to 15pcs)
There were other things also included but this what we took advantage of and enjoyed.
3. Beautiful beachfront
The Shangri-La Rasa Ria in Kota Kinabalu is situated right on the beachfront with some of the best sunsets I have seen since we moved to Singapore last year. The beach is really vast and whilst like a lot of SEA, there is occasional rubbish on the beach, I was pleased to see that guests can also take part in beach clean-ups to do their part to keep the beach clean for everyone! We tried sea-kayaking as it was included in our all-inclusive package and would definitely recommend trying one of the watersports available at the beach.
There is also a beach bar where you can enjoy a drink, or on certain nights of the week you can watch a traditional dance and fire show which is really enjoyable for the whole family.
Danni’s Top Tip: There can be a few sandflies on the beach and the sand can get very hot, so I would recommend packing beach shoes.
4. Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Whilst you won’t see orangutans at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve, there is plenty of wildlife and nature to see in the attached 64-acre nature reserve! We booked to do the sunrise hike whilst my in-laws kept an eye on the kids and it was definitely a highlight of the whole trip! Our Ranger was so informative and helped us spot vipers, scorpions and spiders galore! We also saw (and heard) a few monkeys on our trip into the jungle! The short but steep hike meant we got to have a beautiful view of the sunrise over Mt Kinabalu, as well as a small breakfast of coffee and pastries at the top.
The kids had their own chance to get closer to nature and both did the junior ranger activity. Complete with ranger t-shirts and lunch after, the kids went into the jungle and learned some important facts about what to do if they find themselves face-to-face with certain animals, as well as the importance of looking after the environment around them. They absolutely loved it and I’m sure our eldest would have gone back and done it every day if she could have done! Whilst we had to pay an additional fee for both these activities, I would definitely recommend doing them!
5. Delicious food
We stayed at the hotel for all of our meals during our stay as we had booked the all-inclusive package. We always managed to find something that all of us could enjoy for breakfast, lunch and dinner and were generally very impressed with the quality of food.
Breakfast
For breakfast, there was a daily buffet filled with options from all over the world. The kids ate their bodyweight in pancakes, waffles and fruit most mornings! Omelettes were popular for the adults in our group but we also tried the local options including dahl and roti for breakfast. There was always fresh fruit, fresh pastries, cereal, yoghurts, tea and coffee for anyone who is feeling less adventurous at breakfast time.
Lunch
For lunch we generally ate at the poolside bar in between activities. Options included pizza, burgers, salad but also included more traditional Malay options too. This was an a la carte menu so everyone could choose what they wanted to eat. There was also an option to eat at one of the restaurants but usually we couldn’t get the kids to leave the poolside for long enough, or were still full from breakfast!
Dinner
Dinner was a varied choice for us, but all of the food we ate was extremely good. There are three “proper” restaurants where you can enjoy a meal – Kozan Teppan-yaki, Oceano Modern Grill and The Eighth – a hotpot restaurant. There is also a buffet option at dinner which can be enjoyed at alternating restaurants depending on the evening. The kids really enjoyed the buffet, especially the fresh fruit and multiple noodle/pasta options. As adults, we loved the fact that we could get freshly-cooked noodles or customised asian soups every night! For a hotel buffet, we all thought that this was better than we had experienced in European equivalents.
We ate at Kozan Teppan-yaki and Oceano Modern Grill and paid the small surcharge per person to enjoy a meal here. It was definitely worth it. It meant we had variety in what we were eating but also that we could sit down for a “proper meal” as a family. The teppanyaki restaurant gave us all the theatre you might expect as the chef cooked our dinner right in front of us, even delivering a mini fire-show for the kids! He substituted some of the items where possible so that the kids would enjoy them too! Apparently “it’s the best fried rice” the kids have had since we moved to Asia! Oceano Modern Grill, based in the ocean wing of the Shangri-La Rasa Ria, had a Mediterranean menu and was our favourite restaurant of the holiday.
Whether you’re staying on an all-inclusive package or not, we’d definitely recommend staying in the hotel at least one night to enjoy one of the restaurants.
6. Shangri-La Rasa Ria Kids’ Club
At the time of our trip to Shangri-La Rasa Ria, our kids were 8 and 6. They’ve used kids’ clubs on holiday before but normally they prefer to hang out with us. This trip was different! From the first time they went to Cool Zone Kids’ Club, they didn’t want to leave! There was a huge variety of activities to get involved in, including batik painting, crafts and scavenger hunts. Most days we dropped the kids off after breakfast and didn’t pick them up until lunchtime. They made great friends with other kids (many of whom were also expats in Singapore). On one day we even had to convince them to come and hang out with us instead of staying at kids club! The girls said the staff were all very friendly and they enjoyed all the different activities.
It also meant that we got some grown-up time to enjoy some of the other activities and to just sit and read by the pool!
7. Endless Additional Activities
The kids really enjoyed spending time in the kids’ club but honestly, the Shangri-La Rasa Ria catered for all of our needs! The men in our group enjoyed a morning round of golf at Dali Bay Golf & Country Club. My mother-in-law and I both enjoyed an afternoon of pampering at the Spa, also based in Dalit Bay Club. It was the first time I’ve ever fallen asleep in a massage – it was that relaxing! My in-laws also went to the Dalit Bay Club and took part in a birdwatching morning where they saw species they’d never see in England. We all also enjoyed the Rasa Ria Nature Reserve and the activities on offer there.
If that wasn’t enough to keep us all busy, there was also an extensive list of excursions and external activities that we could book. Unfortunately our sunset firefly-watching cruise was cancelled twice because of rain but it did mean we had time to squeeze in a karaoke session in the hotel karaoke rooms! The kids absolutely loved singing to their favourite songs for an hour!
8. Great rooms
When we booked our stay, we considered staying in the Ocean Wing. If I had been travelling with just adults, I would book that side of the hotel. However, we decided to stay in the Garden Wing as staff recommended it to us when booking. It is definitely the better side of the hotel if you’re travelling with kids! The Garden Wing of the Shangri-La Rasa Ria is situated close to the kids’ pool, kids’ club and nature reserve. It’s also close to the beach and not far to the restaurants we used the most. We stayed in a family room – we had a king bed and a bunk bed. My in-laws had their own king room along the corridor. Our room on the 5th floor also had a small balcony with a view over the pool and beach which meant we got to see the sunset!
I think the Ocean Wing rooms would be slightly more luxurious from the pictures I have seen – they also have an outdoor bath tub on the balcony! The pool in the Ocean Wing is more tranquil, and there is a large outdoor jacuzzi area.
Both wings of the hotel have beach access. You can walk between the wings or the staff will arrange for a golf buggy for you. If you’re booking as a couple or if you have older/teenage children, you might want to consider the Ocean Wing of the hotel. If you are travelling with kids, I think the Garden Wing is a must.
9. Plenty of pool areas to choose from
There is plenty of space around the pool at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria. We never struggled to find a sunbed and the pool never felt over-busy. We preferred to spend our time in the Garden Wing pool as there was a shallow pool, 2 water slides and pool activities led by hotel staff. The kids would have spent all day on the water slides given the choice! There were also a few giant floating beanbags in the pool for guests to enjoy! The hotel wasn’t particularly busy when we travelled and so we also enjoyed the Ocean Wing pool one morning without the kids. This is a large pool with floating beanbags, but generally a calmer atmosphere! There is also a large cold jacuzzi area in the Ocean Wing. If you get bored of the pool, the beach is right on your doorstep too!
We spent most of our holiday in the Garden Wing pool. Staff are around so you can order drinks poolside and all of them are extremely friendly, especially Isaac! There is also an amazing massage therapist (Raymond) based at the Garden Wing pool area. We all enjoyed an hour’s reflexology with him over the course of the week! The kids found plenty of other children to play with and didn’t moan about being bored once!
10. A short flight from Singapore
One of the best things about our stay at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria is the fact that our flight to Kota Kinabalu was just over 2.5 hours making it an easy weekend destination! We visited Kota Kinabalu for 6 nights but a long weekend to the Shangri-La Rasa Ria would be easily achievable and a guaranteed relaxing weekend!
We flew with Scoot Airlines from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu. If (and when) we return to Borneo, I would love to do a dual-centre trip staying in Sepilok to visit the Orangutans and then spend time relaxing at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria.
If you’re looking for an amazing family hotel in Borneo, look no further than the Shangri-La Rasa Ria in Kota Kinabalu. It has everything you need for a stress-free family trip! Any questions? Let me know on Instagram.
