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TRAVEL
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June15
Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa
Bunga what? Named after the Malay word for hibiscus, the
country’s national flower, Bunga Raya is located in Polish Bay
on Gaya Island, the biggest of the five islands in the Tunku
Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Expect an exquisite stretch of
white-sand beach with centuries-old rainforest behind it, and
a coral reef that’ll have you grabbing your snorkel before the
speedboat from Kota Kinabalu’s Jesselton Point has even
moored on the jetty.
The laid-back boutique hotel has 48 timbered villas built in
traditional Bornean-style, either set into the sloping hillside or
right on the beach – think one-bedrooms with plunge pools,
two- and three-bedroom suites with outdoor balcony living
spaces and awesome views of the South China Sea, and a
royal villa with a designated butler, chef and housekeeper (oh,
and a private beach)!
We got settled into a sleek two-bedroom deluxe suite with
separate king and twin bedrooms within a single villa, boasting
a cool dark-wood interior, Frette linen, Thann toiletries, stunning
batik-printed ceilings and a complimentary mini-bar (in no order
of importance).