Pulau Gaya

Pulau Gaya

Gaya Island (Malay: Pulau Gaya) is located just 10 minutes from the city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and it is a largest island of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

The name Gaya came from a Bajau word 'Gayo' which means big. The island is 3,700 acres in size and has an elevation of up to 300 meters. The island is covered with dense tropical forest which has been announced as a forest reserve since the year 1923.

On the island, there is a 20 kilometer long hiking path and two resorts which are named Gayana Eco Resort and Bunya Raya Island Resort.

It was in 1974 that Gaya Island and Sapi Island was gazetted as Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park that makes up an area of 8990 acres. Later in 1979, the park was expanded to 12185 acres by including the three other nearby islands into the park. They are the Manukan Island, Mamutik Island and Sulug Island.

The highlight of Gaya Island is its legendary beach at the Police Bay. There is a 400-meter stretch of white sand which slopes out gently to the sea and makes the Police Beach the perfect spot for swimming in the crystal blue waters.

There are also plenty of coral reefs along the entire coast of Gaya Island which are still in good condition. Thus, this makes Gaya Island a great diving spot which is very near to the city of Kota Kinabalu. If you plan to stay at the Gaya Island, you can choose between the two resorts there.

Getting There

Getting to Gaya Island from the city of Kota Kinabalu is easy. The Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal at downtown Kota Kinabalu is the jetty point to Gaya Island. This ferry terminal are also main jetty for those heading to the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

The boat to Gaya Island depart as early as 8.30 am on weekend and last boat return to main land is at 4.15 pm. The journey will take 20 to 30 minutes to reach destinations.