Last Updated on 27th February 2026 by Bejal

Christmas 2016 for us was spent in the tropical climes of Borneo and with that in mind, our hotel of choice was The Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, located 10 minutes from the airport at Kota Kinabalu and a short drive from the city itself.

Always wondered what Shangri-La means? Well, wonder no more…Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. The author describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains.

You will soon get to know the quotes form this book as every night during turn-down service a little tag with an apt quote from the novel will be placed on your pillow.

Despite not being a huge fan of resort style hotels, this hotel and it’s location, amenities, food, luxe Shangri-la branding just won us over for that perfect beach side stay. Oh, and just to mention that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed here when they visited Borneo back in 2012. Additionally who can resist an award-winning spa on it’s own little island, deemed the best in Borneo?!! The hotel has a very impressive list of  accolades to its name, and I was all set to find out why…

The minute you enter the grounds of the hotel, you are wowed by the sheer size of the hotel and the lush green vegetation around you. I could hear the sea as I left our private transfer car and walked into the entrance where you are met with a gleaming smile from a lady dressed in the Borneon Dayak traditional dress, playing a welcome song on an instrument that resembled a xylophone

We were then ushered to some seats and a grand desk in the main reception area where refreshing tropical cocktails were pressed into our hands and within minutes we were in our Mount Kinabalu Mountain View Room. The room just like the lobby area had accents of Borneo’s rich heritage culture. If you stay for 7 nights or more, you become a ‘special’ customer of the hotel and are fast tracked through the whole check-in process with a number of complimentary treats.

We quickly freshened up and zipped around the resort to find out what this place was all about. The fact that it is right on the beach and you can constantly hear the sea crashing against the bank provides that paradise feel.  It was actually close to sunset time and we could see there was a somewhat large gathering around the beach area.  As we got closer we realised why…

The sun set over the South China Sea glistens beautifully right in front of the resort and what better back drop do you need in paradise than this. All you need now is a cocktail and a seafood barbecue right?! More on this thought later in the post.

EATERIES

With food on our minds as we hadn’t had a proper meal since Breakfast back in Kuala Lumpur, it was time to check out the dining options in this place and I can proudly say we actually dined at each and every single one of them!

Café Tatu

This is more of a modern contemporary styled restaurant which can appeal to all.  It serves breakfast and dinner and one of the things I love about it is the open kitchen style. You can see the chefs rustling up your delights right before you. I also loved the variety it offered in terms of cuisine which didn’t just concentrate on Malaysian dishes but also, Mongolian, Tandoori, Asian Noodles. Dim Sum, pasta, salads, desserts and also a la carte medleys. The restaurant is located on the garden level surrounded by the lovely tropical vegetation.

Coco-Joe’s Bar & Grill

Again, I would class this as a contemporary style casual restaurant and bar which gives you direct view out to the South China Sea. You can also opt for private beach dining options by reserving your choice of cabana creating beautiful romantic soiree. If you love seafood and barbecue meat, Coco-Joe’s specialises in this and also refreshing cocktails both alcoholic and non-alcoholic but my absolute favourites were the smoothie’s shakes. I also liked their quirky signs dotted around the bar. A true sign of Malaysian humour.

Peppino

I love Italian food and this was one of my favourites as the cuisine was pretty authentic but that’s no surprise as the chef is Sardinian! Malaysian Tatler has hailed this THE best Italian and has won an array of awards since 2002.

The restaurant has a number of signature dishes and if you are there for a special occasion then 10% of the beverage charge is deducted off your bill!

My personal favourite here are the fresh authentic pizza and olive pate, especially as we sat at the same table Will’s and Kate dined at during their visit!

Shang Palace

As the name suggest this is the resort’s Chinese and Cantonese restaurant and boasts classic traditional Chinese décor. If you love Dim Sum, you will be ecstatic to know it serves this for breakfast, lunch and dinner – After all, the restaurant specialises in dim sum!

If you happen to be here with a party, you can book out one of its 2 private dining rooms for a special soiree.

The chef of Shang palace, Chua Chee Seng is known for his use of local fresh ingredients with a Malay and Indian fusion.

The Borneo Lounge & Bar

This bar is located in the main hotel lobby and serves a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with an extensive wine list. I would recommend grabbing a seat by the large open windows for a perfect view of the South China Sea and the stunning sunset vistas. Some nights there is a live singer to supplement the ambiance. If you have a sweet tooth, they also sell a selection of tempting delights!

The Sunset Bar

This was my absolutely favourite place for sundowners. The bar lies on a private island with a small walkway and serves a vast range of cocktails including the resort’s signature drink, the Lepa Lepa.

I would recommend booking as early as possible for a seat out on the platform where padded lowered seats provide your backrest and you can see straight out to the ceaseless horizon. Here you will have the most unobstructed view of the South China Sea and the best sunset view in town! We booked out spot 5, which has one of the best views as recommended by management, however you can book indoor or outdoor seats and there’s an array of seating options.

Snacks can also be ordered to go with your drinks or you can make a night of it and hang out here and have a seafood barbecue dinner. You decide! Local live entertainment is also on offer here should you wish to end the night with

 Cool Box Ice Cream Bar

This place is seriously cool and not just for kids! The choice of ice-cream options and ice-cream desserts is endless! You can go for creamy bars, sundaes, tongue numbers, freezers, and milkshakes! The perfect place to go and cool off in the tropical heat.

RELAXATION TIME

The resort hosts, an award winning Spa, CHI. The spa is situated on it’s own small rotunda of oasis and is connected to the main resort by a  path. All treatments are plant based and absolutely indulgent. Each treatment is undertaken in one of the private treatment huts that sit in the spas village. The spa focusses on the  universal life force that governs well-being and personal vitality – you can find out about this on their website.

Following four mountain and rainforest trip I opted for a reflexology massage here, which totally gave me the zen that I was looking for. My tip would be to book as early as possible at the spa, it’s normal for guests to book up to a year in advance. Yes, it’s really that good!!

GARDENS AND POOLS

The  traditional Borneon foliage has been translated across the resort and is extended through in the design of the gardens and outside communal spaces. 

The resort boasts a beautiful infinity pool for the adults and children’s (including toddlers) pool and play areas in the vicinity. There are water slides, for both the children and adults and fun activity stations such as the water battle stations with balloon launchers.

ACTIVITIES

There is quite simply a whole plethora of activities on of at this resort but the most scheduled and structured are those focussing on well-being such as yoga and Pilates. You can also however join in with coconut bowling competitions, volleyball games for staff vs guests, table tennis. Should you wish to work-out there is a state of the art gym and leisure centre and also a couple of tennis courts.

However the sorts of activities, we were interested in involved making use of the resorts on-site private marina which hosts a number of water sports, jet ski’s and diving courses but additionally they have  a fleet of boats that ca transport you to the islands located around the area. Boats leave every hour to the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park.  This is a set of 5 islands about a 15-20 minute boat ride away and are ideal for snorkelling, swimming, guided hiking and other water sports. It’s a great way to spend a day, hoping form island to island. My recommendations are Pulau Manakan for hiking and Pulau Sapi for snorkelling.

 

THE COMMUNITY & CONSERVATION

I was really interested to learn the resort has adopted a local school where the pupils come from underprivileged  backgrounds. The resort supports the school by stocking the library with books, providing nutritious foods and medical staff to monitor their nutrition. The school is made into a safe environment for children to learn and develop and provides them with opportunities they would not be able to have otherwise. Once a week, there are guest visits to the school, however as we visited over Christmas, the school was shut but it would have been great to see the work of the resort in practice.

There is also the Sanctuary programme which is essentially a conservation project led by the resorts marine biologist. It’s run at the Marina and educates on the growing impact of humans on the biodiversity of Borneo and responsibility of preservation.

SHEER UNADULTERATED PERFECTION FOR

  Families, Couples, Special occasions, Honeymoons.

 

Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa

20 Jalan Aru 

Tanjung Aru 88100

Kota Kinabalu 

Sabah 

  Malaysia

Tel:  (60 88) 327 888

 

If you’re considering a trip that will be based in Kota Kinabalu, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this family friendly resort which will fulfil your every sense of desire in paradise.

 

Want to read more about my time in Borneo?

Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary: Hanging with the King of the Forests

Borneo: A Mountain, The Poring Forest and  in search of the elusive Rafflesia Flower

 

À Bientôt…

 

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