It is rare to step into a resort this grand and instantly feel a sense of belonging – that gentle nudge saying you’ve arrived somewhere special. At Shangri-La Rasa Ria, that feeling came long before I even saw the ocean. It began with the hotel driver, Alpian, who picked me up from the airport. Upon hearing that I hadn’t had durian in years, he drove slowly to find a durian stall along the way. No luck with durians but it his thought that counts. It continued with the warm smiles that greeted me in the lobby and a handmade necklace placed gently over my shoulders – a gesture so simple yet deeply personal, echoing the spirit of Sabah itself – genuine, generous, and full of heart.
I’ve spent years of my life in hotel rooms across continents, but this felt different. There’s something profoundly human about the way people here connect. From the General Manager to the gardeners and everyone in between – the heart is the same. Every interaction feels effortless, sincere and human. It is service that doesn’t come from a manual, but from the soul.
The spirit of Sabah lives here – in every smile, every gesture, every word spoken from the heart.
A Destination Shaped by Nature and Warmth
What struck me almost immediately was the scale of Shangri-La Rasa Ria. Four hundred acres, wrapped by jungle, brushed by the South China Sea, and the best golf course in Sabah. The resort feels alive. Squirrels nipping up and down the trees. Birds everywhere, each with its own call. I was told there are over eighty species of birds here, and it shows. Mornings sound like nature’s own orchestra warming up for the day.
And then there are the surprises. Otters slipping in and out of the lake, a binturong shuffling quietly through the trees, wildlife most of us only heard about suddenly becoming part of the landscape.
Shangri-La Rasa Ria is a gentle introduction to the Bornean outdoors – wild yet safe, vast yet somehow intimate. You feel cradled by nature without ever being overwhelmed by it. The trees feel ancient, the air feels heavier with life, and there’s a sense that this land has its own quiet pulse.
What amazes me most is how a resort this expansive still feels personal. Not once did I feel lost in space or swallowed by its size. Somehow the warmth reaches you, everywhere. Every smile is genuine, every gesture unforced, and every interaction feels grounded in kindness.
Heart travels far here. Maybe that’s why it never feels big, it feels welcoming.
My Little Sanctuary by the Sea
My room felt like a private cocoon – quiet, airy, and completely my own. The moment I stepped in, the first thing that pulled me was the view. The South China Sea stretched out endlessly. I’d slide the balcony doors open and the sound of the waves would fill the room instantly.
There was a huge outdoor bath on the terrace, open to the sky, and a big circular seat so ridiculously comfortable. The terrace became my favourite spot. I’d settle in with a book, end up asleep, wake up to the sea breeze, and start all over again.
And who says baths are only for evenings?
In the middle of the day, with sunlight spilling over the terrace and the sound of the waves drifting in, that outdoor bath felt like the best kind of escape – just warm water, blue skies, and a splendid view. Sometimes breaking the usual way of doing things ends up being the best part of the stay.
Everything about the room felt thoughtful – the layout, the textures, the light, even the silence. It wasn’t luxury that tried to impress. It was luxury that hugged you gently, letting you sink into yourself.
A Taste of Rasa Ria
Food always says something about a place – its roots, its people, its pride. At Rasa Ria, every meal felt like a small window into Sabah’s warmth.
Lunch at Tepi Laut was my first hint. The pomelo salad with prawns was bright, zesty, and so refreshing I found myself slowing down just to make it last a little longer. And the Sparkling Calamansi….. They told me the calamansi came straight from their own garden. It’s citrus with a kick of sunshine – perfect!
Dinner at the Japanese Restaurant, Kozan, came with a little surprise. I asked, half-jokingly, if the chef could do the whole knife-and-fire teppanyaki show. And guess what? He did. Without hesitation!
There was fire, sizzle, laughter, the whole performance – the kind of moment that only happens in places where staff are genuinely happy to go the extra mile, just because they can. And the food…. My salmon teriyaki was perfectly cooked with crispy skin, full of flavour.
Breakfast at Coast was great. I always chose to sit outside. Nothing beats morning air watching the ocean, and a plate full of good food. What surprised me (and made me smile every time) was how the staff would cover my food whenever I walked away. “Just to make sure the birds don’t help themselves,” they said. The birds – bold little freeloaders, clearly had a reputation! But the staff were faster. And kinder.
As sunset approached, Sampan bar became the obvious place to be. This is where the sky turns into a painting. Sabah doesn’t do ordinary sunsets. That evening had its own mood. The whole horizon turned gold first, then deepened into warmer colours that seemed to settle slowly over the sea.
I sat with my drink, taking it in, and watched the traditional dancers performing gracefully. When the fire show started, the flames spun fast against the evening light, and for a moment the whole scene felt raw, real, and full of energy.
It wasn’t staged glamour. It was culture, pride, and energy blending into the night. It felt real. It felt like Sabah showing you a part of itself.
Rasa Ria Reserve
If there’s one thing that tells you this resort is more than just rooms and views, it is the fact that you can step out before sunrise and walk straight into a rainforest with a headlamp on. That’s exactly how my morning began. At 5am, the forest was still half-asleep, and we walked in with nothing but torchlight guiding the way. No big expectations, just curiosity about the 64-acre nature reserve sitting right inside the resort.
We spotted glowing mushrooms on the forest floor, fluorescent green and bright. And a deadly viper curled up on a branch, thankfully fast asleep and didn’t bother us.
By the time we reached the lookout point, the sky had started changing. And then the sunrise arrived – flames of orange lighting up the layer of clouds, with Mount Kinabalu standing steady in the background. One guest even asked if a corner of the sky was actually on fire!
Honestly, it did look like it – a dramatic sweep of colour that genuinely made you wonder if Sabah wakes up a little more intensely than the rest of the world. The whole scene was surreal – the mountain on the horizon, the sea beside us, the forest waking up around us.
Seeing Mt Kinabalu again made me smile. The last time I stood proudly on its peak was when I summited it in 2005. This felt like a quiet reunion, unexpected, but perfect.
We stayed there for a while, watching the colours shift, listening to the forest wake up around us. Cicadas buzzing, birds starting their morning calls, the world slowly brightening. It was calm, grounding, and honestly one of the best ways to start a day. I could have stayed up there for hours.
A Nature Led Escape
What I love most about Rasa Ria is how the whole place feels made for slowing down without ever feeling bored. The pools curve naturally around the landscape, framed by palm trees and open sky. There’s a jacuzzi that overlooks the ocean. With the sea stretched in front of you and the breeze brushing against your skin, it is impossible not to relax. The beach is wide, quiet, and beautifully untouched. It is wonderful to watch the surfers try their luck with the small rolling waves.
One afternoon, I ended up on horseback with Molly, a calm and sweet horse who seemed to know exactly where to go. We walked along the sand as the sun started dipping, the sky shifting into deeper colours. It wasn’t a dramatic activity, but it felt grounding in the nicest way.
And then came the sunset – the one that genuinely made me stop walking.
Sabah’s sunsets are not your everyday sunsets. They are dramatic. They demand attention. This one exploded into the sky with golden light so intense it felt unreal. The clouds swirled like they were moving in slow motion, turning into layers of molten gold and soft amber. The ocean caught every bit of that light, scattering it across the surface like a thousand tiny sparks.
This is the kind of sunset that ought to put Sabah on the world map as one of the best places in the world to witness sunset – no exaggeration. I stood there speechless, watching the sky deepen and shift, feeling that quiet awe settle inside me.
I spent a lot of time barefoot here – on the grass, on the sand, everywhere. There’s something about feeling the earth directly beneath your feet that instantly connects you to a place. At one point, I even tried cartwheeling on the grass (badly, but with full commitment. LOL!). I jumped, laughed, and for a moment felt like a kid released into a field for the first time.
That’s the magic of this resort. You feel peaceful, but also playful. Relaxed, yet fully alive. It holds both energies so naturally that you end up holding them too.
Where Heart Makes the Biggest Impression
I’ve spent a big part of my life drifting through hotel rooms, from tiny city stays to sprawling beachfront resorts. After a while, they start to blur together. Faces fades. Voices blur. Service begins to feel rehearsed, hospitality becomes a routine, and you learn not to expect too much, but Rasa Ria did something I genuinely didn’t expect.
For a resort this huge, with hundreds of local staff, it somehow feels intimate. Warm. Human. The way the people connect with you here is different. It is not the polished performance you sometimes find in big hotels. It is the kind that comes naturally to Sabahans. The GM, the managers, the breakfast team, the buggy drivers – everyone carries the same kindness, the same sincerity.
Many of them are from the Bajau tribe in Tuaran, the resort town, and you can feel the pride they have in this place. The resort supports their community. And the community, in return, give everything back to their guests.
It is impossible not to feel that energy.
And somewhere in between all this warmth, I learned how much the resort gives back to the land and the people who shape it. Their sustainability efforts run deep – quietly thoughtful, rooted in respect, and very much part of daily life here. It didn’t need a speech or a tour for me to notice it. You simply feel that this place is cared for, and in return, it cares for everyone who walks through.
I’ve written about their sustainability journey → HERE
And when I think back to the beginning of this story, that first moment I stepped foot here at the resort and felt that unexpected nudge inside me, IT FEELS RIGHT.
It Feels Right
Some places impress you.
This one remembers you.
In the curve of a smile,
in the way names stay
long after you’ve arrived.
Here,
the land hums softly under your feet,
and the sea speaks in a language
you don’t need to translate.
The sunsets burn gold,
as if Sabah wants to remind you
that beauty can be bold
and gentle at the same time.
The people
oh, the people
carry warmth like second nature.
Not trained,
not practised,
but inherited.
A kindness passed through generations,
rooted in Tuaran soil
and carried into every greeting,
every gesture,
every quiet moment of care.
And you
the traveller who has slept
in too many rooms
and lived out of too many bags.
You pause.
You breathe.
You feel held.
Because here….
Luxury doesn’t shine,
it listens.
Nature doesn’t stand still,
it teaches.
And people don’t serve,
they care.
Rasa Ria
A place where the heart lives,
where the land breathes,
where kindness feels inherited,
and from the very first step,
Everything simply feels right.
~ Shannim, November 2025 🦋
⭐ Add this to your Sabah list – and yes, you can come back here to tell me I was right!
🌍 Location: Pantai Dalit, Tuaran, Sabah (about 40 minutes from Kota Kinabalu international Airport)
🏝️ Resort: Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu
🔗 Website: www.shangri-la.com/kotakinabalu/rasariaresort
📞 Contact: +60 88 797 888
