Getting acquainted with the sun, sand & the sea at Gaya Island Resort’s Tavajun Bay
If you were wondering about my silence in April, that’s because I was holidaying most of the time. I was in Bangkok for Songkran in early April, followed by a leisurely beach getaway at Gaya Island Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
I seriously can get used to this, heh ;)
Tavajun Bay is Gaya Island Resort’s private beach accessible to all their in-house guests. It is a tranquil beach located five minutes from the resort via complimentary boat transfer (hourly). It’s the perfect place to be relaxing by the beach and falling asleep to the sound of sea waves and beautiful sea-nery.
All dressed for a beach holiday!
I brought my big sun hat along, which Darren could not stop teasing me about. But hey – it did its job of keeping my face outta the sun super well.
Tavajun Bay
Pristine-white sand and clear waters greeted us as we arrived. I was in awe of the lush greenery just behind.
What I appreciated was that the private beach allowed us the privacy to sunbathe in peace (I wouldn’t mind more people around if I had a better figure haha).
In awe of the beautiful sights!
Tavajun Bay
I couldn’t wait to plonk myself onto one of the welcoming deck chairs
Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre
The resort is in the midst of setting up a marine rescue center at the beach to rehabilitate turtles and other marine life. It should be ready by later part of 2013.
Enjoying the pristine view – it’s not everyday I get to be so intimate with nature. And yes, I have a big butterfly on my head. I only dare to wear it on this private beach. heh.
Butterfly hairband – From Bangkok (they have them in birds too – stay tuned *wink*)
Striped shades – House of Holland
The beach is all mine. Yay.
For lunch, we pre-ordered a personalised a gourmet picnic basket for an indulgent afternoon. Everything was meticulously set-up to create an exclusive ambience. The friendly resort staff was always on-hand to make sure we felt comfortable. I felt so pampered.
Picnicking in idyllic style
The food containers were adorable!
We ordered pitas, crispy brinjal with Thai chilli sauce (our fave), potato salad and an assortment of cheese and fruits. And a bottle of white wine. Indulgence, indulgence. More please!
This guy is definitely born to enjoy life.
Sipping wine while enjoying the beautiful scenery in front of me. I am so glad I don’t need to prepare my own picnic basket for once!
The mountains look even lovelier after a glass of wine.
Sitting on the beach with nary a worry made me think about life, about what I really wanted.
More importantly, it allowed me to share some quality time with my dear friend Darren – cos’ there was no Internet on the island, wahaha :DAt times, I think we are all so attached to the online world, we are hidden behind our mobile devices all the time until we lose sight of the person right in front of us. So coming to Tavajun Bay could be a great way to spend time with a loved one, and we saw honeymooners and elderly couples enjoying each other’s company. It was a wholesome feeling.
For those who want something more simple, there is a dining area on the beach which serves excellent seafood.
I like the open-air concept
The food is so good a family of wild boars from the jungle regularly visit the restaurant. They are pretty harmless though (as long as you don’t try anything funny), staying at the boundary of the restaurant while hoping to get some food. This was the first time I came face-to-face with a wild boar, and the feeling was electrifying.
Time to explore the waters after lunch!
I take my hat off Darren – he’s such a natural poser I was left dumb-founded.
I was seduced to try the pose myself too, but I think his was better.
It was soon time to get back to the resort for more activities, and we left feeling well-relaxed and satisfied.
What a wonderful way to spend the day! :)
More on Gaya Island Resort to come… :)