City: Sabah All-inclusives
Top Hotels in Sabah All-inclusives
The best available All-inclusives to stay near Sabah
Discover the best All-inclusives in Sabah including Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort, Nature Lodge Kinabatangan, Tabin Wildlife Resort, Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, Borneo Divers Mabul Resort, Celebes Beach Resort, The Reef Dive Resort, Gaya Island Resort.
Things to do in Sabah
1. Scuba Junkie Mabul Beach Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 997 reviews
AMAZING UNFORGETABLE EXPERIENCE (:
Reviewed By reannneDiving with Scuba Junkie was an amazing experience! The team showered us with great hospitality! The accomodation was clean and comfortable, the Diving equipments were well maintained, the dives were honestly the best dives ive ever been on. From the detailed dive briefs to sharing tips and tricks of being a better diver, couldnt ask for anything more! Shout out to Simon, Eric, And Khai for the wonderful experience at Sipadan! 11/10 would recommend!!! My friends and I are already planning for a trip back ???♀️
2. Nature Lodge Kinabatangan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 449 reviews
Rustic chalets and dormitory rooms set in Kampung Bilit Kinabatangan, be ready to watch abundance of wildlife from the comfort of boat rides. Transfers to and fro Nature Lodge Kinabatangan and meals are included in the tour prices.
Nicely located lodge
Reviewed By Riekje KThe rooms are nice and clean. The staff was more than friendly. They just restarted after the covid period so some things were not available( wifi). The food was very good and more than plenty. Some things need to be updated, after covid, but nevertheless we had a wonderfull stay
3. Tabin Wildlife Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 200 reviews
Tabin Was declared a wildlife reserve because of the large numbers of animal species inhabiting its forest, including several which are highly endangered. With a protected forest area of 120,500 hectares, Tabin plays an important role as a dedicated ground for the breeding of endangered wildlife and protected mammals in Sabah. Tabin Wildlife Resort offers visitor facilities and accommodation within the wildlife reserve to provide a comfortable stay whilst experiencing the spectacular Borneo flora and fauna.
A fantastic place to enjoy the wildlife!
Reviewed By MarlboroughmalaysiaWe were the only guests in the wake of the lifting of the lockdown on domestic tourism in Malaysia. Sounding 3 days here was perfect to enjoy the wildlife- our guide, Maldin, was an expert spotter and we saw so much on every walk/drive, including a wild orangutan. The food was plentiful and the hill lodge cabin very comfortable. All the staff were so friendly. I hope more guests will visit over the coming months. This is a great resort which needs to be supported by tourists so they can enjoy the resort and park as well while sustaining the Sabah economy.
4. Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley Conservation Area
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1099 reviews
The award winning Borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL) is nestled within 43,800 hectares of protected virgin rainforest of the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah. The immense biodiversity of 200 species of plants per hectare in this pristine 130 million years old rainforest is home to more than 320 species of birds and 124 species of mamals. It is also listed as an Important Birding Area (IBA MY24) as a site for international importance for conservation of birds. Accessible via a 55 minutes flight from Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and 2.5 hours drive from Lahad Datu (LDU), BRL has 30 chalets and a spa which adopts eco sensitivity, sustainability and minimum impact as the core principles of designs and operations. Full board packages include guides and airport transfers ex- Lahad Datu. Reviews recommends a 4 days/3 nights package to experience the biodiversity of this magical 130 million years old rainforest and to pamper yourself with traditional Borneo massages at the in-house Spa.
Great resort, great guide!
Reviewed By timonl487All staff of BRL is trained well and takes care of you with great attention to detail. Many remembered our names and even my preferred breakfast. The lodge is well kept, modern and convenient amidst the immense primary rain forest. Besides the facilities we most enjoyed our private tourguide Melvin, who is absolute ace. Being our private guide he completely accommodated our requests and timing, from early bird spotting hikes to late night night-walks In case you don't have experience with wildlife spotting in rainforest, due to the dense vegetation simply spotting any animal is a challenge, therefore a sharp and experienced guide is super important. He will know where approximately animals are likely to hang around and he hears their typical sounds way before spotting them. We spotted many endemic species because of his extensive experience, which enriched our stay! My recommendation would be to spend a little extra on a good private guide, like melvin!
5. Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 609 reviews
A few minutes by boat from the islands of Sipadan and Mabul but a full world away from it lays the exhilarating Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, sitting on its sturdy stilts on the shallow sandbanks of Ligitan Reefs. Planned and built in full style as an airy, comfortable, sunny water village with no land in sight, it boasts a mile-long sandbank of powdery white sand where one can suntan at complete leisure while gazing out to the miles of brilliant turquoise stretching into the horizon offering the purest image of natural serenity. Dive spots Sipadan and Mabul can be reached in just a few minutes by speedboat. Sipadan-Kapalai is an ideal destination for diver and non-diver alike seeking a great holiday experience.
Dive luxuriously
Reviewed By Joanne JI took the 5N package as they could promise me 2 days diving in Sipadan and it was well worth it. The cost of staying/diving with Kapalai is alot more than the surrounding Mabul options but for me, i'm glad i chose that. Diving: Being able to dive two days in Sipadan was the main clincher. For most other resorts, to get a second day of diving in Sipadan, you had to pay another 400-600 ringgit per pax and that in itself was included in my total package. The resorts boasts 10 instructors and 2 dive masters which is amazing credentials. We had different guides every day and all of them had between 12-18 years experience each of diving Sipadan. So you know you have the bestest in the business who know all the sites inside and out. I never once had to walk with my tank .... it was an absolute breeze. The dive crew were always so willing to do everything for you. Accommodation: as per all the other reviews below, the resort is pretty spectacular. Tips: bring one of those mosquito repellent plug in wall devices. We had mossies every night cause the chalets are not completely sealed. There's not really much to do if you're not diving so i wouldn't stay more than 1 night if i'm coming just to chill ...
6. Borneo Divers Mabul Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 299 reviews
Located in the East Coast of Sabah, just off the coastline of Mabul Island, Borneo Divers Mabul Resort is passionate in showcasing the best of Borneo’s beautiful and lush marine life to the world. Mabul is arguably one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world. The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to a depth of 25 to 30m.
Lots of potential, but a bit underwhelming right now
Reviewed By travels_ahoyStayed here for 4 nights as part of a dive package. Overall we enjoyed our stay, but that was mostly due to the great diving that the area offers - the resort experience wasn't anything terrible, but it wasn't great either. Rooms are comfortable, and staff were very friendly. The dive operation was a bit chaotic, and we had to chase staff up to find out what was happening a lot. We were also told too late that if we wanted to do an extra days diving at Sipadan (the main diving attraction in the area) then we could apply for a permit to do so - which would have been great, if only they'd told us this in time.... The pool is nice, but it's pretty much the only non-sea activity available. The gym is not open yet, and the table-tennis table had been removed. The 'games room' was a small room with some kids toys, and you had to pay to use the small pool table in the main restaurant area. The beach bar is also very run down and has absolutely no atmosphere - we went along one night and ended up leaving after 30 mins, as it was just so depressing. The wifi is extremely slow and patchy, and the power also cut out quite a few times when we were there. The food was pretty average, and food at the buffet often ran out midway through meals and took a while to be replaced. Overall, there was nothing really bad about our stay and we had a nice time in general, but everything felt pretty basic and other similar resorts seem to offer quite a bit more.
7. Celebes Beach Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 102 reviews
Celebes Beach Resort is a new secluded two stars resort located in the Celebes Sea. The resort is based on Pom Pom Island where the peaceful white sandy beaches seem endless and the waters are a perfect turquoise blue.Whether you are interested in an idyllic beach holiday or experiencing a new quality of diving. Celebes Beach Resort has it all.
Unwelcoming, and badly managed
Reviewed By byyapI returned to CBR Pom Pom after 3 years away. Since then there has been a change in management, and for the worse. 1) No proper pick up, no sign, nobody from resort met me, and they wanted to dump me at some random jetty in Semporna. Yes given that Air Asia had decided to make my day by cancelling my early morning flight and shifting me to a 1030 flight from KL – meaning I arrived at 1330 in Tawau airport but there was nobody from the resort to meet me. I had to wander around and ask people if they knew where the pick up for CBR was. Then I was put on a general pick up van to Semporna, and the van driver tried to drop me off at some random jetty. 2) Lack of dive guide allocation – there is only 1 guide. I am the only diver in the resort. How can they mess this up? Aparently they could. I walked to the dive centre on day 2 of my stay only to find no dive guide waiting for me and my equipment all still not set up. Resort manager not in sight. I had to ask at the counter and they woke up a freelancer to bring me out. 3) Sand in the dive centre/ untidy dive centre – sand is a bane to divers. It gets into everything, is scratchy and more importantly breaches o-rings and seals. The previous management was stringent about sand in the dive centre. We couldn’t wear our slippers into the area, and there were 2 tubs set up for us to wash our feet before entering the area. This is not the case now, and even though the tub was put out to wash feet, it was never enforced. And the water was never changed during the whole 4 days I was there. A tank I had put up on the bench (because I thought I had to set up my own equipment) was left there on the bench for 4 days too. It is probably still there on the bench today. 4) Poor room maintenance – the first thing I checked when I got in was my room toilet. It didnt flush. I had to come out and ask for someone to repair it. It took a while. Immediately after they left, I turned on the lights because it was getting dark. There are only 2 lights for the room, and 1 wasn’t working. I had to complain again. It wasn’t just a change of bulb but needed rewiring. I was shooed out of the room. All in, I didnt get to use my room for the first 2 hours – till after dinner infact, since I arrived in so late that day. 5) Workmen entered my room unauthorised and unasked for, whilst I was out – on day 4 after I came back from my 2 morning dives, and I went to my room, I noticed that the bed has been moved to 1 side, the room aircon was on full blast whereas Im always sure to turn it off before leaving, there were dirty footprints tracking into and out of the room, paint chips and dust on the floor, and bolts and black soot in the toilet area. Nobody has told me why, and I had nothing that needed repairing. 6) Waited 15 minutes for the dive boat to pick me up whilst clinging to a buoy. It could have been worse, I could have surfaced in the middle of the ocean with no buoy line to hang on to. On day 4 we were allocated a different boat and boat driver than normal – I understand these guys normally handle the snorkellers. There was me, my guide, 2 discovery scuba (first time try out divers), and an instructor. The discovery scuba & instructor came out 10 minutes before me bringing their total waiting time to 25 mins. What an introduction to scuba diving. All in it took the boat guys 1 hour and 25 minutes to realise that we werent surfacing where we dropped off and that they should start looking for us. This is an accident waiting to happen. Despite our late return the manager made no remark, no comment and no apology for the incident. 7) They no longer have spotters – in critter heaven – Pom Pom is renown for its small stuff, exotic and incredibly diverse sea life. This is the reason divers visit the place. The guide is basically doing his job – guiding divers from point a to point b. Dont get me wrong. He is a nice guy, he is just not trained. Many times he would have to wait for me while I stopped and looked for stuff. 8) Lastly – the manager is inaccessible, aloof, and never available. Not just all the issues over the days – the confusion over the dive guide, the snorkeller boat allocation to divers, but on day 5, I wanted to settle my bill – it was just for a few cans of beer which I had consumed there. But I needed small change. The girl at the counter couldnt change my cash for me because she need access to the petty cash box which only the manager has to key to. And he wasnt awake yet. It was 10 am. Actually I realised that the manager was never around in the mornings. I only might catch a glimpse of him in the afternoon. 11 am I went to check – he was awake and had his breakfast but in no mood to open any petty cash box for me. This is terrible attitude and knocks off on the whole staff there. Dont get me wrong, I want to love this place. I used to love this place. I brought 15 divers here to celebrate my 500th dive 3 years ago. The previous manager Nurul, would make us all welcome, greet us warmly every morning, and make sure we were well tended to. She would go the extra mile for us. No house reef dive was ever a “self dive”. We would always have somebody bring us around from the dive crew, sometime Nurul herself would go with us. This year when I went back, the 2 people who greeted me warmly were ex staffers no longer working at CBR, and all part of Nurul’s dive crew. Come on, get your act together. Since Nurul left, this place has had quite a few alarming reviews on trip advisor. Nothing spreads faster than bad reputation. You have all the best resources, beautiful surroundings, and even though there are other new resorts on the strip, there is enough room for everybody. For Malaysians, this is our own backyard. If we love it we will keep coming. But if we don’t, we vote with our feet.
8. The Reef Dive Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 497 reviews
The Reef Dive Resort at Mataking Island is an exclusive romantic & diving destination in the Celebes Sea, located just 40 minutes boat ride from Semporna, East Coast of Sabah in Malaysia. It is a promised island with majestic treasures, natural warmth and friendship for holiday makers, spa lovers, honeymooners and divers alike. Whether it is a retreat for yourself or exciting undersea exploration, you’ll find Mataking the perfect choice.The resort is caressed by the tropical sea breeze. Our executive king chalets, premier deluxe rooms and brand new luxurious beach villas designed in traditional architecture offering simply elegant and exquisite accommodation for up to 100 guests in a serene and cozy environment. Enjoy Malaysian and International cuisine with an enticing spread of fresh local seafood or relish the weekend barbecued favorites at our sea facing restaurant.
At Mataking one feels like a king
Reviewed By WLCHONGA perfect experience for all of us right from the booking till our departure! Kudos to Janice who took the trouble to fulfil our requests that she never did before(absolutely legal though.?) Our transfer to Mataking from Semporna was timely and went without a hitch. Checking in was uneventful. We chose the King Chalet and Beach Chalets. And both were superb. Snorkelling experience was just a doorstep away , just beside Moses Walk( yes the Moses that split the sea! And one can see it occurring daily here!) We soon realised that this area is a Snorkelling haven as will see boatloads of snorkelers from outside the island anchoring there. Our experience at the resort was further enhanced by the likes of Lan(who shot a video of us at Mataking Kecil (which housed a bikini bar!) Oh yes John the man! He was there for us throughout our 5 days 4 night stay at the resort. All whims and fancies fulfilled!
9. Gaya Island Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1982 reviews
Gaya Island Resort is located on Pulau Gaya, the largest of a cluster of five islands that form the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, a natural conservation area off the coast of Borneo, close to Kota Kinabalu. Gaya Island Resort has a unique setting: the land is fringed with a golden sandy beach, rocky coastal outcrops, and surrounded by coral reefs. The hilly island landscape is covered with lush tropical rainforest and an abundance of flora and fauna. And to complete this perfect setting, visible in the distance, is the stunning outline of Mount Kinabalu. The guest villa exterior respects Sabahan architecture uses local materials and blends harmoniously with the natural environment. The interior living space is designed with contemporary elegance to create warmth, comfort and a serene indoor setting. Gaya Island Resort is committed to ecologically sustainable practices to minimise the carbon footprint within its environment. Therefore the resort is a walking resort and only minimal motorised vehicles are used for operational purposes.
Be careful
Reviewed By Qwest OI tried to book this hotel online. But the transaction failed probably due to additional security measure which I totally understand as I was trying to book from abroad. But when I checked my credit card, the pending transaction was waiting for the resort to cancel/accept. It was nightmare to fix. When I tried to book through email, no response. I gave up about after a week. Instead I booked another resort which had more sophisticated and helpful customer service.
