Pulau Gaya, Sabah
Go Back - HOME | Latest Kota Kinabalu Attractions > Sabah > Malaysia > World | YouTube : Facebook | About Me : Contact Me
Stilt village of Filipino immigrants at Pulau Gaya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pulau_Gaya_immigrant_dwellings.jpg
Thien Zie Yung
Pulau Gaya (GPS: 6.01799, 116.02984) is the biggest island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park in Sabah. The name cames from a Bajau word "Gayo", which means big. It is also the closest of the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park to Kota Kinabalu. The island covers an area of 15 square kilometers, and its hills reach a height of 300 meters or about 1000 feet.
Covered with dense tropical jungle, Pulau Gaya has been a forest reserve since 1923. The island is well developed in terms of tourism and environmental development. It has a luxurious 5-star resort, the Gayana Eco Resort (tel: 088 301131, www.gayana-resort.com) which is also the site for the Marine Ecology Research Centre, which aims to create and enhance appreciation of the marine ecology.
The side of Pulau Gaya facing Kota Kinabalu hosts a growing stilt village of Filipino illegal immigrants, making that part of the island a high-crime frontierland. Police Bay is probably the best swimming beach on Pulau Gaya. It is a 400-meter stretch of white sand that slopes gently into the crystal clear water.
Getting there
Ferry services is provided by Gayana Eco Resort. There are daily runs from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. The journey takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and costs RM15.Pulau Gaya is 
on the Map of Kota Kinabalu
Back to Discover Kota Kinabalu, Sabah; list of Islands in Sabah and Islands in Malaysia
Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips
Discover with Timothy videos on Sabah
What to see when in Sabah? Here are some suggestions from my videos.Disclaimer
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.