Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu
A large Shangri-La beach resort at Pantai Dalit, Tuaran, with Garden and Ocean wings, its own nature reserve, an 18-hole golf course and a spa.
- Neighbourhood
- Pantai Dalit, Tuaran, near Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- Status
- Open
Why we recommend it
Rasa Ria is the mainland resort for travellers who want space. It has its own stretch of Pantai Dalit, forest behind it and enough on the estate, from the nature reserve to the golf course, to fill several days without going into the city.
It is a family resort in the full sense, with a children’s pool, a kids’ club, an adventure playground and a long list of activities that runs from horse riding and cycling to river boat tours. Couples and those who want more quiet are better served by the Ocean Wing, whose suites are larger and whose pool is reserved for its own guests.
For a smaller, boat-access alternative closer to Kota Kinabalu, see Gaya Island Resort, the villa resort in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Both sit within OKYTO’s coverage of Borneo.
Rooms & Suites
The resort’s factsheet lists 499 rooms and suites in two wings. The Garden Wing holds the standard rooms, of 36 square metres, with rainforest, garden or sea views; those on the ground floor open on to a private lanai and the garden, those above have balconies. It also has family rooms and a small number of executive and speciality suites.
The Ocean Wing consists of 173 junior suites of 90 square metres, facing the garden or the sea, each with an outdoor bathtub on its balcony. Ocean Wing guests have their own swimming pool and jacuzzi pool and take breakfast in the wing’s restaurant.
Dining
The outlets listed in the resort’s factsheet are spread across both wings. Oceano Modern Grill is the Ocean Wing’s restaurant. In the Garden Wing, Coffee Terrace is the international all-day restaurant, Kozan serves teppanyaki, The Eighth is the oriental restaurant and Tepi Laut offers local hawker dishes.
The Lobby Lounge and the beachfront Sampan Bar cover drinks, and Golfer Terrace at the golf club serves local food. Restaurant concepts at large resorts change over time, so the line-up should be checked before travelling.
Wellness & Spa
The Spa offers treatments and reflexology, and there is a health club with a gymnasium. The main free-form pool has a children’s pool beside it; a second pool and a jacuzzi pool are reserved for the Ocean Wing.
The Rasa Ria Reserve, with native plants and animals and a Discovery Centre, belongs to the estate, and guided nature walks and a sunrise hike set out from it. Dalit Bay Golf and Country Club has an 18-hole championship course with a clubhouse, putting green and driving range. The resort also has a watersports centre, a floodlit tennis court, riding, cycling and river boat tours.
Location
The resort is at Pantai Dalit in the district of Tuaran, on Sabah’s west coast north of Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu International Airport is about 40 to 45 minutes away by car and the city’s shopping and commercial district about 35 minutes; the resort runs a shuttle to the city.
The distance is the point: this is a self-contained estate rather than a base for the city, though an evening in town is easy to arrange, for instance at Fatt Kee Seafood Restaurant at Suria Sabah.
- Address
- Pantai Dalit, Tuaran, Sabah 89208, Malaysia
- Website
- Official website