Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia Aug / Sep2005

Upon our arrival we met Leonie’s parents at the airport & introduced us to local hospitality Kota Kinabalu style. I read online that the people of KK were amazing & it is absolutely true. I cannot find the words to express the warmth & kindness of the Wong Family & the generous way that they shared their lives. We exchanged numbers & promised to contact each other the next day to make plans to meet for a drink.

We arrived at the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort and checked into our delightful & peaceful room. From this point on, we found ourselves surrounded by Borneo's finest hospitality professionals during every second of our day. All of the staff in this resort were genuinely friendly & truly a pleasure throughout the day. They were always available when needed, without being intrusive, and offered a variety of services that would appeal to people of all types, interests & cultures. As someone coming from 10 years in the hospitality industry I have great respect for what the management & staff of this resort have achieved. Keep up the GREAT work everyone - you make holidays memorable! Below is a sample of one of the evening meals which gave us so much pleasure at Coco-Joe's: Your own personal BBQ prepared beside your table on an as-ordered-basis - very original idea! This made such an impression on us that we came back a second time. Below we have also included a photo of Vivian from the Spa who impressed us with her gentle, warm & caring nature.

This was a gorgeous resort which you could clearly see was lovingly maintained with great pride.

The beach and pool areas were nicely planned with cozy corners, child friendly play areas, grassy or sandy ... something to suit everyone.

Below is a view of the famous Mount Kota Kinabalu: the highest mountain in South East Asia. We were very lucky to see it on a clear evening from our beach - majestic.