Embarking on a family adventure to Borneo was a dream come true, and our stay at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort was brilliant. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Borneo’s lush rainforests and pristine beaches, this luxurious haven offered us an unforgettable escape where nature, wildlife, and family fun met. I put so much effort into researching and working out what to do in Borneo with kids and where to stay with kids in Borneo. I am thrilled with how it all turned out! I’ll put tips below for you, if you are going to Borneo with kids aged 2, 9, 11 you’ll want to have a read!
Getting there and getting around in Borneo
We landed in Borneo, Kota Kinabalu with kids in tow from Langkawi and knew it was a good place to hire a car. All the blogs had said driving was easy in Borneo. But if you have luggage and 3 kids it actually wasn’t super convenient. Only one care hire company had a car that would fit us all and they were going to charge 2700RM for the week. That is an eye watering almost $1000AUD. We changed our mind and quickly found the taxi counter where we purchased our taxi fare to Rasa Ria Shangri La, more like $50 AUD! We wondered whether the driving would have added up to the $1000AUD but it didn’t even go close. So even if you read in your research on Borneo with kids that driving is easy in Borneo, it doesnt actually mean that it will work for you and your family!
Our transport throughout the week was:
- KK-Rasa Ria
- Rasa Ria-KK- Rasa Ria for island tour
- Rasa Ria-KK airport-Rasa Ria for Sandakan tour
- Rasa Ria-Kebud-Rasa Ria for Firefly and Probiscus monkey tour
- Rasa Ria-KK airport to go home
There is no need to drive much more than this in Kota Kinabalu and we weren’t in the town, we were about 45 mins – 60 mins outside. For the price of the car it almost paid for all of our tours all together!
1. A Tropical Oasis for Families:
Nestled along Borneo’s coastline, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort embraced us with its warm hospitality and stunning surroundings. Our family-friendly suite provided ample space (albeit in the same room) for everyone to unwind and relish the ocean views from our private balcony. The resort’s tranquil atmosphere instantly put us at ease, making it the perfect home base for our Borneo explorations. I wondered alot whether we should stay at Shangri La’s Tanjung Aru or Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort with kids. I pretty much only considered these two, but they were really different. We had the opportunity to see the Tanjung Aru when we went on the Island hopping day, and while this was amazing and the proximity to the boat terminal would have been beneficial, it was like a breath of fresh air when we returned to Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort at the end of the day!
The family rooms were really lovely, but do note that you will probably be on the ground floor. I found this super disappointing as you can’t see the ocean from the balcony pool/spa in the Ocean Wing. I quickly understood it was great being on the bottom floor and having a gate from our balcony straight to the pool. This was actually really convenient and I understand why they do this. We entered our room from the balcony rather than the door most of the time. I just wish I hadn’t worked myself up to thinking we would have an ocean view as you don’t really have that!
Apart from the lack of ocean view, the rooms are great. All the kids got a gorgeous dolphin toy, our 2yr old had a cot, and the older two had safe bunks to sleep on. The bathroom was massive and lots of space for all the brushes and toiletries for 5 people, and loads of space in the room for all our things to be hung and put in drawers.
We did worry about all being in one room but the rooms had plenty of room!
2. Wildlife Encounters:
Going to Borneo with such young kids is a little daunting as it is so known for wildlife, yet the jungles feel untamed and you always have the underlying threat of things like Malaria and Dengue Fever and lately Rabies.
This is another reason we chose to stay at the Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort – the renowned wildlife was right at our doorstep, and the Resort offered unique opportunities for our kids to connect with nature, where we didn’t have to stay in rooms without air con or worry about nature sneaking into our rooms!
The resort’s Nature Reserve is so well done. We did the sunrise walks to the top (no sunrise due to clouds but a gorgeous view!). It was easy for my 9 year old boy to do and he felt like he achieved something that in reality, was quite easy. It was such a perfect combination of nature while being easy to achieve with kids, which we all know as parents is super hard to achieve. We went on night walks and saw scorpions light up, massive tarantulas, and my 9 year old and I saw a much elusive pangolin! It was the first time one had been seen in years and we were so lucky to see this! My daughter didn’t see a pangolin but did see other animals we didn’t see.
Our 9 and 11 year olds were both rangers for a day in the reserve and loved this too and came back with heaps of knowledge on the plants. I would suggest doing this early on because they get a thrill out of telling you as their parents everything they learnt!
There are no orangutans at Rasa Ria Reserve anymore. Some articles on the internet are wrong here and unfortunately people come thinking they will see this next door. We got up super early and went to Sepilok by flight to see the Orangutans and this was fabulous and really easy to do, so just know that you wont see them at Rasa Ria but there is lots of great things to see still.
Watching our kids’ eyes light up as they learned about the reserve, and the things they told us about the jungle really was a memory we’ll forever cherish.
We also did the island hopping day, a river cruise with Probiscus Monkeys and fireflies, and went to Sandakan to the Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation centre and the Probiscus monkey centre. These are truly once in a lifetime adventures.
3. Kid’s Club and Activities:
Rasa Ria’s Kid’s Club might be good for little kids, but our 9 and 11 year old weren’t super interested. I think they might be a little old. If you have 4-6 year olds I think this would be ok. We took our 2 year old over and he played non stop in the outside area with trucks and bulldozers, but we couldn’t drop him off as he was under 4.
For the kids 4+ they have supervised activities like arts and crafts, cooking classes, and beach games.
Kids activities
Our 9 and 11 year olds absolutely LOVED the organised activities. I haven’t actually ever been to a resort before where this is done so consistently and so well, and I dont ever want to go back! There was never a dull moment for the entire family. There was volleyball, banana boat, foot pool, inflatable games in the pool, soccer shots, so many things it’s hard to remember them all! The people running them were enthusiastic and it was infectious. They often gave the winner or participants a free ice-cream at the end which the kids thought was awesome. I hope this is something they continue to do, my kids were the perfect age for beach sports and this added to the holiday to no end.
4. Food at Rasa Ria:
The food was lovely, but it was western prices. We enjoyed it, but after travelling through places like Langkawi and Penang it was hard to get into resort food at western prices. We often left the resort at night time to get food, and we ordered Grab a few times delivered to the hotel (like Uber Eats). Noone seemed surprised at this and the concierge staff helped u receive it, so don’t stress out, order Grab as it’s delicious!
Two places to go to eat and you HAVE to do this:
D’Dalit Transit Tuaran
This place has the most amazing food and it’s only just down the road! Absolutely take your kids here to eat. We ate so much food and it was only 86RM. Not only that, it was amazing, the kids loved the rice and it also serves fries and delicious non-alcholic drinks. Our concierge told us that local people often use this restaurant for their weddings. They also LOVE kids. They were super welcoming and carried around our two year old and made such a fuss. Just catch a Grab there and back, the Grab may even wait for you.
Gayang Seafood Restaurant, Sulaman Tuaran, Sabah
If you like seafood this is the place for you. And the kids loved the noodles so there is some yum stuff for everyone! I read reviews and wanted to try it out, but didn’t realise its an open air place that has a very different feel. But its worth it! We turned up to see so much live seafood which you choose. The language barrier wasn’t an issue at all, the lady came over and helped us and we had no trouble, she spoke amazing English and helped us work out what would work best and how much food to get. The sunset here was brilliant, and the food, which not super duper cheap, was alot cheaper and much more authentic than the food at the resort. If you can drag your kids here do it! They have high chairs and again were welcoming. We got a car from the resort and he waited nearby for us to finish and we just sent him a whatsap and he came back to pick us up. Was super easy.
5. Beach Bliss and Pool Adventures:
The resort’s pristine beach was our playground, where the kids built sandcastles and splashed in the crystal-clear waters. The kids went on the Banana Boat (Twice!!) and had an absolute ball. The boat driver knew how to ensure the kids had fun whilst in a safe environment. I never felt a worry while on both boats. The pools were gorgeous and the green slide was an absolute hit, and always had a happy staff member at it helping to ensure the kids were safe. Actually the lifeguards were present throughout and were active, this was really well done the entire time we ere there.
6. Connecting with Culture:
Borneo’s rich cultural heritage came alive during our stay. We explored and learned about traditional crafts. I got some henna done, and my 9 year old son and I did Batik Canting, and I highly highly recommend this. I can’t speak highly enough of the two people running this activity. They were. so kind, and helpful, they didn’t rush us, and then we had a traditional snack afterwards which really topped it off. This was probably the favourite activity. Sharing these experiences with our kids deepened their understanding of the world and created lasting memories for all of us and together.
The staff
I cannot finish this without noting how brilliant the concierge and all the staff were. One of my favourite things was that they let you contact them via whatsap, so you feel less of a bother than calling or stopping by all the time. We asked at the start of the holiday for 4 x purple nespresso pods in our room every day. This was delivered without fail! It added to our holiday as Melbourne parents of young kids.
The concierge was another high mention. I asked for some help booking flights to Sandakan, and by the time I had my credit card he had quotes from different companies for drivers in Sandakan, he had worked out the best time to get to the airport, what we should do, and had arranged for breakfast for us as it was going to be too early for the buffet. All of this was done without any pushiness but simply incredibly helpful. After this, we used him to book very activity as we knew we would be in safe hands. We were 100% correct. We did the island hopping, and the Probiscus Monkey and Firefly tour. He even suggested a tour that was an hour closer and far better, much more convenient with kids. I have never loved concierges. I am quite good at researching and organising things on my own, but this is incredible service. If you stay here, this is a service that will allow you to see borneo properly. We all know how hard as parents travelling is, and you are exhausted. On the first day I literally burst into tears trying to organise it all on my own and make sure you get the most of your holiday. Those days are precious and you don’t want to waste them doing something that is terrible or not worth it. That is STRESSFUL. The concierge at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort will make sure your precious minutes are spent right!
Conclusion:
Our family escapade to Borneo, with the enchanting embrace of Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, was a tapestry of adventure, relaxation, and togetherness. From exploring the rainforest to indulging in beachfront luxury, every moment was an ode to the natural beauty and cultural richness of Borneo. Rasa Ria Resort was perfect for our family’s needs, offering a harmonious balance between exploration and relaxation. If you’re seeking a remarkable family getaway where nature and luxury intertwine, a journey to Borneo is the ultimate escape you’ve been waiting for.