As enchanting as sunrises are, sunsets are truly bewitching. That unique moment when the sun disappears below the western horizon is truly exceptional when you share it with someone special. Experiencing the vibrant colours painted across Mother Nature’s canvas with Joseph by my side was so magical and what made it even special was that we were aboard a luxury yacht called the Lumba Lumba at Gaya Island Resort.
Once back from our romantic picnic, we made way to the jetty to hop on the resort’s speedboat that would take us further out into the sea to board the elegant 64-foot fiberglass beauty that swayed at its moorings.
Despite nonchalantly kicking off my sandals at the bottom deck of the yacht in nautical expert fashion, I stumbled into Joseph and another sailing companion teasingly commenting that a fully qualified landlubber had arrived. As the deck surface is shiningly polished with varnish, and can be easily marred and damaged by the bottom of your Manolo heels or sandy flip flops, everyone on board the Lumba Lumba were asked to remove their footwear.
The Sunset Cruise by Gaya Island Resort only caters to 12 people or 6 couples at a time and cruising time is decided by the Captain based on the day’s sunset timings. As the sky turned rather cloudy with several threats of thunderstorms, I was pessimistic on what sort of sunset we were going to witness that evening.
I continued towards the upper deck with an uncontrollable quickstep to the sway of the yacht, somehow balancing my camera in one hand as everyone chose a seat and got ready to set sail around Malohom Bay. Lesser Fish Eagles circled the skies and Hornbills squealed from treetops as though heralding the triumph of another day as the sun started its final bow from behind the cloud curtains.
With the majestic expanse of the Crocker Range and Mount Kinabalu in the distance we cruised at a speed of 16 knots, completely mesmerised.
As our aperitifs were served, the Captain started to describe our surroundings. We gazed at the crystalline waters and began to see the appeal of chartering a yacht; either for a family holiday or simply for a romantic cruise for two. The exhilarating feeling you feel on an open sea especially during sunset is an experience that can never be paralleled on land.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Sunset Cruise along Malohom Bay, Borneo
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