During many casual conversations with my friends, one typical question that never failed to be asked is “Kit, you are so busy, do you ever take a break?”
Well, the answer is yes. I admit that I am a workaholic but when time permits, I do enjoy going for a short adventure in between my work schedules just to “let it all out”. Fortunately, living in Singapore means we are surrounded by rich biodiversity in the region. Whether we are looking for a “rough-it-out” adventure or the most luxurious spa escape, we get it all within a short flight away.
Recently, I was invited for a 4-day short trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. When I first received the invitation, I thought it would be a trip about adventure as Sabah surrounds a paradigm of mountain climbing and rainforest adventuring. It turned out to be a new found ‘adventure’ that I can’t stop sharing about the experience. I am still overwhelmed.
Journey to Kota Kinabalu on SilkAir
Although I love to travel, taking a flight poses the greatest ‘challenge’ for me. I’m 1.9-metre tall and heavy built, leg room and accessibility become an issue onboard many aircrafts. It just spoils the entire trip if the flight experience is below expectation. I’d like to arrive comfortably at the destination feeling fresh and ready for my adventure. Fortunately for this trip, one of my favourite carriers, SilkAir, provided the ferrying service for the expedition.
The regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir operates flight connections from Singapore to 42 destinations in the region with a young fleet of A319 and A320 aircrafts. The airline has long been the leader in providing diverse secondary destinations in Asia and constantly breaks its boundaries by seeding and developing new flights to exciting new destinations in Asia.
The full suite of services that SilkAir provides before and during flight enhances the overall experience. Firstly, they have really comfortable seats both in Economy and Business Class; the leg room is adequate even for someone as tall as me. Also, I love the choice of Asian meals on board – they are very appetizing. When I get an occasional chance to fly on Business Class, the meals are freshly served in courses, like dining at a restaurant. The wide selection of drinks available complement the food well. Last but not least, the warm and friendly cabin crew makes the journey impeccable. I wish the flight to Kota Kinabalu could be longer so that I could fully immerse myself in the comfort of the seat and enjoy the service.
Shortly, we arrived in Sabah within 1.5 hours from takeoff.
Gayana Eco Resort
Gayana Eco Resort is perched along the edges of a tropical rainforest forest on a coral reef island off the coast of Borneo. It takes a 15-min car ride from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to reach Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal and another 15-min boat ride to reach this beautiful resort. In all, it takes less than 3 hours to travel from the concrete jungle of Singapore to this pristine paradise in Sabah.
Gayana Eco Resort has 52 tropical villas that are built over the surface of water. These villas are built based on traditional Borneo architecture and there are a total of 5 different types of luxurious villas to choose from. The Lagoon Villa is built with a comfortable terrace overlooking the entire resort and when night falls, the view is spectacular.
The Mangrove Villa gives unison of both the nature of land and sea where the deck opens to the humble mangroves while a flight of steps leads you to the sea. The Rainforest Villa comes with a large outdoor patio with plush setting to allow nature lovers a chance to reacquaint themselves to the natural environment. The Ocean Villa, as the name implies, offers magnificent view of the vast South China Sea while fresh sea breeze blows through the room.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: To Kota Kinabalu via SilkAir
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