The Gayana Marine Resort is a relaxing place to stay on the pristine island of Gaya, a short boat journey from Kota Kinabalu. The spacious villas are built in a natural style, some of which have direct access to the water from the balconies. Although there is no real beach at the resort, activities on offer include snorkelling, diving, nature walks, kayaking and relaxing in the swimming pool or the Spa. It has a choice of 2 restaurants and guests can also take one of the regular shared speedboats back into Kota Kinabalu city to explore.

The resort is home to the Marine Ecology Research Centre, which, among other worthwhile projects, does fantastic work to help re-stock the ocean with giant clams. Guests can participate in replanting corals in the reef, or get up close with sea creatures from seahorses to bamboo sharks.