Manana – A little piece of paradise

Interior of a villa.

Sabah has miles and miles of beautiful beaches, some right on the door step of the city while others are found further afield and we have resorts on some of the beaches & islands, however they are mostly in the 5 star category and out of the reach for those of us on a budget. Travellers and even locals, often moan about the lack of decent affordable beach accommodation in Sabah in comparison with other tourist destinations like Bali and Thailand. Well, surprise, surprise – there is now a little hidden gem in the wilds of Kota Belud.

The Manana Borneo resort is owned and operated by Yan and Nanni on their beautiful piece of beach next to Kg Pituru Laut in Kalawat –Kota
Belud. Yan who used to work on Perhantian Island on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia has settled down in Sabah and came up with the idea of running a back packer style beach resort. Together with his wife Nani, they acquired the land in Kg. Pituru Laut and started their beach side accommodation and named it Manana Borneo resort .The name “ Manana” which means tomorrow in Spanish, was given by a Canadian travel writer who stayed at the resort and fell in love with the place. He kept putting off his departure till “Manana” and eventually they decided to call the resort Manana (and having visited the resort I can very easily see why).

Trendy restaurant.

The resort is just over an hour’s drive from Kota Kinabalu, on the road to Kota Belud in the North of Sabah. At Kelawat, turn off the main highway into the junction to Kampung Pituru laut and follow the road as it winds through villages before climbing some low hills. As the vehicle reaches the crest of the hill you are greeted with a spectacular view of forest-clad hills that end in the very blue sea. The road ends at the bottom of the hill at the small Bajau village of Kg. Pituru. Park your vehicle here and you will be picked up in the resort’s dinghy for the 10 minutes boat ride to the resort. If the tide is out, you will have to do a short walk to deeper waters before boarding the dinghy. The sea is extremely clear and is a beautiful blue green, as there is no pollution from any rivers or mangroves in the area. As you approach the resort from the sea, the first thing to greet you is the white stretch of sandy beach, crystal clear waters and the red roofs of the chalets interspersed amongst the green hillside.

Villa bathroom.

There are various categories of accommodations from beach side villas, chalets to dormitory bunk beds and even a “House of hammocks”. This is a large wall-less room on the second floor where you hang your hammock for the night. It also offers the best views of the beach. The villas are quite luxurious with their attached open-air garden concept bathrooms (walled of course), while some of the other units are more basic and share common bathrooms. It is a very rustic set up with no hot water or air-conditioning (there are fans in the rooms) and to use your mobile phone, you have to go in search of a few “hot spots” around the resort where you will be able to receive reception and there is no internet service here.

Local dishes are served at the restaurant, which also doubles as a bar and library. Food is simple and guest sit on cushions on the floor at low tables to eat, read books and watch the sun set. For activities, one could go always go swimming or snorkeling at the reef nearby which has some amazing corals and when the surf is up, try surfing and wakeboarding.

If you’re the type of person who can’t live without your I-pad and Face book, this just might not be the place for you. There is no television and guest come here for the beach, the peace and quite and to just get away from it all.

For enquires and further information:

Email: team_manana@yahoo.com
Phone : +6 014 679 3 679, 014 679 2 679
Website : http://www.manana-borneo.com

Text and Photos by David Richard