Sutera Sanctuary Lodges at Manukan Island

The private beach was lovely with soft white sand and beautiful clear water. We stayed in a hillside villa which had a wonderful view of the beach and the sea. Every member of staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. Great place for snorkelling and seeing lots of different fish.

Only one shop on the island to buy water and snacks - the prices were heavily inflated. The hotel provided two small plastic 500ml bottles per guest per day - not enough. The hotel should consider using recyclable materials for providing water and toiletries rather than so much plastic. There was a lot of plastic washing up on the beach everyday. The free boat transfer that’s included in the price only leaves at very specific times during the morning - after this you have to pay RM250 for your own boat.

lovely comfortable room with extra seating area. good air con. Room very near to the reception area and not too near to the main walk way where the day trippers filed in. Breakfast catered for every nationality choices. The private beach had sunbeds and shades and we never had a problem getting one! The beach was clean and the sea warm and a safe snorkelling area was protected by coloured buoys. Many boats came to the island each day so safe area was appreciated and this also kept the coral from boat damage in the "safe" area. Many beautiful fish and healthy coral.

Warning ..if you are not fit do not go to the hillside Villas as the steps are VERY steep. Only one restaurant with fixed menu so limited in choice for evening meal as we stayed 4 nights.

The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The location is beautiful.

The check out process was not clear and very confusing, where to go, which boat to get on ect.

Spacious room with a balcony overlooking the sea. Room smells Heavenly when we first arrived and ac already working and it felt great after the hot boat ride. The private beach was nice as the island could get crowded during the day. All the staff was nice and friendly. Food tasted authentic.

The room had no mirrors or storage or hooks to hang towels and clothes. The bathroom was odd as it was on a lower level and have to descend about 4 steps down and although there was a handrail, may pose a fall risk in the dark or anyone with mobility concern. Breakfast was ok but since it was set meals, not much variety if you stay for several days. Beach has a lot of trash and they make good effort to clean it daily but there was still a lot of trash left. The private beach was nice but no service to buy or order food and drinks or towel service. I had to walk all the way back to my room or to the restaurant to get drinks and snacks, which was a distance away. There was a staff at the beach but he was just sitting under the shade, did not come around to offer food or beverage service.

staff & room

the island is very hot. No air around there. may be near at k.kinabalu city.

We booked one of the hillside lodges and had the private beach just in front of us. The lodge was spacy, comfortable, clean and luxurios with big windows faced to the sea. After the masses of daily tourists left the island at 4:30 pm it was quiet and calm. The staff was very friendly and polite. We would definetly recommend to go there and enjoy the cristal clear sea and sunsets.

There are just two opportunities to eat on the island, there is no possibility to cook on your own. The food was okay, the service didn't understand english language very well.

Our hillside villa was superb - a huge sitting room, large bedroom, and a vast bathroom, plus an outdoor area with a spectacular view out over the beach and sea. It was a lot more upmarket than I had expected! We had a good dinner in the hotel's pleasant open-air restaurant (serenaded by some excellent musicians!), and the breakfast buffet the following morning was also good. The fresh-water swimming pool was large and refreshing. And we saw a lot of fish while snorkelling over the coral off the beach (but only deep enough to do that at high tide). The staff were outstandingly helpful and friendly.

There was no WiFi in the villa itself, but good connection in the reception area, and intermittent connection in the restaurant. And (no fault of the hotel of course) we got bitten by sandflies while on the beach.

Amazing view from hillside villas, and nice private beach. Breakfast is pretty good with different nice alternatives.

Lunch and Dinner times Restaurant was too limited. Beverages was too hot as the restaurant fridge was not working. We couldn’t drink cold soft drinks including beer. Wine option available if you buy a bottle only. Room was not cleaned, there was some hairs and dirty places. No drinking water at the room.

Love the hillside villa! Huge 2 storey housing that is comfortable with friendly staff all along the way. Excellent service from the staff at Sutera. Private access to the beach is also available too with a beach volleyball court, lounge chairs etc. Bath towels, beach towels and all toiletries were all provided for.

Getting to the island can be tricky. After 4pm, you would need to pay MYR300 to get a boat to bring you to the island and that could be arranged in advance. Food options were limited too as there were only one restaurant so wouldn’t recommend to stay more than 2 nights (or bring your own food and snacks!)

Our villa was fantastic and very comfortable. Food was great but a little expensive. Lovely atmosphere in the late afternoon and evening. Snorkeling off the private lodge beach had some lovely coral and fish. Really enjoyed our stay.

Pool was a bit tired looking but good. Having day visitors gave the lodge a different feel and it was a bit uncomfortable at times in terms of respecting local sensitivities but not really a big problem. A bit peeved that we had to pay a lot extra for an earlier boat and found that the lodged used it to transport linen anyway!