Pampering myself at Nexus Spa & Resort Karambunai

East Malaysia, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Nexus Spa & Resort, 24-26 March 2013.

If you have read my post on my virgin climb up the Mount Kota Kinabalu, this is the reward I gave myself–a three-nights’ stay in the award-winning Nexus Spa & Resort Karambunai for MYR400 (SGD160) per night. I felt like I was the happiest person on earth when the service staff check us in using a buggy right to our room. At this point of time, I really couldn’t walk anymore. Dalyn and I ordered local food for room service and called it an early night.

Our adobe for the next three nights. I really liked that patio but being in tropical South East Asia, I got bitten by mosquitoes the minute I got out.

 What I really liked about this place is its tranquility and greenery.

 And the occasional giantic lizards in the gardens.

This was the view at breakfast every morning. When your body needed recuperation, this is like heaven.

We limped around the resort, the climb left us with aches that took about two weeks to recover. However being in a nice resort made me happy, as always.

The main purpose of staying in this resort was to go to a good spa. Online reviews said this was a good one.

I went for a much needed three-hour spa and massage. Service was very good actually. The three hour went by really quickly.

Rest of the time, I just hang out at the pool.

On the third day, the roof was leaking badly above Dalyn’s bed and the sink was kinda chocked, we requested to change the room but didn’t get an immediate answer. Dalyn and I went to see the hotel manager and had a long chat with him telling us the difficulties the hotel was facing – staff leaving for a newer hotel, hotel undergoing renovation, etc. It was unnecessary to tell your hotel guests that and it was a long conversation I didn’t want to go through. I went back to check the resort’s credentials. Their last award was in 2010. I guessed since then, not much was done to upgrade their service or property. We got our room changed eventually to an equally old but functioning room.

 One restaurant I liked too is Sunset Bar which is open air and away from the main resort premise and facing the ocean.

Borneo sunset … serene and romantic.

Time to go home. There are some small shops in the airport selling local produce and souvenirs that are relatively cheap. I bought some local tea and art souvenirs made in Malaysia. Retail therapy works, as always!