In one of my earlier posts documenting our Sabah holiday trip, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa is our highly recommended choice of accommodation especially for families with children because of the wide range of kid-friendly amenities. Apart from that, private jetty STAR Marina is exclusively owned and operated by the resort, offering guests easy accessibility to neighbouring islands for day trips and beach activities. If you have some hours to spare, you can take the speedboat shuttle to Manukan Island!

It was the girls’ first time taking a speedboat. Little misschewy was totally enjoying the ride while Mini misschewy was a little scared and clung onto Daddy. Life vests were provided before we set off and the journey was just a short 5 to 10 minutes.

Manukan Island is the second largest island in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. It was mood-lifting to see the sandy white beach and pristine clear waters when we set foot on the island.

If you like to unwind at the beach, Manukan Island is a great choice. Besides sandcastle-building for young children, scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking and parasailing are just some of the many activities that one can do at Manukan Island.

Great bonding session for families and nice sensory experience for little kids.

For visitors who want to escape from the heat at Manukan Island, there are many benches lined up along the beach with ample shade from the trees. There are also some shops and cafes selling snacks and drinks.

We had lunch at a cafe to fill our hungry tummies before returning to our resort.

If you love the sun, sand and sea, you definitely have to visit Manukan Island when you head to Kota Kinabalu!