Face to face: Jonathan Reynolds, general manager, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa, Malaysian Borneo
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Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa in Malaysian Borneo is no ordinary hotel.
This luxury beach-side resort has its own 64-acre nature reserve and eco golf course and is nestled within 400 acres of tropical jungle. The entire resort boasts Sabah’s iconic Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as a backdrop.
This unique combination of rainforest, beach and wildlife gives guests the opportunity to experience the highlights of Sabah from the comfort of a luxury five-star resort.
Given the UK is the top European source market for Rasa Ria, the property’s general manager, Jonathan Reynolds, has just completed a sales and marketing mission, meeting with key members of the travel trade and media.
His goal was to provide an update on the many new exciting developments at Rasa Ria, which will help travel agents and tour operators sell this eco-luxe resort to even wider range of customers seeking adventure and luxury, from honeymooners and families to MICE groups.
Over the next few months, the hotel is launching a range of new products, packages and experiences and also expanding its conservation education initiatives and activities, spearheaded by the resort’s newly-appointed nature ambassador, Sail Jamaludin.
Reynolds gave the TDME the low down.
What’s the purpose of your UK trip?
The primary goal has been to give the travel trade and media an update on our exciting range of new products. We’ve opened a new Ocean Wing, which offers the ultimate luxury experience. All 173 rooms have their own terrace with double bathtubs that look out to see. We’ve also introduced the ‘Sabah Native Trail’, which is designed to show guests how the ancient native people of Sabah navigated their way through the jungle by following the animal tracks, as well as the ‘Night Vision Nocturnal Trek’ where guests are given special binoculars to spot animals in the dark, including rare animals such as sambar deers, pangolins, bear cats and the slow loris.
What makes Rasa Ria different to other resorts in Malaysian Borneo?
We are very blessed to offer a unique eco-luxe experience. We have our very own 64-acre nature reserve where guests have access to the most amazing animals and we’re set right under the watch of Mount Kinabalu. There are great opportunities to experience the wildlife and the views. For example, our new ‘Breakfast with a View’ jungle tour is a sunrise guided trek through Rasa Ria’s nature reserve, spotting animals as the day breaks and leading through the tree tops to a high platform 90 metres above sea level where the walkers enjoy a champagne breakfast looking out onto the stunning vista of Mount Kinabalu and the South China Sea.
What booking trends are you noticing?
We have seen quite an increase in MICE bookings; we are lucky in that we can accommodate groups without any impact to other guests because of the space we have – the 3km-long beach and the 64-acre reserve. It ticks all the boxes, plus many groups are opting to take part in extra CSR activities, visiting local schools to help the children read and on one occasion, paint the school buildings.
How is the UK market performing?
The UK is our biggest market segment from Europe. People are interested in the nature, but also the history and culture that Malaysian Borneo has to offer. However, it’s still considered an aspirational destination rather than a fly-and-flop location. We are trying to demonstrate that there’s something for everyone at Rasa Ria – honeymooners, adventure enthusiasts, families with children of all ages, and corporate groups too – plus the climate is pretty similar all-year found. We don’t have a monsoon season. We offer a bespoke and authentic experience and we hope our new products will entice more UK travellers to visit. For example, we have just introduced an ‘Adventuremoon’ package for honeymooners looking for a more adventure-focused start to married life. They can take part in jungle treks, paddle boarding and kayaking, but still enjoy Champagne picnics and couple’s massages.
NEW FOR 2016 AT RASA RIA
Mount Kinabalu ‘Climb in Style’
Kinabalu is a bucket list experience for visitors to Sabah. Rasa Ria now gives guests the
chance to conquer this iconic mountain with a little less sweat and more style.
The overnight tour includes porter service and private guide, a delicious lunch and route
snacks freshly made from the Rasa Ria kitchen, celebratory champagne at the top, and
overnight accommodation in a private room on the mountain. Weary climbers will then
enjoy a pampering muscle relaxation massage on their return to the resort.
The ‘Breakfast with a View’ jungle tour
A sunrise guided trek through Rasa Ria’s nature reserve, spotting animals as the day breaks (the best time to see certain wildlife). The trek leads through the tree tops, up to a high platform 90 metres above sea level where the walkers enjoy a Champagne breakfast looking out onto the stunning vista of Mount Kinabalu and the South China Sea.
Adventuremoon
A new package for honeymooners looking for a more active start to their married lives. Couples will enjoy a jungle trek with champagne picnic, horse-riding along the stunning 3km beach, paddle-boarding and kayaking – all rounded off with a couple’s massage followed by a romantic sunset river cruise.
The new Ocean Wing
Each of the 173 rooms in the new Ocean Wing looks out to the sea and has its own terrace with large daybed and sumptuous oversized bathtub for guests to enjoy the stunning views. The hotel offers a range of new benefits for Ocean Wing residents, including daily pre-dinner cocktails and canapes and a bespoke ‘Bath Indulgence’ experience.
Night Vision Nocturnal Trek
Guests will be equipped with special infra-red goggles for this special night time nature tour which takes visitors along the rivers. The new tour will allow guests to spot animals which are more likely to come out at night, such as sambar deer, pangolin, bear cat, slow loris, bird species such as kingfisher and purple heron, and numerous reptiles.
Sabah Native Trail
This new nature trail has been specially designed to show guests how the ancient native people of Sabah navigated their way through the jungle by following the animal tracks. This method of tracking is innately sustainable as it reduces erosion of the land.
The ‘Breakfast with a View’ jungle tour
The sunrise guided trek through Rasa Ria’s nature reserve allows guests to spot animals as the day breaks (the best time to see certain wildlife). The trek leads through the tree tops, up to a high platform 90 metres above sea level where the walkers enjoy a champagne breakfast looking out onto the stunning vista of Mount Kinabalu and the South China Sea.
Little Rangers Experience
Adventurous kids are kitted in their own ‘Rasa Ria Ranger’ mini polo shirts and caps to go out with the resort’s rangers to work with them for the day – helping to feed the animals, monitor the flora and fauna and learn about the life cycle of the forest. Each child plants a tropical fruit tree – part of a 10-year plan to plant fruit trees to attract certain species of birds back to the reserve – as a lasting legacy of their experience. Kids also receive a special ‘Little Ranger’ certificate.
Sandakan Orangutan Day Trip
Rasa Ria has recently launched a new day trip to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan. Guests take an early morning flight to Sandakan where they will visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. See these great apes – indigenous to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and predicted to be extinct in the next 20 years – in their natural habitat. Learn about this amazing ‘Man of the Forest’ known to have the closest genes to mankind (96.2%), and the centre’s rehabilitation programme.
Bespoke tours
In addition to these new organised tours, Rasa Ria’s new nature ambassador, Sail Jamaludin, and his team of rangers will also create bespoke tours for guests tailored to their specific passions and interests to allow guests to get the most out of their stay at Rasa Ria. Sail Jamaludin was born and bred in North Borneo and has a career in wildlife conservation spanning nearly 30 years. In 1996 Sail was brought on to set up Rasa Ria’s nature reserve and for the past 20 years he and his team of eight rangers have been running the Reserve and the Nature Interpretation Centre to teach visitors about the local environment.
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