The Best of Malaysia Awards, the biggest travel and hospitality awards in Malaysia, are upon us. This year sees six Sabah nominees out of a field of over 100. Despite this representing only a small percentage, it is actually a significant increase from the two that were nominated last year (Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa and Sutera Harbour Resort).
Awards based on nomination
The awards are now in their seventh year and take an overview of the Malaysian hospitality industry from hotels, beach resorts, attractions, spas and more, providing a 100 per cent public-driven award system, the only one of its kind in the country.
The Awards Nominee in Travel category
2011 saw success for Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, which won the ‘Best Resort for Rest and Recreation’ award. This year sees the Shangri-La nominated again, this time under the ‘Best Beach Resort’ and ‘Best Family Stay’ categories. With rave reviews and a strong local following, it may well clinch an award again this year.
New nominee in ‘Best Boutique Stay’ category
Making its first appearance in the annual awards is Hibiscus Villa Borneo in the ‘Best Boutique Stay’ category, which has impressively been nominated after just its second year in operation. Located only five minutes from the Tip of Borneo, Hibiscus Villa is the epitome of luxury and privacy.
Blending into the natural landscape, the villa is breathtaking with its large open plan living areas and stunning infinity swimming pool, which extends into the villa. A haven for peace and tranquility, guests can walk through the gardens to the secluded beach while the villa’s in-house chef prepares a sumptuous banquet of local Rungus cuisine. If Hibiscus Villa wins its category, it will be well justified!
Next up is Nexus Resort Karambunai, with two nominations in the ‘Best Spa Resort’ and ‘Best Golf Experience’ categories. Set amongst splendid natural and landscaped surroundings, the championship golf course provides the ultimate golfing experience. A round of golf can be complimented with a relaxing treatment in the spa, providing a tranquil haven for mind, body and soul!
Good news for golf lover
The Sutera Harbour Resort is also nominated for ‘Best Golf Experience’. So it should be, with its challenging golf facilities offering three distinct courses, a driving range, restaurant, meeting rooms, pro shop and even night time golfing!
Looking for best attraction in Sabah?
Finally, nominated in the ‘Best Attraction’ category are the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary and Pulau Sipadan. Sepilok offers a unique opportunity to witness the endangered orang utan in its natural habitat while Sipadan is rated as one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world.
Improvement in Sabah’s tourism industry
The three-fold increase of Sabah’s nominees from last year’s awards and the recently published tourist statistics stating that tourist numbers have doubled (no timescale given) are sure indicators that Sabah is gaining in popularity as a holiday destination. Tourism in the State is set to boom.
People are becoming more aware of what the State has to offer, partly due to the ever rising number of natural history documentaries, and partly perhaps due to the increase in the advertising and promoting by new accommodation providers and other industry stakeholders. New hotels, resorts, spas and attractions are opening all the time, making Sabah more tempting to overseas visitors.
Great effort from Sabah Tourism board
Sabah Tourism of course plays a critical role in promoting Sabah. Its Facebook page has over 100,000 likes and they actively promote destinations and attractions within the State. Its events, such as the Tip of Borneo Music Fest, are gaining recognition across the region.
We must not forget the bloggers! Their postings rank high within search engines thus helping promote Sabah as a destination. Furthermore, the Sabah Travel Forum on review giant, TripAdvisor, has over 5,000 topics and is updated daily.
Visit by the Royal Duke and Duchess
Last but by no means least, the visit to Malaysia by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge between 13th – 15th September has been publicised as ‘The Royal Visit to Kuala Lumpur and Sabah’. This will surely have a huge impact on the awareness of the State as a holiday destination.
Sabah – Top 10 Regions to travel in 2012
To summarise, the Lonely Planet, one of the world’s foremost authorities on travel, has highlighted Borneo, including Sabah, as one of the top 10 regions to travel in 2012. So, mark my words…next year there will be at least 12 Sabah nominees in the Best of Malaysia Awards!
You can make a difference
But in the meantime, do your bit by voting for the 2012 nominees at http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/boms2012 – it only takes seconds and the knock on effect of there being 6 winners from Sabah out of the 14 categories could be huge.
Voting closes on 2nd September. Click here to vote.
Photo credits: Mangini Adalberto & Laura (back on Aug. 24th) (flickr)