Nestled within the lush greenery of Borneo, Shangri-La Rasa Ria offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and luxurious amenities. The five-star resort boasts expertly designed rooms, a private beach, soothing spa, championship golf course, and nature reserve, the Rasa Ria Reserve, home to local wildlife including long-tailed macaques and slow lorises.
Guests at Shangri-La Rasa Ria get to enjoy a flavorful journey through a diverse culinary offering that celebrates both delectable local classics and international delights. Every dish is a masterpiece crafted with precision and passion. Guests can savor the tantalizing flavors of local street food at Tepi Laut, indulge in Chinese cuisine at The Eighth, or opt for fusion food at laidback Coffee Terrace. Shangri-La Rasa Ria continually elevates its culinary experiences for guests whilst redefining dining with sustainable innovation and authenticity in this preserved gem of North Borneo.
Rooted in Nature Initiative
Rooted in Nature is a Shangri-La Group-wide culinary program designed to align its vision with environmental and social governance. At Shangri-La Rasa Ria, this is a pledge that embraces the local community, the rich palate of Sabah Borneo, and reflects its multicultural heritage.
As a testament to championing this cause, the team of passionate chefs and gardeners at Shangri-La Rasa Ria created a bountiful Chef Herbs Garden filled with various herbs and plants, including chilli, thyme, rosemary, mint and lemongrass. Carefully nurtured to enhance the dishes served across the resort’s many restaurants, the chefs take pride in crafting culinary delights that infuse each ingredient into dishes, resulting in a burst of freshness.
Beyond its own garden, Shangri-La Rasa Ria sources chemical and pesticide-free local produce, free-range livestock, sustainably sourced seafood and certified organic and fair-trade products. These ingredients are direct from local, small-scale producers, farmers, herders, fishers, butchers, bakers and artisans that strive to preserve traditional knowledge through innovative techniques, maintaining their work with deep respect for the environment, landscape and animal welfare.
The resort’s active engagement with its suppliers is a significant parallel aspect of Rooted in Nature. Shangri-La Rasa Ria is proud to support local businesses through collaborative efforts such as sharing knowledge and skills – including food safety training in line with local and international standards, marketing insights, and finance techniques to increase sales – and providing a trading platform at the resort for local farmers. With the majority of hotel staff being Sabah locals, this initiative is held close to heart, and demonstrates Shangri-La Rasa Ria’s commitment to supporting the community.
Other Sustainable Initiatives
Shangri-La Rasa Ria also implements a range of sustainable initiatives aimed at promoting operational efficiency and environmental friendliness. Among these, the resort employs various strategies to conserve water resources. The practice of rainwater harvesting ensures that water is collected and utilized effectively, reducing the need for freshwater consumption, whilst the installation of water-saving push taps helps minimize water wastage during daily usage, contributing to environmental conservation.
The use of a laundry water recycling unit known as the “aquamiser” also demonstrates the resort’s effort towards water conservation by reusing laundry water, further reducing its environmental footprint. These measures collectively exemplify the resort’s dedication to sustainable practices for continual environmental preservation.
