An aerial view of the sprawling Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort
Kota Kinabalu, the beautiful capital city of Sabah in East Malaysia, is one of the nicest places to host a destination wedding. You know how much we love scouting for perfect venues for destination weddings! Here’s why you might want to consider the sprawling Shangri-La Tanjung Aru resort for your wedding venue.
Imagine saying ‘I do’ against the gorgeous backdrop of the South China Sea
We entered this sea facing property and immediately fell in love with it. It’s hard to believe that the award-winning Shangri-La Tanjung Aru lies just 10 minutes away from the city. That’s because when we spent time at this resort, all we could hear was the sound of the waves along with the chirping of birds that have made this peaceful haven their home. Imagine saying ‘I do’ as you look into your loved one’s eyes with the blissful South China Sea and its five coral islands as your backdrop.
One of the many pristine wedding venues at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort
That definitely sounds like our kind of dream wedding! The Sunset Bar, rated among the world’s top ten places to view the most magnificent sunsets, is yours to explore for weddings and related events, as is the resort’s private white-sand beach for quaint wedding ceremonies.
Shangri-La Tanjung Aru offers a range of indoor wedding venues
From the pillar-less Grand Ballroom for large banquet-style weddings and the well-maintained gardens for sunset nuptials and afternoon cocktails under a tasteful white marquee tent, right up to the umpteen function rooms for both intimate and larger-than-life celebrations, this resort has venues to suit all requirements.
Having said that, we can’t help but mention how well organised and tastefully decorated the resort’s Wedding Planner Centre is! Having done loads of destination weddings at hotels, we know how important it is to coordinate with a professional team of planners that will guarantee a successful event. 
The bright, airy and luxurious room in the Kinabalu Seaview Wing
Yet another feature that makes Shangri-La Tanjung Aru the perfect wedding venue is the fact that the entire property is discretely segregated into two sea facing wings, each of which comes with their own sprawling gardens for al-fresco events. Opt for the Kinabalu Seaview Wing for a stunning sea view and the looming Mount Kinabalu, or the Tanjung Wing that commands an equally amazing view of the South China Sea. We learnt that besides the luxurious suites, all rooms in each wing are of the same room type. So you don’t have to worry about your guests getting into a tizzy because of different room types. Needless to say, each of the 492 rooms carries Shangri-La’s promise of exceptional comfort, luxury and close proximity to nature.
When it comes to food, expect nothing but the very best. We enjoyed the grand buffet at Café TATU, and later we even stepped in to meet the chef of the award-winning Italian restaurant Pepino. One can also indulge in gastronomic delights at restaurants like Shang Palace for Asian cuisine and Coco-Joe Bar and Grill for freshly grilled seafood and innovative cocktails as you take in the sunset. Then, hop on over to nurture the child in you at the outdoor Cool Box Ice Cream Bar. So you can imagine just how amazing the F&B options for weddings would be here!
Before or after the wedding, the couple and their guests can enjoy myriad spa therapies at Chi, The Spa, or unwind in the Jacuzzi and infinity pool with a cocktail in hand and without a worry on their minds. The kids also can be kept busy here. Borneo’s first of its kind water park at the resort itself comes with water slides and water balloon launchers. But that’s not to say that grown-ups can’t indulge in these fun activities. Like we said, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru is the place to nurture your inner child! Other activities include Tai Chi, yoga, bird watching, water sports via the resort’s private STAR Marina jetty and, of course, getting a good dose of live music at the Borneo Lounge & Bar. Just as we were about to leave, we were shown a room, tucked away from public eye, where Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a quiet stay at the resort last year! Indeed, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru is as exclusive as they come.
Image Credits : Shangri-La Tanjung Aru
Beverly Pereira is a luxury and lifestyle writer
