Christmas at Mataking was a really enjoyable time for everyone who managed to join the festive fun at the island this year. We were joined by guests both locally and internationally as far wide as the UK and Italy.

On Christmas Eve our guests enjoyed a cultural festive performance with traditional Christmas Carols, singing, dancing and karaoke. Both staff and customers alike sang the Christmas day in, sharing presents with each other.

On Christmas Day, after the traditional Christmas Day dive, our guests enjoyed a great fusion buffet of both International Christmas and Asian food served with free gifts to all, Christmas Crackers and home-made mince pies.

Again, the island staff serenaded our guests with Christmas Carols and local singing, bringing a great end to the Christmas day event. 

New Years Eve was an extra-special event one week later where we served an Asian Fusion BBQ on the sundeck at the restaurant. Enjoying a BBQ in the warm air was a great change for one of our guests, Mary Holt from Sweden who said, “It was so pleasant to sit amongst the stars, eat great food and enjoy the fun of the evening. We are going to try and get back here for Christmas again next year”.

Traditional sky lanterns were set off into the Sabah sky throughout the night and the staff performed the traditional Maganutip Bamboo dance for the crowds.

At Midnight, as we counted in 2010, we had a great firework display which lit up the island and the surrounding islands too and the whole evening culminated in a karaoke and big boogie night until the early morning.

“Christmas was a thoroughly enjoyable time for all of our guests far and wide in 2009, which will promise to be even bigger and better next year”, said our Resort Manager, Mr. Luke J COX.