Earlier this week, I had the chance to visit a fairly new resort in my town, Ranau. It was my first time staying at Kanaan Santai View (KSV). If it weren’t for some official duties I had to carry out with a few colleagues, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to stay there.
KSV is located in Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia. From Ranau town, visitors need to travel about 37 km on paved roads and 20 km on unpaved ones. The unpaved road is a bit of a challenge—dusty during dry weather and slippery in the rainy season. I used a Toyota Hilux, which made the less than 2-hour journey quite comfortable.
Facilities at Kanaan Santai View
KSV offers various facilities, including accommodation:
- Rumah Andawoi: Two bedrooms (queen-size beds), a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Price: MYR 160 per night per room.
- Rumah Onggoi: Three bedrooms (two queen-size beds and two single beds in the third room).
Other amenities include a hall, campsite, open hut, fishing spots, and BBQ areas. They also rent out equipment like BBQ sets, life jackets, fishing nets, and more. My colleague and I stayed in a room with two single beds at Rumah Onggoi, paying MYR 85 per night (per person).
Activities
There’s plenty to do if you bring the right gear. For example, some visitors have gone rafting here using their own rafts. The river is fantastic—big, clear, and absolutely satisfying! Luckily, we arrived when the water was crystal clear.
As fishing enthusiasts, my friend and I brought our gear. After our work was done each day, we spent the evenings fishing until late at night. Our catch? Blue claw prawns, eels, scaled fish, and catfish!
We also brought marinated lamb and chicken wings to grill. KSV provided BBQ facilities that made it easy to prepare our food. The mini hall on-site was a bonus, as we used it for karaoke sessions.
Challenges
One of the main challenges was electricity and internet connectivity. On the first night, the power went out. The owner quickly connected us to solar power, but it was limited—just enough for lights and phone charging. The nights were a bit hot without fans.
As for the internet, only Celcom works here, and even that is unstable. On the last night, there was no signal at all, but on the second night, we managed to stream karaoke songs on YouTube.
Final Thoughts
I had a great time at KSV. For fishing enthusiasts like me, staying close to a large river is paradise. You can easily return to your room for a quick bite or a nap before heading back to fish.
If you’re up for a challenge—living without stable electricity and internet while enjoying outdoor activities like rafting or fishing—this place is perfect for you.
That’s all for today’s post. I hope this gives you a glimpse of this hidden gem. Check out the Facebook link I’ve shared for more photos and activities at KSV!
So that's all! Have a nice day and here are the pictures I took around KSV!
