We arrived on Survivor Island (Pulau Tiga) late afternoon, and immediately went for a swim in the warm water of the bay. The beach had full sun at this time of day, but there are many places just off the beach to relax in hammocks etc. in the shade of the trees.
I had my camera ready to capture the sunset, just off the headland and was not disappointed with the reflections of the setting sun over the water.
All our meals were from the buffet, which offered meats, fish, seafood, veg and salad.
The rooms (individual huts/kampongs) are quite large, but basic. The water for the shower is unheated (but not cold in August). As the huts are situated under the trees you may experience the occasional monkey running across your roof. Also there are a few large Monitor Lizards around the grounds of the resort, although they seemed to prefer the area behind the kitchen.
Wallowing in the volcanic mud pool was an unusual, but not totally unpleasant experience, although the local mosquitos feasted on me, as I made my way back down through the jungle.
Our group also enjoyed the boat-ride to Snake Island and Sand-Spit Island. The snakes were tricky to find (and potentially deadly, so leave it to the experts) but the sightings of the coral formations and sea creatures found whilst snorkelling off the island made the trip worthwhile (make sure that you use a high factor sunscreen whilst snorkelling).
Some of the group signed up for the banana boat ride, which looked great fun, (i'm not sure what the recommened speed (or age limit) is for these things, but after crashing into the water several times, some of the participants were complaining of neck pain for several days after).
One problem that some of our party encountered was a visit from one of the local rats. We were warned about not keeping food in our rooms, and a couple of the rooms had small unwelcome visitors (access via shower drain we think) seeking our snacks.

I spent 4 days at Borneo Survivor Resort with my boyfriend and I have to say I have expected much more!
Of course, the island is very beautiful: it is covered by rainforest and monitor-lizards and makaques show up every time you leave your room.
The beach is not so nice and the sea seems to be pretty cloudy all the time what makes snorkelling senseless, because you cannot see anything.
When we arrived at the jetty to go to the island, the boatman told us that the sea is very rough and he can not guarantee for our lifes if we want to go there. So we had to find another place to stay overnight and they wether wanted to pay for this nor wanted to refund the money we had already paid for the night at pulau tiga.
The resort is much too expensive for what they provide. The rooms are incredibly dirty (we had excrements of geckos all the time everywhere as well as a dead gecko lying on our bed once) and we are not used to very clean rooms as we are backpackers and always stay at the cheapest places.
Staff there was nice and the meals very tasty, but that was not the reason for us to go there.
So, I really can not reccomend that place!
If you want to relax a couple of days and spend some time on a beach I think it is better to go to Tempurung Sea Side Lodge (that is the place we stayed to wait for the sea getting calmer), which is not cheaper but a lot nicer and very clean as well!

We stayed here with our family a few times since we live in Malaysia. We think it is a beautifull place with an amazing beach and snorkeling. However it did go down hill in the last few years. The beach was not as clean (found a number of fresh looking condoms) and the reef was not as good anymore. The lodge itself was not kept as tidy as before, lots of leaves etc. Compare that to staying in lodges in Bali for example, where staff do sweeping every day.

The place could be a nature resort haven. It has amazing potential with the fantastic jungle too. But no guides to take you round for example. It was very much a feeling of earning their money for the staff. No passion for the place itself.
Also the Macquakes (spelling?) monkeys are getting out of hand. WHen they have lots of little ones around the cottages they can be very aggressive in defending their young.
So over all, please go, you will enjoy it. But maybe gently encourage the lodge staff somehow in doing a bit more. Like clearing the place of rubbish, to tell big groups who stay and go snorkeling NOT to touch and stand on the reef. It looks much more proffesional if they do all this. People will mostly not be annoyed getting advice of how to behave in a nature resort. THey will respect it and learn form it at the end of the day. It gives the lodge more of a purpose too.
ANyway, before I go on too much, A wonderfull place but needs some improving.

We spent two days on Pulau Tiga, staying in the Borneo Survivor Resort, and had the most unique and enjoyable experience in our lives! We had been doubtful at first about staying in a less well-known resort compared to another established one on the other side of the island, but after all the adventures there, we've promised each other we'll definitely go back as soon as we can!

Firstly, the cost of staying at BSR was very reasonable, especially if booked directly through the resort website. We booked two months in advance and received an early bird discount of 20%. The manager Mr Philip Heng was also very helpful and accommodating to our requests.

We were picked up from our lodge in KK by the resort staff on Day 1, and had a pleasant 2-hour journey by van to Kuala Penyu, where Zaini our guide cum driver pointed out various interesting things along the way. At the jetty, we met the resort supervisor Jasni, and proceeded to the island by boat. Halfway through the journey, a large fish leapt through the air alongside our boat, making us gasp in awe!

Pulau Tiga itself is beautiful. From the jetty, we could see a large expanse of clear shallow water, teeming with fish fry and occasionally larger fish. I even spotted a small ray swimming by.

As we were the only ones at the resort, it was incredibly peaceful and quiet, only the sound of waves and bird calls could be heard. We were shown to our room, a 6-bed dorm for our budget, and it was clean and comfortable. The attached bathroom was clean and spacious too, although there was no hot water shower which was only available in the chalets.

After a sumptuous lunch, we took a 1.5-hour trek to the mud volcano at the west side of Pulau Tiga and had a great time floating in the mud. It was late afternoon by the time we were done, and we requested to go back by boat at a charge of RM30 per person. However, it was well worth it because we got to catch the beautiful sunset which could not be seen from the resort as it was on the eastern side.

The meals were good and food was plentiful. For dinner, we even had a special treat of fresh meaty crabs! The owner Mr Francis was very hospitable and thoughtful. When he overheard us commenting that a dish of bitter gourd (a local vege) was very bitter, he quietly ordered a new dish of beans to be served to us instead. It touched us immensely as we had not expected him to hear our chatter at the dining table. It was the same with all the staff there, their exceptional service made our stay memorable.

At night, Jasni made us a campfire on the beach and we went out on the jetty to fish for squid. It was great fun to watch the staff reeling in huge squid and getting a try ourselves. It was breezy on the jetty and we did not have to worry about mosquitoes at all. Unfortunately, we didn't get to grill the fresh squid by the fire because it rained after a while and we were forced to retire to our rooms.

The next morning, we woke early to catch the sunrise. One feels like one is alone in the whole world, surrounded by the calm sea and forest. The only living things we saw were sea birds and a white-bellied sea eagle circling above. Jasni had told us we could spot Mount Kinabalu in the distance if the weather was clear, and true enough, for a short while we could see the mountain, but it was soon hidden from our view when the sun rose. I could have sat there all day, watching the sparkling green water, the squabbling birds, and the schools of fish swimming below. It felt like almost paradise. The only pity was that we didn't spot any hornbills which we were told would appear near the resort in the morning.

We left the island with heavy hearts at 11am, but our experience with Borneo Survivor Resort had not ended, as Jasni guided us on a trip to Beaufort to see the Harvest Festival and then on to the Klias Wetlands tour with Zaini to see proboscis monkeys and fireflies. Their perpetual good humour, patience and knowledge left deep impressions with us, and we felt like we've found new friends after just a day's acquaintance.

In short, if you love nature in its unspoilt state, and would like an adventure on a deserted island, this is the place for you, bugs and all! Imagine waking up and spotting monitor lizards around the resort, listening to the "woof woof" of a barking lizard as you have your meals, and hearing the meowing calls of the megapode as you trek through the jungle....it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially for us who have spent all our lives in cities.

TIP: Invest in a good insect repellent to ward off the mosquitoes and sand flies so that you can enjoy the atmosphere completely. It's all part and parcel of the island experience!