To get to Chinatown (Yaowarat) Bangkok, the fastest way is via the boat ride, since it avoids traffic and it’s cheap. First, we took the BTS to Saphan Taksin, and once we’re out from the station we followed the crowd and saw Sathorn Pier barely 3 minutes away. At the pier though, it could be confusing because there are several private boat companies offering boat rides for tourists and there’s also the Chao Phraya Express Boat Service (taxi), which is referred to as the ‘boat taxi’. We have been there twice and during our first time, we blindly bought tickets from a counter at the pier for 25  baht/single trip. Looking back, we found out that we’ve actually bought tickets from the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat, which charged a higher price especially to the tourists. The local boat taxi doesn’t require you to buy a ticket at the pier, but only collects the fare on the boat itself, for a cheap 15 baht!

One of the boats from Peninsula Hotel, Bangkok

Price of taxi fare in Bangkok

Chao Phraya Express Boat Service at Sathorn Pier

Being newbies in the first visit, we were anxious of missing the boat so we bought tickets at the first counter that we saw. That was a mistake. The only counter that collects money at the pier is for tourist boats. The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat charges 25 baht for a single trip and a whopping 150 baht for unlimited trips along the Chao Phraya River. The only difference between this boat and the taxi boat is that it came with a tour guide who talked about the Bangkok attractions during the journey. Also, since it’s more expensive, the boat was relatively empty with more seats to go around.

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat

25 baht for single trip

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat

More empty seats at the tourist boat

During our second trip though, we were more alert and found out the way to take the local boat taxi instead. We were asked to wait at the waiting area nearby the signage below (Sathorn) and were told that the taxi would come in 20 minutes time. You could see many locals and some seasoned tourists waiting patiently at the pier for the taxi to come. Once it arrived, all of us flocked towards to the boat and it was filled to the brim within seconds! There was a conductor who went around collecting fares from the passengers, a mere 15 baht per person. To me, the boat ride was just the same as the tourist boat that we took last time, but at a much cheaper rate.

Wait for the boat taxi near this sign

The local boat taxi at 15 baht/ride

To get to Chinatown, we had to alight at Ratchawong Pier, which is Pier No. 5. If you are taking the boat taxi, do get ready and walk to the boat exit one pier before your destination to avoid missing the station. Since the taxi was crowded with passengers, it was quite a challenge to move about especially if you are sitting near the front of the boat. We only started to move to the exit at the pier itself and almost couldn’t make it out of the boat! When you’re in the boat though, don’t forget to enjoy the ride and scenery – they can be quite gorgeous.

The Millenium Hilton Hotel from afar

The Millenium Hilton Hotel

View from the boat

Some flats along the river

Saucer with flag of Thailand

Another majestic building by the river

More shop houses

The gorgeous Wat Arun

Wichai Prasit Fort

Royal Thai Navy Headquarters

One of the piers

We got down at Ratchawong Pier (barely!) and saw the map of the Chinatown area. From the pier, we walked for a couple of hundred meters and saw a narrow lane on our right, filled with colourful shops and packed with people. We thought, that must be it! And so, we joined the crowd and immersed ourselves among the stalls and stalls selling all kinds of accessories, bags, leather goods, shoes, clothes, household items, bed sheets, you name it! Oh, and don’t forget the multitude of street food stalls along the way too. It’s such a narrow lane that when someone stopped to buy food, half of the lane would have been blocked.

Chinatown area map

Towards Chinatown

Colourful mobile phone straps

Street food rules!

More stalls – handphone accessories, hats, pouches, etc

And if you’re (un)lucky, you would encounter motorcycles and trolleys carrying goods along the narrow lane. Once they come  by, the whole lane would have been blocked and you would have no choice but to escape into the stalls to avoid getting squeezed by them!

Coming through!

Accessories and crafts

We spent only an hour or so in Chinatown since we were in a rush to go back, and to me, that wasn’t enough! There’s still so much more to see and experience there, especially the temple (Wat Traimit) and the BBQ skewers. This area is so alive and vibrant, it makes one feel happy just being a part of it.

The crowded boat taxi

This post is long due, since we went to Bangkok a couple of months back! Seeing that we’re in Bangkok again right now, I thought it would be the perfect timing to continue with the adventure. Chatuchak Weekend Market is synonymous with shopping in Bangkok. It’s almost unacceptable if one visits Bangkok without dropping by the largest market in the whole of Thailand. Spanning over 35 acres with more than 5,000 stalls, it almost proved to be a colossal task just to finish walking even half of it! Not to forget the hot and humid tropical weather there, we were sweating buckets before we even started walking. Here are just some of the things that one could expect while roaming the streets of Chatuchak / Jatujak / JJ Market.

Streets of Chatuchak

1. Puppy-Shopping

There’s a whole section in the Chatuchak Market that sells pets, pets and more pets! Although I’m not a pet person, I found the area with puppies almost too adorable to ignore. Most of them had fur so soft and fine just like a soft toy! It was quite fascinating watching the would-be buyers observing the pups and determining which one they would take home.

So many cute puppies for sale

Some of the bigger ones

Look at their glorious soft fur

Would you take me home?

2. Fashion and Accessories for the Ladies, Men and Kids

Ask any girls going to Chatuchak and the first thing that would come to find is fashion! True enough, there are plenty of sections in Chatuchak dedicated to women’s clothes, lingerie, bags, accessories, shoes, you name it! Many of the stalls even sell rather similar items, so you might end up getting confused if you were thinking about walking around first before going back to buy your desired items. For me, I would ask for the price from the first stall and move on to the nearby stalls to compare, but never far away from the same street so that I wouldn’t be confused. Then, I would go back to the stall with the best bargain.

Accessories for the ladies

Women’s fashion

More accessories

There were also sections dedicated to men’s and children’s fashion, albeit smaller compared to the ladies. Still, the choices were much more than you would find from a normal market. It’s massive! Just remember your baggage limit while shopping.

Children’s fashion

3. Home & Living Items

Keep on walking and you would end up in a section selling mostly home and living items, from bed sheets and comforters, to aromatic incense, to aromatherapy oils, kitchen utensils and pots and pans. I have a feeling my grandma would feel so at home here!   I loved the aromatherapy section for the smell was sometimes quite invigorating. Just what I need after hours of walking under the hot sun.

Aromatherapy oil and incense

Kitchen utensils

4. Street Food

After walking for hours, the stomach would surely start to growl. This is where the food section would come in handy. Taking over several sections of the market, there were plenty of food stalls selling various street food and cold drinks. It was almost too difficult to decide on where to eat since each stall was selling different items and most of them were filled with customers. Since we’re first-timers, we randomly picked a beef noodle stall and asked a stranger who was eating there whether it’s nice. When she nodded her head, we sat down and placed our order.

Street food

There was one stall though, that we noticed an exceptionally long queue. It turned out to be a stall selling Coconut Ice-Cream. It’s no wonder that this stall is so popular because the weather was simply burning hot so anything cold and yummy would definitely be a hit!

Long queue!

Coconut Ice-Cream

Stall selling coconut ice-cream

Without further ado, Saucer went in line and queued up as well. Fortunately, the workers were fast with their orders, every move was machine-like and we got our ice-cream in no time. The ice-cream was served in a cute coconut husk, with a side of nata de coco (jelly), atapchi (pine-seed?), peanuts, coconut flesh and a scoop of ice-cream.

Cost 30Baht if I’m not mistaken

How was it? I thought it was a little too sweet and the ice-cream was not cold enough. Perhaps the weather was simply too hot that even the ice-cream didn’t manage to quench me. Anyway, I guess Saucer enjoyed it so it was all good.

Coconut ice-cream

5. More Walking!

Now that the tummy’s all filled up, it was time for more walking. We were there from 11am until past lunch, and yet we didn’t even cover a quarter of the massive market. The sun was starting to get to us, with the heat and the sweat, so we didn’t feel like doing anything except for walking and window-shopping. By about 3pm, we declared that we did enough walking of the day, and headed back to the hotel.

Walk, walk and walk

Under the hot sun

My honest opinion? Unless you have something in particular to look for from Chatuchak, it might not be the perfect place for a leisure walk due to the scorching hot weather in this open air market. If you ask me, I would much prefer to shop at Platinum Mall that is more organized and has air-conditioning. But that’s just me.

Getting to Chatuchak:
By MRT: Chatuchak market is adjacent to the Kamphaengphet station of the MRT Bangkok Metro Blue Line or 5-minute walk from Suan Chatuchak (Chatuchak Park)
By BTS: 5-minute walk from the Mo Chit station of the BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit Line

You’ve seen the beauty of Pangkor Laut Resort and the fabulous dining options available there, but what about things to do when you’re not eating or in the villa? To be honest, this was one of my worries planning a trip to a secluded island, because Saucer is not one who takes boredom lightly. If I bring him to a place where he has nothing to do for 3 whole days, I will never hear the end of it! So after our little getaway, I’m happy to announce that no, you won’t be bored in this little precious gem of an island. Here are the five (5) FREE things that you can do:

 1. Read a book/ Surf the internet

The library located adjacent to the reception lobby is very cosy. There are plenty of couches for the comfort of readers, with quite a decent selection of books. On one side of the library, there are several beds for you to lie down on, while reading, or napping! The beds looked too comfortable for words that I simply had to lie down there if only for a few minutes.

Comfortable couches in the library

Beds to read on

Outdoor reading, if you prefer?

For those who cannot stay away from the Internet, good news! There are 4 units of computer located at a corner of the library for the convenience of Facebook addicts or MSN/Skype chatters. Me? I can wait. I can definitely do without Internet for a couple days.

Internet surfing

2. Nature Walk

Nature walk – now, this is more of my kinda thing! I had to practically drag Saucer to join me in this 2-hour slow hike to Emerald Bay, led by Uncle Yip the amiable nature-lover. The Nature Walk happens at 10.30am every morning, starting with Uncle Yip briefing us on the route at the library. According to him, the route we were going to take could be completed in less than half an hour, but we would take longer time to listen to his explanation and to allow us to take pictures. Soon, our walk began!

Uncle Yip briefing us about the Nature Walk route

Walking out of the library

It was a sunny afternoon

Hornbill visiting us

As usual, the sight of hornbills was not uncommon by now. We saw at least one of them joining us during breakfast or lunch every day. They felt totally at home with us. But what was more interesting to note was the abundant bats hanging upside down from a tree near the beach! If we had not looked up, we would not have noticed them, shielding themselves from the bright sun. According to Uncle Yip, this was the only tree that one could find these bats, probably due to the comfortable shade that this huge tree had to offer.

Plenty of bats hanging on the tree

Along the way, we also saw this pretty dendrites marking the stone steps near the tennis court. This was yet something that we wouldn’t have noticed if not for the nature walk. Don’t they look like plants?

Beautiful dendrite formed on the staircase that looked like a plant

At this point, the sun was already shining hot above us, but we were only halfway through! We continued walking and walking, past the Sea Villas and towards the forest. If you’re lucky like us, you would spot some monitor lizards along the way too.

Walking towards the Sea Villas

Monitor lizard spotted on the rock

And in the water

We walked and we walked

Across the emerald sea

The long path ahead

Under the shining hot sun

After one hour or so, we reached the starting point of the forest, and braced ourselves for the uphill hike. Don’t worry, it’s not that difficult. There were only a few flights of stairs at the beginning of the hike and mostly downhill afterwards. If I were you, I’d worry more on the mosquitoes. Yes, there were plenty of them! Remember to bring mosquito repellent if you’re planning to go for this hike. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And we reached the jungle trail

More steps before we reached

Gigantic tree in the virgin forest

First signs of Emerald Bay

Mushrooms along the way

After about 45 minutes of slow walk, we reached Emerald Bay. The sound of waves lapping up the beach was a welcome change to the slapping of mosquitoes.

The tall coconut trees against the blue sky – we’re at the beach!

3. Emerald Bay

Now that we’ve reached Emerald Bay, let’s spend a couple of hours lazing under the sun on the clean beach. The water was clear and emerald in colour, exceptionally gorgeous on a sunny afternoon when the sky was blue. It was a breathtaking scene to behold, and I could not stop myself from snapping pictures of the gorgeous beach. Since this is a private island, the beach is secluded and quiet, absolutely perfect for sun-bathing or a siesta without interruption.

Beach at Emerald Bay

The clear blue sky

The clean emerald waters

 The lone tube

Breath-taking view

We even went for a swim in the shallow part of the sea, just for the fun of it. But remember to apply plenty of sunblock lotion before doing so, or you’d end up with peeling skin!

 Getting ready for a swim

Going swimming in the secluded beach

The fabulous beach at Emerald Bay

4. Sports

Sports lover? Rejoice! Apart from the sea activities such as kayaking that you have to pay for, there are some free sports that you can do on the island itself. For starters, there’s a gym with complete facilities just next to the swimming pool. And then there’s a game room where you can play table tennis. If you’re more of an outdoor person, take a dip in the swimming pool, with the view of the sea to boot!

Swim in the gorgeous pool

How about a game of tennis in the newly refurbished courts? Too bad for me since I know nothing about tennis! Plus, I can do without the sun, thank you.

Tennis courts

Every morning, there are complimentary Yoga and Tai Chi sessions held at the Spa Village. If you’re a morning person, this would be perfect! Imagine doing yoga in the cool and crisp morning air, all the while listening to the sound of peaceful waves. Such a bliss! I would have joined this activity, if I could wake up early in the morning.

Spot the anchovies in the water!

Another activity that you can do for free is fishing! There are fishing trips that bring you out to the sea for a few hours but are chargeable. For the cost-free option, you could bring your own fishing equipment or borrow them from the sports counter, and fish at the island itself. There’s a designated beach area near the jetty where one is allowed to fish.

Towards the jetty

Last but not least, if everything else doesn’t excite you, I’d suggest for a romantic walk in the evening along the bridge connecting the Sea Villas to the Spa Village. I’d say this was the perfect path for a quiet walk with the sound of waves, the sight of calm sea and the warmth of orange lights, without the mosquitoes. Yes, I have to admit, I love walking on this bridge, especially at night.

Romantic walk in the evening

5. Camwhore around the Island

Needless to say, with such a gorgeous resort, there are countless of photo opportunities around the island! A picture speaks a thousand words so I shall let my pictures do the talking!

Saucer at the bridge

Heading to the Spa Village

Picture on the way to the jetty – spot the Hill Villas

Waiting for our boat

The calm and green sea

Angry Birds!

Last picture of us before we left

The beautiful Pangkor Laut Resort

Soon, it was time for us to leave! As usual, the hospitality at Pangkor Laut Resort was like no other. From the moment we entered, right up to the moment we left, we were in very good hands. The staff was always smiling and cheerful, with this warmth they had about them, making us very reluctant to say good bye.

The friendly staff waving us goodbye

Farewell Pangkor Laut Resort!

 Pangkor Laut Resort took our breath away

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

For the rest of my Pangkor Laut Resort experience, check out my Pangkor Laut Resort Itinerary.
For a complete set of pictures, check out my FB Album.

Going to Pangkor Laut Resort without visiting the Spa would be the same as going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower. The PLR Spa Village has been awarded the Best Spa in Malaysia and Best Destination Spa in the world for multiple times. Even though it is expensive, it’s worth the price to give it a try since we’re already there. To get a better deal, book your spa experience through YTL travel centre by emailing them in advance. Our rate for a 50-minute massage treatment was RM230nett but the published rate there was RM290++. What a huge difference!

Spa Village lounge area

The Best Spa Experience award

Koi-watching while waiting for our treatment

What makes the Spa Experience so different? Even though we only booked for a 50-minute treatment, we’re given an extra 45-minute pre-treatment during which we went through a series of bath rituals from around Asia. Therefore, you’re advised to allocate an extra hour on top of your treatment time to fully enjoy the spa services.

Reflections of the sun and the colourful koi

First pre-treatment: Chinese Foot Pounding. Traditionally, the concubines in China had their feet bound to keep them small. To ease their pain, their feet were frequently pounded with a wood mallet to improve the blood circulation. Well we didn’t have our feet bound but we did enjoy the foot bath and the foot pounding. It was a great start to our spa experience!

Foot bath area

Foot  bath

Cute decorations on the wall

Next, we were led to our respective bath houses (separate for male and female) and were asked to change into a brown sarong. Our 2nd pre-treatment: Malay ‘Circulating’ Bath. Before that, one of the staff gave me a coin and led me to a wishing well to make a wish. Then she asked me to walk into the pool with water pouring from the sides, resembling a waterfall. I took a dip and it was cold! The staff just smiled and told me that this was to resemble the natural river that the traditional Malays bathed in, while the waterfall was used to clean the hair. We were asked to bathe here for about 5 minutes, after which we were led to an area with 4 steam boxes. We were supposed to inhale the steam that contained various combinations of herbs that would uplift and calm our senses.

Malay bath (Photo credit)

Moving on, it was Japanese Bath time. We were first led into a room with several taps on one side and a stool for us to sit on. Using the toiletries provided and a goshi-goshi cloth, I scrubbed myself clean and rinsed with the hot/cold water from the tap. When that’s done, I was asked to walk through the door to a ‘Rotenburu‘ pool, which was essentially an outdoor Onsen or hot spring. After being in the cold water for the previous baths, the hot water seemed scalding! I took my time to dip in inch by inch, and before long, I was soaking under the sun in the glorious warm water. I was also given a glass of green tea to quench my thirst. At that point, my only wish was that Saucer could share the pool with me.

The Rotenburu pool / Outdoor hot spring (Picture credit)

The third and final bath ritual was the Shanghai Scrub. I was led into a room and asked to lie down on a bed with my back facing up. The professional staff then scrubbed and exfoliated by back from top to toe, all the while drizzling me with warm water. It was very relaxing. I felt thoroughly clean and pampered afterwards, but was given another surprise! There was a tray on the table with several pieces of sarong, and I was asked to choose one as a gift from the spa! She then helped to tie the sarong around me and asked me to proceed to the waiting area to get ready for my treatment.

Shanghai Scrub (Picture credit)

This was when Saucer and I reunited, and we were given a glass of hot Chinese tea while waiting for our treatment room to be ready. Soon, we were led to the treatment room that was huge, cosy and had two beds. We were given our massages for 50 minutes – I had the Balinese massage while Saucer had the Malay massage. My Balinese massage was very relaxing, each movement was in long strokes and varying rhythm, putting my body at ease without the excruciating pain. I wanted to ask Saucer how his massage was but I heard the sound of his peaceful and soft snore and knew that he was in dreamland. Yes, we have to say that we’re completely satisfied with our first ever Spa Experience at Pangkor Laut Resort. It’s an experience like no other!

Spa Village

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

For the rest of my Pangkor Laut Resort experience, check out my Pangkor Laut Resort Itinerary.
For a complete set of pictures, check out my FB Album.

Let’s continue with another episode of my experience at the breath-taking Pangkor Laut Resort (PLR), shall we? Since I have blogged about how to get to the resort and the beauty of the resort, this post will focus on the dining options at PLR. Many of you have asked how much was the price to stay at PLR. The cheapest option to book the all-inclusive stay here is through the YTL website (either email/call them). There is an all-inclusive package for Malaysian Residents here that costs from RM999nett/person for a 3-day 2-night stay at the Garden Villa with return boat transfer, including 2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 2 dinner.

Dine with a view

The dining options included in the all-inclusive package (per person):

• Breakfast – 2 x buffet at Feast Village
• Lunch – 2 x *2-course meal at Chapman’s Bar or Royal Bay Beach Club
• Dinner – 2 x 3-course meal at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen or Feast Village

*Note: YTL recently revised their lunch to include only 2-course meal. During my visit in November 2011, 3-course meal was provided.

Breakfast at Feast Village

The breakfast is a buffet spread at Feast Village, available from 6 to 10am daily. We were usually there around 9am and managed to get a table facing the sea. That’s the thing about this exclusive resort, one wouldn’t feel that a restaurant is crowded at any one time. There was no sense of rush to get food, everything was moving at a very relaxed pace with the sound of waves in the background.

Al-fresco dining

The breakfast spread was pretty standard – there’s a salad bar, fruits platter, omelette station, variety of pastries and bread, selection of local cuisine (nasi lemak, fried kuey teow, capati, etc), sausages, tomatoes and fresh fruit juices to name a few. What I enjoyed most about the buffet was the juicing station! One could choose from a variety of freshly cut fruits, place them on a plate and pass it to the juicer to create your very own customized juice on the spot. I opted for carrot, green apples, watermelon and celery in a glass and it tasted so good and healthy!

My sunny side up and the healthy fruit juice

Meaty sausage, croissant and nasi lemak

Spacious and airy atmosphere of Feast Village

Lunch at Royal Bay Beach Club

For our first lunch, we opted to dine at the Royal Bay Beach Club, which is located just behind the swimming pool. The environment was airy and windy, with the occasional visits by the peacock and hornbill. We really felt close to nature.

Dining environment at Royal Bay Beach Club

Complimentary sky juice with lemon

Vinegar and olive oil

For lunch, we were allowed to choose 1 Appetizer, 1 Main course and 1 Dessert each, plus coffee or tea. Saucer chose the Caesar Salad which came in a really huge portion, topped with a generous amount of smoked salmon and beef bacon. These were served on a bowl-shaped pastry filled with a bed of romaine lettuce and drizzled with garlic chips, parmesan and croutons. It was flavourful and wholesome, excellent!

Caesar Salad (RM45)

I had the Mushroom Salad which came with a huge piece of portobello mushroom, with aroma so strong we could smell it from a distance away. Served with arugula and creamy egg dressing, this was another recommended choice of appetizer that was delicious without being too filling.

Mushroom Salad (RM45)

For mains, we chose the Royal Club Sandwich and Spaghetti Marinara. Both of us agreed that the sandwich outshone the pasta by miles! Served with panini bread, it was stuffed with roast beef, cheese, chicken breast slices, a whole egg and tomatoes. Just look at the cross section of the sandwich, such a nice combination of colours and flavours. And it’s so huge that it was big enough to fill two tummies. If you dine here, make sure not to miss out on the Royal Club Sandwich.

Royal Club Sandwich (RM45)

Spaghetti Marinara (RM45)

The lone hornbill visiting us

As for dessert, there was not much choice except for Sago Gula Melaka, Ice-cream or Malay kuih. We both opted for the ice-cream since we were too full for anything rich. It was such a fulfilling and enjoyable meal that lasted us until past dinner. By the way, weren’t we glad that we went with the all-inclusive package! Otherwise, our bill would come up to about RM200+ just for lunch.

Double scoop of ice-cream (RM25)

Lunch at Chapman’s Bar

On the second day, we had lunch at Chapman’s Bar, which is on the other side of the island at Emerald Beach. We spent the morning at the beach earlier, so when it was time for lunch, we just had to take a short stroll to the restaurant. This was as close to dining at the beach as you could get.

Chapman’s Bar

At Chapman’s Bar, our most memorable dishes were the Gado-Gado and Satay. The Gado-gado was actually recommended by the waiter, because it wasn’t something that we would order on our own. The crispy spring rolls were savoury and delicious, plus the salad was generously mixed with a nutty sauce. It was very appetizing and we couldn’t get enough of it.

Gado-gado

The Satay came in a really unique presentation! 6 pieces of meat skewers nicely planted into a slice of pineapple. There was a choice of either beef or chicken, but we chose a mixture of both. Both were equally tender, juicy and well-marinated, we were impressed! I mean, who would have thought that a fine resort like this could prepare street food well too?

Satay

As for mains, we chose the Chicken Chop and Sizzling Mongolian Lamb. The chicken chop was breaded and fried to a crispy finish. It was quite nice although I thought the amount of flour used could be less. On the other hand, the Sizzling Mongolian Lamb was rather disappointing. Portion was small and the pancakes looked like they had been left there for quite some time. We saw a few other tables ordering the Ikan Bakar which looked much more appetizing. Perhaps we should order that if we ever return to Chapman’s Bar in the future.

Chicken chop

Sizzling Mongolian lamb with pancakes

For dessert, we opted for the Sago Gula Melaka this time. This was served in a nice glass topped with rich coconut milk and gula Melaka. It was quite rich and sweet so we shared this among ourselves, while ordering another serving of ice-cream.

Sago with gula Melaka

The rich gula Melaka and coconut milk

As with all other meals, lunch came with complimentary coffee or tea. It was a bliss sipping tea while listening to the sound of waves and getting brushed by the sea breeze.

Tea

Coffee

Lunch at the beach

Us

Dinner at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen

For dinner, we intended to dine at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen on the first night and Feast Village on the second night, but we enjoyed the first dinner so much that we decided to return to the same place on the second night! One thing to note, Uncle Lim’s Kitchen is probably the only restaurant that you have to make a reservation before going since it’s quite a small restaurant with limited capacity. Located near the Spa Village, the restaurant looked resplendent when we went there on our first evening.

Uncle Lim’s Kitchen looking gorgeous

The high ceiling of Uncle Lim’s Kitchen

Beautiful plate and tea pot

With our package, we’re allowed to order 3 courses from the menu, typically 1 Appetizer, 1 Main course and 1 Dessert. However, an exception is allowed here in that we could order 2 Main course and 1 Dessert instead if you don’t find anything you fancy from the appetizer list. During our first dinner, we ordered the Peking Duck roll which surprisingly came in a rather sizable portion. Instead of just wrapping duck skin in the crepe, this had plenty of duck meat within too, making each duck roll a mouthful to enjoy.

Peking duck roll

For mains, we had the Calamansi Chicken, which was deep fried chicken topped with sweet and sour calamansi sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds on top. It was also one of the recommended dishes from the menu, and we understood why. The chicken was tender, the sauce was appetizing, and the sesame seeds brought out a nice fragrance that complemented the ensemble very well.

Calamansi chicken

Fish was easily the most expensive item on the menu, costing RM100 each. There were several methods of cooking fish available, but we chose the one with the star – Steamed Fish with Uncle Lim’s Special Sauce. Apparently, Uncle Lim is famous with his nyonya style of cooking, so it came as no surprise when the fish turned out to be redolent with spices, spicy and full of flavour. White rice is a must when eating this dish!

Steamed fish with Uncle Lim’s special sauce

Since we were in an island, of course we did not miss out on ordering prawns! The Assam Prawns were extremely fresh and succulent, bursting with juices with each bite. I can still remember how they tasted like, and the portion was so generous that we were stuffed to the brim.

Assam prawns

Last but not least, dessert! The usual choice of ice-cream and sago with gula Melaka were in the menu, but we opted for something different this time – Banana Fritter with Ice-Cream, and did not regret it at all. The banana fritter was made from a whole banana, sweet and ripe, while the batter coating the banana was superbly crunchy without being oily. Served hot, this was a fantastic combination with the vanilla ice-cream. We finished this in no time even though we were stuffed to the brim by then. This was essentially the dish that sealed our fate, the dish that nudged us to return the next evening.

Banana fritter with ice-cream

Instead of coffee, we were given free flow of Chinese tea with our meal.

Refillable Chinese tea

On our second night, we opted for a total of 4 main courses between the two of us. As with all the other dishes, the Roast Duck also came in a huge portion, more than enough for the two of us. It was amazingly tender and very flavourful. We could go on and on eating just this alone.

Peking duck

Curry Fish

According to the nature walk guide Uncle Yip, if we dine at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen we must not miss out on the Fantasy Prawns. He described the prawns to be incredibly fresh and gigantic, so we couldn’t resist from ordering that ourselves. And true enough, the prawns came out to be huge and very succulent. It’s so huge that it would be impossible to eat the whole prawn with one bite. Each piece was well marinated and tasty, a combination of sour, spicy and savoury, we want to thank Uncle Yip for recommending this dish to us.

Fantasy Prawns

Look at the size of the prawn!

Last but not least, we opted for something a little healthier – Hong Kong Kai Lan with Scallops in XO sauce. When we ordered this, we imagined the scallops to be small and scarce, since they are supposed to be accompaniments for the vegetables. But when the dish arrived, both of us had our eyes wide open, for not only were the scallops big in size, they were also big in portion! We were delighted! Each piece was plump and juicy, bursting with flavour from the XO sauce. Well done!

Hong Kong kai lan with huge scallops

Dining environment at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen

We certainly did not regret choosing Uncle Lim’s Kitchen for dinner twice in a row for their good quality was exceptional and huge in portion. However, I would only recommend you to dine here with the all-inclusive package, because the food here is definitely not cheap. If we were to pay for the ala carte prices, it would have come up to RM400+ per meal! *gasp*

We love Uncle Lim!

After dinner, we walked back to our villa just to be surprised by a little something from the resort staff – they have prepared a lovely flower bath with candle lights for us in view of our second anniversary. How sweet of them! A nice dinner and a gorgeous bath afterwards, what more could we ask for?

Surprise flower bath awaited us

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

For the rest of my Pangkor Laut Resort experience, check out my Pangkor Laut Resort Itinerary.
For a complete set of pictures, check out my FB Album.

Finally, after much delay, I shall continue writing about our wedding anniversary at the absolutely breath-taking Pangkor Laut Resort. There are many places that we have visited domestically and around the world, but Pangkor Laut Resort (PLR) is easily one of the few that we wouldn’t mind returning. The experience was nothing short of spectacular, and a very memorable one at that! We were taken care of from the moment we stepped onto the jetty, right to the moment we left the boat. It was the first-class service that made us, the paying customers, felt satisfied and worth every penny spent.

The Sea Villas

Even in the boat from afar, we could spot these Sea Villas sitting amidst the calm emerald waters, a welcoming sight for every man on the sea. Unfortunately, we did not stay here since it was way above our budget. Around the island, the sight of fresh and colourful flowers floating on a big pot of water was a common to be found. In fact, these flowers were changed daily, so every day I would see different flowers decorating the pots. Such attention to detail!

Flowers changed daily

Once we were greeted by our friendly escort, Ben, he sat us down at the lobby and handed us a piece of paper printed with the map of PLR. He had already scribbled some notes on it, informing us on the different activities offered and their schedules.

Map of Pangkor Laut Resort

Since we were there early and our room was not ready yet, Ben offered to take us on a tour around the island.

Towards the villas

The gym and TV room

I particularly loved the stretch of path along the Sea Villas! There’s something about walking on wooden planks built on stilts on the sea that gave me a sense of serenity, so much so that I didn’t really mind the hot sun. The wooden path leads us to Uncle Lim’s Kitchen and eventually to the Spa Village, which is a private wing that is not open to children/non-spa customers.

The wooden path on the sea

Walking on emerald waters

The path to the Sea Villas

We took the 15 minutes walk to the Spa Village, and made our way back when it was time for lunch. Since we had numerous meals at the PLR, I thought it would be a better idea to compile all the food pictures into a separate post, and only focus on the room and the surroundings in this post. By the time we were done with lunch, our room was ready!

Some of the Garden Villas

Our package was supposed to be a Garden Villa, but apparently we were upgraded to a Hill Villa. Ben, who’s ever so enthusiastic, walked us to our villa situated up in the hills. From the lobby, we had to walk to the Jim Thompson boutique where the lift was. Yes, there was actually a lift that transported us up the hill! From the lift lobby, it was another 5-10 minutes walk to our villa. So I guess you could say that it’s about 15 minutes walk on average to get to the villa, which might not be so appealing to some. Well if you’re not used to the idea of walking, there’s plenty of shuttles around to fetch you up to the lift lobby.

Swimming pool

View from the pool

Our Hill Villa

Our villa was incidentally situated next to the Pavarotti suite! It was huge! There was a spacious balcony in front with a set of comfortable couches and sofa that we spent our mornings on, watching the sea from afar and listening to the birds chirp. On the side of the balcony, there was even a sun bed, perhaps for those who are keen to get a few shades darker.

The giant king sized bed

Couches at the balcony

Sun bed for tanning!

Inside, the giant king sized bed was extremely comfortable with four extra plush pillows. Oh the feather pillows were so nice to hug! On our first day, they even took the effort to make us a cute elephant to welcome us! Facing the bed was sofa set, an LCD TV and a working desk, which doubled as my make-up desk. Every evening, someone would come and turn down our bed, place a bottle of water on each side table, dim the lights and light up an aroma incense stick. It was incredible.

The king sized bed

The welcoming elephant

The superb pillows

LCD TV and couch in the room

Slippers from PLR

Welcome fruits

The villa was so huge that there was actually a sliding door that separated the bedroom from the rest of the villa. There was a separate room each for the bathroom and toilet, and two wash basins! I love places with 2 wash basins! It meant that I could brush my teeth any time that I want to, or spend hours in front of the mirror without being pushed away by Saucer.

The toilet

Shower room

Two wash basins

Toiletries

Wait, the best has yet to come – there was a huge outdoor bath tub as well! We were initially quite wary about the outdoor bath tub but it was actually quite safe. It opened up high above to the jungle and trees, out of the view of passers-by. Perhaps the only thing that one should worry about, is monkeys! During our 3 days there though, we were lucky not to have encountered any of them within the vicinity of our villa.

The outdoor bath tub that opens into the jungle

The outdoor bath tub

With natural light

Just to get the perspective of the size of the tub

The dressing table

What we loved about our villa was how quiet it was at any time of the day. It’s so secluded and surrounded by greenery that we felt healthier just by breathing the fresh air every day. Oh and don’t forget the gorgeous view of the sea from above too!

View from our villa

Some of the other amenities in the room included the mini bar filled with drinks, two large wardrobes, umbrellas for the rainy day (very useful!), coffee and tea-making facilities, and an electronic safety deposit box.

Mini bar

Large wardrobe with bath robes and umbrellas

Coffee and tea making facilities

Once we were done with unpacking our stuffs, we took a short nap and woke up at around 5pm to head towards the Emerald Beach. The Emerald Beach is the only beach in PLR that is suitable for swimming, since the other beaches could be filled with jelly fish and sea urchins. Located at the back of the island, one could hike towards the beach through the jungle (about 30 minutes) or take the shuttle there. No prizes for guessing which route we took!

Washrooms at Emerald Beach

We were there not to swim, but to admire the sun set. The sea was amazingly emerald in colour! While waiting for the sun set, we took the opportunity to snap pictures of the sea, the beach and of ourselves!

At the Emerald Beach

A stroll on the beach

Some of the corals

Posing with the sea #1

Posing with the sea #2

The calm waters in the evening

View of the beach

Sun beds by the beach

Perhaps a wade while waiting for the sun set?

The green waters

To view the sun set, there was a platform just next to the beach that gave a very nice view of the sun.

Admiring the sun set

View of Emerald Beach

Sun set at Pangkor Laut Resort #1

Sun set at Pangkor Laut Resort #2

The clear water

Another shade of emerald waters

The beautiful sunset at Pangkor Laut Resort

Ah, the beauty was indescribable. I was so glad to be able to catch this view on an evening in the midst of rainy season! More posts on PLR food coming up soon.

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

For the rest of my Pangkor Laut Resort experience, check out my Pangkor Laut Resort Itinerary.
For a complete set of pictures, check out my FB Album.

Lately, it seems that beach holidays are the ‘in’ thing. Not wanting to miss out on the bandwagon, I booked a 3 day 2 night getaway to Pangkor Laut Resort for our 2nd anniversary. Yes, we’ve been married for 2 years now and it felt like forever. It was supposed to be a surprise to Saucer, so everything was planned discreetly, right up to the day of departure itself. I had informed him to make himself free for that particular 3 days, without letting him know where we were going to. Luckily for me, he’s not a curious person (unlike me!) and just followed my lead!

5-star Diamond Award

Now many people might mistake Pangkor Laut Resort (PLR) with Pangkor Island, the more well-known counterpart. In fact, they are two very different islands that happen to bear similar names. Pangkor Laut Resort resides in a private island, occupying the whole island on its own and making it exclusive only to the patrons of the resort. That is to say that the access to this island is only allowed to resort guests and no one else. On the other hand, Pangkor Island is open to public.

The Pangkor Laut Resort check in office in Lumut

After making the necessary reservations, we only had to make ourselves present at the check-in office at the stipulated time and let the resort staff take care of the rest. To get to PLR, one could either fly to Pangkor Island via Berjaya Air and take a boat to reach PLR, or one could drive, just like us. We drove to Lumut and parked our car at the multi-storey car park. The car park charged RM0.30/hour for every hour of the day, which meant RM7.20 for a full day of parking. From the car park, we made our way to the PLR check in office which was located at the corner unit of a shop house lot. Just look out for the signboard, it’d be quite hard to miss it.

Pangkor Laut Resort lounge in Lumut

Once we got our names checked and reservation confirmed, our luggage was taken care immediately and we were seated at the lounge area with glasses of welcome drink (sparkling Ribena, I suspect). We were there 20 minutes before the scheduled boat departure, so we had some time to read the newspaper and enjoy our welcome drink.

Towards the jetty

About 10 minutes before our scheduled departure, we were escorted by the staff to the jetty. For your information, the boat schedule is as follows:

• From Lumut Jetty to Resort: 0800hrs, 1100hrs, 1300hrs, 1400hrs and 1700hrs
• From Resort to Lumut Jetty: 0900hrs, 1200hrs, 1230hrs, 1500hrs and 1800hrs

Boats docked at the jetty

We took the 11am boat and before long, we spotted it coming from afar. The boat ride was comfortable as we did not meet with any big waves on our way there. Within 30 minutes, we already spotted the sight of the Sea Villas on stilts, pretty gorgeous really.

Our boat to PLR

Safety first

To Pangkor Laut Resort we go!

Mini lighthouse in the distance

A yacht in front of PLR’s jetty

The calm waters towards the resort

When we’re near the PLR jetty, we could observe how the waters were emerald green in colour and very calm. It gave us a sense of peace just by being there. Coupled with the fact that this resort is private, so we did not get the usual holiday crowd.

The lobby from a distance

I suppose what makes the trip to PLR so memorable is how hospitable the staff was, and how pampered we were. Right from the moment we checked in at Lumut, we were made sure that we’re comfortable and had everything we needed. And when we reached the PLR jetty, there was a group of resort staff standing by with cheery smiles, welcoming each of us individually as we stepped out of the boat. We felt like royalty!

The first sight of PLR

Walking towards the lobby

Once we reached the lobby, each couple was assigned to a personal escort. Our escort by the name of Ben was most cheerful and friendly, talking to us with a genuine warmth that made us feel at home immediately. He briefed us through on what was available at the resort, the activities, the restaurants and the facilities. He even helped plan our itinerary for the 3-day stay there. “It wouldn’t be just a boring beach holiday after all,” said the relieved Saucer.

The calm green waters

The jetty at PLR

Since our room was not ready yet, Ben took us for a short tour of the resort and showed us the gorgeous Sea Villas. Before long, it was time for lunch! And what perfect timing it was too, for it started to drizzle. Ah, that’s a story for another post. Til then, have a gorgeous Monday without the blues!

Saucer says Hi

Welcome to Pangkor Laut Resort

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

For the rest of my Pangkor Laut Resort experience, check out my Pangkor Laut Resort Itinerary.

Situated just about 1 hour away from the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur in the town of Bukit Tinggi is this French-themed resort by the name of Colmar Tropicale, that is 2,700 feet above sea level. Inspired by the Colmar Village in France, this resort was built to look like a village when in fact, all the shop houses were really guest rooms, restaurants and amenities for the resort guests. It was our first time there and having reached just after noon, the place was warm even though it was on the hills.

Entrance to Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills

The massive tower

Since our room was not ready, we took the opportunity to take pictures of the colourful buildings, and felt like we were in a foreign country. Well, that is, if you don’t look at the people around.

Towards the resort

A fountain that greets you just after the entrance

Koi pond

Many times we were told by friends that Bukit Tinggi was boring and that it wasn’t worth the time and effort driving up there. (The last 10km of the journey was actually rather winding.) But it really just depends on what your expectations are. Colmar Tropicale is a quiet and charming little resort, providing you the perfect place to relax, unwind, capture photographs and take in the fresh cool air. The village is actually quite small, just a few hundred metres long, so you would have walked the whole village to and fro within minutes.

French-themed design

Love the pink shutters of the rooms

What I would say though, is that this is a place with plenty of photography opportunities. The colourful village itself is an open studio with countless of possibilities, not to mention the surrounding landscape such as the koi pond and the mini waterfall nearby. If that is not good enough, take the complimentary shuttle from the resort to the Japanese Village.

Mini waterfall

Swimming pool

Photos in Colmar Tropicale

The shuttle comes and leaves every 10 minutes or so, so we didn’t have to wait long. Since it was a weekend, it was naturally quite popular with tourists and locals alike. During our visit, there’s a part of the road leading to the Japanese Village that was under construction, so we had to walk up the final stretch on our own. It took about 10 minutes, but the path was pretty steep. It’s advisable if you brought water along, something we wished we had.

From the shuttle

Starting point of the walk up

The steep walk up

If you know Saucer well, you would have expected him to be grumbling all the way up, since he hated walking steep paths or steps. Thankfully, the walk didn’t last long and we saw the signboard that we’re really near the Japanese Garden. The second part of the walk was a hike through the tropical forest, where we were surrounded by gigantic trees that were probably more than a hundred years old. There was also the peaceful sound of water flowing from the stream and waterfall within the forest, making the walk that much more therapeutic.

The first Japanese Tea House in the tropical forest

Gigantic tree

Multi-tiered waterfall

Mini waterfall

Saucer didn’t look too happy

Finally, we saw the sign of the tea house! There was an option to learn the Japanese tea ceremony here, but we were told that it’s not worth the RM28 price tag by the person in charge there. She suggested that we drink the tea from the Japanese restaurant nearby instead.

The Japanese Tea House

On the other hand, she recommended that I rent the kimono yukata for photo-shooting around the forest. This was charged at RM20 for about half an hour. It was the first time I wore a yukata, what do you think?

Japanese for a day

Quite a challenge walking with small steps really

Trying to attract the koi’s attention

On the small bridge

One of Saucer and his pebbles

By the time we’re done with Japanese Village, it was past 3pm and our room was ready. Even though I booked for a Superior Room, I was upgraded to a One-Bedroom Suite since they were our of King sized beds for the former type. The room was huge! It had a living area, a dining area, a bedroom, a dressing area and a large bathroom too. In fact, it was too big that it gave us a hollow and empty feeling when we entered.

The balcony

Living area

Kitchen and dining area

Another view of the living area

Four-poster bed in the bedroom

View from our room

Bathroom

Bathtub and basin

To get a view of the size of Colmar Tropicale, we went to the end of the street and took the elevator to the highest level. It was quite a sight, really.

The whole of Colmar Tropicale

For dinner, where else did we have if not for the one and only French restaurant there? La Cigogne is the most popular and expensive restaurant around, but if you compare the prices with the fine-dining restaurants in KL, it is still pretty reasonable. Furthermore, the other dining options in Colmar are not exactly cheap, with most restaurants averaging around RM20+ per main course.

La Cigogne

Romantic ambience

The dining environment was romantic with dim, orange lighting and French music playing in the background. Service was impeccable too, intuitive and attentive. Our glasses of water were never empty, and our plates were only cleared when we’d completely finished our meals or when we asked them to. Dinner started with complimentary roll and butter, served warm with a crispy crust.

Bread and butter

Red wine (RM22)

My order of Escalope came with salmon, shrimps and a plump scallop. The most commendable part was the salmon, which was pan fried to perfection. The skin was aromatic and crispy, while the flesh was oh-so-smooth and flaky it melted in my mouth!

Escalope of Salmon, Prawn and Scallop (RM48)

As for Saucer’s Grilled Prime Rib Eye, it was a little overcooked even though we asked for medium doneness. I thought the cut was too thin, so the edges especially, were all well done. Thankfully the middle portion was still pinkish, the little saving grace for this dish. That, and the fact that this went well with red wine.

Grilled Prime Rib Eye Steak (RM48)

We enjoyed the dessert the most, even though the price could be a little steep for such a small portion. The Chocolate Fondant was served hot to the palate with that unmistakable cocoa aroma that’s just begging to be devoured. Couple the melting hot chocolate with the freezing vanilla ice-cream and you’d never go wrong. Never.

Chocolate Fondant (RM22)

At night, the street was all lit up, making it ever so romantic. Not to forget was the cool temperature once night came, hovering around 24C, it was natural air-conditioning.

Streets at night

Faceless man

If you’re lucky and get clear skies, you might even be able to spot the bright and shining city far away in the clouds, the one we call Genting Highlands.

Is that UFO in the sky?

Night view of Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills

At night, there’s really not much to do in Colmar Tropicale. One could either take a walk up and down the street (something you must have done dozens of times before by then ) or watch the TV in the room. If all else fails, sit down, enjoy the cool weather, watch the stars and take a deep satisfying breath. There’s nothing like cool fresh air up in the mountains.

The Chateau

The next morning before we left, we drove past The Chateau, one of the latest Spa & Organic Wellness Resort in Bukit Tinggi. It was not open to public so we could only take a picture from outside. Look at how grand it is!

Doesn’t The Chateau remind you of a fairy tale castle?

So if you ask me, is Bukit Tinggi a boring place to go? If you’re someone adventurous who expects a vacation to be filled with activities and fun things to do, then yes it’s boring. But if you’re looking for a weekend retreat to relax and immerse yourself with cool weather and fresh air, then this is the place for you. Never forget to admire the nature’s beauty even if it’s just clear blue skies.

Goodbye Bukit Tinggi, I’ll miss your blue skies

Getting there: If you don’t fancy driving up, there’s a shuttle operating from Berjaya Times Square that departs to Colmar Tropicale daily. For more information on the schedule and price, check out their website.

Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills
KM48, Persimpangan Bertingkat Lebuhraya Karak,
28750 Bukit Tinggi, Bentong,
Pahang, Malaysia
Tel No: +609-288 8888
Fax: +609-288 3333
Email: sales@colmartropicale.com.my
Website: www.berjayahotel.com/berjayahills/index.asp

Good morning Thursday! I have been meaning to write about our trip to this place up in the mountains since a month ago, but there’s just always something else that came up. Here are some pictures taken from that trip, but I’m sure you would be able to guess where this was once you saw them. It’s a no-brainer! Anyway, while I wait for the rest of the 100++ pictures to be uploaded, here are some teasers. Remember, you’ve not seen the last of them yet!

The picture that gave it away

“Do you have food for me?”

Peek-a-boo!

Stay tuned for more pictures very soon!

A weekend getaway. A retreat. A private estate. A place I can call home. It was during the weekend that we took a one hour drive to the village of Janda Baik, through the winding and narrow country road, to be immersed in the beauty of nature that is Aman Rimba. To say that I was impressed would have been an understatement, for I was blown away to know that there is a 5-star class resort tucked in the middle of a laid-back kampung. Once we parked our car, someone came out from the reception area with a huge warm smile, welcoming us to this gorgeous estate. Following closely behind, another sweet lady was bearing a warm towel and a cold cucumber drink, for us. What did I tell you? I felt at home.

Towards Aman Rimba

Situated merely an hour’s drive away from the bustling metropolitan of Kuala Lumpur, Aman Rimba is nestled within the hills, the river and the natural tropical beauty to offer the essence of kampung life and serenity to those who seek it. The idea of starting a private estate came about from the wonderfully hospitable couple of Sabri and Wati. Both of them hailing from kampung, they wanted to preserve the rustic lifestyle and the safe haven that a kampung offers, to pass on to their children. Armed with an empty piece of 3-acre land, they built a suite after another, starting with the main wooden house with a room. They used this place as their weekend sanctuary, to relax, swim in the nearby river or even to have BBQ parties. Later, when the children grew up, they started bringing friends, and more people started to fall in love with this place. The rest, as they say, is history.

Aman Rimba Private Estate

The concept of Aman Rimba is selling privacy. The whole estate consists of 6 suites that can accommodate up to 20 persons.

“The entire 3-acre estate is your private home for the entire stay. We dedicate the entire place for you and your group and no strangers will be allowed in. All the 6 suites and all the facilities are only for you and your group to use.” – from the Aman Rimba website

If that is not privacy, I don’t know what is.

Reception area

The Suites

1. Sireh

Sireh is the first ever suite to be built in Aman Rimba. It is also the one that retains the most charm, from its structure on stilts, to the wooden walls and the antique decorative items within, it certainly defines kampung-living with style. It’s obvious that much thought has been given on every detail within the house. The four-poster bed is romantic and modern, while the living area is traditional and comfortable, with wooden furniture playing the main role. If you’re bored, get a book from the nearby shelf, or lie down on the comfortable couch just next to the window while listening to the birds chirp. It’s hard not to love this house.

Sireh House

Sireh – House on stilts

The cosy living area

A day bed for siesta

Books around the house

Four-poster bed

Shower under the sky

2. Serai

Situated merely a few footsteps away from the cafe is Serai, a standalone house that is surrounded by nature and has an outdoor shower to boot. They said this is the ‘old man’s home’ because it’s just so near to everything, one can practically roll out to the dining area.

Entrance to Serai House

Four poster bed in Serai

Comfortable couch

3. Halia & Kunyit

Our home for that night was at Halia, a quaint suite that can sleep up to 4 persons. There’s a four-poster double bed and another pair of twin beds, presumably for the children. What I love about this suite was how it’s surrounded by so many windows! They certainly helped to keep the room temperature low, and we did not even need to turn on the air-conditioner to sleep that night. Just next to Halia is another suite called Kunyit, which has a similar bed configuration. In all the suites, there’s a shower with an open ceiling. Certainly gives a new meaning to showering under the stars, don’t you think so?

Halia House

Double bed in Halia

Twin beds for the kids

Shower with an open ceiling

4. Kantan 1 & 2

Last but not least, a huge bungalow that’s situated in the deepest part of the estate is where Kantan 1 and Kantan 2 are. These two suites can be combined into one big unit or they can be separated via a partition in the middle, creating two standalone suites that can sleep up to 4 persons each. This majestic suite has a patio where one can sit back and chill out next to the pond, a huge living area with an LCD TV, a bedroom with a gorgeous 4-poster bed, a washroom with 2 wash basins and a bathroom with jacuzzi! What more can one ask for?

Kantan 2 entrance

Patio facing the pond

Living room

Day bed

Double bed in Kantan

Bedroom in Kantan

Who says we can’t brush our teeth together?

Jacuzzi

The Food

During our 2day-1night stay, we were spoiled with delicious food by the resident chef imported from Kelantan Delights restaurant. Staying in a kampung environment, what better way to feast other than with kampung food? We stuffed ourselves silly with Ayam Masak Hitam (black sauce chicken), Pucuk Paku (wild ferns), Sup Tulang and Sambal Machang, among others. The most memorable dish has to be the Sambal Machang, made from freshly plucked machang fruit from the orchard no less. This fruit bears resemblance to mango and has a pungent, tarty flavour that is perfect to be made into sambal together with spicy chillies. This sambal was delicious even with just white rice.

The coffee house – our dining area

Free flow of beverages and mineral water all day long

Lunch on Day 1

Delicious ayam masak hitam

Sweet golden kiwi – my new love!

During dinner, we had the Korean BBQ and Steamboat, in the company of Michael Buble’s concert playing in the big projector screen. Yes, the dining environment was rather sensational, not to mention the really cool temperature at night, circa 22 degrees C.

Korean BBQ & Steamboat for dinner

Michael Buble entertaining us on the big screen

The next morning, we were treated with a breakfast feast consisting of nasi lemak, the local favourite, breads, pastries as well as cereals. Oh, don’t forget the egg station on standby too, ready to prepare whatever eggs you want them to.

Breakfast

Breads, pastries and cereal to your heart’s content

Omelette station

Freshly fried omelette

Lunch on Day 2

The legendary Sambal Machang

While we were all lazing away, chatting and catching up, Saucer went to try his luck at fishing. The poor boy was standing under the sun for quite some time, complaining about the heavy fishing rod made from a long tree branch. But he persevered, oh yes he did. And it paid off!

Happily fishing away

He ended up with a catch of catfish in the end, just in time for lunch.

Hard work paid off!

Freshly caught catfish

Activities

Enough about the rooms and food in Aman Rimba, what about the facilities? Tucked in the middle of nowhere, what is there to do really? Well, if lazing around so close to nature is not enough, there are plenty of activities offered in Aman Rimba itself. For starters, take a dip in the swimming pool in the centre of all the suites, or take a nap in the cute hammock.

Dip in the pool or snooze in the hammock

Take a guess, what’s this room?

Back to nature

Otherwise, spend a couple of hours in the game room, completely walled with glass so it feels like you’re playing in the middle of a jungle. There’s a pool table, a foosball table, Nintendo Wii video game and board games at your disposal. Saucer and I spent quite a lot of time during the evening, playing with the Wii. We had a friendly match in bowling, tennis and even golf! It was quite fun. At night when everyone was already asleep, we also had a hand at the pool table.

The game room

Pool table

Foosball

Bowling with Nintendo Wii

The next morning after breakfast, we took a stroll down the estate and out to the surrounding area, to smell the flowers, literally. You’d be amazed at how gorgeous nature is, if you only take some time and pay attention to the wonders of it all. The colourful flowers, the buzzing bees, the rushing water – ah, it’s a completely different world from the city.

A walk to the garden

Hibiscus

What’s this yellow flower?

Spot the bee

The calm pond

Lonely white goose

“Apa khabar?” – How are you? is his favourite phrase

Located directly in front of the estate is a river with freezing cold water, flowing gently down a slope – perfect for a dip under the hot afternoon sun.

3 guys in blue

Otherwise, you can do what Kenny does best – read.

Read a book or two

Talk and laugh away with Ciki

When you have done everything you can think of doing here, just follow Motormouth’s lead and do nothing.

Signing the guest book

Sungai Benus

Needless to say, it was a much-needed weekend that rejuvenated and revitalized our body, mind and soul. To think that such a retreat exists merely an hour away from the city is almost too good to be true. Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping, sleeping with the doors unlocked, swimming in the river without a care in the world – it was all so very kampung, so very comforting.

Spot the arrow!

To get here, you can follow the GPS coordinates below, or use Klinik Desa Janda Baik as your landmark then follow the signboards from there. Be careful with the signs though, there was one with a red arrow that was quite hard to spot!

Take me home, country road

With such amazing service, quality and environment, it’s no wonder that Aman Rimba is now fully booked on all weekends until the middle of next year! For a weekend of celebration, a weekend privacy or even a weekend of solitude, this is the place for you.

Aman Rimba entrance

Estate rental starts from RM5,500 per night for up to 20 persons. Thanks to Chris for arranging such a rewarding weekend experience and to Wati and Sabri for their hospitality.

Aman Rimba Private Estate
Kampung Janda Baik
Contact No.: +6012-232 3071 / +6017-244 9646
Email: wati@amanrimba.com
Website: www.amanrimba.com
GPS Coordinates: 3° 19’41.47″N 101° 51’46.12″E