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Asia
Malaysia's Pangkor Laut & Tanjong Jara
By Andréa R. Vaucher
Since the 60s, travelers have haunted Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand and Bali, but, not counting a KL business trip or stopover, when was the last time you—or anyone you know—considered a trip to Malaysia?
That soon could change.
Tourism to the country, which shares a peninsula with Thailand, has significantly risen since the tsunami. Though it lies 500 miles south of Phuket, parts of which were ravaged by the disaster (now totally back in business and cleaner and better than ever), Malaysia was untouched, protected by the island of Sumatra from the seismic action in the Indian Ocean.
Plus, Malaysia’s top resort—Pangkor Laut—has recently added world-class spa facilities that are attracting both those in need of pampering and those seeking serious healing therapies.
Even the 19-hour Malaysia Airlines flight from Los Angeles isn’t bad, with video-on-demand and upper deck business class service. (The company has lie-flat seats for business class on order.) The flight attendants were so obliging, I almost felt like tipping them. Have you ever taken a long haul flight and found the bathrooms as clean at the end of the flight as at the beginning?
After recuperating in KL at the JW Marriot that might have been remarkable if I had not stayed at the Ritz Carlton with its complimentary butler service, monogrammed bed linens, and dry cleaning later on in my trip, we visited Pangkor Laut’s “sister” property, Tanjong Jara Resort, on Malaysia’s less developed east coast.
Tanjong Jara Resort
Driving from the airport, we passed schoolgirls in Muslim headscarves on bicycles and crossed the mangrove-lined Terengganu River, where hotel guests can explore their “Apocalypse Now” fantasies from the safety of a sampan—a traditional Malay boat.
Wild monkeys greeted us at the resort entrance. Flora as dense as the tropical rainforests that cover the majority of Malaysia slowly revealed striking wooden structures that were inspired by 17th century sultans’ palaces, with soaring ceilings and open reception and dining areas.
Several majestic guest villas face the South China Sea, with terraces overlooking an endless, pink sand beach. These spacious accommodations have opulent lounging areas and separate bath pavilions with an outdoor tub in a private courtyard. All 100 rooms are decorated with polished tropical woods and muted, luxurious textiles.
Three restaurants offer fine Malaysian cuisine and guests can accompany the hotel chef to the local wet market to buy ingredients for that night’s dinner. There’s top notch diving at nearby Tenggol Island and a resident naturalist for guided jungle treks or bike rides to local villages.
The spa here was a terrific prelude to the one at Pangkor Laut. I drifted off to sounds of the sea and songs of the jungle birds, as I was scrubbed and massaged with creams made from rice, yogurt, honey, and indigenous herbs such as turmeric and ginger.
Pangkor Laut
It’s a trek to Pangkor Laut from KL—a three-hour drive north along the west coast and an hour’s ferry ride—but worth it.
The dark wood villas, dramatically rising out of an emerald green sea on stilts, exuded mystery, and every detail—a deeply pitched roof, a woven shade threaded with gold, an old wooden cowbell transformed into a sconce—underscored the destination’s exoticism.
From the over-water boardwalk connecting the villas and the six resort restaurants, we glimpsed a five-foot long monitor lizard sleeping on a bleached rock. Wild peacocks strutted by as though they owned the place. Monkeys squealed. Colorful birds swooped and squawked.
Though the accommodations here are not as grand as those at Tanjong Jara, all 148 rooms have a particular charm.
The over-water villas feature large, deep bathtubs with floor to ceiling windows that open onto sea; to stand under the rainforest showerhead and watch the sunset is unadulterated bliss.
The Spa Village
The heart of Pangkor Laut is its Spa Village, a lush oasis of natural and architectural beauty, which may possibly be the best spa in the world.
What distinguishes this spa is its unparalleled array of international treatments. Drawn from Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Balinese, and Malaysian healing cultures, programs—which can be as short as a massage or as intense as a two week cure—focus on rejuvenation and longevity, relaxation and stress reduction, and detoxification.
Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Malaysian doctors consult with guests in seaside “healing huts” and recommend remedies as common as reflexology or as esoteric as cupping, body smoking, or scented body steaming.
All treatments begin with a trip to the Japanese bathhouse. There’s a wrap house, cozy nap gazebos, a 50-meter spa pool, and daily yoga and tai chi classes. Twenty-two new spa villas, built over the water, afford direct access to the Spa Village.
The resort also offers tennis, water sports, fishing, jungle trekking, and cruises to neighboring islands. But frankly, once those spa treatments start taking effect, the most you’ll want to do is lie on the white sand beach and dream.
SIDEBAR - The Estates at Pangkor Laut
If you want the utmost in luxury and privacy, check out the Estates at Pangkor Laut—eight architecturally stunning accommodations on the far side of the island, three on a private beach, and the others with breathtaking views of the sea.
Each estate is a collection of free-standing pavilions that are grouped around its own spectacular pool and lushly landscaped grounds, all designed to maximize the ocean views and disturb as little of the jungle as possible.
At the heart of each estate is an octagonal, open-air living pavilion with a soaring two-story roof made of local hardwood. The dining pavilions have glass walls, offering views toward the Malacca Strait, while the sleeping and bathing pavilions have pocket doors or granite steps that lead directly into the private pool.
The décor features Southeast Asian aesthetics - lots of wood, sandstone, granite, rattan, and wicker. The enormous four-poster platform beds, handmade in a dark, local wood, require steps to climb in.
Each estate comes with a major domo, male and female butlers, a chef, and a car and driver, just in case a resident cares to drive over to the Pangkor Laut Resort—five minutes away through the jungle—for dinner in one of the restaurants or to use the spa.
Fees vary, but a two-bedroom estate is $14,000 a week and a three-bedroom hilltop sanctuary with its own lily pond, $24,500. Food and nonalcoholic beverages at The Estates or in the resort's restaurants are included.
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