After the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, I decided we needed to chill out a bit and thankfully I had booked us into a hotel where we could relax, recharge and basically do nothing for a few days without feeling too guilty hence booking into a hotel on a private island means you can’t really leave the island…Welcome to Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa aka Paradise!
We arrived at the jetty for our transfer to the island all a bit flustered; the signage was a little hit and miss but we made it with 30 mins spare for the last crossing of the day…while waiting to leave for the island we enjoyed the sunset while sipping a rather much needed cold drink.
The ride across to the island took around 10 minutes in the darkness. As soon as we arrived we were welcomed on the jetty and shown around the resort, had our credit cards swiped and then shown to our hill villa. All very fast and efficient; a good thing as our tummies were rumbling!
This is the library area and the only place on the island where you can get wifi…you will seriously switch off and relax with staying at Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa. (okay you can get wifi at Feast restaurant also if you can get a table close to the library….bad I know!)
Now I booked the hill villa for our stay for one particular reason…it had a tv…it was rainy season…and I didn’t fancy having to talk to G for the whole time on holiday if it rained…and I’m thinking an over water villa cherry should be popped in the Maldives really…don’t you agree? The villa was spacious, tastefully decorated and air conditioned…bliss!
The bathroom was impressive and it included an outdoor bath tub. My only gripe with the whole villa were the taps as they were located to the left of the sink and you had to bend down…it was just tad weird for my liking.
Waking up fresh a daisy the next morning, showering and hungry for brekkie….we got hit by an instant wall of humidity as we left the villa…even the camera fogged up!
Breakfast with a view.
There was a huge selection on offer for ever taste bud; chinese, curries, fruit, salads, waffles…it was grazing central and this cow was grazing!
G and I decided to go and get our bearings of the island…without the map…honestly how could you get lost on an island while trying to find the spa…so of course we immediately got lost and had to ask for directions…I blame G!
Arriving at the spa, we were warmly greeted and asked if we had walked to the spa…yes…did you know about the free shuttle…yes we’re trying to be healthy but we will use the shuttle in future…it’s got AC…we will definitely use the shuttle then. We booked our appointments for later that afternoon and then another sneaky treatment the following day…honestly what else are you meant to do when stuck on a tropical island!
Pangkor Laut Resort has the best spa I’ve ever visited in my life; it’s truly amazing and I can see why it’s won so many awards. It’s seriously lush! Even turtles come here to chill.
We started with a foot wash and had our feet hammered to improve our circulation. (I’m sure there is a great term for this that isn’t called hammered but you know what I mean!)
For our treatments we were whisked away to the changing rooms and told to get naked for our treatments (but are then wrapped up in a sarong)…or the start of them…there was a spa knicker incident where I was given spa knickers that no western woman was going to fit…there were a number of giggles from me and apologies from the therapist…and then I got spa knickers that Bridget Jones would have approved of.
After making a wish, I entered the spa area…including going through a cold shower, inhaling different herbs, scrubbing (it took two attempts to get all the fake tan off!) myself in the Japanese bath house and then relaxing in the hot pool with Japanese tea before having a therapist scrubbing me all over again…I was squeaky clean!
Next up was actually going for the treatment and I would recommend anything and everything! I had a standard Balinese massage and then the following day a half day at the spa getting scrubbed again, exfoliated and massaged. Whatever you do if you visit the spa is to ask for a scalp massage….amazing!
After our treatments, we settled into the little chalets by the pool in the spa area and just relaxed reading…
…and drinking smoothies!
G and I decided to head over to the bar at the other pool for happy hour to enjoy the view…
…then the view got a whole lot better!
We had such a great day we decided to repeat the process again the following day…breakfast…spa…pool…
…smoothies…
and then we headed into the shuttle to visit Emerald Bay which is the private beach on the other side of the island.
While G went for a swim…and tried his best to look like James Bond…he failed miserably when the wave wiped him out…
I managed to finish my book…yes I was reading a book for teenage girls…I’m young at heart and then watched the crabs dance along the beach.
There was a hammock and of course I wanted a photo of me “relaxing”…I’m not good at relaxing and well hammocks and me…it normally ends in disaster. This was attempt one…I thought my jandals weren’t in the right place…
…queue me moving them 2 cm’s and almost falling out of the hammock…
…finally G took another photo but I had lost patience hence me poking my tongue out!
I finally got the hammock photo that I wanted…much to amusement of the elderly couple next to us!
The following day we left the island to head to Ipoh…it was rather sad to leave this little slice of Malaysian paradise.
Travel Tips for Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa
- Families should book the Garden Villas especially if you have young children; there are a load of stairs if staying in the Hill Villas
- The over water villas currently don’t have tv’s however the garden and hill villas do.
- There is no wifi in the villas but you can hire a dongle for a small charge
- There are great gluten free options at the Feast Restaurant; I didn’t go hungry and the flourless chocolate cake is super tasty!
- There is a free shuttle that runs around the island
- Free water is provided at Emerald Bay for all guests along with towels
- The weekends are rather busy as locals travel from Kuala Lumpur on a Friday night to spend the weekend at Pangkor Laut Resort hence it’s busy during the weekend but by Tuesday it’s deserted and feels like your own private island.
- Check out the YTL website for special deals; we managed to get a free night at the Hotel Majestic in Kuala Lumpur as we stayed for three nights at Pangkor Laut Resort.
Would I return to Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa – definitely, G has already told me that he wants to go back. Life really is easier on a private island!
xx
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