Review of Two Malaysian Hotels, by John Hatt

For some years there have been several celebrated holiday hotels in Indonesia and Thailand, but recently two luxurious resorts have been built in Malaysia, about which less has been written. So I went to review them.

At each hotel I was mildly disappointed on arrival (for reasons which I will explain), but I ended up greatly enjoying both. Compared to many resorts in the Caribbean, which must be the main rival to the Far East, the Malaysian ones offer better food, better service, and better security. These oriental hotels also tend to attract a slightly different type of guest from those in the Caribbean - rather more discreet, subdued, and less social: you would be unlikely to find yourself at the next-door table to Michael Winner. And, by almost any international standards, both Malaysian hotels offer excellent value for money.

In case some might not agree, I have tried to list every possible disadvantage of both the Datai and Pangkor Laut, thus hoping to lessen any chance of a disappointed customer.

Pangkor Laut My mild initial disappointment was probably because of Pangkor Laut's size. My personal preference is for smaller places, where there is usually less razzmatazz: fewer walkie-talkies, fewer engine noises, fewer kitchen extractor fans, and so on. Pangkor, however, which has 184 rooms and suites, is a proper resort. But this also means that it has all the advantages that the word 'resort' implies.

Setting Pangkor Laut has the great advantage of being built on a privately owned island of 300 acres, much of which is still dense tropical forest. It is still possible to take long, mildly intrepid walks into the wonderful jungle of its interior. The island was uninhabited until 1943 when a British army colonel, Spencer Chapman, spent 36 hours on the island. As the hotel's brochure says "His short stay would be indelibly printed in history like a stroke of Rembrandt's brush when he published his fascinating book The Jungle is Neutral (available in the resort's library and the Kazbah Boutique)".

Bedrooms I stayed in one of the 'Sea Villas', which are built kampong-style over the sea. It was fun to peer over the balcony and spot cruising fish. The rooms, though smallish, are pleasantly decorated in subdued good taste, and have windows that open on two sides. They also have balconies easily large enough for sunbeds.

Choosing your room Apart from the Sea Villas there is a wide variety of accommodations including many land-based bungalows, both near the sea and up the hill. If you choose a Sea Villa, ask for one of those that are fairly close to the swimming pool/restaurant area, otherwise it's quite a long walk every time you forget your suncream. If you want a cheaper version of a Sea Villa, there are other rooms built over the water known as 'Water villas'. These are slightly smaller and need transport (easy and free of charge), but they have the advantage of being in a very quiet area. Personally, I would not choose the 'Coral Bay Hillside villas', as they are slightly too far from the main action. However, with a large family, I might choose one of the spacious 'Coral Bay beach villas'.

Now that I have had the novelty of staying above the water, on my second visit I would choose one of the eight 'Royal Beach villas' which are pretty, spacious and very close to the main swimming pool and restaurants.

Bathrooms My bathroom was pleasant, and because the baths are level with the windows, you can bathe with a full view of the sea. As usual, there are nowhere near enough shelves for clothes, nor anywhere to put an empty suitcase.

Restaurants There are six restaurants, giving a wide level of gastronomic choice. Three of them are attractively perched right on the edge of the sea. The food is excellent, especially in those serving oriental food. In one of the restaurants, there is no menu: you discuss with the cook what he can best produce from the fresh ingredients available that day.

Breakfast You can, of course, be served breakfast in your room, but a full breakfast complete with buffet is served until 11 am. I noticed that even those sneaking in after the deadline weren't turned away, as they would have been in so many European hotels. Eggs and some oriental dishes are cooked to order. The breakfast area is slightly too large to be beautiful, but the food is excellent.

Swimming and beaches A disadvantage of Pangkor Laut is that the area immediately near most of the villas isn't the most attractive one for swimming in the sea. And when I wanted to try windsurfing near my villa, I was warned that I might cut myself (or be spiked by a sea urchin) when the tide is low. This problem may soon be solved, as the hotel will be opening a beach dedicated to the various watersports, including windsurfing and hobycats. The three pools, including the main one which is glorious, are all located near the villas.

When I first saw the beach at Emerald Bay on the other side of the island, I was surprised that the hotel hadn't built their villas here. But I rapidly realised that this was a wise decision, for its wild perfection would be spoilt by the sight of any permanent buildings. Emerald Bay is a perfect crescent of yellow sand, where you are entirely undisturbed by hawkers or noisy boats. But its real magic derives from the jungle, which from all angles descends to the edge of the beach. Instead of the usual coconut palms, the beach is bordered by huge trees with thick gnarled trunks, like tropical versions of English oaks. The hotel has started to plant coconut palms in this area, but I hope that they will all be cut down, for they mix badly with the indigenous vegetation and could destroy the uniqueness of this area.

The beach has just the right combination of wildness and civilization for, although you feel yourself in a savage paradise, there are attendants at hand to lay out your sunbed, bring you fresh towels, and fetch reasonably priced satay and drinks from the small bar.

An advantage of the beach is that there is enough snorkelling to keep one interested for a while (though not good enough for anyone to make a journey). Being a private island, there is no security risk (unlike most of the world's beaches) and, while snorkelling, I didn't worry about the expensive cameras that I left untended by my chair.

Other facilities There are squash courts, tennis courts, a health club, gym, jacuzzi, and a masseur. There is a golf course nearby, but you have to get in a boat to visit it. In many rooms there is CD equipment, and further CDs can be borrowed from the hotel's small library.

General impression Although at first disturbed by Pangkor Laut's size, I ended up by greatly appreciating its superb management and service. I particularly enjoyed lazing at Emerald Bay, which at present is one of the loveliest beaches that I have ever known.

Travel Facts:

Weather The West coast of Malaysia is nearly an all-season destination. The sea is always warm, and even during the worst times you should see some sun. However, some seasons are better than others. At the Datai the best season is usually (and conveniently!) from November - May, when there is no cloud and the humidity is low. The worst season is usually from September - November, when there may be grey skies and rain (though rarely day after day). In Pangkor Laut the rainier and greyer season tends to be from October to December; but it rarely rains for long, and when I was there at the worst time, grey skies lasted only half the day, and there was no rain at all.