I recently went on a much needed vacation in Terengganu, Malaysia. The east coast of Malaysia boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and many resorts and dive operators help create the perfect weekend getaway experience for those who need it. I'll be writing about my weekend at the Tanjong Jara Resort and how a weekend of decadence has spoiled me for future trips to the islands.
We started our journey from Kuala Lumpur at 6am and took a leisurely drive to the resort. It took us six hours with two comfortable stops in between. The roads are in great condition and if you start early, the journey is enjoyable.
We arrived at the resort at noon. The driveway welcomed us with artfully landscaped greenery which felt authentically like a Malay "kampung". With mounting excitement, we walked into the gorgeous lobby and were served welcome drinks while porters assisted us with our bags. Once the formalities were dispensed with, a hotel staff escorted us to our rooms. There were five of us on this all girls trip and our escort asked for our names. He asked for each one of our names, repeating them carefully and nodding his head in greeting. I realised then that we would experience a weekend of beauty, indulgence and excellent service.
The Lobby
We lunched at the Nelayan restaurant. The food was delicious and they served gorgeously styled local Malay food as we laughed and ate and enjoyed the view of the beach and the sea right next to our table. We then headed to the spa. My friends and I love exploring different spas whenever we travel and I am a seasoned connoisseur. I was blown away. The impressive entrance didn't do it, neither did the magnificent room with a gorgeous skylight they put me in for my session. The excellent welcome service didn't either. It was the massage. Gosh, it was heavenly. My therapist was highly skilled and adjusted the pressure and her style according to what my body needed. She knew what she was doing and was trained to provide the best service a customer could ask for. Kudos to these guys for a job well done. It was well worth the investment.
Entering the Spa
We took a snorkeling package out to Tenggol Island and enjoyed the experience immensely. We headed out in a private boat accompanied by our guides and a cook. He dragged an ice box full of fresh fish with us, then as soon as we arrived at the island and embarked on our morning snorkeling trip with excitement, the cook proceeded to grill fresh seafood on the beach. Can you imagine coming back to the beach, high on our swim, exclaiming about what colourful coral and fish we saw, walking up to a beautifully set table for lunch. It was a feast and I felt so pampered.
The Jetty - headed to Pulau Tenggol
Lunch at Pulau Tenggol
The resort is beautiful. The tagline, "Unmistakably Malay" is perfect and everything within it is designed to showcase the Malay hospitality, vibrant culture, fantastic cuisine and successfully takes the visitor on a journey to discover the roots of this culture. A walk on the private beach is calming and somehow gives you the opportunity to either be with yourself or to enjoy moments of laughter with your family and friends. It is designed to cater for everyone and it successfully represents "cuti-cuti Malaysia".
Having fun before dinner at TJR
The private beach at TJR.
We started our journey from Kuala Lumpur at 6am and took a leisurely drive to the resort. It took us six hours with two comfortable stops in between. The roads are in great condition and if you start early, the journey is enjoyable.
We arrived at the resort at noon. The driveway welcomed us with artfully landscaped greenery which felt authentically like a Malay "kampung". With mounting excitement, we walked into the gorgeous lobby and were served welcome drinks while porters assisted us with our bags. Once the formalities were dispensed with, a hotel staff escorted us to our rooms. There were five of us on this all girls trip and our escort asked for our names. He asked for each one of our names, repeating them carefully and nodding his head in greeting. I realised then that we would experience a weekend of beauty, indulgence and excellent service.
We lunched at the Nelayan restaurant. The food was delicious and they served gorgeously styled local Malay food as we laughed and ate and enjoyed the view of the beach and the sea right next to our table. We then headed to the spa. My friends and I love exploring different spas whenever we travel and I am a seasoned connoisseur. I was blown away. The impressive entrance didn't do it, neither did the magnificent room with a gorgeous skylight they put me in for my session. The excellent welcome service didn't either. It was the massage. Gosh, it was heavenly. My therapist was highly skilled and adjusted the pressure and her style according to what my body needed. She knew what she was doing and was trained to provide the best service a customer could ask for. Kudos to these guys for a job well done. It was well worth the investment.
We took a snorkeling package out to Tenggol Island and enjoyed the experience immensely. We headed out in a private boat accompanied by our guides and a cook. He dragged an ice box full of fresh fish with us, then as soon as we arrived at the island and embarked on our morning snorkeling trip with excitement, the cook proceeded to grill fresh seafood on the beach. Can you imagine coming back to the beach, high on our swim, exclaiming about what colourful coral and fish we saw, walking up to a beautifully set table for lunch. It was a feast and I felt so pampered.
The resort is beautiful. The tagline, "Unmistakably Malay" is perfect and everything within it is designed to showcase the Malay hospitality, vibrant culture, fantastic cuisine and successfully takes the visitor on a journey to discover the roots of this culture. A walk on the private beach is calming and somehow gives you the opportunity to either be with yourself or to enjoy moments of laughter with your family and friends. It is designed to cater for everyone and it successfully represents "cuti-cuti Malaysia".
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