If you find yourself yearning to sample the simple life, and if (ironically) you’re also a sucker for luxury beachfront resorts with excellent hospitality, Tanjong Jara Resort – by the illustrious YTL Hotels – is right up your alley.
We collectively pounced to check out the property when it re-opened in mid January after two months of renovations and upgrading to refresh the 31-year old resort (trust us, it doesn’t look its age).
Located on the east coast of Malaysia, Tanjong Jara Resort is situated in one of the most untouched and unspoilt regions of the country. While the fine sandy beaches might not be the pristine white you’ll find in the Maldives, the fact that there’re no sailing vessels (aside from the occasion fishing trawler) to mar your view of the beautiful South China Sea-scape more than makes up for it.
If you’re a frequent traveller to Johor Bahru or KL, leave those impressions of Malaysia behind. We (no offence) much prefer YTL’s take on Malay culture. The rooms on the property are modeled after Malay Sultans’ palaces of old – with the modern necessity of air conditioning, of course. We loved the very spacious en-suite bathroom (mineral bath salts and boutique toiletries included) in our Serambi Sea View Room, as well as the verandah, which we sat out on every night just to enjoy the waves crashing on the beach and the sea’s salty breath lapping our skin.
It’s no secret that we’re crazy about food, so we’re glad to report both restaurants in the resort delivered, especially on the Asian cuisine and seafood front (also because they get everything fresh!).
Di Atas Sungei dishes out a hearty breakfast that satisfies whether you’re the egg and toast type or you’re all for nasi lemak (coconut infused rice with sambal, peanuts, and anchovies). We loved the juicing counter that ensured we got all our juices on the spot (and sans artificial sweetener). Dinner at Di Atas Sungei is special, ‘cause there’s no menu. Just order whatever you have a craving for (like beef, chicken, or fish) and they’ll find a cooking style that suits your palate. We recommend the fried chili-salt squid, buttermilk prawns, satay (meat skewers), and the chocolate lava cake.
At Nelayan (aptly ‘fisherman’ in Malay), try the nasi goreng (fried rice) with shrimp and the apple pie at lunch. If you want to try the local food, go for Taste of Terengganu, which features rice with local dishes that changes daily. The menu changes for dinner – we liked the octopus terrine and the flourless chocolate cake. If you’re here on a romantic getaway, have dinner on the beach at Nelayan. It’ll probably be the highlight of your trip – they’ll even light a bonfire in your honour!
Another thing close to our (and your) desk-bound heart would be, undoubtedly, the Spa Village. All treatments start with the Mandi Bunga (flower bath) performed by your friendly therapist, which is supposed to dispel bad luck and to confer blessings!
We picked Tuam Pasir, an ancient (and effective) treatment for joint pains, muscle aches, and to improve blood circulation. After medicated ointment is applied, cotton pouches of hot sand, fenugreek and black seeds were used as a pressure massage, which was mostly long strokes and pressing (as opposed to the pulling and pushing in Thai massages). We fell asleep during the 100 minutes of pure bliss – now that’s high praise coming from anyone.
What we actually liked best were the colourful personalities (those who helm the various activities on the property). We went on the bicycle tour (an amazing ride along the beach and through a local fishing village) with resort naturalist Captain Mokh, who regaled us with stories of when he was part of Malaysia’s Special Ops Forces in the 1960s (a dangerous time, if you know your history) while we tucked into teh tarik and roti cannai (we know it as roti prata) at the village’s coffee shop.
Another character to meet is the cheerful and bubbly Chef Ann, Menu Master at Di Atas Sungei. Since we weren’t exactly the domestic goddess type, we were greatly relieved to find her kitchen manner was nothing like Gordon Ramsey, during the cooking class where we whipped up beef rendang and coconut prawns. Under her guidance, even we couldn’t screw up – the food was actually good (yes, you get to eat what you cook so skip lunch if you intend to go for this!).
Other activities include jungle treks to Chemerung Waterfall, visiting the Dungun Night Market (the hub of social activity on Thursday night, with awesome local food), and Kampung Life (also Captain Mokh’s pet project), where the kampong is brought into the resort. You’ll get to experience the traditional Malay way of life by playing local games, music, and sampling local delicacies.
What we love about Tanjong Jara Resort is that they’ve put together a special residents’ package for those of us living in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (yes, expats too!), as well as one for the diving enthusiasts to Tenggol Island (available only March to October).
One thing we can say for sure: we’ll be back.