Datai, Langkawi
 

I have just been phoned to tell me that I have won a competition for a five night holiday at Datai Resort on Langkawi, Malaysia, staying in an "End Suite".

Has anyone had experience of this hotel and can you give me impressions?

Also, what are the highlights of the area that are not to be missed?

Thanks,

Rob
(who is very excited, and going home to have a drink!)

Hi

You are a lucky man. I have been to the Datai but from what I read on www.tripadvisor.com and from what I have seen on the Travel channel, it looks like a great place. My wife and I are going to Langkawi in March and I look forward to it :-)

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

it is a fantastic hotel...it is issolated however...no walking out from it to a town...there is a nearby huge golf course....the beach is fantastic....it is set at the edge of the forrest and the sea...

the first infinite pool i had ever seen when i was there several years ago...

a true treat!!!

generally there is not a great deal to do on langkawi...it is an R&R kind of place...

bon ton is a fantastic restaurant not far from the airport

Lucky you!! We stayed at the Datai several years ago for a week and enjoyed it very much. First, I would e-mail the Datai and request the lobby floor. This is ground level at the front but it is the highest floor at the rear and you will have amazing views from your balconies. The lower the floor, the less the view. You will have a distant view of the sea as it is a good 10 minute walk downhill to the beach.

I hope you have meals included because all the restaurants are pricey. The Pavillion is the Thai restaurant and we felt it equaled any ordinary neighborhood stateside Thai food. It was very dumbed down--all of the safe choices--red curry, green curry, the ubiquitous Pad Thai, (do any Thais actually eat this?), satay, Tom Yom.....at high prices and very low on the heat score.
The Dining room had good food and tables also set outside by the pool. Lovely atmosphere, continental type food. There are nightly buffets, differently themed at the beach club. We went to the Seafood night, which was good but like pulling teeth to get more than 3 oysters. You can also eat at the Andaman which is at the other end of the beach, and Datai shuttles you there. This was not advertised at all, we had to ask reception about it. Our favorite was The Gulai House, a malay type building on the beach with very very good malay & indian food at reasonable prices. They also have a Japanese, but we didn't try it.

The beach is lovely and you can rent kayaks. There is a pool at the beach and one at the hotel. There is a beach restaurant for lunch. This is not a hotel where you go back & forth to your room--it just takes to long.

We rented a car and drove all around the island--one big yawn. The best place to go is the mountain, Gunong Raya.

All in all, a beautiful luxury hotel. You will enjoy it.

Breakfasts are included every day, but no other meals.

Maybe I can use my old backpacker skills and eat enough at breakfast to last me until dinner! (there is actually $Oz2000 spending money included as well, so that should cover a few meals & drinks, as well a something for our 3 kids who are taking the news well, despite having to stay home!)

We also have a couples 2 hour spa treatment included, just in case the surounds aren't relaxing enough!

As a long-term free-beacher, I would also be interested in hearing about skinny-dipping possibilities (realising that this pursuit is often incompatible with traditional local culture, I was thing about the island just off Datai Beach - is it accessible / inhabited / possible for some naked sunning and swimming?) It would be awful to go home from such a fantastic location with tan-lines!