Can anyone please tell me if the Tanjong Jara Resort is very secluded? Are there any villages or restaurants and shopping nearby?Thanks in advance.

First off, the Tanjong Jara is a beautiful hotel. It is not on a "strip" with a lot of other hotels, it is basically the only hotel in the area for many miles. While there are some villages nearby with a bit of shopping (including night markets), it is quite limited in comparison to what you would find in Phuket, Bali or other SE Asian beach resorts. The upper portion of the east coast of Malaysia is relatively untouched by the mass commerical tourism of places like Langkawi, Phuket, etc. The largest town nearby is Kuala Terengganu (about an hour) which has a somewhat interesting central market, a cultural centre and a craft center (in Chendering), but it does not offer a lot in the way of other shopping or restaurants. If shopping and eating outside the resort are your prime interests, this may not be the resort for you. On the other hand, if you want to walk for miles on a deserted beach, or lie on a beach without being constantly asked if you want a massage or buy a sarong, if you want to be able to hire a boat for the day to go to desert islands with powdery white sand and azure waters for great snorkelling and diving without running into a huge tour boat full of day-trippers, and if you want to take trips into the local fishing villages (esp Rantau Abang) or jungles, than the hotel IS the place for you.

We spent new years 2002-03 at Tanjong Jara and loved it. However, apart from one morning we did not step out of the resort for the 4 days we were there. As Cicerone mentioned most people choose to go there to experience and enjoy the resort rather than to explore the destination.

thanks both for your replies. The only reason I am afraid there is nothing else around is because I am intending to spend 7/8 nights and my 24 and 21 son and daughter might get tired of only being there the whole time.thanks again

As long as they like watersports like snorkelling, sailing, waterskiing, etc I think they will be fine. If they don't already have a scuba diving certificate, I would strongly recommend that they try to get certified before they go, as there is excellent diving in the area. No wetsuits needed. Lots of coral and fish. It is possible that the hotel could arrange to set up a dive course while they are there so then can become PADI certified (the most common certification). Check with the hotel.

They can also explore the area on their own. They can use mountain bikes from the hotel, and they should also be able to rent motorbikes to explore a bit further. (You can rent a car, but motorbikes are more fun if you are under 30, IMO.) There are little villages in the area which have lots of local color. There are some very local-type cafes on the beach which might not interest you, but could be fun for them to meet other young people. Malaysia is generally very safe. (I travelled there for the first time with 3 other girls there when I was about 25, and loved it.)

As noted in my post, you can hire a boat (with captain, generally older fishing boats but perfectly safe and fine) to take day trips to the many off-shore islands. This is where the best snorkelling and diving can be found.

The Lonely Planet guides to Malaysia and SE Asia are very good and give a ideas for a somewhat younger crowd than Fodors. You might buy one or more of them for suggestions of other activities/sights in the area.

There is also a spa and yoga center at the hotel which all can enjoy.