By the time we arrived at Pangkor Laut Resort, Adam and I had been travelling through Asia for 2 and a half months straight. We were tired (the kind of deep tired that the odd lie-in just isn’t going to cure), bedraggled, and a little bit jaded. But as we sat our weary selves down at the beach club restaurant for lunch after checking in, looking out over the infinity pool, palm trees and water beyond, all of that just melted away.
Pangkor Laut Resort resides on its own private island just off the West Coast of Malaysia. It’s simultaneously a chic, luxurious getaway, yet also an immersion in nature, with much of the island remaining a dense rainforest. Pristine pools are set against a rugged jungle backdrop, overlooking the blues of the Straits of Malacca.
After two weeks exploring the cities of Kuala Lumpur, George Town and Ipoh, we were very ready for a change of pace. Pangkor Laut Resort offered this in spades; tranquil beach days and sunset cruises, with slap up meals at the resorts numerous restaurants. We spent three nights (not long enough at all, as it turns out) discovering everything the island had to offer, but also resting and recharging.
Read on for my Pangkor Laut Resort review, deep diving into the full experience at this Malaysian island paradise.
Pangkor Laut Resort Location
Pangkor Laut Resort resides on its own island, just off larger Pangkor Island. It's roughly a 15 minute speedboat journey from Marina Island, where the resort's check in is located. The speedboat can be booked in advance with the resort, who also offer private car transfers from major nearby cities.
We travelled from Ipoh, which took about 1 hr 40 by private transfer. Ipoh is only really worth a night or two in itself, but is the most convenient base from which to reach the resort. Alternatively, it’s around a 3 and a half hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. If you're particularly willing to splash the cash, you can also reach by helicopter.
The resort itself takes up only around 30% of the island on which it sits, with the rest largely dominated by dense jungle foliage. A conservation site, the island is home not only to holidaymakers, but also monkeys, wild boars, and a friendly population of hornbills (friendly largely because they want your food...).
Design and Architecture
Pangkor Laut Resort is part of Malaysian hotel brand YTL Hotels, who boast a portfolio of some of the most beautiful properties both within the country, and further afield. Of these, Pangkor Laut Resort is arguably one of the most spectacular. I say this with more than a hint of bias, as I've not had the opportunity to visit them all!
Manicured grounds contrast against the unspoilt jungle landscape, with palm-tree lined walkways leading to countless spots to relax, sunbathe, and soak in the views. The architecture and design are largely minimalist, allowing the spotlight to remain firmly on the location itself.
Rooms and Suites
There are a number of different room categories across the resort, including sea villas, spa villas, hill, beach and garden villas. The sea and spa villas are set on the water, whilst the latter three are set back within the resort, looking out to sea. There's also the odd suite - for example, the Pavarotti suite, named after the famed opera singer who stayed at the resort back in 1994 (and opened the spa in 2002!).
If you’re truly looking for privacy, there are also a select number of “estates”, essentially private villas large enough to host groups or families. Set apart from the main resort in the tranquility of the forest, these come complete with their own facilities and even a private chef. Something to aspire to!
We checked into a sea villa, perched over the water on stilts. The view from our balcony looked out over endless blue, really cementing the sensation of being a world away from reality.
The sea villas are conveniently set between the main resort areas and the spa village, meaning you’re generally only a short 5-10 minute walk away from most amenities.
The room itself was ample space and beautifully styled. Simple, sleek furnishings set against dark wood accents lets the view take centre stage. The bathroom is almost as big as the bedroom, with a large marble tub. Adam loves a soak in the tub but always complains they’re too small for him - for once, he fit!
Services and Amenities
In such a big resort with so many staff, service could be impersonal. However this is far from the case at Pangkor Laut Resort. Rather we were impressed at how well the staff would remember our names, or at the very least our room number, and were often stopping by to have a chat.
The resort has plenty of amenities, including the usual gym and spa (more on that later), but also a games room, karaoke room, and courts for various different sports. I’ll admit, we were usually too preoccupied with lounging by the pool, or eating our way round the many restaurants, to make much use of these! Every time we passed the gym, we’d say “maybe tomorrow”, but funnily enough, tomorrow never came. It did look very well equipped, however!
Most of the resort's public spaces and rooms can be found on the East of the island, winding along the coast from Uncle Lim's Restaurant down to the Spa Village. However, on the other side of the island is a (not so) secret stretch of sand, called Emerald Bay. The spot is equipped with a beach bar and conservation centre; however again decoration is kept to the minimum, letting the natural setting shine. It's also one of the best spots from which to watch the sunset.
Activities and Excursions
If you're not the "snoozing by the pool" type of holidaymaker, Pangkor Laut Resort offers a range of activities. We signed up for a morning hike, exploring some of the natural landscapes of the island beyond the resort. There are two walks: one a short 30 minute trail, whilst the other is a more meandering and apparently more gruelling hour and a half, both of which end at Emerald Bay.
Our guide took us on the former, although it took closer to an hour and a half as she stopped regularly to educate us on the biodiversity of the island, and current conservation efforts. If I’m totally honest, I’m not usually one to be all that enthused by animal facts, but it was genuinely fascinating. We learned about the resident hornbill’s nesting patterns, the flying foxes that call a tree in the midst of the resort home, and the wild boars that made their way over from the mainland during the pandemic. It’s incredible to see all these animals, but even more so to actually understand their habits and ways of living. Our guide also had a knack for taking a quick break whenever the hike got remotely challenging, which in the heat and humidity was greatly appreciated! Emerald Bay is also home to the Island’s conservation centre, which is open for those interested in learning more to pop in.
Our token physical exercise complete, we headed off for a very different sort of experience - a sunset cruise. This took us for about an hour on a loop around the resort, to watch the sunset from Emerald Bay. The experience is complete with canapés and unlimited wine, beer, or soft drinks. We spent it chatting away with the friendly staff and a lovely Belgian family, paired with a chilled glass of white (me), and a Carslberg Pilsner (Adam). It was one of the loveliest evenings on the island - and we were lucky enough to see a gorgeous sunset.
The Spa Village
The spa at Pangkor Laut Resort is not just “a spa”. After all, they have a whole island to play with. The Spa Village is a sprawling expanse, complete with its own pool and overwater spa villas. We were booked into the "Royal Secret of Puteri Lindungan Bulan" for me, and "Bukit Gantang Warrior Treatment" for Adam. On arrival, it was explained that the full process was 4 hours long, and would see us through from 3pm all the way until dinner time. Now we weren’t entirely sure whether to be excited or apprehensive. But, as I sat for the opening foot scrub and felt those initial massage tingles, I knew we were in for a treat.
The experience started with us being separated to experience the men's and women's bathing areas. There were cold baths, hot baths, self-scrubbing stations, the works. Then we rejoined each other for a blissful full body massage experience, followed by a soak in a tub. By this point I was very zen, and rather ready for a nap!
A slightly comical ending after 3 and 3/4 hours of pleasantness involved us being zipped up into separate steam boxes, complete with hood, to be lightly poached whilst we sat facing each other, dripping sweat. Were we here for a romantic honeymoon couples getaway, it might have been a mood killer. But for us, it was probably for the best to sweat out all the dim sum and greasy noodles we’d been eating for the past week!
As for whether excitement or apprehension was the correct response? When we stepped out, freshly scrubbed, rubbed, and pampered within an inch of our lives, I found myself asking, why aren’t all massage sessions four hours long?
Read More: The Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide
Dining and Drinking
With six on-site restaurants and bars, plus a selection of private dining experiences, there's no fear of getting bored by the food at Pangkor Laut Resort. There are casual beach bar style venues, in the form of Royal Bay Beach Club overlooking the main pool, Chapman's Bar at Emerald Bay, and Jamu Bar at the spa village. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Feast, whilst Uncle Lim's and Fisherman's Cove are two of the more elevated dining experiences. We managed to eat our way around pretty much all the restaurants during our stay, and can confidently say that you're in good hands with the chefs at Pangkor Laut Resort. There were, of course, a few standout meals - I've included some highlights in more depth below:
Uncle Lim's Kitchen
Uncle Lim's Kitchen, named after the resort's longest serving staff member, serves up Nyonya and Hock Chew Chinese cuisine in a large, family style dining space. The hot seats are the booths out over the water, the perfect spot from which to watch the sun set over the jetty.
The menu is a mix of Chinese staples (salt and pepper prawns, a personal favourite, were an immediate order), and more niche choices - we had to google a few things, like “Hong Kong style Kailan” (Asian broccoli, as it turns out). We ordered the aforementioned prawns, salted egg chicken, roast duck, and broccoli in garlic sauce. Everything comes in a choice of small or large. I’ve come to learn that in Chinese restaurants, small means normal, and large means family size.
We’d been eating a lot of Chinese street food over the last few days in Ipoh and George Town, so to experience a more elevated take was refreshing. The roast duck in crispy skin was actually genuinely crispy, in a perfectly sweet, tangy glaze that I could eat by the bucketload. The aforementioned prawns were less greasy and heavily battered than your usual takeout rendition.
Fisherman's Cove
Fisherman's Cove is the most elevated of the dining experiences at Pangkor Laut Resort. We'd heard rather a lot of rave reviews so by the time we got round to eating here, anticipation was high. We arrived to a soundtrack of pounding rain and dramatic thunder and lightning like nothing I’d ever experienced before (at least not in mild tempered England!). A suitably dramatic setting to accompany our meal.
The menu centres around fish and seafood, however there's plenty of meat and veg options besides. We started things off with the tomato salad and "dancing" prawns, a signature dish of the restaurant. What makes it dance, I'm not entirely sure, but it was very tasty. For mains, Adam tried the red snapper, again, having heard great things, whilst I opted for the lamb. Everything was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly - my lamb just pink and so tender, whilst Adam's snapper had him using all sorts of superlatives. If you're visiting Pangkor Laut Resort for a special occasion (or just because!), Fisherman's Cove is a must.
Feast
Feast is the biggest restaurant of the bunch, hosting breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast here is served up buffet style, with cuisine from all over. We had a lot of fun each morning deciding whether to go for toast and fruit, or mix things up with dumplings and noodles!
On our dinner visit it was “Pasar Malam Night” night, showcasing local Malay cuisine. A number of hawker style stalls had been set up under atmospheric festoons, creating a lovely bazaar style ambience. Learn from our mistakes, and do a lap of all the stations before you decide what you want to go for! I loaded up on the first table before realising there were so many more exciting things to try, all freshly made at live stations. Beef rendang, nasi lemak, curry laksa and more were all on offer. It was a real treat being able to try so much local cuisine under one roof - and really cemented my opinion that Malaysia is one of the best foodie destinations!
Pangkor Laut Resort Review: The Final Word
Staying at Pangkor Laut Resort was our moment of luxury during our Malaysian adventures, and it more than delivered. Whilst it is undoubtedly luxurious, it’s simultaneously a laidback, unstuffy affair, with genuinely warm service and no sense of pretension.
The draw of the stay is the lure of a private island getaway, which is done with real sensitivity to the ecosystem of the island. The resort itself is a polished affair, yet the rugged natural landscapes provide an immersive experience, and make it so much more than just relaxing by the beach.
When writing these reviews, my final question is always - “would I return?”. Particularly in this case, Malaysia is a country I have no doubt I’m not finished with, so it’s likely we’ll end up round these parts again, one day. As for returning to Pangkor Laut Resort? It’s an easy yes, please, as soon as possible. Maybe for a week next time, or two, to really lose ourselves in this little patch of paradise.
