“This place is enchanting, it is a paradise. The morning when I woke up I went out and I was really moved, almost crying, to see what  beautiful things God had done. This is a paradise” – Luciano Pavarotti.

When I got the call for Luxurious Magazine to go to Pangkor Laut Resort, it was a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Trepidation – why? – because Pangkor Laut carries the reputation of being the finest luxury beach resort in Malaysia, Conde Nast Traveller had proclaimed it ‘Number one in the world’, CNNgo voted it the Best Spa Resort 2011, countless other media organisations and magazine’s had heaped praise and awards on Pangkor Laut Resort and even Hollywood Movie Star Joan Collins said “Pangkor Laut was everything one could hope for in a honeymoon because it was restful, romantic, private and it was perfect.”

So could Pangkor Laut Resort live up to all the hype and accolades? Would I be disappointed? Was it truly deserving of its reputation as Malaysia’s finest beach resort?

About Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Resort is a 300 acre private island located 3 miles off the West Coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. This 2 million year old island consists of just the one resort hence the tagline ‘One Island One Resort’ which contributes to its mythical status among luxury holiday go-ers all over the World. Only a fraction of the island has been developed, leaving large amounts of the original tropical rain forest surrounding the main resort, Spa Village and associated buildings.

The island to my eyes is somewhat reminiscent of a turtle when viewed from above, bordered by beautiful sandy coves and exotic bays. The Eastern side of the island (Royal Bay and Coral Bay) has the luxurious resort accommodation, dining areas, spa and activities whilst the Western side of the Island offers the stunningly beautiful Emerald Bay.

The Journey
The journey to Pangkor Laut starts on Mainland Malaysia at the official YTL resort Office where your bags are collected, you are signed in and asked to pose for a photograph that is immediately sent over to the Island so that the staff can put a face to the name. A refreshing drink later and its a short stroll to the Jetty and onto the modern Motor Cruiser/Taxi for a relaxing trip to the resort.

The journey to the island takes about 25 minutes and as you get closer you can feel the excitement start to build as you get your first glipse of the island, the beautiful resort with properties on the hillside amongst the rain forest  and stunning sea villas standing proudly in the sea appearing in front of you.

Arrival
The first thing you notice upon entering the Private Harbour at Pangkor Laut is the impressive Jetty that leads to the front of the resort, when you disembark the boat you are immediately made to feel special with attentive Harbour staff, and reception staff waiting for you on route to the formal check-in with a friendly smile, cold towel and a fruit drink. By the time we arrived in the impressive reception area we were already feeling like minor-celebrities, every member of staff we met seemed genuinely happy to see us.

Each guest is assigned a member of the management team depending on language spoken, our liaison was Mariana, a wonderfully bubbly lady from Mexico with a big beaming smile. During our briefing the general manager was kind enough to come over to us and the other newly arrived guests, individually wishing us all a wonderful holiday. After the first briefing, making sure we were relaxed and knew where the main facilities and dining were, Mariana escorted us to our Garden Villa, a short walk from the Reception.

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