skip to Main Content

SUMMARY: My favourite luxury hotel and beach destination in the world 10/10, the Datai offers superb accommodation in an idyllic setting within an ancient tropical rainforest, teeming with non threatening wildlife, on a picture perfect sandy bay.  The interpersonal skills and warmth displayed by all of the staff, from housekeeper and waiter to General Manager and resident Nurse are the best I’ve ever encountered.

This post is not so much a review as a collection of memories of the two times I’ve stayed at The Datai on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, in the Andaman Sea, in the past couple of years.  I hope to go back in August 2018, when the hotel reopens after an 11 month refurbishment, and I’ll write a review then when I get to see their improvements, which are intended to retain the Datai’s reputation as the most luxurious hotel on the island.

After an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur, it’s a 30-45 minute journey from Langkawi airport to The Datai. We usually ask the hotel to pick us up in one of their white BMWs, which means cold towels, mineral water and good aircon during the journey which takes one to the north-western corner of the island, past houses and small villages with chickens running around, and into the jungled hills of the ancient bedrock. In these forested areas the driver needs to be alert for troops of macaques crossing the road.  When the car passes across the Els Club Teluk Datai golf course you’ll only be less than five minutes away from the hotel.

Security guards man the entrances off the winding road, where one starts to see members of the hotel staff; we notice they’re always smiling!  New arrivals are welcomed with the gentle gong of a Malayan drum and a troop of happy staff, into the entirely open-sided reception area which connects to a lovely lily pond and the open air bar, which is actually where the check in procedures are normally dealt with, while sipping a cocktail and taking in the natural beauty of the place.  This is all part of the “Main Building” where central amenities and the breakfast room are found, and also the rooms or suites described as “Canopy”, because many have balconies or terraces in the trees.  I’ve stayed in both rooms and suites up here, and they’re both awesome – the rooms for their views and the suites for their expanse and their proximity to the jungle canopy.

a Rainforest Villa

Away from the main building, villas cascade down the hillside towards the Beach Club, wrapped by jungle trees and bordered by a little jungle stream.  We stayed in one of these Rainforest Villas on our first visit and thought it was fantastic to have such spacious, high-ceilinged accommodation right in the forest, with monkeys bathing in the stream behind our veranda.

The Beach Club comprises a casual restaurant, the family pool, a spotlessly clean toilet/changing block (reminiscent of a quality golf club, except for the outdoor showers), a bar area, where we eat lunch, chairs and loungers. And then you’re on the beach; a classic wide crescent of soft white sand and calm azure waters, used only by guests of the Datai and it’s neighbour at one end of the bay, The Andaman Hotel.

Beach Villa

Scattered a stone’s throw from the shore, along the beach from the Beach Club towards The Andaman, are the Datai’s handful of Beach Villas.  We haven’t yet stayed in one of these, but we were given a tour of one on our last visit and we want to stay in one on our next trip; they are soooooo fabulous!  A large bedroom looks out to a private pool and the beach beyond. Then there’s a separate glass and hardwood pavilion where the living and dining areas are found.  Back in the bedroom building there’s a huge bathroom with inside and outside showers and a large freestanding stone bathtub, plus a small pantry, where a butler will knock some food up for you if you don’t fancy joining the other guests in the restaurants.

My perfect day at The Datai starts with breakfast in The Dining Room. It truly is the best breakfast offering I’ve ever come across. An expansive self-service buffet offers fresh yogurts, fruits, fresh juices, cereals, a wide range of breads and pastries (with local jams and honey), cold meats, cheeses, sashimi, smoothies and salads. Then there area couple of live food stations where egg variations are made and also hot asian breakfasts.  All of the produce is of the highest quality and freshness and one can even help ones self to Bloody Mary, sparkling wine, Kir or Mimosa!  And if that wasn’t enough there’s an a la carte menu for ordering from the table plus excellent barista-made coffees and teas.  I’m not sure if I should be proud or ashamed to report that I was in heaven with roasted foie gras and a fried egg almost every day: what a treat to have such a luxurious spread, sitting on the terrace overlooking the main adult pool, and looking up at the tall trees for hornbills and monkeys!

The Thai Pavilion

After breakfast we walk down past the pool and the hotel’s Thai restaurant, The Pavilion, which stands on high stilts, under which a giant squirrel chose to spend his sleeping daytimes. Walking down a long set of (easy to manage) steps we would see hornbills juggling fruits of the tropical trees along their long yellow and black bills, into their throats.  At the foot of the steps is a butterfly garden with illustrations and descriptions on hand of Malaysia’s myriad butterflies and moths. And the nectar rich plants in that area also attract some fantastically coloured little birds.  We continue walking onto a wooden boardwalk which passes the spa, which appears rather simple at first, before you discover that the treatment rooms are actually stand alone villas scattered through the trees on the banks of the little stream. Each villa has one completely open side and I found it utterly enchanting to wallow in the two person stone bath after a massage, gazing at the softly trickling water and the little birds and butterflies which visited for a drink. One day there was even a small wild boar there.

a most beautiful short walk

After the spa the boardwalk crosses the stream at a spot where we sometimes saw fresh water turtles foraging among the underwater leaf litter.  This totally peaceful walk down the hill from the main building has been named “My favourite short walk in the world”.  Walking back up the hill is a not quite my favourite, so I often grab one of the “always standing by” electric buggies. After just 100m further we arrive at the Beach Club and after exchanging greetings with the super-friendly staff we settle down on one of the comfortable loungers on the beach.  The staff bring one iced water throughout the day, skewered cubes of fresh fruit before noon, ice cream cones early afternoon and shots of cocktails later in the afternoon – all at no extra charge – and they’ll even clean your sunglasses for you!  Of course they will also bring you drinks and snacks, should you choose to order some.  I’ll spend some time on my iPad checking mail and the world news, because free, reliable and efficient wi-fi is available throughout The Datai; even on the beach!

relaxation

The beach loungers are spread along the bay in a lazy, casual single line, so the beach never seems crowded.  They’re perfect for me because they’re partially shaded for most of the day by the trees lining the shore.  Others, though, prefer to take their loungers into the full sun, so they can see what a rotisserie chicken feels like.  My more cautious approach to sunbathing still gets me a tan, and I boost things by going on little walks up and down the bay.  To the right is the Andaman Hotel which has a super little coral nursery packed with reef fish which I like to visit, either to snorkel with, or later in the day, feed, the fish. We might pop into the Andaman for a cocktail. It is a nice hotel, but it’s not as well looked after as The Datai, and it’s guests are not quite as ‘cultured’.  It seems that if you have large tattoos you should feel welcome at the Andaman!

the left side of the bay

Heading left along the beach from our lounger we might pop into the Naturalists’ hut to see what’s happening, and then we walk down to where the little jungle stream becomes tidal and enters the sea.  This is a hot spot for wildlife seeking shelter among the mangroves, including fish fry, mudskippers, monkeys, kingfishers, water monitors and a family of otters!  That end of the beach also has a lot of coral which is exposed at low tide and macaques and wild boar venture out of the tree cover to look for clams and shrimps.

On the walk back we’ll take a dip in the warm sea and then get ourselves tired and ready for lunch.  We normally choose to sit up at the bar for our lunch, which, as well as the shade from the tropical sun, gives us the opportunity to get to know the staff better. They’re all young, Asian, professional, smiling and very warm.  And the food is perfect for sunny days too; we tend to go for salads, calamari, fries or lovely light and crisp pizzas, plus a well chilled bottle of riesling or a rose wine.

a beautiful Dusky Leaf Langkur takes his salad at the Beach Bar
all aboard shipmates!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon we might go out on one of the hotel’s Hobie Cats.  There’s no charge and no booking in advance; just grab one and go!  Out on the water I was surprised and very pleased that I could  hardly see The Datai, so well is it nestled within the lush flora.

In the late afternoon we might go on a beach walk with the resident marine biologist, who shows us evidence of the amazing creatures inhabiting the foreshore.  Or we might join the renowned naturalist Irshad Mubarak on one of his early evening jungle walks (there are morning walks too).

And then it’s all about getting showered and ready for our evening meal. The Datai offers four dining options: The Beach Club for theme nights, The Gulai, an authentic stilted wooden Malay restaurant in the forest for local delicacies, the Thai Pavilion near the main building’s pool, and my personal favourite, the fine dining The Dining Room, in the same place we take breakfast.  I think The Dining Room is the only one with a ‘smart’ evening dress code, but ‘smart casual’ is a more accurate description, so we always try to look good, but comfortable for the climatic conditions.

The food is top notch, service is exemplary, and the atmosphere is relaxing and sophisticated. Australian Executive Chef Richard Millar overseas all of the catering, but it’s at The Dining Room that his experience and knowledge shines through, with a changing menu of international fine dining dishes which would score highly if Michelin were to rate the place.  The Dining Room is indeed the most expensive of the restaurant options at The Datai, but, as I often say about the Datai, “you get what you pay for”: we had the (seemingly costly) Chateaubriand more than once because it was so amazing; tender prime Australian beef fillet carved at the table, served with a rich bone marrow jus, wild mushrooms and a potato mash as smooth as Joel Robuchon’s, it was among the best dishes I ate in 2017.

a 10/10 dinner

We found fellow guests at The Datai to be friendly and charming, and the majority of those we met were serial repeat visitors.  It’s easy to see why.  The service levels delivered with warmth are impeccable and the very best I’ve ever encountered; I could write another 2000 words about that, but I’ll just say that on each of my visits I’ve had some ‘special needs’ which the hotel management helped me with in ways that showed they really did care for my well-being.  This is, without any doubt, my favourite luxury beach destination in the world 10/10

 

 

This Post Has 0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top