The best way to get to Pangkor Laut and YTL Spa Village, opposite Lamut, Malaysia, is on a breathtaking helicopter ride of less than an hour northwest from Kuala Lumpur.
After jungle and hills, we drop over the sea and land on a platform facing Pangkor Laut Island, 300 acres of wonderful forest land. Less than 15% of the island has been developed, and the roads are cantilevered over the hills to avoid damaging even a single tree. We were greeted by a bright apple green Toyota Rav4s that were for the exclusive use of Estate One guests during a stay.
We took a short tour, looking at Emerald Bay, with its rising sand, green water, and the Spa Village, tennis courts, community pool, low-key multi-story blocks that somehow house 156 rooms. A road marked Private to the Fincas, which are villas with two to four bedrooms. Finca Uno was reached through a gate in a solid dry stone wall. Inside, cobblestone walkways lined the trees and private 45-foot infinity pool, with the beach immediately below. The villa has two separate wood-tiled bedrooms, each self-contained, plus an indoor air-conditioned dining room and attendant room behind (this property features a butler, butler, and chef). There is also an octagonal outdoor dining room. The designer of this magnificent complex is Lech Bunnag.
My wood-floored bedroom, with tall cream-colored walls rising to a fanned open-eaved wood ceiling, is dominated by the four-poster bed, made from a selection of international and local linens and set on a meter high. high and 50 cm wide. horizontal wooden frame. The front and sides of the room face out, if you open the heavy wooden shutters or the wall blinds, to the pool and greenery, the beach and the horizon. At the back of the room all the floors are made of smooth stone. There’s a work area, with a handy desk/dressing table, and your own airport for Wi-Fi. There is also a fridge here with soft drinks, tea and coffee. Further back is the indoor bathroom area, with twin sink areas (large circular mirrors above units holding hemispherical white ceramic Kohler bowls, with magnifying glasses attached to the wall, hand mirrors, cloths folded like conical sculptures). I have a safe, satin-wrapped hangers, and a brown wicker beach basket. A center table holds a medieval-looking pot of yellow chrysanthemums.
There are large glass-fronted baths and showers, the latter with side, hand, and rain showers, and carefully placed hotel-labeled toiletries (banana shampoo, zest conditioner, duneberry shower gel, peach). The rear windows look out onto the jungle. A side door leads to a private terrace with a very hot outdoor tub, a combination permanently heated garden tub and stone Jacuzzi with sitting areas for 2 and a selection of potions on hand. All locks are simply wooden bars that are pulled back and forth, both on the inside and outside of the door or window shutter.
The YTL Spa Village, named for the resort’s owners, YTL Corporation Berhad, is just that, with nine treatment villas set in beautiful gardens. I had a consultation with the Chinese doctor (he also has Indian and Malaysian colleagues). He told me that he needed more water and red wine. Then he did a Chinese massage, 50 minutes of pounding and pulling through a towel.
Right now, you can dine internationally at Fisherman’s Cove, or at specific Chinese or Malaysian outlets, all inside or outside on the terrace overlooking the water; sushi, in-spa and a Jim Thompson Thai restaurant will be added next month. Fisherman’s Cove has Johann Lafer as a consultant but the menu is international. A caprese salad here is a patty of cubes of skinless tomato pulp topped with a dollop of goat cheese, drizzled with balsamic. I followed this with homemade spaghetti and large mushrooms, and an addictive mango sorbet. Back at my villa, I found a homemade diary, with some pages about the history of the resort, other simple ones for my own notes.
Before the sun came up, the gardeners were meticulously raking the beach and removing leaves from the pool. Exercising, I come across a family of crab-eating monkeys (there are no more crabs, so they have changed their diet). Back home, I dive into the sea for a quick swim, surface, wash my feat with half a coconut shell in an urn of water, and notice four seals swimming exactly where I was. I dive back into my pool, watching them. With a shower, I am whisked away in a green Rav4 to breakfast, made memorable by a pair of noisy courting peacocks, and the toasties made by yourself, homemade bread over a real charcoal grill. That toast, along with mango juice, sweet lime papaya, Bridel butters salted or unsalted, and waiter Jerome politely asking me if I needed anything else—that’s how every breakfast should be.
Daily at 1030 Uncle, a renowned retired horticulturist, leads a two-hour heritage walk along the cross-island jungle trail, explaining why trees that didn’t survive for the last 140 million (sic) years didn’t survive (we see a fig about to strangle an acacia, for example). I checked out the air conditioned gym, but not the squash courts. I liked the way the open reception area flowed into the library, with two computers, and into the pool area, where apparently there is complimentary fruit and sherbet service at 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm A Even though there must have been close to 200 guests in the place, you rarely saw anyone twice or, except at mealtimes, anyone at all.
There was just time to say hello to YTL Hotels guru and co-owner Dato’ Mark Yeoh Seok Kah (see photo) visiting to see how things were going, and then sadly, it was time to put on the travel gear and small Green Rav4 took me back to the landing pad. The General Manager is Jeff Mong.