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The Datai Langkawi
Regarded as one of the finest hotels in the world, the Datai
is built in sympathy with the rainforest it inhabits and looks
out over its own perfect white sand crescent beach. Three
restaurants, including the Beach club which offers a second
pool and buffets and barbecues are of world class quality
and the accommodation is equally stunning. Especially beautiful
are the chalets, set in the jungle and stunningly appointed.
The spa is also rated among the best on earth.
The Datai Langkawi
Jalan Teluk Datai
07000 Pulau Langkawi,
Kedah,
Malaysia
Telephone:+60 4 959 2500
Fax : +60 4 959 2600
The Andaman Langkawi
Big brother to the Datai and sharing the same wonderful bay,
the Andaman is named after the sea it overlooks and offers
above five star accommodation on every level. Set in the jungle
but close to its superb golf course, there is little to want
for at the Andaman.
The Andaman Langkawi
Jalan Teluk Datai
P.O. Box 94
07000 Pulau Langkawi,
Kedah Darul Aman,
Malaysia
Telephone: +60 4 959 1088
Fax: +64 4 959 1168
Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur
The Pan Pacific shares space with the World Trade Centre and
is, accordingly, a business hotel. Very friendly staff and
all the usual facilities including a rooftop pool and one
of the few good business centres we've found in Malaysia make
it a practical place to stay in the capital.
Pan Pacific
Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Putra
PO Box 11468
50746 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Sutera Sanctuary Lodges
The Sutera Sanctuary accommodation at Mesliau ranges from
comfortable three-bedroom chalets to simple dormitories and
a central restaurant provides simple meals with a limited
menu. What people come here for is not luxury but the opportunity
to experience some of the most remarkable flora and fauna
in the world, including the leathery raffleasia, the
world's largest flower and huge pitcher plants that
can even eat frogs! Nightly rates range from MYR30 (US$8)
for a dormitory bed to MYR400 (US$100) for a three-bed chalet.
Sutera
Sanctuary Lodges
Mesilau Nature Reserve
Kinabalu, Sabah
Malaysia
Telephone: (60-88) 871733
Fax: (60-98) 872977
Sales & Marketing Office
1 Sutera Harbour Boulevard, Sutera Harbour,
88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MALAYSIA.
Telephone: (60-88) 318888 Fax: (60-88) 317777
 Where
to eat
Old China Cafe, Kuala Lumpur
Situated on the edge of KL's dwindling Chinatown, this dark
but atmospheric eating house was the meeting place of Chinese
craftsmen early in the 20th century and is full of old Chinese
furniture and artifacts. The food is a delicious blend of
Peranakan (Nyonya or Straits Chinese) and Cristang
(Straits Portuguese cuisine), with plenty of spicy inventiveness.
It's inexpensive, casual, and friendly.
Sendirian Berhad
11 Jalan Balai Polis,
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Telephone: +60 3 2072 5915
Fax : +60 3 2026 1897
Email : ockl *at* hotmail.com
Bon Ton Restaurant and Hotel
Open air with stunning sunsets across a lily covered lagoon,
The Bon Ton offers excellent European and Nyonya cuisine with
a surprisingly good wine list for Malaysia. Lounge areas are
tastefully furnished with open views of the gardens and the
beautiful 100 year old Kampung houses that make up the accommodation.
A private indoor dining room is also available for parties.
Bon Ton Resort
Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi Malaysia.
Telephone: +604 955 6787 / 3643
Fax +604 955 4791
Bijan
For true Malay cuisine served in fine dining style, few restaurants
can match the standards of Bijan. Chef Zul studied in France
but his heart and soul lay in his mother's Malay recipes.
Fried chicken in a red chlli sauce with betel nuts is unbeatable,
as is the tapioca shoots with dried fish in coconut milk.
The restaurant itself is very modern with local artwork and
a comfortable outdoor terrace that helps you forget you're
in the heart of the city.
Bijan Restaurant
No. 3 Jalan Ceylon
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: (603) 2031 3575
Fax: (603) 2031 3576
Nature tours
Langkawi
If you're staying at The Datai Resort, the best way
to explore the surrounding rainforest is with the resident
naturalist, Irshad Mobarak. Charismatic Irshad leads
walks in the morning and evening to teach children and adults
alike the secrets of the jungle, from flora to fauna. And
for the more adventurous, he has laid out walks through the
depths of the forest, including a Poets Walk, in which poems
attached to landmark trees romanticize the extraordinary landscape
and a Hornbill Walk overflown by these large and remarkable
birds.
Irshad Mobarak
Conservationist/Naturalist
Natural History Expeditions SDN. BHD
The Datai Center
Langkawi
Malaysia
Tel: +60 4 959 4772
Website: www.malaysiawildlife.com
Sabah
The whole area around Mount Kinabalu is protected and
contains some of the best nature experiences in the world.
The Mesilau Nature Reserve is a great starting point,
but take their advice seriously. Mt Kinabalu has both 14,000
feet of extreme mountaineering and some of the densest and
most inhospitable jungle in the world. Some years ago an SAS
team was lost in one of its gorges for over a month and only
a fool would travel the area without lots of experience or
a guide.
Mesilau Nature Resort
Kinabalu National Park
Sabah
Malaysia
Telephone: (60-88) 871733
Fax: (60-98) 872977
Travel
Malaysian Airlines is the main carrier for all external
and internal flights in Malaysia, But direct flights on British
Airways and Qantas run to Kuala Lumpur at
least once daily and less often to Penang and Langkawi.
Internal flights can be very inexpensive (even business class)
and run to all parts of the country via the hub of Kuala
Lumpur. Air Asia also runs low-budget flights around
the country and to neighbouring states. |
Where to stay
