Saturday, November 19, 2011

Pangkor Laut Resort - Day 1

I googled and it says it takes about 3 hours from Penang to Lumut Jetty. Our Ferry transfer was at 11am. Since we stayed a far distance from Penang Bridge, I gave 1 hour extra so that we could make sure we reach in time.

It took 1 1/2 hour ride on the highway. At Changkat Jering, we exited the highway to follow the signs to Lumut, and also with the help of Miss Garmin. It took us another 1 1/2 hour before we reached Lumut Jetty.

We parked at the multi-storey car park which is only 30sen per hour for weekdays. I think is safer to park there than on the side roads. (This car park is only behind the Pangkor Laut Resort Office)


This is the Pangkor Laut Resort Office, or whatever you call it.
Lugggage was taken care of and will be sent to the boat and checked into our room. Neat.


The moment we stepped in, we could smell the nice incense smell. There is a small lounge area with free wifi and 2 computers.


We were being served a weird iced cordial drink, which tasted like cough medicine. Took a sip and that was about it.


At 10.45am, we walked across the street to the Lumut Jetty and this small speedboat was our transport. I was surprised because I thought we would be taking a small ferry or something. Did not expect to be on a speedboat. This speedboat is kinda small and could only accommodate 20 people max.


Glad they have life jackets for all the passengers.
Ok, so here we were on the speedboat on our way to Pangkor Laut Resort.


Journey took 1/2 hour. Boat ride was smooth for the first 15 minutes and then it got a little bumpy after that. Nothing serious, just not as smooth as the first 15 minutes.

This is hubby after we stepped out of the speedboat on firm ground.


This is the Pangkor Laut Resort Jetty.


Once we reached the reception lobby, we were ushered into the library lounge just behind the lobby. She already knew our names and she briefed us and checked us in.

She then told us the good news. Our room was being upgraded from Hill Villa to Sea Villa. Whoahhh!!!!

So from this Hill Villa (upper floor)

(image source: www.kuoni.co.uk)

to this expensive Sea Villa.....

(image source: www.oasistravel.com.au)

My heart danced for joy. Haha. Super happy at that time. She said our room is not ready (Official check-in time is 3pm) and she asked us to have lunch and then our room should be ready by then.

So we had lunch at the nearby Royal Bay Beach Club which overlooks the infinity pool. And I just love the view. The view is overlooking at the Sea Villas with coconut trees lining the beach. Such holiday mood.



While waiting for our food, I took some photos.



This is where we sat at the Royal Bay Beach Club.


And this is what we ordered for our lunch. 3 course meal each. All our meals were free-of-charge because we took an all-inclusive package.
First were the appetiser and soup.

The Caesar Salad I ordered was super delicious. In fact, until the day I left PLR, it remained one of my favourite food I had there. This salad has romaine lettuce tossed with smoked salmon, crispy beef bacon, shaved parmesan, garlic chips and herbed croutons. RM45.

Hubby ordered Tom Kha Gai Soup as he wanted something hot to start off the meal. It was an aromatic spicy chicken soup with some rice noodles, flavoured with chili, galangal, lemongrass and coconut milk. I didnt't quite like it though. RM35.


My main was the Margherita Pizza with fresh basil, rich tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella. I ordered the mini version and it came out quite big. I couldn't even finished it. (The normal portion was RM45, not sure how much is the mini portion)

Hubby ordered the Murgh Makhani. Yes, he ordered all those with weird names. It was a bowl of boneless chicken chunks in yogurt-spiced marinade, cooked in a rich butter spiced sauce, served with briyani rich and tender green peas. RM50.
This one tasted quite fragrant.


My desert was just double scoops of ice-cream. Learnt that they were Baskin Robbin's Strawberry and Vanilla flavour. RM25.

The Sago Gula Melaka was terrible. The sago pearls were hard and rubbery, although the palm sygar and coconut milk mixture was ok. I surely wouldn't pay RM35 for it.


We were very full after that.
All the time we were there, they lighted this mini incense cone on our table which smelled wonderful and I guess it also worked as a mosquito repellent.


Next, they showed us the way to the Sea Villa. I was getting excited. :)

This is how the individual Sea Villa looks like. Hubby said they are expensive 'kampung houses'. Haha.


We have to walk through wooden pathways to get to our Sea Villa.


Loved the emerald green clean waters.


This is hubby standing in front of our Sea Villa #117.
I will blog about our Sea Villa in a separate post. For now, let's get back to PLR. ;)


For now, let me show you in glimpses some of PLR.
We walked around the resort having a feel of the resort.
From blue waters to...


...lush greens...beautiful.


Saw 4 peacocks roaming about freely in The Library.


And I love the design of the place. Many things looks so symmetrical, and somehow it gives me a feeling of wide space and calmness.

l: the Reception
r: the hallway to the Reception


Spa Village Reception


Foot Pounding Area in Spa Village


Infinity Pool in Spa Village


l: one of the hallways inside the Spa Village
r: overlooking the Infinity Pool at Spa Village


l: The Koi Pond in the Spa Village Reception
r: on Spa Village grounds


l: Garden scaping of Spa Village

Hubby & I were relaxing on one of the many chairs/beds in the resort.


This one's nice with a nice view overlooking the beach. I could hear the sound of the waves from where I sat.


This little hut was just behind. There were 4 of these huts there. In it were pillows and a bed for you to lie down. You could just sleep there. We didn't because I find it a little too dark and for that I couldn't read my book.


Then we took a shuttle to Emerald Bay. There are Shuttle Stops and shuttles come every 15 minutes or so to take you to designated places such as 'Reception', 'Spa Village', 'Sea Villa' 'Hill Villa' 'Emerald Bay'e etc. There were 5 Shuttle Stops in the resort, making it easily accessible to everywhere.

We took a shuttle to Emerald Bay. A jeep went round a hill and brought us here.
Gleaming sands and sparkling emerald bay in the sun.


It was a beautiful place. Quiet and lovely. The sea water was clean but somehow you could only see it if you go near. From afar the sea water has a deep emerald green, I guess from reflections to the greens surrounding the sea.
The sands are those silky soft ones and it felt nice to just take off my slippers and walk.


Someone took towels and arranged them on the beach deck chairs for us. I lied down and happily read my book.


Then someone brought a bucket of ice with cold mineral water for us. Lovely.


And then to my surprise, a lady came and asked us if we wanted complimentary head massage.
Ooohhh...i lurve head massages. So I said yes. It was a 5-10 minutes massage but it felt lovely.
Hubby declined it...blueks.


Then someone took a photo for us. We look like two giggling students dating here. haha.


Look how unexplored the place is. Just beside the beach are all these greens. There is a badminton court or is it a tennis court, whatever there.


And a little pathway away is the clean and nice washrooms.


After that, we went back to our villa to take a bath and to freshen up for our dinner reservation at Uncle Lim's Kitchen at 7.45pm. The sun was setting as we walked to Uncle Lim's.


Uncle Lim's Kitchen offers traditional Hock Chew (and I'm a Hock Chew!) and Nyonya dishes.


I ordered the signature Duck Spring Rolls. Tender roast duck slices, crunchy cucumber, sticky-sweet plum sauce and scallions in a soft flour wrap. RM60.
Reminded me of Peking Duck wraps. It was tasty and we finished them in a few minutes.

Hubby ordered the recommended Fish Maw Soup. Hot and sour, this soup captures the essence of the ocean with crunchy fish maw and succulent seafood pieces - a hock chew specialty. RM40 It tasted delicious and I liked that they served it real hot. I hate lukewarm soup.


As for mains, I ordered the Beef Rendang, which was morsels of beef slow cooked until fragrant and tender in creamy, spiced coconut gravy - a nyonya classic. RM85
The beef was really tender and the gravy was special, unlike the normal malay beef rendang I've tasted.

Hubby ordered Uncle Lim's Fantasy Prawns, which was freshwater prawns stir-fried with a delectable black bean sauce - an Uncle Lim's specialty RM85.
I didn't quite enjoy this one. Taste wise was ok but the prawns were rubbery, kinda old prawns I guess.

We ate these with a bowl of rice each.


For desert, hubby ordered the Avocado Cream with Citrus Pearls. It was really refreshing with chilled cream of fresh avocado topped with orange flavoured tapioca pearls. Very refreshing indeed. RM25.

I had the normal Mango Pudding. It tasted normal as well. Haha. RM25.


After dinner, we went back to our villa and lazed the night away. I was tired and had a little headache, so I slept early at 10pm.

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