ChocolateFactory

Pausanias

Although I visited some time ago, I always thought Tanjong Jara on the east coast of Malaysia was hard to beat, especially its gi-normous stretches of beach. The area has built up a bit by now but the hotel has been updated. It's much less pricey than Aman-level resorts and you can drive there from KL or Singapore or fly up to Kuantan.

Musken

Rayavadee is more crowded than many other hotels, I agree. We met more honeymooners and other couples, but a few kids. I guess there are more kids during school holidays. It is, however, such a large resort that you will find a relatively quiet spot if you stay within the Rayavadee area. Hardware is dark as I said and less luxurious than many other 5 star hotels, but I would not say 4 stars. Water was very nice and clear when we were (February 2017 I think).

Pausanias

We booked into Rayavadee for three or four days after a week at Amanpulo. We absolutely hated it - a great setting, yes, but nasty architecture, murky water and scores of beach vendors etc. We checked out after just one night - a car from Amanpuri came to our rescue. Things at Rayavadee can only have got worse by now.

Personally I have now given up on SE Asia for any sort of beach experience and I'm just grateful that I saw it at its best (though I do rather hanker after Amanoi). Take that beach for instance on Ko Phi Phi, the one made famous by the DiCaprio movie, we had it just to ourselves. Tourist numbers in the region have reached swarm of locust proportions and hotel development is out of control.

ChocolateFactory

I think we have decided now.
Apparently the Cempedak has some issues with thermites that eat the hardware (sawdust everywhere).
There is also no A/C and early in the morning, you are woken up by a noisy fisher boat that drives past. It’s also not super convenient from SIN.
The Sanchaya also looks nice, but apparently the sea is dirty from oil tankers etc.

We’ll go to Langkawi because it simply works out best for our purposes since there are direct flights to both SIN and KUL. I have heard only good things about the Andaman/Datai beach (in contrast to other Langkawi beaches).

For another trip, I’d like to do Amanpulo, which looks great.
And for a third trip, I’d like to try out the FS Nam Hai and maybe the Amanoi.
Now I just need to find the time for those trips...

Pausanias

The Datai has just had a multi-million makeover - there was a large feature on it in the Daily Telegraph a few weeks ago, praising the rooms, setting, food etc, but also reporting on woeful service with major lapses and language issues.

ChocolateFactory

I think we’re going to stay at the Andaman next door. Not as lux as the Datai, but great status recognition from what I’ve heard and much cheaper.

FlyerEC

IKDR

What about the Pimalai on Koh Lanta in Thailand? Been a while since I was there, but I rated it more or less on a par with The Datai. Anyone have any more recent recollections of it?

ChocolateFactory

Pimalai doesn't sound great: Pimalai Ko Lanta

Unfortunately I couldn't find the Datai review by @livefromtuscany - somebody have a link?

chinmoylad

Do you have a link? That would be unusual for media..

Telegraph's site has service rated as 10/10: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...angkawi-hotel/

chinmoylad

The Surin is actually perfect for what you're looking for, if all you're looking for is a relatively reasonably priced but nice resort on the beach with decent service and food and don't care so much about the hard product. Plus you can always pop over to Amanpuri next door for food.

I'm not sure where you're seeing it doesn't get good reviews.

Pausanias

The recent Telegraph piece on The Datai is here - but you need to be a subscriber to read it.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/t...details-rates/

ChocolateFactory

Review wise, Andaman and Surin seem pretty much on par?
But Andaman is half the price and we would get status benefits.

I have now understood that the Amanpuri/Surin beach is amazing.
Might be better to just do it “properly” and stay at Amanpuri during another trip?

Pausanias

Surin Beach used to be called Pansea Beach, after the name of the hotel standing on it. We stayed there back in the 1980s and had a simply fabulous time, eating grilled lobsters for $5 and drinking Chablis for . . . rather more. The hotel was very rustic and we likened it to the bridge they built for the 1957 River Kwai movie. The beach itself was wonderful for swimming or simply splashing around. A lot of people went naked in those days!

Then Amanpuri moved in, sweeping away the gorgeous palm grove at the end of the beach. They also 'smartened up' the old Pansea and called it the Chedi.

I've stayed at Amanpuri a few times over the years and once had the villa belonging to the architect. It's an iconic hotel which changed the philosophy of hotel-keeping forever. There are two drawbacks - the very steep steps down to (and up from) the beach and the fact that the rich snobs staying there have to share the beach with the plebs at the Chedi.