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Malaysia 2023
Welcome to my Malaysia 2023 trip report which will consist of:
Heathrow VIP Qatar Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur Cameron Highlands Resort Pangkor Laut Island Estate Weil Hotel & Ipoh Eastern & Oriental Hotel & Penang Mandarin Orential Hotel & Kuala Lumpur Qatar Kuala Lumpur to Heathrow Bonus: Food |
Heathrow VIP
Booking process: I booked through their website which was unfortunately not very straightforward. The design is quite confusing and it broke so I had to phone them up so i could continue the booking process.
It was early start to our holiday with a 0545 pickup in a BMW i7 (this was included in our package). An amazing car with touchscreen controls at each seat and a dropdown TV. I could even put the seat in a nearly flat position! On a 30C day the in-seat cooling was a godsend too. On arrival at Heathrow T5 we where dropped off at the exclusive Windsor Suite. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...62f694d6dd.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3552afd27e.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e0035aeda2.png We were greeted my a porter and manager who warmly welcomed us and escorted us to our private room. There are a few private rooms here, luckily for an AV geek ours looked out onto the tarmac! Our passports were taken to check us in and shortly returned along with paper boarding passes. The menu is designed by Jason Atherton so I had high hopes and was not disappointed. I had the pancakes and lemon tart with earl grey T2 tea. There was champagne and wine but as it was still 8am I skipped that! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5022804642.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...db2664f9b3.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...de2abd4473.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...311b8ae0a1.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5b2c320a84.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d4f9a275ab.png https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6307cbc760.png In no time at all our personal assistant escorted us through a private security room. I was taken aback as the staff there all had smiles on their faces, not the usual grunting and tutting! They had a normal bag scanner but the new 3D one will be put in next year (so one doesn't have to take out laptops etc). After security we went straight onto the tarmac and driven in a 2 BMW i7 motorcade (one of us and one for our assistant) to our plane over in T4. We had some amazing views of the apron! Once we arrived at our plane our assistant escorted us onto the jetbridge and handed us over to the purser who escorted us to our seats onboard. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ddde0696ed.png Would I use their service again? IMO this is the only way to travel through the hell that is Heathrow, as PS Suites in the only way to travel through LAX (according to the SFO777). |
I'm going to be very interested in your review of Pangkor Laut as I am considering it for a stay later this year. I'd appreciate it if you cover how you get to the island - did you use a car service or a rental car, and if a rental car, where did you park it while on the island.
I'm also considering Eastern & Oriental where I stayed many years ago. |
The i7 is a great chauffeur car. I wanted to buy the new 7 for myself but didn't, as it's totally unpractically for me. 5,40 m is simply too long. Nevertheless I drove it and it's without question well done. The technology id amazing.
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Looking forward to the Cameron Highlands element. Stayed there in 1969 during mid-tour R&R leave from Singapore.
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Originally Posted by T8191
(Post 35336680)
Looking forward to the Cameron Highlands element. Stayed there in 1969 during mid-tour R&R leave from Singapore.
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Looking forward to KL as we're looking to head there next summer
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Cameron Highlands Resort
We chose this place as it's a YTL property and we have high expectations. We were warmly greeted upon arrival and quickly checked in while being offered a cold tea and hot towel. I had booked the 2 bedroom suite which was well appointed but a bit noisy as the hotel is next to a main road.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...44913804d5.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...487930bdc1.png All the staff were very friendly with impeccable service as expected and they addressed us by name. The food was pretty good but pricey. The best meal was the hotpot we had one night which was amazing (go for the tom yum soup if you like a strong spicy flavour). I'd also strongly recommend the fish and chips which was delicious! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...eda75c0319.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...efe2d98022.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...381b4600f6.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cfb88b1f3e.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...926de357e2.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1fec7f45e2.png https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9f94354ef3.png https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3e4c92ce4c.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d0259f9788.png https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2ad06dcb33.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08962a934e.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9769a0a816.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2edde765a1.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9d9332d2e5.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...449d8fcb3d.png The spa is also excellent. I had a hot stone massage and facial. But before the main event there was a complimentary tea bath which was a nice experience. In terms of activities, I booked a tour of the area through Viator. Our guide, Jim, was amazing and showed us around 2 tea plantations, a plant and flower centre and local market. I love tea so to see how the tea is grown and processed was fascinating for me. |
yum! How did you get to Tanah Rata? Our military R&R was night train Singapore to KL, then a small regional train up unto the hills.
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Originally Posted by T8191
(Post 35355529)
yum! How did you get to Tanah Rata? Our military R&R was night train Singapore to KL, then a small regional train up unto the hills.
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Qatar Qsuites Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur
This was the most nerve-racking flight I've ever booked, even more so then waiting for the all clear from my Doctor! Wanting to travel on Qsuites, I had to change my flight about 5 times in the space of a few months! TDLR: both legs were amazing, the seat is fantastic, the crew was lovely and the food delicious. But could I recommend it to others ... not if you want to retain your sanity. I won't go into detail on the Qsuites as there's plenty of videos on the subject.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ef18dea0f7.png How would I compare to other products?
On the 1st leg to Doha I started with the Trio of seafood followed by the halibut and finally the Afternoon tea and chocolates. The food was delicious but I was disappointed at the lack of dessert choices which is why I went for the afternoon tea. The pastries and scones were good, nicer than in BA F. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5da430b343.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2c7236d126.png https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...36ea812745.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9ad95aa18a.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...283f7165de.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...92ddb05e79.png I was shocked to find we arrived at a bus gate :mad: For one of their flagship routes, that's completely unacceptable (however their is a business class bus). Luckily transfer security was quick and easy but we got lost looking for the newly opened Garden Lounge. Once we found it, it was a nice pleasant environment with a reasonable choice of food and drinks. But most impressive was the view, much better than the main business lounge. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b0f5807e10.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...466690cb81.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...539b7948db.png On the 2nd leg to KL I went for the Curry soup (which was more like a Tom Yum), Angus beef and ice cream. Again I was disappointed at the dessert selection but the food was delicious, especially the soup. I was also very disappointed with the breakfast selection. Departing for Doha I thought there be choices such as omelettes, pancakes, waffles etc. But is was a poor excuse for a croissant and some gloopy yogurt! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e082a7a4e9.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f4757a64d0.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...181c0e1758.png https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1d0c09a9d7.png https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9cc9ab0b1a.png https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e203ca1621.png https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5cdcb8d6e9.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...24f21cb57c.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...06cc1b029b.png I was dreading the arrival into KL, but luckily there was no queue at the Business/First immigration counter and we were landside in under 30 minutes after collecting our luggage (the Qatar VIP tags seemed to work and ours came out first!). FYI there's a few places after exiting airside were you can buy a local SIM, so I'd recommend doing that before the queue builds up at immigration, rather then getting one at the kiosks before immigration. |
The hotel room looks like a big downgrade from the way you started your trip.
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Originally Posted by GodAtum
(Post 35358986)
This was the most nerve-racking flight I've ever booked [......] But could I recommend it to others ... not if you want to retain your sanity.
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Originally Posted by Schwann
(Post 35360635)
What do you mean if you don't mind me asking?
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I am impatiently awaiting your report on Pangkor Laut Island Estate. I am considering it for pre yearend holidays and want to know your opinion.
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