The rainforest echoed all around us as we sped down the path from reception to our villa on a buggy; it was hot, humid, and full of green and tropical flowers as we arrived at the entrance to our home for the week. As the doors opened, all I could manage was a “wow” as I looked around our glorious villa. If you want somewhere amazing to stay on Langkawi island, then look no further – here’s The Ritz Carlton!
Contents
- Contents
- Location of The Ritz Carlton
- Accommodation at The Ritz Carlton
- Food & Drink at The Ritz Carlton
- Amenities & Experiences at The Ritz Carlton
Location of The Ritz Carlton
The Ritz Carlton is situated just a short 10 minute drive away from Langkawi airport. Whilst there are no international flights to Langkawi, flights arrive daily from Penang (Malaysia – 30 minutes), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia – 1hr) and Singapore (1.5hrs). It makes it the perfect place to combine with a city to make a multi-centre holiday of exploration followed by relaxation. We chose to combine it with Kuala Lumpur, a city we absolutely fell in love with.
You can read my full post on Kuala Lumpur HERE.
Langkawi island itself is quite small, and The Ritz Carlton is on the west side of the island, close to the Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge. It’s only about a 30 minute drive across the island to the beautiful area of Kilim Geoforest Park, and everything else is within 20 minutes of the hotel. I would say the island is quite touristy, and after arriving from Kuala Lumpur we really noticed a much higher number of Brits, and the much higher prices that accompany a tourist hotspot. I do think it means some of the island experiences aren’t exactly authentic – more just trips for tourists.
If you want true, authentic Malaysia, then I think there are much better options – Langkawi is mainly great for a lovely beach destination and relaxation to round off a trip.
Accommodation at The Ritz Carlton
The accommodation at The Ritz Carlton is nothing short of incredible. We stayed in a 1 bedroom villa with rainforest view, and as we entered it, we couldn’t believe how spacious it was, with the door opening up to a large living room with a huge comfortable sofa, desk are and lounge.
To the left was a lovely dining area, and to the right the large bedroom with walk in wardrobes behind the bed. The bed was the comfiest bed I’ve ever slept in – easily giving me my 9 hours a night the moment my head hit the pillow. Through to the bathroom and there was a huge walk in shower, plus dual sinks and a toilet – plus a wonderful soaking tub looking out to the rainforest. I would say that inside the villa was definitely one of the nicest we’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in.
Finally, stepping out of the room there is an outdoor pool, complete with two loungers on the top deck, with steps down to a day bed and table with chairs on the lower deck, all looking out to the trees. It was beautiful, but I’ve been spoiled with similar pools in Costa Rica and Bali and if I’m honest the rainforest view wasn’t as beautiful – instead of being dense and verdant, it was relatively thin and to the right (out of shot) was a view over a flat roof with a generator.
Another factor that set the room apart was the amazing housekeeping team. We booked this trip for our wedding anniversary and I was touched by the care they had taken to mark this – we had a rose petal bath run on arrival and every other night, anniversary rose petals on the bed, plus cards and gifts every day of our stay. Though hilariously they had no idea how long we’d been married – it was 10 years on the bed, 20 years on a card, and then another card congratulated us on 40 years. I could barely stop laughing – do I really look old enough to be 60?! (All were wrong by the way, but it’s the thought that counts!). They also got my husband’s name wrong on about half of our gifts – sometimes he was Charlie, sometimes Colin, and even better Chirstopher! It added some entertainment.
Housekeeping were also so thoughtful beyond the anniversary – I had a stack of books, so they wrote me a note to say they see I like reading so have left me some bookmarks. I also commented I loved the towel penguin they’d made, so I ended up with a pretty impressive menagerie!
Food & Drink at The Ritz Carlton
The Ritz Carlton offers numerous food and drink options. The main restaurant, Langkawi Kitchen, is set amongst the rainforest with pods that hold 4-6 tables overhanging the canopy. This is where breakfast is served every morning; a huge buffet with choices ranging from Western to Chinese to Malaysian. Breakfast is included within the room rate at the hotel. Langkawi Kitchen is also open for dinner, serving a Malaysian and Indian menu. It was delicious, and pricing is reasonable – we had 2 courses and wine for £25/head.
Another dinner option is Chinese restaurant Hai Yan, the most upmarket (and most expensive) restaurant onsite. We had dinner there one night, and the crispy duck followed by butter prawns were good but not great, and I did think it overpriced, costing us £50/head for a shared starter and a main.
The hotel also offers a restaurant called the Beach Grill for lunch and dinner. This beautiful restaurant is situated right on the beach next to the family pool. It’s set within mock “bubus” (Malay fishing nets), and is calm and tranquil overlooking the sea. It serves a mix of Malaysian and Western food at lunch, and for dinner is known for its grill – either steak or catch of the day fish. I highly recommend the beef rendang bao buns. Prices were around £25/head for 2 courses and a drink.
Horizon Bar, another option, is situated next to the adults only pool, again offering sweeping views. It serves a limited lunch menu (largely Western bar snacks), and slightly more expansive evening menu. Its main draw however, is the beautiful sunset views it offers as you sit on the comfy sofas taking it all in. We didn’t eat here so I cannot comment on quality of food or pricing.
Finally, you could also choose to book a special dinner. The hotel offers private dinners in villa with a privately cooked BBQ on the terrace, and private beach dinners in a lovely tent right at the shore as the sun sets. We had an evening meal on the beach and this is the setup we arrived to – beautiful! Prices depend on the menu you wish to choose.
If I’m honest, the service at the restaurants was a little clumsy. Whilst absolutely no big deal, there were a few things a 5* hotel could tidy up on. For example at breakfast you order tea/coffee as you arrive – on two mornings it didn’t turn up until after we’d finished eating (and we had to chase multiple times). We also had a couple of meals where the incorrect order was brought to us, and we had someone knocking on our door insisting they take us to a cooking experience we hadn’t booked. It felt just a little clumsy. The staff were so friendly and kind though, and went out of their way to help us.
Amenities & Experiences at The Ritz Carlton
Let’s start with the obvious amenities – the pools. Onsite are two pools, the first of which is a family pool which anyone can use, including children. It sits right at the beach level, with a path directly accessing the beach in one direction. There is a jacuzzi area and large pool, though it’s not ideal for swimming if you want to get some lengths in due to its shape.
The second pool is an adults only pool; a beautiful infinity pool which has to be one of the best hotel pools we’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying. We spent 2 days sitting by it and it was just stunning. We found that in the mornings it was quiet, but from about 11.30am onwards most of the loungers were taken – so get any proper swimming in early!
The other part of The Ritz Carlton I loved was its incredibly special spa. Set in numerous mock pods known as a “bubu” (like the restaurant above, based on mock Malaysian fishing nets), it truly was an oasis. We booked in for a “bubu suite experience”, which sounded cute so I couldn’t resist it!
The experience allowed us to make use of the amazing facilities including a free sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and relaxation lounge (separate for men and women) before heading to our bubu. Within the bubu we received 90 minute stress relief massages (amazing), followed by use of the bubu for a further 90 minutes. It had a beautiful soaking tub overlooking the ocean, balcony out towards the sea, tea, cake and showers. I think it wins the prize for best spa experience I’ve ever had a hotel, and it was very reasonably priced.
The hotel also offers some great opportunities to spot wildlife. The grounds are home to two types of monkey – dusky leaf (friendly), and macaque (less friendly). It’s also home to toucans, lizards, lots of different butterflies and glorious plants galore. Who knew a banana plant looked like THAT?! I couldn’t stop laughing.
The hotel also offers a beautiful stretch of private beach, home to loungers, a little cafe beach bar and a beach club where you can kayak/swim/paddle board. We opted for the land only option of walking along it at sunset! If you’re adventurous there is also another ‘secluded beach’ a 3km hike away from the resort. We started the path, but got so bitten by mosquitoes and ticks we had to turn back – I really wish we’d completed it!
Away from the beach, the hotel also offers lovely grounds to stroll. Whilst not big, on site there is a giant chessboard, tennis courts, a little herb garden, some giant swings, a nice big pond area full of fish, a games lounge, a small library and a kids’ club. There is also a fully quipped gym and multiple exercise classes (e.g. yoga) on the beach.
Finally, the hotel has an extensive experience offering – being able to organise everything from kayak tours, boat trips, cultural excursions, traditional dance classes, cooking classes, weaving experiences and much more! We didn’t do any of these as none are really our thing, but it’s great they offer such variety.
And with that, I draw a close on an absolutely beautiful 6 days in paradise, and my time in Malaysia. The Ritz Carlton is a truly stunning destination, made by the luxury villa we were able to call home for a few days, and the attentive and kind staff especially housekeeping.
I also fell in love with Malaysia, well beyond this hotel. If you’re considering a trip to the country – by all means add Langkawi and its swanky resorts, but it was by far the most Westernised (and therefore expensive) place we visited, and the joy was in seeing more of the real Asia as well. I hope you enjoyed this review, and Malaysia more broadly – let me know what you think in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
Saasdia Travel Gid
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