Our group of 13 with nowhere to go except to local destinations decided to take the 3 days 2 nights package @ Myr 500 per pax offer. On the 8 Sept 20, we were at the jetty waiting to be transported to Kong Island without any expectations. Realistically we did not expect much from the price we paid.
3 days later it was time to leave and what we experienced were worth more than Myr 500 p/pax. Clean chalets with scenic balcony, daily breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, daily conducted boat excursions, free usage of OK room and kayaks for the more adventurous. The staff were superb, friendly and accommodating. To Steve Kong, Steven, Borhan and the orang asli boatmen, thank you for a totally unexpected experience.
Hope to see you guys again.
The adventure begins when you step into the speedboat and fasten your life vest. Skimming over the sun-kissed waters of Lake Banding reflecting blue skies and jade green forests, you have an hour to enjoy clean air and watch out for hornbills.
Accomodation
Rooms are well planned and thought through. Loved the outdoor deck with shower and toilet .. far enough from the room for privacy and near enough to be convenient. Sitting on the deck, looking out onto the lake .. watching the fishing and kayakking enthusiasts while drinking coffee or sipping wine makes for a good holiday.
Activities
Our group of 30pax were able to fish, hike, swim and canoe during the day. At night we bonded over two great dinners - steamboat on the first night and bbq on the second.
Thank you Steve and Susan for sharing your dream island with us! Your energy is truly inspiring. It is your warmth, generosity and hospitality which make this place so special. It feels like you are sharing your home with family and friends!
Greeted by a gecko when we first walked into the room. Tried to chase it away but couldn't find it. Called the reception and asked if I could change to a different room. The staff very accommodating and agreed to change the room. Very clean room and comfortable bed. Beautiful place and well designed.Had a very relaxing time. Food at the restaurant was ok but could be improved further.
Special place with simple chalets on a private jungle island in Lake Temenggor. We had the place all to ourselves during our stay and enjoyed the peace and views over the lake. The surrounding forest is beautiful. Wildlife is around but hard to see. We saw 3 hornbill species, various other birds, a monitor lizard, a small dragon, lots of geckos, macaques and silver langurs, and otters, plus a variety of invertebrates. Unfortunately the owner's 3 (friendly) dogs and 1 cat have chased most of the wildlife off the island itself.
The cruising/boat trips and jungle trekking/waterfall were very enjoyable, as was kayaking. We were disappointed by the "native village" tour- it basically consisted of a short walk up a paved road in the centre of a village that looked like many others in Malaysia, with mostly wooden and concrete houses and just a couple of traditional thatch houses.
Food was tasty - Malay and Chinese-Malay style plus fruit.
The owner was friendly and offered plenty of information on the area, but tended to turn every conversation/answer to a question into a drawn-out complaint about the state of conservation management and government in Malaysia. Got a bit depressing after a while...
We felt that the package was way overpriced compared to other places in Malaysia. Foreigners are charged a lot more than Malay nationals, plus we had to pay a surcharge because we were only 2 people. The experience and level of service didn't match the price. The tours were nice but not amazing. The room was very simple- of course we expected that in a location like this, but there weren't even towels or soap supplied, and the generator was clearly audible from the room at night. The tiny bathroom is accessed off the large landing behind the room, which means getting wet when going out there if it's raining. Also, away from the rooms and dining area, the island is quite messy with discarded building supplies and rubbish. A cleanup and maintenance of a few paths to better allow exploration of the island would be nice.
A road trip was in the air for along time and so it came to pass. that we pounded the miles to Grik.We had seen lovely shots of the area so it would surely be good.Well untouched rain forests and a good drive it was.And a terribly expensive and poorly kept resort made us forget everything else.Food was listless and mediocre and the room basic with several amneties not in working order.Malaysia you are so beautiful.And to the hotel industry which wants to share the beauty with the rest of the world...why don't you do justice to that.