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Travellers' Choice
BATU BATU is a rustic private resort set amongst coconut groves, rocky outcrops and fine sand beaches on the tropical, uninhabited island of Pulau Tengah, Malaysia in the South China Sea. This simple resort is built from a variety of hard woods in the style of a Malay “kampung” or village. BATU BATU welcomes families with children. Whilst on Pulau Tengah, adults and children alike can enjoy the island’s eight white sandy beaches, snorkel or dive amongst its colourful coral reefs and kayak or walk around its 3km perimeter. The open-sided pavilion restaurant and bar has 270-degree views across the sea and serves delicious European and Asian dishes. Guests can choose to relax with a cold drink at the Beach Bar, soak in the sea, play on the large white sand beaches or embark on an adventure through the island’s dense forest.
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Property amenities
Free internet
Pool
Bar / lounge
Beach
Canoeing
Babysitting
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Spa
Public wifi
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Diving
Snorkelling
Kids club
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Massage
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Room features
Air conditioning
Private beach
Private balcony
Safe
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
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Great View
Languages Spoken
Indonesian, Malay
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From the moment you step onto its shores, you will find yourself captivated by the splendour of diverse shades of blue waters, untouched beaches, and tropical jungle. As an avid family traveller with 2 children, we have had the privilege of visiting numerous sea destinations, but Batu Batu Resort undeniably stands out as a remarkable haven of serenity. From the online reservation the process was quite smooth, we initially found only one week available as it was a quite last-minute booking and we waited list for a second week. Thanks to effective communications and actions by Adele, the resort Operational Manager, we were able to secure the second week and also extend one additional night during our stay in a very high peak season. To get there was quite simple from Singapore. It took about 2+ hours by private car to Mersing pier and another 30 minutes of speed boat. It is recommended to arrive at the pier at least 1 hour before the boat departure as you may encounter traffic at the customs between Singapore and Malaysia. During our stay, last week of July and the first week of August, the weather was sunny most of days with very little rain. A light wind was a great element throughout the period, we could not feel the hot. The recommended period by the staff is from Apr to Sep/October. While you can find white sand and crystal-clear waters in many islands and atolls, the peaceful atmosphere of this private island is one of the main assets. Most of the times we were alone on the beaches surrounded by a real tropical jungle. Besides, you can walk everywhere without your sandals or slippers. The resort is really family oriented, most guests have kids but even a couple can find its own intimate spot. Most people stay by the pool or the first beach near the restaurant. The barrier reef is very easy to reach for children without current and in a quite shallow water. Our daughter (10yrs) got the Padi open water certificate at the Diving Centre led by Sheldon, who was always very supportive. At the activity centre you can get your snorkelling gears, beach volley ball (all free) as well as rent paddles and kayaks. If you are lucky, you can also assist to the release of baby turtles. Food & beverage: I read some negative comments about food in the previous reviews. You are in Malaysia and not in a 5stars resort in the Maldives. We evaluate Batu Batu as the best Malaysian resort in term of food so far. The breakfast is quite various with homemade jams, pastries, fruits and some a-la carte plates. The menu a-la carte for lunch and dinner changes daily and it is always quite balanced between meat, seafood and also vegetarian plates. The cuisine is influenced by the Malaysian culture, a bit spicy with sauces, but you can always ask for sauce on the side. The children menu is the only area of improvement, especially with a bit more western option. However, the food and beverage team was always super supportive by accommodating every single request. Thank you very much to Sam (F&B manager), Jo-Ji and Gulfram for really taking care of us and making feel welcome. The restaurant has an excellent location, you can eat every day with a perfect breeze. Most of the villas are hidden between trees and plants. We stayed at both Ocean view and Beach Villa and we would recommend the Beach Villa (from S1 to S6) as you can enjoy constant sea breeze and have direct access to the beach. The staff is quite attentive to all your requests from room issues to food items, many of them have been working there for years as the owner created a real family atmosphere with good benefits. Final suggestion is to bring mosquito and sand fly repellent/cream along with your water shoes to easily move around rocks as well as enjoy the two hiking trials. It is not a coincidence that many guests are recurrent customers. This tropical gem offers a remarkable escape from the ordinary. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or simply the chance to reconnect with nature, Batu Batu Resort is a treasure waiting to be discovered. We will see you again!…
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Date of stay: August 2023
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Room Tip: Beach villa from S1 to S6 have direct access to the beach
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
This place was fantastic! I’m always intrigued when a place that isn’t a global 5 star chain charges similar prices, and what you get for the price here is: - privacy! There are 7 different beaches on the private island and under 30 rooms. That meant we could set up camp with our kids and their buckets and spades without disturbing anyone, and the honeymoon couple could have their peace and quiet on a secluded beach - the most amazing views. Our room was over the water with lovely views of beaches and sea. It was great to wake up to the sound of the waves too - friendly staff. No servile, obsequious staff here. Bath-Batu appears to employ people who make an effort to get to know the guests and care whether they enjoy themselves - a place optimised for families. So many little touches that make it good for kids, such as a children’s film near the restaurant every night - an amazing spa in a tree house with lovely views and sounds of the sea and trees. The booking people make you feel a bit greedy if you try to book more than one appointment though! The only things that stopped me giving Batu-Batu 5 stars were that we couldn’t get a diving slot despite putting in our request 10 days before we arrived (the website advises at least 5 days’ notice) and there was a little unclarity on the booking page about how far from the centre the over water rooms were (it was mentioned in the overall room description but not on the booking page as it was for the jungle villas). So if you’re looking at booking (which I definitely think you should!) be mindful of those things. These are very minor though, we’ve recommended the place to everyone we know since coming home, and I’m definitely planning to come back! What an amazing place!…
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Book diving far in advance. Go for a beach villa if you don’t want to walk at all.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We had a wonderful time staying at Batu Batu again. It was great to see that it hasn’t changed since our last visit 5 years ago. A beautiful island, gorgeous villa and friendly staff that never wavers in trying to make your stay as perfect as possible. Special kudos here to Sam, JoJi and Mimi as well as Sheldon and the team at the dive center. We look forward to returning soon!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We had a fabulous time at Batu Batu resort. We stayed with another couple and had two villas close to each other. The villas were very comfortable, the only room for improvement in our villa S8 would be the air conditioning didn't get that cool. Apart from that everything worked perfectly. The staff were very friendly and attentive, nothing was too much trouble for them, they were very happy. Gulfam even took a video of the monitor lizard so we could see it. I had read lots of reviews about Batu Batu before we went and I was dreading the food, thinking that it would be terrible. The food was really good. I always ordered the asian dishes, and they were delicious. A friend who we were with on this trip, had been last year and said that the food had been a huge letdown. He thought the food had improved enormously this time. The beaches are beautiful, and it's such a serene and peaceful environment we would definitely return. It's like your own Gilligan's Island…
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Our recent trip to Batu Batu was beyond our expectations! Being vegetarians ( who don’t consume alliums, eggs, fish or meat) we were prepared to be challenged on the dietary front. However, much to our delight the F&B staff at the restaurant bar were so attentive and accommodating to our needs that we never went hungry- in fact we were gloriously (over) fed!!! We are so grateful to the warm hospitality the staff provided and we will certainly recommend this resort to all our friends and family! Sad to leave and we are already planning our next visit back! A big thank you especially to Sam for ensuring our accommodations were taken care of with special care and attention to details and giving us nice tour around the resort facilities. Counting down to our next visit very soon!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
The island is undoubtedly gorgeous. We stayed in S4 and the beach and sea view was amazing! The staff was also very friendly and warm. The downsides came with the standard of the room and some of the food. Rooms were tired looking and our duvet cover was stained. Shower was luke warm and needed fixing twice on the first evening. Gaps on the porch doors made us concerned of what could come into the room. The Asian food was better prepared than the western. Some desserts came still partly frozen. I think it’s important to appreciate that there are short comings to this resort when the pricing is pitched at the luxury end. There were definitely resemblances to our back packing days for a hundredth of the price.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Pick the beach front villas.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Batu Batu has all the ingredients for a perfect holiday: white sandy beaches that one can often have only for herself, blue sea, great snorkeling, trekking and other outdoor activities and a nice pool. We were privileged to witness to release of 101 green turtle hatchings into the sea. The temperature of the sea was pleasant, not as warm as in other parts of the region. We very much enjoyed the large balconies of our villas (S9 & S10) looking onto the sea and observed the tidal changes from there. I agree with previous comments that the villas are in need of renovation - repainting and certainly changing the mattresses and fridges -, because the climate has a toll on the furniture - as one can observe in other resorts in the region. When we needed some maintenance in our villa, the work was accomplished in 2 hours. The amount of food was abundant, with varying quality. In particular my 4-year-old nephew enjoyed the various ice creams in the kids menu very much. Service was sometimes slow. All in all we were satisfied with what we received at Batu Batu. If you decide to come to here, bring sufficient mosquito and sandfly repellent with you. We left with plenty of bites. We would like to thank the lovely staff of the resort, in particular in the restaurant, for their hospitality, making our family holiday a memorable one. If possible, I would certainly be back.…
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Beautiful stunning Island. Water crystal clear! Felt relaxed! However, Terrible food, very nice, Kind but awfully slow somewhat lost management. I believe you need a new GM/leader to take this resort to where it could be. Its a close to Singapore so a great long weekend, nice for kids to be wild and free in a safe environment but food is disappointing. More fresh food please! Feed back is it could be so much better. We wont be back. But if you live in Singapore its probably worth doing.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Its not healthy fresh food. Kids will love it.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Pros - - The best thing about the island are the beaches and the crystal clear water. - We stayed for 3 days and snorkelled everyday, we saw black tip reef sharks, small spotted rays, tons of parrot fish, sea urchins, sea cucumber, clown fish, lots of coral (but not colourful) and many other fish. - The longer hike on the island is definitely worth doing, we did this at around 7:30 am and had great views up top. - The general relaxed vibe of the island is great, there are a few beaches so people are spread out and the only noisy area is the pool at times (some of the kids can be quite loud). - Sunset from the beach bar is really nice : ) - Restaurant and reception staff are lovely and friendly. Cons - - The food was generally average, some dishes were decent and some were terrible. It seemed like some of it was pre-cooked, for example the fish we had may have been cooked then re heated as it was lukewarm and rubbery. The complimentary afternoon tea was terrible, the muffins the worst I've ever had. Some of the food resembled food served at a really low end hotel. The Asian dishes tended to be better. - The staff at the diving/activities center were quite glum, never smiled and had little enthusiasm. They hadn't explored all the reefs so couldn't give proper recs, I would expect someone running the dive center to have explored all the reefs on the island, I'm not talking a large area (I saw them all). - For the price I was a little disappointed with the rooms, they are very large but the bathroom looked a bit sad, cheap metal framed mirrors showing rust/scratches, general design is average. I stayed at Cempedak last year (another easy to get to spot from SG) and for around the same price the villas are FAR nicer with private pools too. …
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Very beautiful location & rooms. The staff are excellent: kind, welcoming & helpful. They are willing to do anything to make you most comfortable (especially Sam! 😁). You don’t even have to ask. If you are looking for a perfect travel location, you should definitely go to Batu Batu 🐢🌊🌺.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Take boat early & leave late, so you get the most out of your day. Snorkel set + life vest =...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LOCATION
MalaysiaJohorMersing DistrictPulau Tengah
NUMBER OF ROOMS
22
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Frequently Asked Questions about Batu Batu
What are some of the property amenities at Batu Batu?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Batu Batu?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Batu Batu?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Batu Batu?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Is Batu Batu located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.4 km away from the centre of Pulau Tengah.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Batu Batu?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including Indonesian and Malay.
Does Batu Batu have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.