Remembering Datai Bay...a hidden gem

If I had to describe a heavenly place to spend a romantic (or family) holiday, it would be this one: it meets all the requirements.

Magnificent beach, impressive rain forest, stunning room, good food, good spa, impeccable service, memorable sunrises and sunsets...A tranquil, hidden place in the middle of nowhere.

Datai Bay is located on Langkawi, an island to the north-west of Malaysia, less than an hour's flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Four years ago, I stayed at The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort. It is surrounded by a ten million year old rainforest and by an eight thousand year old coral reef.  The architecture blends beautifully into its environment.

The hotel entrance is at the bottom of the hill - we arrived in an open style lobby and reception. On arrival, we were welcomed with instrumental music, and we were served drinks and given a refreshing towel.

The hotel has four restaurants: fresh seafood, Malaysian, Japanese, and the main restaurant, which serves a daily breakfast buffet and specialises in Italian cuisine in the evening. I found the food quality very good, but not gastronomic.

I stayed in a standard bedroom: large, beautiful and modern, with plenty of natural light coming from the large glass doors. The room had a balcony from where I could view the lush garden and the swimming pool. The lovely bathroom was very large with excellent toiletries. I also loved the attention to detail: on the small table in the bedroom, there was a plate of fresh fruit which was replenished every day, along with a welcome tray of chocolates and bottles of water, daily papers etc...

I was enchanted with Datai Beach, arguably one of the best beaches on Langkawi, which is quiet, secluded and clean. This remote beach is difficult for the public to access, so it is only shared by two hotels: The Andaman and the Datai Resort.

Every day in the morning I walked the entire length of the bay before taking a dip at the beach. After, I would sunbathe on one of the many readily available beach chairs. In the afternoon, I used to spend some time at the resort’s lagoon-style pool. During our stay I enjoyed watching the sunset while having a cocktail on the beach.

Another memorable experience was my long walks along a paved path that led up to the V Botanical Spa villas located on the hillside. From there, the view of Datai Bay and the Andaman Sea was breath-taking. A “must do” at The Andaman is its Spa - V Integrated Wellness. The Spa treatments were excellent and worth every penny. I loved the massages and was able to choose the oil I wanted. The environment was gorgeous.

The Andaman has a number of activities on offer, from rainforest nature walks, coral nursery visits and cooking classes to golf and kayaking. Nevertheless, if you want a thrill you can always visit the Crocodile Farm, one of the two main tourist attractions on Langkawi…While I was at the hotel I admired a wonderful wedding from a distance, which was a perfect intimate celebration for about 30 guests.

But, my nostalgic review would not be complete without my friends...the monkeys. Those clever creatures, who stole my fresh fruit every day, were so cute and funny. Completely unafraid of humans, they used to approach me and escort me on my way up to the Spa on the hillside. They were an entertainment in themselves. I loved to watch them and hear them leaping from tree to tree or from balcony to balcony.

Note: All the photos were taken with my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 compact camera.

If you are a lover of Asia, them check out this (my favourite) fabulous blog www.The Yum List.net