Paradise in the Straits

Imagine being marooned on an island, millions of years in the making, golden sands, crystalline blue waters, soft cool breezes.

Sounds dreamy?

Pangkor Laut island is a privately owned island off the West Coast of Malaysia, somewhere in the Straits of Malacca.

Lush, untouched rainforest nestle the 300-acre island, providing a sanctuary for the only resort on the island - Pangkor Laut Resort.

The late tenor Luciano Pavarotti once famously exclaimed " ..how beautiful God has made this paradise... " upon setting foot on the resort.

M surprised me with a 4-day weekend stay in Pangkor Laut Resort (on Pangkor Laut island) for our first year wedding anniversary. Where better to spend a romantic 4-day weekend?

To get to the island though feels like I have signed up for the Amazing Race. Ok. It wasn't that bad - I just like the drama of tellling a story of how we spent hours en route to the island.

Flying in to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore was easy enough with an overnight stay at one of the many hotels downtown.

Up early, we were whisked to Subang Airport to catch a flight on Berjaya Air. First tip: Please ensure enough time for travel time between KLIA and Subang Airport for those arriving international. Check flight schedule for erjaya Air as it does not fly everyday and may delay flights if there are not enough passengers on the flight.

Barely an hour later and we are on Pangkor Island, the bigger and more touristy sister of Pangkor Laut island (note the almost similar names - don't get confused!). There we got there, our luggage was taken care of by the staff of Pangkor Laut Resort and having lucked out at being treated like one of the rich and famous (if only we were!), we promptly plonked ourselves into a short ferry ride to Pangkor Laut island.

(Of course, you have a lot of extra cash lying around, you can always opt for a private helicopter ride from Kuala Lumpur straight onto Pangkor Laut island for US$5,000 per person. Of course that already hefty price tag may have got heftier with the rising fuel costs etc.)

And what a sight welcomed us in the distance: Pangkor Laut island is everything I see in the pictures. Pangkor Laut Resort is swoon-worthy. The resort blended seamlessly with the surroundings, respecting the nature.

For the next 4 days, M and I indulged in nothing but rest and relax. You want it, you got it. There's everything for everyone. Tennis for those who want to sweat it out after a hearty breakfast. Snorkelling and jungle trekking for the adventurous. Sun-bathing and spa treaments for those seeking pampering sessions.

On our third afternoon on Pangkor Laut island, we met a British couple who having travelled around the asian continent for 2.5 months prior, made Pangkor Laut island their last stop. A whopping 9 nights on the island!

Now, I love Pangkor Laut island but 9 nights on the island is really waaay too much. Said British couple agreed. It's not that there is nothing to do but really, it's more of our accustomed ways of wanting to do more and see more. So if you're like me, who gets antsy easily and suffers from an acute case of ADD, then I'd say 4/5 nights on the island is enough to recharge your batteries.

Don't let geography deter you from experiencing what Pangkor Laut island offers. Despite the rather out-of-the-way location of the island and the hours in travel to reach it, trust me, Pangkor Laut island takes your breath away.