Tanjung Rhu

Tanjung Rhu on the Malaysian Island of Langkawi is, in my opinion, one of the best beach locations throughout South East Asia.

The long, white-sand beach looks onto limestone karsts rising from the sea and the adjacent river is bordered by mangrove forest. The area is a blissful oasis of solitude and a delicious slice of nature.

Situated within these 1100 acres of lush tropical greenery is the Tanjung Rhu Resort. My family and I had a great 3-day stay there (disclosure: the room was hosted by the resort) a few years back and really enjoyed the beauty of the place. Not to mention the huge room that would be a suite in most other hotels. The smallest rooms are around 50 sq metres compared to the 30/32 sq m that you would normally find as the standard.

I am a big fan and so, although not surprised, I felt more than a twinge of consternation when I read, in The New Straits Times, that a memorandum of understanding was recently signed between Coco International Ltd and AUF Properties Sdn Bhd to develop a 20 acre residential-cum-commercial centre along this beautiful stretch of Langkawi’s northern coastline.

I am not against development per se. I think it would be hypocritical if I were: I enjoy staying in comfortable hotels in stunning locations and as a travel professional, I made a living from sending other people to such places.

What for me is important is how that development is handled. Today, there is every reason why a development should be both responsible and sustainable. Fortunately, according to the Master Plan for Tanjung Rhu (N.B. the file is 3MB and might be slow to download) that is the approach the consortium responsible for this development is taking. They claim to be committed to retaining the four main ecological systems which are the key features that make the area so special: the forest, mangrove, the freshwater and the marine system.

Tanjung Rhu Resort

Given the increasing awareness of today’s ‘green’ traveller any developer that ignores these issues would risk creating a White Elephant. I doubt this consortium will make that mistake. There are too many examples in the region where over-development has diminished the intrinsic value of the destination.

I do not yet know when the development is scheduled to start but when it does there will be a big challenge for the Tanjung Rhu Resort to manage the disturbance to guests during the building phase. I shall endeavour to keep an eye on the project and provide reports as and when I have more information.

In the meantime if you know the Tanjung Rhu Resort Langkawi and would like to submit a review of it I would be pleased to hear from you: tony at hookedonasia dot org.

Courtesy of Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi

I was pleased to read that the Malaysian government has agreed to Air Asia operating direct flights between Singapore and Langkawi.

The timetable operated by Malaysia Airlines and SilkAir is limited (currently there is no flight on Mondays for example) and thus to have more capacity on the route is a good thing for consumers. Admittedly whether it is good for the airlines is another matter: the local Chinese community seem to believe there is enough traffic so let’s hope so.

From the longhaul perspective I would say that if consumers see there are more flight options they are more likely to consider Langkawi as an end destination. Certainly from my point of view I would. On my last visit to Asia I couldn’t decide between Langkawi or Ko Samui: flight availability and cost were two of the factors I considered and I chose Ko Samui.

I will though be returning to Langkawi and a 2-centre Singapore/Langkawi for me is a good holiday combo. I enjoy just pottering around Singapore and contrary to what some people think there are little gems to be discovered. On our last visit for example we wandered around Chinatown and stumbled upon the Chinatown Heritage Centre on Pagoda Street. (Ok, I know had I read a guidebook I could have saved the ‘stumbling’ but I enjoy just discovering!).

We met a very charming man, Andrew Yip, on one of the stalls outside the Centre and we now have 3 stunning black and white prints taken by his late father Yip Cheong-Fun, an award-winning photographer. You can see some of his work here .

Langkawi Cable Car

Langkawi, on the other hand, is somewhere you go pretty much just to relax. The beaches are good and the scenery on the north coast is stunning. During our last visit we took the cable car ride at Gunung Machinchang. I am not a great one for heights but the views were worth the anguish!

The best time to visit Langkawi, weather-wise, is December through to March. Any other time there is a risk of rain although generally the sunshine is not too far behind. I usually go May/June when it is quieter and the hotel rates are just about at their lowest. You do get very spoilt though having swimming pools all to yourself, which we have had on many an occasion.

So I look forward to seeing the start of an Air Asia service between Singapore and Langkawi before our next visit!