Malaysia

When was the rating made?
We were there July 11 – July 19, 2007.

Where did we go?
Langkawi
Kuala Lumpur

It should be noted that this was the last week of the trip and we were splashing out a bit, so the accommodations are more expensive than our usual choices.

Langkawi

Accommodation

• Casa Del Mar – This is a small hotel targeted at the luxury market. It is a favorite of honeymooners, but we thought it lacked something… The service was very inconsistent and the hotel didn’t have much personality. 2 stars.
• Bon Ton Resort – This is a special property. It is quite small with only 8 Malay longhouses making up the accommodations. The service is fantastic and the restaurant in great. We found it extremely relaxing and enjoyed staying in our longhouse. Just what we needed for the last stay of our trip. The only thing it lacks is a beach. 3.5 stars.

Restaurants

• Casa Del Mar – The restaurant has lovely tables on the beach that serve a delicious dinner. Definitely worth eating here. The steak we had was one of the best of the trip. (Strangely, the restaurant is really nothing special at breakfast and lunch, but dinner stands out.) 3 stars.
• Bon Ton Resort – The meals (with the exception of breakfast) were fantastic. We enjoyed it so much, I begged them for 2 two recipes before leaving. Make sure to try the Chicken Tikka sandwich and the Crunchy Pistachio Haloumi salad. 3 stars.
• Metahari – This restaurant is supposed to offer the best Malay cuisine on the island (with the exception of the restaurant at the 5 star Andaman property). We enjoyed our dinner, but met several others that had enjoyed their dinners at Metahari even more… 2.5 stars.

Activities
Like I said… it was the last week of the trip and we didn’t do much! We heard that the jungle treks, the mangrove boat tours and the island hopping trips were all a lot of fun, though!

Kuala Lumpur

Accommodation

• Trader’s Hotel – This is part of the big Shangri-La hotel chain. This is a good priced business style hotel right next to Petronas Towers. It worked for a night, but I don’t know that I would seek it out again. 2.5 stars.

Activities

• Nyonya / Malay cooking class with Foodies and Friends – I love taking cooking classes. This class was alright, but not great. If returning to Malaysia, I think I would seek out another. That said, there don’t seem to be too many classes available, so this might be the best option.