Perched between the tropical rainforest and the Andaman Sea, Berjaya Langkawi Resort feels like the best of both worlds.
This sprawling property sits within the UNESCO listed Geopark of Burau Bay, where verdant hills meet the water’s edge. The lush green setting draws you in before you’ve even unpacked your bags.
We were lucky enough to stay in two different room types during our visit, the Premier Chalet on Water and the Rainforest Studio. Both offered completely different experiences.
The Premier Chalet on Water sits on stilts above the aquamarine sea.
It was pouring with rain when we arrived, the sound of it drumming on the timber deck echoing through the room. By the next morning, the clouds had cleared and I woke to a beautiful view of calm, turquoise water stretching out to the horizon.
The large covered balcony was the perfect place to sit with a coffee and watch the fishing boats drift by.
The Rainforest Studio, by contrast, was set higher up the hill and tucked among the trees. It had a sitting area separated from the bedroom by a floor to ceiling screen with a rotating TV and a wide balcony that looked down through the rainforest towards the sea. The open plan bathroom featured a bath and an unwalled rain shower, which felt perfectly suited to the surroundings.
If you don’t want unexpected visitors, stick to the overwater chalet, as the rainforest rooms are often visited by cheeky dusky leaf monkeys who like to peer in from the balcony – but this was a bonus for us! Both rooms were blissfully quiet, very private and extremely comfortable.
Dining at Berjaya Langkawi offered plenty of choice, with several restaurants catering to different tastes and moods.
Pahn Thai Restaurant sits at the end of a pier and serves authentic Thai food surrounded by sea views.
The sticky rice with mango was our standout dish, for which we returned for more than once.
The Beach Brasserie overlooks the beach and serves Italian inspired dishes.
It became my daughter’s favourite restaurant and we ate there several times during our stay.
Oriental Pearl serves Chinese cuisine in an elegant indoor setting, with an extensive menu covering all the classic dishes.
Dayang Café is the main restaurant and offers both Malaysian and international options. The breakfast buffet was impressive, with everything from tropical fruit to freshly made roti canai. I was particularly happy to see roti canai with banana on the menu. On my first visit to Malaysia more than 25 years ago, roti canai was only ever served with curry sauce, so it’s great to see the western and Asian fusion coming into play. Of course, you can still enjoy it the traditional way with curry.
The Boat House Bar offers casual dining right on the beach, although we didn’t make it there this time.
We also tried in-room dining and were pleasantly surprised by how quick the service was. The food arrived hot and well presented, which was impressive given the distance from the main kitchens to the rooms.
For drinks, there’s the Lobby Lounge, which looks down past the pool to the beach and is a lovely spot for a coffee while watching the comings and goings of other guests. The Pool Bar offers swim up service for cocktails and the Rimba Sports Bar shows live sports and has music and games in a relaxed setting.
The Taaras Spa is another standout. I enjoyed both a foot massage and a facial, and guests are invited to arrive an hour early to use the sauna, steam room and outdoor spa pool. Treatments were first rate and the spa setting itself was peaceful and well run.
Taaras Spa
The guided Rainforest Walk reminded me that the resort is already in the rainforest, you don’t have to go anywhere to find nature.
We preferred walking around the resort rather than relying on the electric shuttle, which is available on call if you’d rather not. It only took about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other, and the shaded paths through the rainforest were a real highlight.
We saw hornbills, tree squirrels and monitor lizards along the way, and one evening we were lucky enough to see a colugo glide silently past us while walking to dinner.
As night fell, the soft sounds of the jungle surrounded us, a chorus of frogs, insects and distant waves creating a wonderfully atmospheric end to the day.
For those seeking a bit more activity, the resort can arrange and book a wide range of tours and excursions, including jungle trekking, mangrove kayaking, jet ski tours and island hopping.
The Langkawi Cable Car and Oriental Village are also within easy walking distance, about 10 minutes from the resort.
Given I was writing a piece on Langkawi, I needed to get out and experience some of its many attractions, so despite spending five nights at the Berjaya, I left feeling that I hadn’t spent nearly enough time simply relaxing and enjoying the resort itself.
Families are well catered for too. The Little Monkey Club offers a mix of indoor and outdoor activities for children aged four to 12, with flexible pricing depending on the number of activities.
There are also plenty of facilities for adults, including tennis, pickleball, cycling, birdwatching and fishing. Water sports such as kayaking, banana boating and jet skiing are available for an extra charge.
At night, the resort hosts a lively fire show on the beach every Friday and Saturday. There’s a small charge if you want to sit on the beach to watch it, but we enjoyed it just as much from our table at the Beach Brasserie during dinner.
Berjaya Langkawi Resort has earned multiple awards, including a World Luxury Hotel Award for Luxury Private Beach Resort, and has an impressive 4.2 rating on TripAdvisor. It’s also recognised by Tourism Malaysia for its sustainable integration with the rainforest.
Berjaya Langkawi Resort offers a beautiful balance between comfort and nature. Whether it’s waking to the sound of waves beneath your room or watching monkeys swing through the trees, the connection to the surroundings is ever present.
With friendly staff, excellent facilities and plenty to see and do, it’s the kind of place that leaves you longing for just one more day.
Traveltalk Tips
- Keep your balcony clear of food, as the monkeys can be persistent.
- For the best uninterrupted sea views, ask for an overwater chalet that faces directly out to the ocean, as some face other chalets.
- For those who prefer the jungle setting and the company of wildlife, the Rainforest Studio is ideal. For those with a smaller budget, try the Rainforest Chalet.
- The resort is about 15 minutes from the airport and electric buggies are available on call throughout the grounds.
Sustainability
The Berjaya resort has a number of sustainability initiatives including:
- Cultivating and harvesting the plants using water sourced from the nearby river
- Converted shuttles across to electric buggies
- Biodegradable food containers, paper straws and wooden cutlery
- Mangrove tree planting activities that engage in-house guests
