Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas

Perfect for those who love Far Eastern cuisine and safaris in the middle of Malaysian nature.

10/15/2024 Author: Kiki Baron Reading time: 2 Minutes

One thing in advance, because it is a rarity: At the Anantara, most of the wonderfully comfortable beds are oriented so that you can enjoy a sea view. What's more, the bathrooms offer a view of the South China Sea. The Anantara is almost on the equator, so it gets light at six o'clock and dark very quickly twelve hours later. So you have to order your sunset cocktail in good time. The best places for this are the Observatory Bar and the Infinity Bar by the pool. In addition to the main building with four wings, guests stay in bungalows with plunge pools and two-storey residences with three to four bedrooms and 7-meter swimming pools. Golfers will be delighted to find two courses in the
neighborhood: the 27-hole Ocean Course and the 18-hole Valley Course.

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Part of the management is German. Like GM Christian Gerat. He likes to look after the guests personally. I follow his recommendations for excursions. A visit to a nearby organic farm where mangoes, jackfruit, rose apples, mangosteen, rambutan and durian dangle from old trees is exciting. I am probably one of the few Westerners who love durian. I have one of these fat, prickly fruits cracked open for me on the farm. Served out of the skin, it smells honey-sweet, but longer in the air, the creamy flesh smells rather pungent. This is why they are taboo in hotel restaurants. The "Tumeric" specializes in dishes and flavours from northern Malaysian and southern Thai cuisine. The "Sea.Fire.Salt" is also great. Fresh seafood, fish and premium meat are on offer here. It remains to be seen whether the "24-carat gold beauty treatment" in the spa will make my face glow. However, after the excellent Anantara massage in the western-eastern style, I feel like I'm in 7th heaven. There's even more: a romantic dinner on the beach under the starry sky.