This post is brought to you by Ombak Villa by Langkawi Lagoon.
[img_gallery][/img_gallery]
A new entry in Langkawi’s growing resort category, Ombak Villa by Langkawi Lagoon, has just opened. Travel writer Alexander Lim spent a weekend there and found it a most pleasant and agreeable Malaysian excursion.
It’s always an enjoyable getaway to wing it up to Langkawi for a weekend (or longer). The sleepy island near the Thai border always manages to provide a relaxing escape, yet I sometimes wonder how much longer the secret of Langkawi can last. Even now, it can be challenging to get a room in a popular place during holidays or long weekends. Now, new developers are coming in and posh new resorts will soon be in place, complementing what are some of Malaysia’s finest vacation properties already there on this lazy, idyllic island.
So what happens when an experienced, award-winning residential property developer builds a resort? As I found recently, some good things. The wellestablished Langkawi Lagoon property, comprising a family-friendly Resort Village and a more upscale Sea Village, built entirely on stilts, has now welcomed a new addition from the developers at MK Land. The latest offering is a beautiful brand-new property called Ombak Villa by Langkawi Lagoon and sits adjacent to the other properties on the lagoon near Padang Matsirat, just a quick five-minute drive from Langkawi International Airport.
One benefit of a resort built by a major property developer is the quality of the furnishings and fixtures throughout. Touches like granite countertops, diffused indirect lighting (much of it from eco-friendly LEDs), solid-core wooden doors, and brushed nickel-finish door handles and locks might not seem like they would make much of a difference, but for me, it lent a touch of class and quality to the room.
And what rooms they are! I’ve never stayed in a brand-new resort before, but it’s a good experience, especially in a place like this. Ombak Villa has a few apartment-style blocks, each comprising 8 to 12 units. The architecture is reminiscent of traditional Malay, but everything about Ombak Villa is modern and refined. The spacious studio-style villa rooms offer four different bedding arrangements (queen, queen/twin, twin/ twin, queen/queen), catering to almost any possibility. A 32” Panasonic LCD TV on an articulating arm not only provides plenty of TV channels, it also has a USB port, so load up your thumb drive or external hard drive and bring it along for plenty of entertainment options.
The large bathroom deserves special mention. With dark tiles in slate and tan colours, a huge shower, a deep long bathtub, good-quality fixtures, and a number of different ambient lighting options, this is the bathroom I want in my own house. There was nothing over-thetop luxurious here, just a lot of things done right. Everything you would need or want in a well-appointed bathroom is here, from large fluffy towels to a wall-mounted hairdryer.
The balcony is expansive and comfortable. There’s plenty of room here, with lovely views of the grounds, the sea, and the hills and peaks of Langkawi in the distance. If you feel like dining al fresco, a quick call to the friendly Ombak Villa staff is all that’s required to have a table for two fully set up on your balcony – giving a whole new dimension to room service.
If you’d rather have your meal in the resort’s Bayu Restaurant, a wonderful menu is on offer. I had a very nice fourcourse meal that was not only delicious, each of the dishes (particularly the salad) had a presentation that wouldn’t have been out of place in a fine dining restaurant in KL. Breakfast is served here, too, and diners have the option of eating inside or outside under the poolside pavilion. The selection on the buffet is rotated, so you won’t be faced with the exact same fare every morning, and the food is of good quality, offering a nice balance of Western and traditional morning foods. Live stations are set up outside for omelets and roti canai.
Ombak Villa is a full-service resort, offering a business centre, meeting rooms, a wellfitted gym, and a beautiful pool. Though the pool closed each evening at 7:30, the cool blue underwater lighting made for a beautiful scene. The main pool has an infinity edge, so from the deck, it segues effortlessly into the waters of the Andaman Sea beyond. And for families, an amply sized kiddie pool keeps both the younger swimmers and their parents happy.
This is really a winning resort and worth paying a visit, certainly while it’s new. The location is a concern for some, but I found it quite okay. They don’t offer a white-sand beach, but if you rent a car in Langkawi – which I always do – everything is easily accessible. The popular Cenang Beach is a short drive, Telaga Harbour and the Cable Car attraction are not much further (though in the opposite direction), and even Kuah Town, probably the furthest destination you’ll need, is less than 20 minutes away. And for me, I’ve long felt that Langkawi had too big a gap between the budget hotels and the lavish international-calibre five-star resorts, and not enough entrants to meet the demand. Ombak Villa by Langkawi Lagoon really bridges that gap nicely. It’s a lovely property that gets special note for being environmentally aware, and delivers spacious accommodations, friendly and eager service, and plenty of amenities and features that will make this a popular destination for those visiting Langkawi.
Bookings are easily made online through the resort’s official website at www.langkawilagoonresort.com or via popular online booking engines.
Ombak Villa by Langkawi Lagoon
Lot 78 Jalan Kuala Muda, Padang Matsirat, 07100 Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman, MALAYSIA
T: +604 955 8181
E: [email protected]
W: www.langkawilagoonresort.com
Source: The Expat October 2013
What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know by commenting below.No registration needed.
Read more:
"ExpatGo welcomes and encourages comments, input, and divergent opinions. However, we kindly request that you use suitable language in your comments, and refrain from any sort of personal attack, hate speech, or disparaging rhetoric. Comments not in line with this are subject to removal from the site. "
