Hotels & Resorts

[Cherating, Malaysia 2021] The Kasturi Resort - An Eco-Conscious Luxury Resort Designed Around Nature

By Elin Chow - Sunday, December 12, 2021

Photo By: Elin Chow
Official Website: The Kasturi

The Kasturi is a five-star beach front luxury resort, located just over three hours drive away from Kuala Lumpur. Built on 15 acres of coastal forest facing the South China sea, the resort is designed and owned by renowned architecture Hijjas Kasturi and his wife Angela . The small luxury resort comprises just 23 keys, ranging from rooms, suites and villas to suit different needs. However,  majority of them are Beach Front villa with own private pool facing the waves.

3D2N Dreamy Couple's Retreat

We booked the 3D2N Dreamy Couple's Retreat, which includes the following:

- 2 nights accommodation at Beach Front Villa
- An afternoon tea for two with traditional local kuihs at Kenyang Restaurant
- Pre-dinner cocktails for two with Canapes 
- A candlelight dinner by the beach (subject to weather conditions)
- A seafood steamboat dinner at Kenyang Restaurant
- A 60 minutes traditional body massage for two
- Welcome drink upon check in
- Flower/chocolate bouquet on arrival
- Room decorations, fruit basket, chocolate pralines and gift set on arrival
- Complimentary use of Mini-Bar (excludes Alcohol)
- Complimentary Wi-Fi 

For 3D2N, the resort is pretty expensive. The package costs RM 3,138 for 2 persons. Without the package, the Beach Front Villa starts from RM 1,350 per night. But fortunately, the resort did not disappoint. 


The VIP treatment started as soon as we arrived. The guard at the guardhouse double checked and confirmed our reservation before letting us into the premise. After parking our car at the covered parking area, a resort staff awaited us at the wooden welcome pavilion. There, we checked in our MySejahtera before the resort staff escorted us to a small seating area that overlooks the sea. 

There is no official physical check-in counter like what you usually find in most hotels/resorts.  Check in was fast and efficient. The resort staff already knew who we were without us actually mentioning our name. Refreshing glasses of lemonade were served while the resort staff checked our reservation details.


After checking in, a buggy transported us via the elevated forest walkway to our room. With an eco-friendly concept in mind, the resort is carefully designed to minimize its environmental footprints by utilizing recycled timber that are reclaimed from old buildings. Small plants had been saved from inevitable clearing for future use in landscaping, and elevated walkways and structures are built to minimize damaging the ground. Alongside from using reclaimed and locally sourced materials, the resort also built tanks to save rain water from each villas, supplying garden water and toilet flushing. 


Upon opening the large heavy wooden door, an oasis of relaxation awaited us. Surrounded by lush greenery, the peaceful, secluded and tranquil retreat promise peace, relaxation and a touch of romance.


The A-frame structure with roof that resemble folded origami and beautiful rubble walls comes with its own private pool and deck. Facing the sea, and backed by the forest, this villa really lives up to its tagline, "Embraced by land and sea."


Measuring 261 sqm, the villa was extremely clean and spacious. The modern build is dominated by large expanse of glass, which replace solid walls, allowing plenty of natural day light into the room. This also allowed the beautiful outdoors to become the main interior décor. .  

Indoor decoration and furnishing are kept minimal and neutral to blend into its natural surroundings. Marble terrazzo tiles are used throughout the space to make the interior look luxurious and elegant with complete set of amenities that will make you stay even more comfortable. 


A complimentary tropical fruit basket and a tray of Ferrero Rocher were placed on the coffee table in our room to welcome our arrival, which was a very nice gesture. However, I would appreciate if a sharper knife was provided for us to peel and cut the mango and starfruit. Anyway, we ended up bringing them home!


Push open the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door, you will step into the large open wooden deck outfitted with a private plunge pool and chairs for lounging. We spent hours sitting in the lounge chair, enjoy the sea breeze while listening to sound of the waves, The tranquility and comfort make us didn't want to leave the room at all.

However, being nestled within a coastal forest, there are a lot of mosquitoes and bugs flying around the resort. We have suffered from several mosquitoes/bugs bites all over our body during our stay in this resort. As the resort hopes to preserve the nature ecosystem as much as possible, they only tried to control the population of mosquitoes and bugs but not completely eradicate them. So, remember to apply insect repellent during your stay at this resort.


The open wooden deck offers unrestricted views to the surrounding nature landscape and the beach. However, we could not see the sea because our view was blocked by a rock wall.

The water in the pool was clean and crystal clear, but it was very cold, especially during gloomy weather. There isn't complete privacy at the pool because occasionally (but rare), you will still find other guests walking past in front of your villa to the beach. 

Having our own private pool allowed us to enjoy unparalleled sense of tranquility and privacy in a safe environment. Especially during this covid-19 pandemic, we would prefer a private getaway rather than having to share facilities with others. This means that there is no need for us to worry about social distancing at all. 

A remote-controlled blind has been installed to the sliding glass door to block out harsh sunlight and provide more privacy to the guests. There is nothing much to do here, but this is where you can relax, unwind and listen to the soothing sound of Mother Nature. You can hear the birds chirping, the dragonflies fluttering their wings, the sound of wind whispering through the trees and the waves in the day time. At night, you will hear the crickets and lizards chirping their goodnights and the roaring waves. Occasionally, we also feel the waves crashing on the shore while we were lying in bed.  


There was a small set of stairs next to the sofa leading to the bedroom, which was incredibly spacious with an extra large king sized bed and ample of closet space. 


The bed is decorated with red rose petals with kissing swans made from towels that form a heart added a touch of romance to the bedroom.


The bedroom is dimly lit, which creates a warm and intimate atmosphere. We loved the large comfortable bed and fluffy comforter, which made us instantly fall into deep sleep. However, we found the pillows a little too soft for our liking. 

You will find most of the in-room amenities in the bedroom. The TV is oddly placed in a corner in front of the bed, and with limited channels. We couldn’t access to a lot of the channels or the internet because Wi-Fi connection is non-existent throughout our stay. However, as it was not really a big issue for us, we didn’t inform the resort about this problem.


The villa comes with complimentary mini bar, which is filled with a fridge of non-alcoholic drinks. There are also a capsule-coffee machine provided in the room for you to make better coffee, as well as plenty of tea bags and bottles of mineral water. The items in the mini bar can be refilled upon request. 


Other in-room amenities include hair dryer, ironing facilities, umbrella, beach bag and safe box. The resort also provides towels for the pool.

The bathroom is totally wow-worthy. It was delightfully spacious with the toilet and bathing area placed in front of a huge glass wall overlooking a walled garden. The wall of glass invites both light and nature inside, making you feel like you are showering outdoors.

There are a few shower options for you to choose from: a standalone bathtub, a rainfall shower or an outdoor shower. 


There was a glass door that opens out to a private outdoor shower. However, we didn't choose to take a shower outdoor because there were a lot of mosquitoes. We didn't want to be bitten by these blood-sucking bugs when we shower naked outdoor. 


On the other side of the bathroom is the long vanity counter with his-and-hers sinks, which provide ample private space for couples. Plenty of fresh towels and basic toiletries are also provided for guests use. 


Besides that, the resort also provided bath salt and scrub in the room for guest use. There is nothing more soothing than admiring nature while soaking in warm bath. I enjoyed rinsing off at the strong rain shower after taking a relaxing soak. It was so relaxing!


Next to the pool, there is a small wooden gate leading through a ‘forest’ and to the beach, and another shower just adjacent to it. 


The shrubs have been cleared to create a small path that allows the guests to walk to the beach. While walking to the beach, we noticed that there were two plastic chairs at the edge of the beach side for lounging or sunrise-watching. Unfortunately, we couldn't get out from bed in the morning to watch the sunrise. 


The beach itself was underwhelming, but it was good for a romantic stroll if it's not high tide.  We can't access to the water because a rock wall has been built along the coastline, which spread through the 800 meters long beach.


Initially, we were perplexed as to why the rock wall was built. However, we later realized that the rock wall was actually built as a wave breaker as to protect the resort. During the monsoon season, the waves are so rough and strong that they can get into the resort area. If we had not seen it with our own eyes, we wouldn't have believed it how strong the waves could be.


To get around the resort, you would need to meander through the elevated forest trail walkway either on foot or by a buggy. Most of the time, we chose to get around on foot because we would like to soak in the nature, and enjoy the sound of the birds and insects chirping around us. 

Main Building

The last structure at the end of the elevated walkway is the main building. This is where the restaurant, bar, lounge, fitness facilities, spa, meeting room and the main pool are located. 

Ketapang Spa

The resort has a small on-site spa located on the second level of the main building, which is open exclusively to resort guests. This is where we get to enjoy our 60 minutes massage while listening to the soothing sounds of the waves. 

Before the session, the spa center called us to confirm our arrival time as to control the crowd. Upon arriving at the spa center, we were asked to check in MySejahtera before we were given a consultation form to fill up. Then, we were asked to choose the massage oil and the type of massage we prefer.


After confirming our preference, we were led to a couple room with a standalone bathtub and shower for our massage. The massage began with a relaxing foot soak before we were asked to lie face down on bed. 

The masseuses were well-skilled and professional. They wore rubber gloves and masks throughout the massage. Although it was comfortable, I felt that a large element of human touch is lost. After all, skin to skin contact is more calming and I believe the masseuses can perform better without the gloves. However, in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I guess this is a way to protect both of us.

Dining

The Kenyang restaurant is the only restaurant in the resort where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. Guests can either choose to sit inside the air-conditioned interior, or outdoors on the veranda overlooking the main pool. With an on-site bar, the resort also offers a good selection of wine and cocktails for guests who would like to have a drink. 

Candlelight Dinner 

On our first night at the resort, we enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner by the beach as included in the package. This was a 5-course dinner, which includes an appetizer, a soup, a salad, a main course and a dessert.  It felt a awkward because we were the only guests having a candlelight dinner at the beach that night. However, our awkwardness soon disappeared as we rarely see any other guests around the resort (thanks to the low density).


We enjoyed dining under the stars while overlooking the sea, but the service was extremely slow. It took us three hours to finish this meal, not because we were slow eater, but rather, it took them over an hour to finally serve us the appetizer. 

Although they apologized and explained that they were having a lot of guests that night, it had still spoiled our experience to a certain extent as we were literally feeding the mosquitoes while waiting for the food to be served. 


The dinner includes a bottle of sparkling fruit juice that was served chill in a champagne flute. 

For soup, we had prawn bisque. This was the first time we had eaten a bisque. To be honest, I didn't like it very much. However, my husband love it. 

For the main course, we were given  a choice of  lamb, ribeye, sea bass or chicken. My husband chose lamb while I had ribeye. 


The dessert consists of lemonade ice cube and guava cheesecake. We love the dessert because they were not too sweet and taste great. 

Breakfast In Room

For breakfast, we were given the choice to either dine in at the restaurant or have the food delivered right to our room. As we didn't want to get up from bed early to have breakfast at the restaurant, we chose to have our breakfast delivered to our room at 10 am on the second day. However, the restaurant was late in delivering our food again. I have to call the reception twice to inquire about it before finally having our breakfast delivered to our room at 10.30 am.

The selection of food was rather limited and underwhelming for 5-star standards, but understandable as this is a pretty low density resort. The resort served a mix of Malaysian and western cuisines for breakfast, and the food taste quite good. However, one thing I love about the breakfast was that they served made-to-order fresh fruit juices instead of ready-to-drink ones. 

On the third day, we chose to dine in at the restaurant instead of having the breakfast delivered to our room as we wanted to enjoy the view of the main pool from the restaurant. Service at the restaurant was good and the resort staff who served us was also very polite. They only change a few items on the breakfast menu, but generally, the selection of food remain almost the same.

Afternoon Tea In Room

The afternoon tea was a simple affair, consisting of a variety of tea and keropok lekor, which is a local specialty in the east coast.

Cocktails with Canapes 

We enjoyed our cocktails before our steamboat dinner at the Kenyang Restaurant on the second night. Again, it didn't disappoint. The canapes complimented the cocktails very well.

Steamboat Dinner

For the steamboat, there were two soup bases - Tom Yum and chicken soup. The portion of meat, seafood, mushroom, vegetables and noodles were just perfect for the two of us. In fact, we were too stuffed to finish everything! The ingredients were very fresh and the soup bases taste good as well.


We were surprised that there was still dessert after the steamboat dinner because we were so full! But the dessert was brownie pudding and we absolutely can't resist that,  We ended up finishing every bit of it  because it was so sinfully delicious!

The Verdict

The Kasturi is a hidden gem away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. It is a secluded haven perfect for people looking for a peaceful relaxing stay. The resort staff are friendly and always eager to serve with smiles on their faces. With only 23 keys, we really enjoyed the personal attention they offered, which made our stay incredibly memorable and special. The only thing that needs to be improved will be the service at the restaurant. It is really bad to let guests wait for their meals, especially when they are hungry. After all, a hungry guest is an angry guest! 


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