I feel truly blessed to receive the prize sponsorship from Aria The Label and YTL Hotels, a 2 nights' stay of my dream vacation at Tanjong Jara Resort, Terengganu, Malaysia.
A beautiful description on this lovely resort as stated in its website ~
Designed to reflect the elegance of 17th century Malay palaces, this tranquil resort offers a genuine taste of the region's spirit and its rich natural heritage.
My journey from Selangor to Dungun, Terengganu, the east coast of West Malaysia was about 4 hours drive. Together with my son, I started my journey late in the afternoon, arrived at 7pm. It was a long journey drive, my tiring spirit was refreshed with the warmth greetings by the hotel's friendly staff, we were presented with cold towel and refreshing roselle juice at the reception area.
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| The tired-face of me, waiting for check-in while enjoying the refreshing roselle juice. |
After completing the check-in process, a friendly hotel representative came to greet us and guided us to introduce around the resort. A night walk around the resort, with the sound of birds' singing at night, the surrounding of trees and big leaves and beautiful flowers alongside to our hotel room, the authentic Malay's art and wooden architecture, I excitingly felt the beauty and the tranquil of this place and can't wait to explore more soon.
As I do not have a good camera to capture night mode, the outlook of the exclusive hotel room with authentic Malay wooden architecture design would be shown in the next morning later. The room interior is truly amazing, luxury yet truly authentic style!
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| Super-comfort bed with super-comfort soft pillow, with nice wooden bench, complimentary slippers for guest's convenience. |
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| The beautiful art of Malay's pottery vase. |
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| An additional bed at the other end of the room, like a chill out space to have family board game fun or a chit-chatting corner. |
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| The luxury spacious bathroom, with nice wooden detailing. |
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| Nice spa corner. |
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| The resort's caringness to provide anti mosquito spray mist and healing balm for insect bites. |
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| Chilling out.. |
We went for dinner at Di Atas Sungei Restaurant. My staying package is included 2 days' daily meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is pretty awesome! The friendly chef arranged a simple yet delicious 3-course dinner for us, serving together with rice and fruit dessert after meal. We had an enjoyable dinner at this modern yet authentic Malay's architecture style of nice restaurant.
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Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
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| Love this lovely display with my name written on a green leaf. |
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| From left to right: Sweet & Sour Chicken, Mix Vege, Grilled Fish. |
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| Very impressive modern mix with classic Malay style of interior structure. |
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| Yummy Malay kuih-muih ~ Malay snacks and desserts. |
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| This lovely nostalgia-feel wooden cabinet reminds me the similar one that I used to see at my grandparents' olden house. |
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| Fresh juice bar. |
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| Omelette/scrambled egg/fried egg upon request bar. |
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| Good view and good feel to kick-start my day. |
We went to explore the resort after enjoying our delicious breakfast.
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| Hotel entrance and reception area. |
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| My resort room outlook, truly classic yet luxury, simply superb! |
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| Pardon me for my blurry #ootd picture.. |
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| Along the way to the beach. |
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| Beautiful architecture with lush greenery surrounding. |
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| Beautiful relaxing spot at the beach for you to just sit or lay down to view the splendid sunset over the South China Sea. |
Our lunch was at Nelayan Restaurant, which is beautifully located just next to the beach. The friendly waitress guided us to a table which is facing directly to the South Chine Sea, simply an awesome spot to enjoy our lunch!
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Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
Nelayan, meaning 'Fisherman' in the Malay language, was inspired by the locally and internationally acclaimed signature restaurant, Fisherman's Cove.
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| Such an indulging moment, totally breathtaking view. |
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| Thanks to my son who is always being my photographer to capture my relaxing mood that I just super love this place :) |
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| Our scrumptious lunch ~ Nelayan Fried Rice, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Satay ~ yummy! |
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| Dessert time ~ ice cream with pear fruits ~ yummy cooling sensation! |
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| Outlook of Nelayan Restaurant. |
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| A lovely corner view of Nelayan Restaurant. |
After the delicious lunch treats, we just chilled ourselves by taking a stroll around the resort. I love this peaceful environment with free and easy vibes, simply an amazing feel. I guess I was too relaxing until I did not think of taking more beautiful pictures to share it here, and the beautiful seaside with the spectacular South China Sea, how can I missed this pictures..??
At evening time, my son went to swim, or rather playing water at the swimming pool. Again, another spectacular landmark at the resort, the luxury infinity pool which is facing South China Sea, creating such an impressive grandeur appearance.
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| Another breathtaking landmark ~ the infinity pool facing South China Sea. |
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| Swimming with such an amazing view and feel! |
We went back to Di Atas Sungei for our dinner. As yesterday I had been informed that the reservation time for seafood steamboat dinner is before 3:00pm, therefore today early in the morning I had made the reservation for this steamboat style dinner, as I super love seafood, and fresh seafood is available easily in Terengganu.
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| Fresh delicious seafood in 3-tier rattan basket, very unique in Kampung style, simply gorgeous! |
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| My favourite scallop, shrimp and oyster, plus fresh fish meat. |
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| Bubbling hot steam made me feeling so hungry.. |
After the super-satisfied tasty treats, we went to chill out at Teratai Terrace.
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| Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort |
Situated beside the resort's free-form pool with a view of the South China Sea, Teratai Terrace serves a range of refreshing salads for lunch, cocktails in the evening and offers private dining experience. Guests can enjoy drinks and movie screenings under a canopy of stars to the sweet strains of live Gamelan music.
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Playing carrom at Teratai Terrace.
Apart from this, a selection of local and international board games is available at the Concierge.
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| Relaxing to watch movie screening under the sky. |
Next morning still the same, breakfast at Di Atas Sungei. Then just took a relaxing stroll to enjoy the pleasant view around the resort.
There are quite a number of activities that you can get yourself engaged to experience the vibrant local culture and to get in touch with the raw natural beauty.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
DINING ON THE ROCKS
Set on the rocks by the resort’s crescent-shaped beach, feast your eyes on the moonlit waters of the South China Sea, as a delectable five-course set dinner is served. The soft sea breeze, golden sands and dramatic beauty of natural surroundings make for a truly romantic outdoor dining experience.
One couple daily | RM1,000 nett per couple
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
SECRETS OF A MALAY KITCHEN
Gain an insight into the wonders of traditional Malay home cooking with a trip to the morning market with its variety of seafood, spices and fresh herbs guided by a local culinary master. Guests then return to the resort with their fresh produce to discover the secrets of creating local cuisine and savour the authentic dishes that they have prepared.
FEE RM270 nett per person | Minimum 2 persons required
TIME Depart from lobby at 9:30am | FREQUENCY Daily except on Friday | DURATION 2.5 hours | MARKET TOUR 9:30am to 10:30am | COOKING CLASS 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
KAMPONG SUCIMURNI LIFESTYLE
Tanjong Jara Resort reveals a personal insight into the Malay way of life that strongly reflects their strong sense of community. Every Saturday evening, at the resort’s beachfront gardens, tantalising aromas fill the air as authentic local delicacies are served and guests can discover the rich traditions of the Terengganu area.
VENUE Beachfront Anjung Gardens | TIME 5:00pm | FREQUENCY Every Saturday | DURATION 1 hour | Subject to weather conditions | Complimentary
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
CRAFTED EXPERIENCES
LANG TENGAH TURTLE HATCHERY AT TANJONG JARA RESORT
Every year between May and September, the green turtle returns to nest and lay its eggs, at the same place it first hatched many years ago. The turtle hatchery discovery will let the guests to learn more about these magnificent creatures, about the dangers they are facing and the conservation efforts made to protect their hatching from poachers and return them to their natural habitat in the sea.
Guests can subscribe to a nest adoption programme whereby a monetary pledge will save a nest from being sold as food to the marketplace. Email updates will provide the guests with photographic progress reports and an invitation to witness the hatching of their nest.
FREQUENCY Daily – seasonal, May to September | Subject to availability and weather conditions | Complimentary | Nest adoption programme subscription upon request
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
MARANG ECO RIVER CRUISE
Discover the beauty and wildlife of the Marang River on this half-day cruise. Then disembark at the jetty of a traditional Malay village and wander through a world where villagers still practice ancient traditions in their daily lives, in this perfect opportunity to witness first-hand age-old skills that have almost been forgotten.
FEE RM215 nett per person
Inclusions: Guide, refreshments, land and boat transfers
TIME Depart from lobby at 9:00am | FREQUENCY Monday and Wednesday | DURATION 4 hours | Minimum 2 persons per trip | Subject to weather conditions
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
JUNGLE TREKKING TO CHEMERUNG WATERFALL
Embark on an exhilarating hike to the base of the 300-metre Chemerung Waterfall. This bracing trek leads the guests through a lush jungle landscape before ending at the waterfall, for a packed lunch, with its magnificent view of the crystal clear waters slipping past the craggy mountainside to pool in the basins of rock below. Do wear hiking boots and bring along swimwear to take a dip in the pools below the waterfall.
FEE RM160 per person
Inclusions: Land transfer, guide, packed lunch and refreshments
TIME Depart from lobby at 9:00am | FREQUENCY Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday | DURATION Full day | Minimum 3 persons per trip | Not suitable for anyone below 14 years or above 60 years of age | Subject to weather conditions
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
BICYCLE TOUR
Experience a taste of authentic Malay life with a guided bicycle tour past the shores of the East Coast and along the paths that weave through Dungun's fishing village; meeting the people who call it their home, drinking kopi kampong, the thick sweet coffee of the region, sampling local snacks and discovering the area that surrounds Tanjong Jara Resort.
FEE RM55 per person
Inclusions: Guide and bicycles
TIME Depart from lobby at 5:00pm | FREQUENCY Monday, Wednesday and Friday | DURATION 2 hours | Minimum 2 persons per trip | Maximum 10 persons per trip | Subject to weather conditions
Picture by Tanjong Jara Resort
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| Pardon me as I just could not help myself to take this picture again, as we sat at the same table, same splendid view, same beautiful mood... |
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| My second day scrumptious lunch: Keropok Lekor Appetizer, Grilled Beef Asian Burger, Seafood Fried Rice. |
I guess I was too enjoyed eating until I forgot to take my dessert picture.. I ordered the dark chocolate brownie which was so good that me and my son just keep eating it until I realized that there was nothing left for me to take the food picture haha..
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| Seaside nearby Nelayan Restaurant. |
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| See you next time soon... |
Though my heart is not willing to leave this magical place, it was time to say good bye to Tanjong Jara Resort. With all these beautiful memory, I wish that I would be granted another miracle opportunity to visit here again, and the other beautiful resorts owned by YTL Luxury Resorts.
#MayMyDreamComesTrue
Thanks very much for taking your precious time to read my humble experience. Cheers and stay happy :)
Link information:
ARIA The Label
Website: http://ariathelabel.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ariathelabel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aria_thelabel/
Tanjong Jara Resort
Website: http://www.tanjongjararesort.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/tanjongjararesort/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanjongjararesort/
YTL Hotels
Website: http://www.ytlhotels.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ytlhotels/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ytlhotels/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ytlhotels
