If you follow our blog, you’ve probably noticed that our travel style is way more “budget” than “lux”. But this time, we had good reason to splurge — Mike and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary. Twenty years is a big deal, and we wanted to go somewhere special. I don’t think we could have picked a better place than the Pangkor Laut Resort: a private island off the coast of Malaysia.

We were excited for our three night stay, and promised each other to disconnect entirely from the internet and stay away from work during our time there. Of course, that rule didn’t apply to my camera. As soon as I saw the bungalow we’d be staying in — one of the resort’s Sea Villas — I knew I’d be taking thousands of pictures. I tried to explain to Mike that even though it’s kind of “work”, it’s also my way to relax. He didn’t buy that at all, but hey, we’ve spent twenty years together, so he’s used to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1ADkkk0os4 The 5-star Pangkor Laut Resort occupies the entire island of Pangkor Laut, and is only accessible by boat from the main island (or by helicopter; this is the kind of place that has a helipad for extra-exclusive guests). The resort hosts several different accommodation options: garden, hill and sea villas. There’s not just a spa, but an entire “spa village”). There are two infinity pools, as well as several bars and restaurants, not to mention the beautiful beach at Emerald Bay on the other side of the island. Everything is easily accessible with the resort’s shuttle van service, which connects the various spots on the island all day long.

After two busy weeks in George Town, a lively and exhausting city in Penang, we couldn’t wait to have some peace. We arrived at the resort’s check-in terminal on the mainland, where we dropped off our luggage and were given a full briefing by the staff, of what to expect on the island. We had time for a quick coffee and a snack, before boarding our boat and be whisked off to paradise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU02Q8gM5pA It took about twenty minutes to arrive via speed boat to the Pangkor Laut pier. After checking in, we walked over to our villa, perched on stilts over the sea, with a view of the neighboring island of Pangkor. When we entered the villa, there was a lovely card and a pillow with “Happy Anniversary” stitched onto it — a nice personal touch from the hotel, who knew the reason for our stay. We opened up the complementary welcome bottle of chilled toddy, and spent the next few minutes appreciating the villa’s beautiful interior decor, the deck and of course the view from our luxurious temporary home.

Once our suitcases were brought to the room, we changed into our swimsuits and hopped on the shuttle for Emerald Bay, where we stayed for lunch and the beach, until the sun went down. Little did we know that we would be making new friends as well! Right before sunset, two wild boars appeared on the beach, hunting for food.

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