Bocat

With buying the house this year things are rather tight money-wise and holidays have been put on the back burner. However the kids have half term coming up in October and I'm dying to get away and do something.

Hubby suggested that we just drive to a few different places in Malaysia rather than the expense of flying.

Any suggestions of where to go? We've been to Malacca (briefly though so wouldn't mind seeing more of that) and KL. Would prefer to go to a country-ish or beach location.

Harlow Lad

May I suggest Pulau Tioman? Or some other island in that area. Very nice island. Very nice country side (Malay way) and beach. Its took us about two and half an hour to from Woodlands.

We been there last month and met a family from Southampton. Don't go there during Hari raya, cause most of the restaurants are close. You learn something new everyday in Malaysia.

ajw

A new resort has just opened called Batu Batu on Tengah Island. Close to where you are.
http://www.batubatu.com.my/

Froggybarnacle2000

Agree with ajw...you must check out Batu Batu Resort! Went there with the family and mum-in-law 3 weeks ago. It is absolutely stunning! We gave ourselves 3 hours since we started out from Singapore and weren't familiar with the Johor roads, but from East Ledang it should definitely be just a 2 hour drive. The pool villa we stayed in was gorgeous, the food, oh my goodness, the food was positively stellar, we felt like we were eating at a gourmet restaurant for lunch and dinner! The beaches are spectacular (just watch out for what my daughter calls Sea Urchin Cove!), we went hiking, snorkelling, paddleboarding and swimming around the island. The owners and the staff are lovely! It is definitely more expensive than the other resorts in the Mersing area, in fact it could be the most expensive, but it was worth every ringgit...this place definitely makes moving to Johor more exciting as we know we will be visiting the resort more often! Batu Batu is surely going to be THE place to visit for expats, Sinkies, and Malaysians alike, it won't stay under the radar for very long...x

Bocat

Thanks everyone. Tioman is definitely on the list of places to visit but I hadn't heard of Batu Batu so will definitely check it out - especially after such a glowing report Froggy!

ajw

Hi Froggybarnacle2000

We havent had the chance to go yet but your glowing review makes me keen to do it ASAP. We have a bit further to come being based in KL, but still doable and nice not to have to jump on a plane for a change. Very pleased to hear the food is good as that makes a holiday for us

Froggybarnacle2000

Hi ajw,
We certainly did not expect that calibre of food at the resort. It was a great surprise. I hate veggies but in this case I ate every last bit of the greens in my salad! Brekkie is a spartan affair (I suppose the Belgian chef and his staff need to sleep in after whipping up all those great meals the day/night before), but no matter as there was always the prospect of the delicious meals to come. My mum-in-law found each meal a big portion for her, but there was always my hubby to hoover up the remains! A tip: request full-board for adults/kids when you make a reservation, instead of a la carte. It may seem pricey but I got the impression that the food arrived faster with the full-board option. And I didn't really notice an a la carte menu in the resort... You could also explore going there on a weekday (yes, this will wreak a bit of havoc on the spouse's work days!). We arrived on a Wednesday and noticed there were only four families (including us) at the resort. Come Friday though the two boat transfers brought hordes of other families and couples that were to stay the whole weekend (we left on Saturday afternoon). I'm saying this only because I think with fewer guests on the island on weekdays, the restaurant and housekeeping staff were more attentive and we didn't have to wait forever for our food. Hopefully though they would've improved on that part of the service in the coming weekends. Have fun!