It’s just a short 40-minute flight from Kuala Lumpur to the island of Langkawi, but with a 10-minute drive from the Langkawi Airport to Bon Ton Resort, you could think of paradise as just an hour away. Eight traditional Malay-style villas are spread out across an old coconut plantation. Bon Ton is famous for two things in particular; cats (more on that in a bit), and one of the island’s best restaurants.
Read also: 5 Weekend Trips to Take From Kuala Lumpur.
If you wanted a vacation with a different swing, and can safely say you’re a cat person, you wouldn’t come short of good things to say about Bon Ton Resort. The owner, Narelle, runs a small animal shelter called LASSie down the road. Profits gained from Bon Ton are used to fund the shelter. Many cats can be found lazing around Bon Ton and sister resort Temple Tree next door, “island cats” as Narelle calls them. You can add volunteering at LASSie to your itinerary during your stay too.
Langkawi’s most known beach is undoubtedly Cenang, situated 5-minutes away from the resort. This strategic location means guests are a good distance away from the hustle, but close enough as they should be for a weekend of rejuvenation. You can easily take a cab arranged by the concierge or enjoy a long walk. On a clear day, you can see the ocean views from Bon Ton itself.
The rooms: The villa has a rustic, classic style with its kampong-like bungalows on stilts. Each one of them is stylistically different, but only five have open-air bathrooms. They’re all furnished with Malay textiles and artwork, and look out to either pool or lagoon views.
We perched up in the Laguna Villa which amazed us with its massive bathroom (a plus for women who need space getting ready!) and inviting wooden bathtub. The villa was situated right next to the swimming pool for ease of a morning dip before breakfast.
What to do:
- Have breakfast in bed. Breakfast is complimentary and delivered to your room at 6.30pm daily. Wake up when you please without having to wait for your morning coffee and scrambled eggs.
- Dine at Nam. The Eastern and Western food were simply incredible, especially the triple ice-cream cake. It wasn’t hard to see why Nam gets so much recognition on the island. Guests at the resort get a complimentary cocktail at the restaurant which changes every day and they also have a late night happy hour.
- Spend an afternoon by the pool. Guests will find more than enough sun loungers to plonk on for as they want to. Enjoy a good read or the view of mountains and greenery.
- Have another drink. Chin Chin lounge bar is right next to Nam, designed as an old-school Chinese shop house filled with antiques. Their speciality is liqueur-based coffee!
- Explore Langkawi. The island has plenty of excursions to offer, from snorkelling to the SkyCab cable car ride up Mount Machinchang.
Extras: Or lack of; there isn’t a spa or gym on the grounds. We didn’t find that to be much of a problem anyway, but you’ll be able to easily find a spa around the island. And for exercise, well, you’re on vacation!
Nomad rating: 5/5
Most memorable: The cats!
We’d recommend it for: Weekend travellers from Kuala Lumpur.
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