The Datai Hotel

The Datai Langkawi, Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia

A monkey scampers along the balcony and stays a while to nibble on a piece of fruit, before scooting down the side of the open villa and scampering off into the jungle. It’s a familiar scene at this iconic resort found on the north-west tip of Langkawi, where the verdant rainforest ebbs to a platinum sand beach and the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea.

Inside the treehouse villas of this tropical village, design is clean and contemporary, heavy with dark wood that’s sourced from the surrounding wilderness. Added luxury comes in the form of sunken baths and walk-in rain showers, while giant beds invite of an evening. The glamorous open-air lobby offers views of the main pool, where rose petal sorbet and chilled face towels scented with frangipani are regularly circulated in the heat of the day. The spa, shaded under a rainforest canopy, is the perfect place to watch flying lemurs and hermit crabs pick their way across the riverbed below. There are five restaurants, including The Gulai House, which dishes up local specialities such as grouper fish, and a beachside club bar. The Dining Room serves perfectly pitched Malaysian fusion cuisine and The Pavilion is a gloriously authentic, stilted Thai restaurant.

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