The Datai Langkawi

After a couple of days in the bustle of KL we headed out for 14 days at the Datai. The location sounded special and it did not disappoint. We drove from the airport to the Datai on quiet roads that wound their way through the forest, with monkeys watching on from the roadside. On arrival we were greeted by the team at the lobby and we never looked back from there. We stayed in a Rainforest villa and it was beautiful. Our's was located at the top end of the 'complex' nearer the lobby than the beach, but we found location really didn't matter. We could walk everywhere (lots of steps though), or we could get a buggy, which came very promptly when requested. The villa really is built in the rainforest, and it seems the forest has grown around it. From our balcony we could always see and hear various wildlife, from monkeys to geckos to (very loud) cicadas to flying squirrels. Bats flew through our balcony every morning and evening - just for a short time and it was amazing to sit and watch them fly by. We were full board, which meant we had to carefully watch portion sizes as the food was excellent. We are both vegan and the various restaurant teams ensured we had plenty of amazing options. We ate in all four of the restaurants, with the Dining room being our favourite for our evening meal. Breakfast was also great - the chef prepared vegan pancakes, tofu scramble and plenty of other vegan options - chia puddings, overnight oats, fruits and juices, toast with various toppings and of course coffee with plant milks. There was always plenty of options. Occasionally we used in-room dining - lunch times mainly when you could come back to the room and order delicious food all beautifully served in your air-conditioned room. The mini-bar was restocked with complimentary soft drinks, beer and plant milk for coffee every day. And of course there was lots of Datai water to drink in the room. We mainly used the adult pool for a few hours everyday to enjoy the very hot sun - with very comfy beds, shade when you needed it, a very warm swimming pool and attentive service delivering complementary water and ice every hour or so, fruit in the morning and a small cocktail in the afternoon for everyone who wanted it. We took advantage of complimentary morning and evening walks in the rainforest with Ritz, our guide. We tried Hatha yoga, and we paid for an hours private meditation session, all held in the holistic pavilion. On Thursday there was a cocktail reception with staff down at the beach and this was great, with complimentary wine and prosecco. A chance to see and talk to staff and other guests about their experience. Our main additional cost was alcohol - buying wine, cocktails and spirits, usually with meals. Rest assured there was something for everyone price wise - wine ranged from £30 a bottle to £1,000's per bottle. Cocktails from 55RMY - about £10. For a hotel of this standard food was also very reasonable if you were paying, or fancied something extra. We only did one excursion out of the hotel - to the Langkawi cable cars, which we think is a must do. You need a head for heights but it will give you amazing views and a real experience. The hotel wildlife is great - walking through the mangrove, or on the lovely beach where we saw the family of otters eating breakfast and swimming together. We also visited the recycling centre where they work to recycle glass and plastic and create items which you can buy. The herb garden where they grow many items which are used in the restaurants. So much to do and learn about. Three things stand out for us - firstly, the location. The rainforest and the care that has been taken to blend the hotel is incredible. Second, the food was lovely - the care, attention and taste of all the food was excellent. And finally the staff and their unrelenting attention to detail and human touch in their interactions was first class. We must say all the staff we encountered were genuinely friendly and professional, but we want to mention a few people who made it even more special for us. Sham, the main man in breakfast and The Dining Room, whom continually helped with our menu and helped us at the beginning when we were learning about the hotel. The amazing Dhines who explained and served our food in the Dining Room, Shaiful who served at breakfast and lunch and was such a lovely person, Darnia and Shini who also served at the Dining Room, Edy who mainly served us in Gulai House, always looking to challenge the chef on what they could provide us vegans 😂 Chelsea from Customer Experience who was an amazing ambassador for the hotel, she knew how to get things done and was such a down to earth person. And of course Kartik who was always there for a chat, sharing his experiences and looking out for you as a guest. We know there is so much more to do on the island which we will do next time, because we are pretty sure we will back.

This was our second visit to the Datai. The first time around, we were delighted with this hotel, but this time around it was even better. We chose a room on the top floor which was much lighter than the garden room we occupied on the first visit, and it was worth the extra money. We ate at all four restaurants and had excellent experiences at all of them. Sitting by the pool for dinner, eating delicious food while sipping on a fantastic glass of wine, is a magical experience. Last time, we experienced a couple of little service glitches, but on this visit everything went like clockwork. Service at all restaurants is amazingly friendly and helpful, although the waiters at the Beach Bar seem a bit more distant than the rest. During out stay we were kept busy with spa treatments, nature walks, voga classes, creativity activities: there is nothing not to like. I’m afraid to start thanking staff members by name so as not to leave deserving individuals out. However, I do have to mention the pastry chef, Mr. Hazar. His creations are fantastic: the breakfast pastries are of fantastic quality, and if you want a soufflé for dessert, look no further. We’ll be back!

Third visit and perfection as always. This is a truly unique, amazing & luxurious resort. With beautiful beaches, and lush rainforest, an abundance of flora and fauna, truly magical. I have read some, albeit few, negative comments and just want to highlight that this is a resort set in a rainforest that is thousands of years old, and if you don't like Flora and fauna, don't come! There are amazing birds, bugs, geckos, bats, butterflies, spiders, squirrels, flying lemurs, snakes, frogs, & monkeys galore, it is quite simply paradise. It's like something out of the National Geographic. The food offerings are also exceptional, our favourites are The Gulai house & the Dining Room, and the breakfast is an amazing array of so many different types of food. Something for everyone. Service was exceptional, as always, and we have rebooked for November. We simply love it here.

The datai langkawi Rajat was excellent and handled all our queries very well. He is overdue for a management position. The datai ( means dream of freedom) is a large exclusive resort on the north west of the island. It’s about 45 minutes from the airport. There’s a golf facility nearby. Not much else. The food here is very good. We came on full board, three meals a day . (Maybe half board is the sweet spot?)There’s a Thai restaurant, that is outstanding, an Indian restaurant which is ok, a Fine dining restaurant which is like michelin recommended plus good room service tapas and a nice beach restaurant. there are two swimming pools one adult only. regarding the accommodation we stayed in one of the rainforest villas, 123sq m with good veranda area /chairs. I would recommend a villa if your budget stretches to this. Many have private pools. it really is five star plus, plenty of free stuff in the mini bar, coffee machine. as usual they have many lights all over with their own individual switching. the 4 poster bed is about 7 foot wide with net surround. internally these villas are as good as I’ve seen. this resort as an ideal place to maybe come at the end of a holiday to chill out. from here you can get flights to several other places - Georgetown, Kuala Lumpur etc. you can get trips to the mangroves, out to the skyline etc though You have got a fair amount of Travel to get to and from these attractions. Staff are very well trained and professional What could be better? Very little tbh - but maybe if people are talking on speakerphone in the restaurants the staff should ask them to take their call outside. Secondly there are maybe 5 large rattan settees in the shade near the beach, people were securing them all day with a book and never using them, maybe empower the staff to remove stuff if unused for say 30 minutes. It seems just greedy to take a seat like that when there are so many sunbeds that are always free.

I would like to express my experience in The Datai: This place is truly amazing, seriously is a real paradise. More of it, it has an absolutely incredible service. I would like to say a special and a big thank you one of your host, name of Kartik, who looked after us very well from day one. He made an incredible job to make us feel special and loved. Moreover I really cannot make difference out of the restaurants, where we always had an excellent service and the food was absolutely outstanding and the last but not least the pastry chef make and exceptional job from the breakfast pastries, beach ice creams throughout the inroom passionfruit chocolate bonbon. I think never had that flavorful chocolate in my life. Overalls we had an amazing holiday at The Datai and absolutely recommend to everyone who would like an amazing holiday at a peaceful location. Thank you The Datai again 😍

From the minute we arrived we knew this was a special place. Sitting by the magnificent lily pond watching the frogs whilst we registered and had a welcome drink set the tone beautifully. Our room was to die for, calm, spacious, huge bed, big bathroom full of candles and bath salts, and a gorgeous terrace overlooking the rainforest. Cheeky monkeys visited a couple of times especially when housekeeping were around! Our favourite restaurants were Gulai House and the Beach Club and our favourite time of day was sundown at the beach bar on the stunning beach sipping a gorgeous cocktail and chatting to friendly bar staff. We were invited to the General Managers cocktail party down at the beach club and it was relaxed and friendly with non stop fizz and beautiful canapés. We spent a lot of time talking to Stephane who was so passionate about the hotel and had giggles with Azhari and other staff. The adult pool was blissful with the comfiest sunbeds ever and staff bringing constant iced water and cool treats to keep you refreshed. Really admired the hotel’s commitment to sustainability which was a genuine pledge and shone through at all times. In summary, the Datai is a piece of heaven set in a magical rainforest surrounded by lovely friends (the staff!) We will definitely be back! Thank you

This is an amazing hotel. The beach is lovely, very clean and the jungle setting with the many monkeys is a really nice experience. It's very likely to see animals even if you are in the main hotel building. The food is also really good, especially the traditional Malaysian restaurant. Free mini bar and welcome drinks are great.

Some minuses: - our mattress seemed old, it slumped when you sat down on it and was overall uncomfortable. The fans were also loud at night. Out of our stay in SE Asia, unfortunately we had the worst sleep experience at the Datai - beach staff would try to kick us out promptly at 7pm by requesting our towels while we were just trying to enjoy the sunset. This seemed unnecessary and a bit unfriendly, maybe an alternative solution can be found (e.g. a towel disposal bin on the beach). - beach pool would also close at 7, perhaps this could be extended to 7.30 as long as there's still light outside.