Tanjong Jara Resort

Tg Jara used to be one of those gems - tucked away, secluded from the outside world, golden sandy beach, wind rustling the palm leaves - all those are there still, so the majesty of the resort itself hasn't diminished, but the service, attentiveness and overall ambiance isn't what it was. It appears that the booking system between ytlhotels in KL and the resort is almost non existent - I overpaid my prebooking by over RM100 but am still to even hear back from either the resort or KL, even though the resort said they would follow up. The food portions have shrunk (we were on the residents package), and whilst I hate seeing food left over, when you pointedly ask for 2 more dishes to be brought and its ignored, you can only start to wonder what instructions the staff have been given. The service at the poolside restaurant is now ridiculous - expect to wait for over an hour to get served your food - and order western rather than asian as it comes quicker..... Overall, we still had a good time, but its not as it used to be - come on YTL, pull your socks up, do some planned maintenance and get the staff back on track - they are still the same people, so you have to wonder.....

Just returned home after a multi resort holiday in Malaysia. We revisited Tanjong jara after having spent a wonderful week there last year.After 50 years of holidays, returning to the same hotel is something we never do as we always like to seek new locations. So why did we return,simply because the whole experience of a stay there is truly magical and everything we look for in a relaxing holiday.You are looked on as a member of a very large happy family from management to the garden staff.Nothing is too much trouble in all aspects of hotel requirements.The accommodation, the food,the facilities ,all is wonderful.Why would British holiday makers go to Europe when for very comparable pricing,you could spend time in Eden and have such marvelous memories. SO,Thank you Terence and all your wonderful family of staff for another fabulous holiday.We shall return.

After two nights in KL, a fifty minute flight to Kuala Terrenganu then an hour and half taxi drive from the airport (which cost 110 ringgit on journey there,go to taxi desk inside terminal in arrivals hall and 140 on return when booked by hotel) we were very pleased to get to the hotel. It did not dissapoint. The welcome was lovely, they bang the welcome gong when you arrive and you are met with cold towels and drinks and amuse bouche. FYI they swipe your credit card on arrival as a deposit for any room charges (as most hotels now do) so have that ready. You can sit and relax while reception staff check you in then walk you to your room to take you through some housekeeping. Our Bags were brought by the porter at the same time we got to room. We were in a downstairs villa room 901. It was beautiful. Decking area with table and chairs to sit out, huge bed with a second smaller bed also available, walk in wardrobe room and a bathroom bigger than most hotels rooms I have stayed in. Bathtub, shower two sinks, laundry basket for towels which we replenished everyday, toiletries supplied, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap and moisturizer which they also replensish daily, shaving kits, toothbrushes,hairdryer and bathrobes, they really do think of everything.There is also a laundry service available. The room decor was lovely with blinds and subtle lighting, ceiling fan and excellent air con. They also provide a wicker beach bag and umbrellas. Tea and coffee facilities and endless supply of bottled water. There is a mini bar also with some snacks, prices were standard hotel charges. Satelite TV was also very good, Worldwide channels and some good movies. Breakfast was very good. Huge selection of cusines to suit all nationalities and the food is fresh and excellent quality. Served from 7am to 10am we went every morning after 9am and it was always quiet. You have the choice of sitting indoors or out on the verandah. Breakfast is served in the main resturant. We ate in there most nights, you have to reserve a table with reception but this was never a problem as the hotel was fairly quiet.In the evening its tranformed in to Maz and Ann`s famous resturant. They are known as the talking chefs, they will literally come out and take your order and cook whatever you want however you want it from a large selection of dishes they have on the menu. The food in here was FANTASTIC. Local dishes cooked to perfection. Im still dreaming about the Beef with black pepper sauce!! Try it its awesome. The two other resturants are also very nice. There is an adults pool which serves lunch time meals then in the evening offers the choice of Steamboat or Korean BBQ. We tried the Steamboat as we had never heard of it before. It was a memorable experience! You literally have a steaming pot of water and cook your own, they bring you fish in many varieties, chicken, noodles and veg with a selection of sauces. We enjoyed it but its a one off kind of meal, didnt want to repeat it again as it was a bit of a lengthy process. The staff in there were fantastic in helping advise us though and we had a good laugh with them. The Korean BBQ was a similar set up but with a table grill where you cooked your own meat. The third resturant is situated at the main pool called The Neylan and thats the place for seafood and more Western dishes. We had a few snacks there in the day but didnt eat there at night. In all three the quality of food was first class. Both the adult pool and the main pool had Happy Hours between 5pm to 7pm then 9pm to 10pm. To give you a rough idea of drinks a cocktail at happy hour was 20 ringgit, glass of wine 30 ringgit, beer 20 ringgit and a G&T 20 ringgit. All soft drinks were 10 ringgit at all times. From the main menu a bottle of Sav Blanc was 305 ringgit, merlot 330 and prosecco 265. Its not a heavy drinking kind of resort if you want this type of holiday I strongly advise you look elsewhere, its very laid back and focused of relaxation and wellbeing. Dont think we had a night later than 11pm which for us on holiday is unheard of but it was so chilled it was great. These kind of prices for alcohol in Malaysia are the norm. Its normally more expensive than food. You do not have to dress up for dinner, obviously though no beachwear! The relaxed dress code is another great feature. Both pool areas are beautiful. The adult pool has more shade and huge comfy bean bags to lounge on. They show a movie here everynight at 9pm. The films were quite old but it was a nice touch. The bar staff here were also fantastic particularly Rakesh at the adult pool and Rod in the main resturant he couldnt do enough for you, lovley genuine people who take a lot of pride in their work and clearly enjoy what they do which is a real rareity in most hotels these days. The main pool is near the spa and Neylan resturant. Its an infinity pool with plenty of beds towels and cabanas dotted around.There is also a small shallow childrens area. Pool attendants top up your water all day long. We found it hard here though as on really hot days there is no breeze so we went to the beach which was very quiet and absoluetly stunning. The hotel has many excursions on offer some free but most have charges. All the info is in the room. We didnt go anywhere as we were there purely to relax. The grounds are beautiful, it won the Aga Kahn design award in the past for architecture. Its also in the 2016 luxury hotels of the world guide which you will see in the room. The gym is good and very well conditioned. Tennis courts and beds and hammocks in amoungst the flowers and trees are a lovely touch. If you do one thing during the stay make it a spa treatment. We went for the his and hers 3 hour spa package. I highly recommed it. You get welcome drinks a water ceremony, hour long full body and head massage,hair and scalp treatment, facial,full body scrub, milk bath, sauna and ginger tea! It was amazing. I would love to return here and will be highly recommending it to anyone going to Malaysia. Its a beautiful hotel in a gorgeous location with superb facilities and fantastic staff. If rest and relaxation is what you are looking for book this hotel. Its top notch without any stuffy formality.

If you're looking for a bit of luxe on the East Coast, you can't go wrong with Tanjong Jara Resort. Rooms are incredibly spacious and the beds are just super comfy. With the soothing sea air, perfect for a good night's rest. It's not a super large property, which is nice. Some resorts are sprawling and can be a nightmare to navigate (I find calling for buggies a hassle sometimes). We went out to Pulau Tenggol for a bit of snorkelling with the resort and it is an experience not to be missed. We had a few divers with us so once we go to the island, they dropped us off with a chef (who was cooked up a nice lunch for us) while the others went out diving. We ended up snorkeling around the island and it was just lovely - visibility was amazing and there was so much to see! Great experience & highly recommended. The resort itself is your typical 5-star resort so there's very little wrong with it. What does make it stand out are the staff - some are slightly shy but they are super friendly and so obliging. They make you feel so welcomed. One thing to note is that the entire resort is not air-conditioned, except the rooms. May is a good time to go but this is the tropics so it can get very warm and humid. Unfortunately, the East Coast is going through a heatwave so it was incredibly hot during our stay. There are fans but it only goes so far. So pack lots of lightweight outfits and keep hydrated. Or you can be like me and live at the pool/beach - not a bad option!

Living in Malaysia, we have heard about this place a lot from our friends and have wanted to go for a while. It did not disappoint, the resort is on a stunning plot and the room was luxury and traditional at the same time. To top it all off, the service was exceptional and the beach was amazing!! I would highly recommend :-)