Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #43

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 13
13
HONEYMOONING IN PARADISE
Malaysia stands out from the “usual old” offering with stunning
island getaways for newlyweds
Travel advisors around the world
are increasingly seeking different
ideas for newlyweds when planning
dream honeymoons, and Malaysia
is definitely “on the radar”
It all begins with lukewarm crystal blue
waters, white beaches and swaying
palms… but if one wants more than
that, this is where Malaysia steps out on
its own as a star destination, thanks to
its deep-rooted friendly culture, amazing
cuisine and stunning nature. Here are just
a couple of ideas you may consider when
helping YOUR clients plan their dream
Honeymoon.
Long Beach, Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
Bonton Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia
LANGKAWI
With a huge variety of magical
places such as the Bon Ton
resort, Meritus Pelangi Beach
Resort & Spa, the Danna, the
Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons,
the island of Langkawi is very
different from anything you’ll
find in neighbouring Thailand, or
further afield in Indonesia or the
Philippines. Not only are there 99
islands to visit – virtually devoid of
people… (now that’s romantic),
the main island is Southeast
Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark. The
entire paleo- geological history of
Malaysia happened to Langkawi.
As a result of this, one can find
an incredible diversity of flora and
fauna.
Rasa Ria Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia
SABAH
Rasa Ria – Authentic Luxury: The north-east
coast of Borneo – just next to the Sabah capital
of Kota Kinabalu, is home to Shangri-La’s Rasa
Ria Resort & Spa Dalit Bay Golf & Country
Club – a perfect Honeymoon getaway. Resort
General Manager, Fiona Hanan, describes the
resort: “I describe this as a really authentic
experience that is wrapped up in a luxurious
parcel, comprised of the location, the services
and the facilities. We are built on 460 acres of
land. Of that 200 acres is developed, with a
golf course, a 64-acre nature reserve, and three
kilometres of beach front.”
Mabul Island: Sabah’s Islands are unique from
the point of view that they give Honeymooners
not only crystal-clear waters and white fine
sand beaches, but also some of the best diving
anywhere in the world. Taking the example
of Mabul Island off Sabah’s east coast, just
15 minutes’ ride by boat to world-renowned
Sipadan Island, this “micro-destination” is
also fascinating thanks to the fact that it is
home to tribes of colourful and friendly fishing
communities, living in harmony with a handful
of resorts dedicated to eco-tourism and CSR.
PERHENTIAN ISLANDS
The beautiful Perhentian islands off
the north-east coast of Malaysia’s
mainland are still little-known to
the travel world at large, but that is
changing quite rapidly as top-level
infrastructure is added. Located 21
km off the coast of Terengganu, Pulau
Perhentian consists of the islands of
Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and
Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian).
Both islands are covered by untouched
jungle, a stopover for migratory birds,
fringed by powdery white sandy
beaches, windswept palms and
surrounded by sapphire blue waters.
The Lonely Planet Travel Guide Book
recently recognised Pulau Perhentian
as the 5th Best Beach to Swing a
Hammock. One of the only hotels
on the two main islands with fulltime
electricity (a big plus), the brand
new four-star Mimpi Perhentian Long
Beach Resort opened its doors in time
for the high-season 2018, and several
other high-end hotels are due to open
in coming years.