* The Banjaran Hotspring Retreat, Ipoh

Situated in Tambun, Perak which is only 15-20 minutes drive away from Ipoh (capital city of Perak) this resort is relatively unknown to many.
Its exclusivity and setting in the midst of nature makes it my all time favourite  and naturally my top recommendation goes to it as well.
To receive a call from the resort while we were approaching Ipoh, asking for our car plate number is not a usual practice with other resorts. This is to ensure a smooth entrance past the security booth as the resort is not freely  accessible to outsiders.

We booked a 3D/2N Wellness Package which included all meals, a body massage at the spa, a hydrotherapy treatment, a personalised fitness program in the gym and a free passage to "The Lost World of Tambun".

This is the resort lobby. A personal butler was assigned to greet and to check us in. There was hardly any other staffs around. This resort is very different from all others I've been to. 

We were told to beat the gong to announce our own arrival. Our butler did multi-tasking, as she was also the buggy driver, the porter and the limousine driver. 

Resort Lobby

There are only 26 villas in the entire resort. We stayed in the "Garden Villa" The other type of villas are the "Water Villas".

These are the Water Villas. They are built above a pond. After viewing both, I think the garden villa makes a better choice as it is more spacious. Furthermore the water villas overlook a pond with murky stagnant water, a good breeding ground for mosquitoes, perhaps.

Our Villa - Villa 5

The setting of the villa is unique and nice.

Each villa comes with its own private plunge pool.

There are lazy chairs for you to sit and relax around the pool area.

Beside the pool, there is a spacious open lounge. There are reading materials, newspapers and built-in relaxing music whole day round.

There are coffee and tea making facilities and a mini-bar in the lounge area. Even though there is a ceiling fan here, this place can be a little humid on a hot afternoon.

This door leads to the air-cond. bedroom.

Facilities inside the bedroom include a TV, internet access and mineral water.

Drinking water is also served in this earthen-ware pot which is supposed to have a cooling effect.

Leaf-shaped ceiling fan.

The bedroom opens out to the closet and washroom area. Photo above shows the cosy-looking closet with a big storage space. There is a safety box here.

This is the washing/dressing area. There are 2 sets of everything for the convenience of a couple. This washroom opens out to a little garden. After this section, there is a shower room, a toilet and the backyard.

In addition to the indoor shower (mentioned earlier), there is also an open-air rain shower at the backyard.

Each villa comes with an individual hot spring tub at the backyard. Water from the natural hot spring outside is channeled into this tub. There is a cold water tap to regulate the temperature if it gets too hot. 

Complimentary desserts are brought to our room every evening.

The resort spans over a big area but it is easy to get around with distinct signboards like these everywhere.

The Spa Area

Our package includes a massage and hydrotherapy treatment.

Even the restroom is a display of luxury, being equipped with all the things you may need like combs, lotion, towels, shower caps etc.

The water is warm and it is nice to hang out here.

There is a garra rufa fish pond where you can do a fish spa. 

The fish spa - our favorite hangout. 

Though the food tastes average , its presentation deserves credit.

This is the resort gym. Our package included a personalised session with a fitness intructor. We did some warm-ups and requested a lesson on how to use the gym ball.

The Banjaran Hotspring Resort offers a real resort setting. 

Walking around the resort can be therapeutic as it is surrounded by greens and nature. 

These are some of the beautiful flowers growing around the resort.

There is a big thermal pool in the resort. As the water is too hot here, you can only soak in the gazetted areas. See picture below.

You may choose to dip in th private hot spring tub in your villa or come to this public area for a dip.

The hot spring pool

This is the resort swimming pool set amidst a very scenic background. The water is naturally warm here.

There are a few caves in this resort. The Thermal Cave offers guests natural sauna. It is really hot in here.

The Crystal Cave is a small cave. Not all the crystals seen here are original - most are artificially embedded.

The Meditation Cave is a much bigger cave. It is really beautiful inside.

To me, this resort is a great getaway as I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this resort.