Kota Tinggi Hotels

• LocalTraveller
• Reviews: 1

User Rating

Pelangi Balau Resort: Resort in Tg. Balau, Desaru, Johor, Malaysia

Pelangi Balau Resort is located within the vicinity of Desaru, Johor, Malaysia. Desaru literally means ' Village of Casuarinas' where its sandy beaches are fringe with casuarinas trees gently swaying with the sea breeze.The exclusive Pelangi Balau Resort has a neighbouring commercial fishing village and a Fishermen's Museum, which holds artefact of the local fishing industry and display local fishermen folklores.

Unique Quality: Pelangi Balau Resort has 102 air-conditioned rooms ranging from standard rooms, deluxe rooms and villas suitable for every preference. A magnificent swimming pool complete with water slides back dropped by a breathtaking view of the sea awaits water enthusiasts of all ages complimenting an experience equal to an eternal summer escapade.

Few local attractions can be found nearby Desaru :
Desaru Fruit Farm
Ostrich Farm
Crocodile Farm
Fireflies Watching
Fishermen Museum

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Address: Pelangi Balau Resort, Tanjung Balau, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia
• Phone: (+6)07 - 8322 833
• Website: www.pelangibalauresort.blogspot.com
• Related to: Family Travel, Beaches
• Written August 28, 2010

3 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• Loops
• Reviews: 94

User Rating

Lotus Desaru: Malaysian Butlins

The hotel has a strange design, there can't be much of a view from most apartments as the majority face inwards in a kind of 'U' shape. It's an old place, it was deserted and run down last time I was in Desaru and stayed at the Pulai nearby (just over 2 years ago) but the Lotus people have taken it over and they're in the process of getting it up and running again.

The room was OK, we had a 2 bedroom apartment (I believe they're all apartments) and it had apartment amenities (fridge, kettle, microwave etc), the beds were comfortable & it was clean despite not being particularly modern or fancy looking inside. It had two balconies but no chairs to sit on out there (they said they don't put them there for child safety reasons).

There are 2 swimming pools and a water park which our children enjoyed with a big slide and lots of smaller slides and fountains. There are proposed works - a spa, a tropical garden and some big slides to be built going into one of the other pools. For the next 6-12 months there could be some building work going on.

Although our children liked the water park, we were disappointed with how it was run, it's their main attraction but they'd switch it all off between 12 and 3, regardless of who was there. I can understand them doing this if it's empty but it's rude to do it when they can see people are using it. You can't use the slides if the water to them is switched off so the park was fairly useless if the water was off. They gave no reason for this and flatly refused to switch it all on again until after 3pm.

Another thing about the place was lack of shade - no parasols to be seen at any of the pools. The main swimming pool was in full sun all day so we were only able to use it in late afternoon. The beach wasn't great either, they don't clean it as much as they should and there was quite a bit of debris around.

Unique Quality: The Lotus is a big resort, it's not a place to go for a romantic weekend (I'd feel sorry for anyone who booked their honeymoon there!) but for families who want to get away for a few days from Singapore or elsewhere in Malaysia it's fine - lots for kids to do if you've got the cash - you can hire bikes, board games, use the kids club, go on the fireflies tour, rent jet-skis, even rent a DVD player and films (all for a fairly inflated price!).

It's cheap in some areas and expensive in others - the food was quite good value but a limited menu when we were there. The breakfast was OK - buffet for toast, pastries and fruit and then hot food cooked to order. Alcohol was expensive (on a par with Singapore). If you were driving there it'd be worth stocking up on some things beforehand - there is a shop at the resort but it is expensive and doesn't sell much (a bottle of wine in there was 80 Ringgit and they didn't sell beer).

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Website: http://lotusdesaru.com/
• Written April 9, 2010

The main swimming pool

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• hanspeter_W.
• Reviews: 1091

User Rating

beach resort: desaru perdana

THE PULAI Desaru Beach is an ideal getaway that is easily accessible from Singapore and Johor Bahru. It is only 25 minutes hassle free travelling via ferry from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal. Then it's only a 20-minute transfer from Tanjung Belungkor to the hotel. Alternatively, a drive from Singapore takes just 2 hours and one will pass satellite towns such as Ulu Tiram and Kota Tinggi where fruit farm, roadside stalls, nurseries, pottery, settlements and plantations are some of the interesting venues to visit along the way.



Accommodation
The hotel is a perfect hideaway with 210 modern and comfortable rooms with food and beverage outlets offering a variety of mouthwatering local and international dishes. The hotel also has the capacity to host banquet functions, meeting and conventions of up to 400 pax and its friendly staff are all ready to attend to your holiday needs. We are a 5 storeyed high resort.

Unique Quality: quite big hotelcomplex.-.nice garden nice beach

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Written August 23, 2009

at desaru perdana beach

---

Was this review helpful?

• edelng
• Reviews: 58

User Rating

Kota Tinggi Rainforest Resort: Kota Rainforest Resort

This resort is built in the middle of the rainforest which is the main reason I choose to stay. Been living in an urban city, it's a great idea to be back to the nature. It cost about RM213 inclusive of breakfast. We had our buffet dinner at the cafe which cost RM30.00 per pax. The resort also arranged a fireflies cruise which cost RM20 per pax. The downside of this place was that there were too many flies. Imagine about tens of them flying around you while you were having your meal was not a very pleasant experience. Also there was a line of very huge ants crawling in my room.

Unique Quality: They have wonderful wooden lodges, surrounded by very beautiful and scenic rainforest. There is also a swimming pool.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: Lot 4483, Jalan Lombong, Batu 8, 2km before Kota Tinggi Waterfall
• Phone: 607-8820030
• Website: http://www.kota-rainforest.com.my/familes.shtml
• Related to: Jungle and Rain Forest, Family Travel
• Written September 5, 2008

Wooden chalets

4 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• neris29
• Reviews: 26

User Rating

Helpfulness

The Pulai Desaru: The Pulai Desaru

The Pulai is a 4 star establishment and is the highest class hotel in Desaru. The best thing about the place is that the rooms are huge and prices are very reasonable. The place is however a little worn and they could maintain the place better. There were a few problems with our room. The sink and shower area was choked and the hair dryer was not working. Bright side was that the problems were fixed quite promptly once we called housekeeping. The buffet breakfast was quite a decent spread , including the usual cereal , eggs, breads, cheese, sausages, baked beans, etc and best of all a roti prata/ roti jala making station.

Overall i would definitely recommend the place and would go there again.

Unique Quality: The staff although not super efficient, are friendly and try to please. I accidently dropped my watch in the swimming pool and when I discovered it was gone some time later, the lifeguard actually helped me find it again. Thank you very much!

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: Desaru
• Related to: Beaches, Water Sports, Family Travel
• Written September 3, 2008

2 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• StayNuts
• Reviews: 33

Sebana Cove: ultimate leisure getaway

Located at the southern-most tip of Johor amidst the tranquil Sebana Cove is the ultimate leisure getaway with a unique concept of a golf course, a marina and a holiday resort in one spectacular retreat.

Unique Quality: An abundance of marine life, birds and plants offering a kaleidoscope of colours, adds vigour and vibrancy to the natural serene setting. Nature will calm and soothe your senses as you travel through the sights and sounds of the mangroves and lush greenery.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Website: http://www.sebanacove.com/
• Related to: Sailing and Boating, Luxury Travel, Spa and Resort
• Written August 17, 2008

1 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• kenari
• Reviews: 267

User Rating

Helpfulness

Pulai Desaru Resort: Nice 4 star resort

We stayed at family room ,The staff very helpful and friendly .a lot of activities around the hotel thats will kill your time

Unique Quality: Watching Movie on the beach under the star with my family

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: desaru
• Written May 4, 2008

The Front desk

2 more images

---

Was this review helpful?

• Loops
• Reviews: 94

User Rating

The Pulai, Desaru Beach: Beach Hotel

This was quite a large hotel considering there's not much around there. It was right by the beach.

The rooms were clean and tidy. The beds were very comfortable and for once I had a good nights sleep in a hotel because the pillow was soft and not rock hard! The room we had was also very large - one king sized bed and one single and there was plenty of room for an extra bed which we had brought up for our youngest.

The hotel was full - there were 3 different company events going on (companies from Singapore I believe) so that was slightly annoying because the hotel would cordon off areas and the rest of the guests had to work around that which wasn't ideal especially when, for example, we wanted to sit on the outside terrace for lunch and were told it wasn't possible as the companies were going out there (you don't really go to a beachfront hotel to sit inside!), but fortunately we were able to sit out there for dinner.

Breakfast was good with loads of choice - I imagine it would be on a smaller scale during weekdays as weekends are probably the busiest time for hotels in this area.

We'd stay here again, but perhaps phone and check first to see how many company events were going on that weekend!

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Address: The Pulai Desaru Beach, PO Box 29, Bandar Penawar, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia
• Written November 12, 2007

Hotel from beach

---

Was this review helpful?

• genie47
• Reviews: 84

User Rating

Chalet Tanjung Balau Kejora: Budget accomodations at Tanjung Balau

This is a budget chalet. So I didn't set my standards high.

The chalet is clean. It has TV and A/C. There is a shower but no heated water. I must admit maintenance is a little poor. The bath sink was about to fall off the wall and the WC has its cover was missing. I had to manually pull the mechanism to flush the toilet.

The creaky wood flooring is nice and soothing to the feet. The chalet's front office provided me with two towels and two small bars of soap.

Barbeque pits with benches and table are available outside each chalet but it had been raining so everything has been sloshed wet.

The amazing thing is that the A/C blower had no ducting of any sort. I figured that is why there is a ceiling fan in the chalet. So that the A/C should be set just cool at 25 deg C with the fan blowing to prevent water condensation build up. I was right. Jasmine set the A/C to a cold 20 deg C to "keep the mozzies away" and later that morning at 3am, we can here the water dripping onto the bed.

It is supposed to be sealed but the mozzies keep finding their way into the chalet. We all got bitten. It would be good if they supplied us with the electric mozzy chemical expeller to chase them away.

Unique Quality: You can't get anymore budget than this in the Desaru area. If you need a pool to swim in, a real resort just a walk away charges you entry to use its pool. It is MYR10 per adult and MYR5 per child at the Balau Bay Resort.

Each chalet costs MYR94.50 per night. Dorms cost MYR168 per night and can accomodate 10.

There are half day rates for these chalets if you decide to come over to Tanjung Balau for a day visit. Costs MYR47.50 for 10am to 5pm.

The rates I mentioned are for weekends. Weekdays are MYR73.50 per night and half-day rates are MYR42.00 for the chalets.

A coffee shop and a simple minimart is in the carpark. There are hawkers selling satay, Ramly burgers and iced desserts.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Phone: 60 07 822 8260 or 60 07 822 8262
• Website: www.greaterdesaru.com
• Related to: Family Travel, Budget Travel
• Written July 17, 2006

All of us before the rains came

1 more images

---

Was this review helpful?