Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat

Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat

Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat bills itself as Malaysia’s “first luxury natural hot springs wellness retreat”. 

On paper, it sounds wonderful.

In real life, it’s so much better.

All of the above—the decadent villas, the natural splendour, the fascinating geothermic lake at the centre of it all—come together in one magnificent harmony that is greater than the sum of its astonishing parts.

Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat

It’s only a 15-minute drive from Ipoh City (and two hours from Kuala Lumpur), but you could be on a different planet. This luxury spa resort has been expertly designed and developed as a sanctuary from the outside world, with layer upon glorious green layer of foliage and towering limestone cliffs sheltering, protecting, and nurturing you.

Walking bright-eyed around the place is rejuvenating enough. I can’t imagine how good a visit to the spa must leave you feeling.

But we’re not here for spa treatments — we’re getting the royal treatment. On a triumphant return for The Yum List, we’re spending the weekend in the Royal Villa. 

Royal Villa at The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat

The resort is on a different planet. The Royal Villa is out of this world.

The royal welcome really begins as soon as we’ve set foot in the stunning Lobby Pavilion. We sip tea and sample homemade ginger sorbet, surrounded by water features and warm glowing lights as the charming staff takes our bags and fuss over us. We’re feeling relaxed already.

After a buggy ride through the leafy pathways with our beaming butler, who ensures we scan the QR code in the room for 24/7 access to the concierge on WhatsApp, we arrive in our gigantic private courtyard. After unlocking the double doors with our convenient waterproof-wristband-room-key—a useful touch when it comes to the resort’s signature water-based activities—we make our grand entrance.

The elegant marble-floored hallway features a comfortable seating area, with two doors leading off to the bedrooms — but it’s another door that catches our eye first. From the corridor-length glass windows, a sliding door opens to the private pool courtyard, the centrepiece of this stunning set-up. A fountain trickles peacefully. Sprawling outdoor sofas and sundecks surround the water. A limestone cliff in a lush carpet of green fills half the sky above us. 

On the other side of the pool, there’s a classy, contemporary open living room with separate seating and dining areas. The full-size fridge in the kitchen is fully stocked with juice and mineral water. The fancy coffee machine sparkles on the counter beneath a giant television. On the table, a bottle of chilled Champagne sits in an ice bucket, complete with premium chocolates and a thoughtful personalised welcome gift. Now we’re really starting to feel like royalty — and we haven’t even seen where we’re sleeping yet.

The 335 square-metre villa has two bedrooms, one primary and one twin. Both come with ensuite bathrooms and private outdoor Jacuzzis with water piped directly from the geothermal springs (temperature-regulated and constantly circulating). Grab a glass of bubbly, turn the bubbles on, and watch your worries float away …

The furnishings are five-star, the amenities are high-end — but it’s the attention to detail in the decor that really makes the difference in these rooms, right down to the automatic night light underneath the bedside cabinet that turns itself on when you put your feet on the floor. Inside the cabinet, there’s a wireless phone charging station. The curtains gracefully slide fully open by themselves after a gentle tug in the right direction.

As well as the outdoor Jacuzzis, the sumptuous bathrooms boast Japanese toilets (if you know, you know), a rainfall shower, two separate vanity stations, and the cosiest bathrobes I’ve worn for a long time. If you’re not a fan of the giant pillows on the plush beds, you can choose a new pillow from the six-strong tactile pillow menu to be speedily delivered to your room. There are two more giant Smart TVs in the rooms as well, so you can catch up on Netflix in style.

Everything’s not only comfortable—oh, so comfortable—but comforting. Not only relaxing, but reassuring. And from the bamboo cosmetic kits to the glass bottled water, there’s plenty of elegant eco-friendly touches too. Sophisticated, and sustainable.

If The Banjaran is a sanctuary, this villa is the inner circle. The royal retreat. When you book directly with the resort, you get complimentary afternoon tea and evening cocktails delivered daily to your room, so the temptation to spend a large part of the day there, mostly horizontal, is pretty great.

But there’s much more to this resort than these incredible villas. So after a dinner at Pomelo, the all-day dining restaurant (more on that below), we’re back in our beds for a reasonably early night. 

We don’t want to miss a minute of daylight in this place.

Pomelo Restaurant, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat

OK, I’m not exactly up at sunrise—these beds are far too comfortable for that—but the day starts bright and early enough with an 8 am Tai Chi class at the yoga pavilion. It’s usually on the deck overlooking the central lake, but there are wedding ceremonies taking place there on both mornings of our stay. And we can’t begrudge the happy couples for choosing that particular beauty spot.

This place is a picture in the morning light. No, a tapestry. A living, breathing three-dimensional tapestry, of steam rolling gently across the lake, of dense greenery and cascading waterfalls and colourful blooming flowers. It’s a pleasant stroll to Pomelo—it’s a pleasant stroll everywhere here—for a slap-up breakfast.

Expectations are high after our dinner the previous night. Pomelo offers a la carte lunch and dinner from 12:00-22:00, and we had the pleasure of a set menu the evening before. This was a delicious medley of signature dishes and special ingredients, and everything was outstanding.

The house-made bread was the perfect start on a rainy night; the generous tuna tartare was fresh and tender; the special sorbet with bunga kantan (torch ginger) grown in the house garden made a return to cleanse the palate; the medium-rare Australian beef tenderloin was a very satisfying steak indeed; and the luxurious chocolate fondant with truffle gelato were the indulgent, creamy finish. After a glass of Banfi Chianti DOCG (RM92), an acidic red with intense red berry notes, we climbed back onto the buggy, feeling very well-fed and ready for bed.

Breakfast is a semi-buffet affair, with stations for bread, cereals and special dishes—today, the theme seemed to be Turkish—and a farmer’s market-style juice bar in the middle of it all. You take a little wicker basket, pick from the selection of fresh tropical fruits and veggies like celery, tomato and bell pepper, and hand it to a friendly waitress who feeds it into a massive juicer. Figuring out new combinations to try is the healthiest fun I’ve had for ages.

There’s also a Champagne station, with proper Champagne — no Prosecco or cheap sparkling Australian plonk here, thanks. I help myself to a couple of flutes alongside my fruit juice because life’s about balance. 

The main breakfast offering is an incredible a la carte selection, which you can order as much of as you like. Western favourites, local specialities, Asian delicacies, sweet treats, and eggs cooked every which way you can think of (and a few you can’t). I decide eggs Benedict, roti canai and Champagne go together very well. 

Lunch at Pomelo is an equally impressive a la carte selection of classic dishes and healthy options, with a gluten-free menu that’s bigger than many restaurants’ main selection. There’s a proper pizza oven, too.

Whether dining indoors or enjoying an alfresco breakfast in a private cabana overlooking the lake, a slow morning sampling everything you can at Pomelo is a great way to start the day. But don’t take it too slow — there’s plenty of exploring to be done.

One more glass of Champagne for good measure, and I’m going on an adventure, feeling very satisfied (and possibly slightly tipsy).

Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat

Some of the caves surrounding the lake have been cleverly converted into quiet spaces for rest and relaxation. The cosy Crystal Cave glitters with natural and hand-installed amethyst and quartz crystals, which you can marvel at from the comfortable floor cushions. Along the jungle walking trail, you’ll find the Meditation Cave, a multi-tiered sanctuary of silence and calm, cut off from even the sounds of the rainforest. Take a seat, focus the mind, and connect with your spiritual side; while you’re at it, connect with Mother Nature and tell her what a great job she’s done with the place.

The Thermal Steam Cave is an impressive combination of natural and human engineering. Wooden platforms have been installed throughout this natural sauna, whose walls trap the steam and heat coming directly from the hot springs below. The temperature inside is between 65°C to 70°C. And once you get a little too warm, the Ice Dipping Pool is right outside. It’s more of a cold plunge than an ice bath, but it’s still remarkably refreshing. It certainly cancels out a couple of my Champagnes.

Cave inspections over, it’s time for a visit to the doctor. “Doctor Fish”, that is. This natural pool is full of garra rufa fish, known for their fondness for nibbling on feet to feed on dead skin cells. After this organic exfoliation, a walk through the foot reflexology pond is recommended, with hundreds of hard pebbles putting some pleasant pressure on your newly smooth soles.

The last stop on my personal pampering tour was the hot springs themselves: the Hot Spring Dipping Pots.

Several Jacuzzi-style tubs have been installed along the side of the lake, under rustic canopies made with natural raw materials that blend into the environment. The geothermal lake itself is too hot to risk a dip—apparently, the water temperature can reach as high as 70℃, which would induce a rather more permanent state of relaxation—but the artificial pools are temperature-regulated to a more manageable range of 39°C to 42°C, with colder water available from the rainfall shower systems installed in the canopies. Sink into the water for a long, slow dip and let the mineral-rich water soak into your bones. You’re truly at one with nature here.

Afternoon tea is about the only thing that could convince me to get out and dry off. As it turns out, it’s time for exactly that.

Afternoon Tea

It’s tempting to take our luxurious afternoon tea back in the villa, but the Lobby Pavilion and its peaceful surroundings offer an arguably better spot. The Afternoon Tea Set (RM150/pax or complimentary for Royal Villa guests) is a premium spread of sweet and savoury treats and can be paired with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne for an additional RM98 per glass. From smoked salmon and truffle eggs to freshly baked raisin scones with homemade clotted cream and a wide selection of desserts, including mango cheesecake and spiced pineapple Madeleines, it’s delicate and decadent in equal measure. It comes with a selection of 24 types of Ronnefeldt organic loose-leaf teas, bursting with flavour and fragrance. Or you can have a coffee, but that’s somewhat missing the point.

Relaxed, refuelled and completely rejuvenated, there’s time for one last lap of the lake and a quick dip in the main pool—built over the natural hot springs bed and heated by the geothermal waters—before returning to the villa for afternoon cocktails and to get ready for dinner. Tonight, we’re eating at Jeff’s Cellar: a dining experience unlike anything else. 

Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat

I’ve never been so grateful for late check-out because I am not in any rush to leave this place. I even contemplate calling in sick on Monday and booking an extra night here to enjoy it a little bit longer. But it would require Oscar-worthy acting because I am not in the slightest bit unwell. In fact, I’m feeling rather fantastic.

The thing about The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat is that you don’t even have to dip a toe into the hot springs to feel rejuvenated. (Although, obviously, you can’t miss them.) Even walking around the resort, which has been so carefully constructed with sustainable design, traditional architecture, and natural materials, is a healing experience in itself. The world outside—the noisy, sticky, stressful world outside—feels a million miles away. You can’t help but walk, talk, breathe, even think more slowly than you might usually do.

And just to make sure your healing is complete, the luxurious accommodation and excellent service leave you wanting for absolutely nothing — except to stay a little longer, of course.

Reasons to visit The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat: Malaysia’s first luxury natural hot springs wellness retreat; geothermal hot springs; stunning natural setting with ancient caves and lush rainforest; all-villa accommodation with private thermal Jacuzzis; outstanding service; excellent food options, including the one-of-a-kind Jeff’s Cellar.

• The Yum List readers can get a 15% discount off website rates for accommodation and 10% off in-house spa treatments (not valid for third-party treatments) until December 31, 2024. Use the booking code: YUMLIST15 to get the deal.
  

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat
Malaysia’s First Luxury Natural Hot Springs Wellness Retreat
1, Persiaran Lagoon, Sunway 3
31150 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Link to The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat on Google Maps
+6 05 2107777
www.sunwayhotels.com/the-banjaran

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