Place I would like to go…
I am not a fan of the beach or the beach way of life. I have never really been fascinated with oceans. Once in a while seeing the ocean and clean waters is nice though. Nature is nature. I found these pictures of Bora Bora (near Tahiti) and I find them quite inviting.
I like the idea of very clean clear waters, a chalet on top of the water and surrounded by water. Bora Bora is too far, I was wondering if there is such a place closer by where I am and not as pricey? Does anyone know?
Requirements:
- Clean clear waters
- Chalets on the water
- Strong internet/wifi (I would do my reading, studies and blogging work so internet is a must)
- Would be to make vegetarian food or at least the chef/cook is adaptable to make it.
- Would be nice if the chalets have air-conditioning. Humidity is difficult to tolerate for my skin.
Anyone know of such places?
Tsem Rinpoche
Very clean water is a must….
The rocks look like they are floating
Would be nice to have a chalet on the water itself and surrounded by water
Seeing sea creatures would be a added attraction
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Wow!!! Really cool looking places to visit and relax. My kind place too for some peace and quietness. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for sharing these beautiful pictures and places. _/\_
Dear Rinpoche,
I like sea. Especially clear sea water.
I do not know any place which have clear sea water. With the degree of pollution increases, the nature have slowly lost it beauty.
Thanks for sharing the beautiful sea view.
With Folded hand,
Freon
Beautiful clear blue sky overlooking the magnificent green mountains from above. Crystal clear water underneath the chalets with lively sea creatures swimming around, admiring the sun setting while enjoying the cool breeze blowing from the ocean,Rinpoche can do reading and blogging. This place looked so calm and relaxing from the pictures,it is liked heaven on earth. Hope Rinpoche will be able to find it somewhere in Malaysia or in our neighbouring countries like Thailand or Philippines without having to travel so far to Tahiti.
I really want to go to places just as Rinpoche described. The Internet problem can be solved by getting a portable modem like Yes. Rinpoche can go to the Mabul Islands as there are water chalets. The chefs could be adaptable if talked to long enough or can ask people to cook there.
Hope Rinpoche will find a suitable place and takes care of himself well as Rinpoche suffers a lot for others.
bora bora looks very beautiful. nice very clean and clear waters. this very nice place for rinpoche to holiday or relax.
Dear Rinpoche,
Bora Bora is to far away and expensive but i have been to a malaysian island called tioman. The water is clear and there should be good wifi. The food is good and just off the coast there are beautiful sea creatures that are spactacular, i have seen them when i went snorkling there. If Rinpoche goes for holiday somewhere this island is a nice place to stay.
Dear Rinpoche i think that this place is quite good.
I think golden palm tree is quite good.
Golden palm tree also can cook vegetarian food upon request.
Dear Rinpoche,
I see no reason why Rinpoche would not want to go to places such as Bora Bora because nowadays it is very hard to find places in Malaysia that meets Rinpoche’s requirements especially the requirement of Crystal clear waters…. I think this is because of the pollution of ships and boats as well as people just simply littering in to the seas which is probably why finding such a place would be tough.
I think the best place in Malaysia with crystal clear waters are in Pangkor…. there is one resort where there individual Villas on stilts on top of the sea.
As for the price range: The best price is RM 1550 for a Sea Villa with all inclusive with Breakfast as well as free YES 4G WIFI.
Here is the Link: http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/
Hope my comment has helped a bit and I hope Rinpoche will find such a place that meets all the mentioned requirements.
Have a great night!
Love
Jutika
Dear Rinpoche,
Maldives is a nice place to visit and unwind yourself. Based on these photos, it’s very similar to Bora Bora. The air is clean, skies are blue and the water clear with all sorts of wildlife such as hundreds of hermit crabs, fishes, birds, dolphins etc. Just being there for 3 to 5 days is enough to calm down anyone who is completely stressed up with city life.
Dear Rinpoche,
Koh Samui might be a possible choice.
Koh Samui is a small volcanic island in the Gulf of Thailand and is only 2 hours away via Firefly Air which operates out of Subang Airport, K.L. It is also not as humid as KL.
Surrounded by crystal clear waters, it has numerous scenic, peaceful, lovely hotels with good service. Have not found one with a chalet over water but this may be because of regulations (don’t want to kill the corals).
There is abundant marine life at your feet just metres from the shore (starfish, sea cucumber, shellfish, tropical fish, etc.) and internet connection at most hotels is good.
And for a bonus – there is a big buddha statue by the sea on the island surrounded by quite a big temple complex.
Seow Choong Liang
Wow, bora bora looks very beautiful, must be really cool to stay in a chalet that resides just above the ocean. I never really liked the beach either nor do i agree with the beach life though it does attract a kot of people. Once in a while it may be fun and relaxing but not on a long term basis. I was going to recommend Mabul in Sabah but some people had already recommended it too haha. Thank you for sharing these photos of Bora Bora Rinpoche, I hope you get to go to one of these places and relax to blog and tweet.
Dear Rinpoche,
I’ve came across the Pangkor Laut Resort located in Lumut, Perak that fits most requirements that Rinpoche has mentioned, except that it has a price range from $3798-$5398 per night. The resort has two types of accommodations on the water, namely: Spa Villa and Sea Villa. Though they have an open air concept, all their guest villas and restaurants have air-conditioning. They have fast WIFI as well. The Spa Villa is located in Spa Village, which is more private and only open for those 16 and above, of course more pricey as well. All guests of the Pangkor Laut Resort enjoy complimentary use of the spa facilities with any 50-minute Deluxe scheduled spa service.
The Spa Villas are private bungalows on stilts over the sea offering direct access to the Spa Village. Each unit features an oversized bath with ceiling mounted shower, large balcony for private sun bathing and a stunning view of the Pangkor Straits. Similarly, the Sea Villas standing on stilts over the sea and linked by wooden walkways which are the signature feature of the island. Each private villa is airy and spacious, has a large balcony with deck chairs and a bathroom with an oversized tub that opens onto the sea.
There are 7 packages available one of which is the Resident package that I’ll use as an example here. It is exclusively for Malaysian and Singaporean residents and is only available via online bookings. This package includes:
1. From two nights’ accommodation
2. Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner with complimentary coffee, tea and mineral water served during meals
3. Return scheduled boat transfers from Marina Island Jetty.
4. Optional complimentary activity (subject to availability and weather conditions):
– Complimentary jungle walk with Resident Naturalist.
There is only 1 Japanese restaurant in the Spa Village that does not serve vegetarian food. However, the resort provides shuttle service for guest there to travel to the other part of the resort should they wish to enjoy vegetarian food in 3 restaurants. There are vegetarian selections on their menus:
1. Nasi Hidang (Indian Cuisine)
2. Uncle Lim (Chinese Cuisine, the experience is like having a chef of your own where you can order food to made in ways you like)
3. Fisherman Coast (Western Cuisine – French Fine Dining)
All information can be found on their official website http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/ and specifically for Spa Village, we can refer to http://www.spavillage.com/pangkorlaut/. They can be contacted at +60 5 699 1100 for General Enquiries. Reservation can be made through +60 3 2783 1000 or travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my. For group and event bookings, the email is events@ytlhotels.com.my.
On the side note, I would like to bring to Rinpoche’s attention the Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort located in Batu Gajah, Perak. Although it is not quite the chalet type of accommodation on water, but all the chalets are idyllically overlooking breathtaking lakes fringed with lush foliage. It seems as an ideal retreat in undisturbed peace and quiet. The reception told me that people can actually fish directly from their balcony, so I assume that the chalets are really close to the lake water. It is closer to those mountian-lake type environment in the US that Rinpoche has shared with us before.
There are two types of chalets available at Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort: Delux & Suite. The pricing for weekdays are $250/night for Delux and $425/night for Suite. As for weekends, the rate for Delux is $330/night and $475/night for Suite. The difference between Delux and Suite is that Suite has a dining hall that can sit 4-5 adults. The Delux can come with 1 king size bed or 2 single beds. The Suite has 1 bedroom with 1 king size bed. All rates include breakfast and complimentary Golf gear to be used by guests. Their mini bar’s items like soft drinks and mineral water are also complimentary for guest to consume without extra charges.
For vegetarian, it is advised to inform their diet choice when making their booking. Guest can also make a note at the Reception when they check-in. The Lakeside Restaurant in the resort do not have a vegetarian menu, however, they are flexible in making some of the dishes on the menu into vegetarian meals that includes Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western cuisine. The restaurant also serve buffet and some vegetarian food can also be found there such as Portuguese Grill Eggplant, Chap sui etc. Their soup of the day is definitely vegetarian like Tomato, Lentil soups.
The chalet has strong WIFI connections and air-conditioning. I’ve gotten these information from http://www.cwsgolf.com.my/ and http://www.imgprestige.com/club/clearwater-sanctuary-golf-resort. They can be contacted through phone +605 366 7433, fax +605 366 7434 or e-mail: cwsgolf@po.jaring.my.
I hope these information will be of some help for Rinpoche.
With much care,
Adeline
Dear Adeline,
You did such good research. How caring of you. The Rm3k-4k range is way too expensive and way beyond me. But I am sure it is a nice place.
I will see the other places you have posted.
I just wanted to tell you that you are very kind.
TR
Thank you Rinpoche for your kind words. I hope an ideal place will be found soon.
Dearest Rinpoche,
Pangkor Laut may be a good idea after all.
I checked it today and the rate for the villa on stilts over clear water is RM1560 a night. Given that one can drive there from Kuala Lumpur (three hours +)hence do not need to incur the cost for flights, this may be the most economical place that may meet your needs. And they have YES 4G BBand!
I would also like to humbly extend some monetary sponsorship for this trip. I am sure a change in environment will generate even more insight and ideas for Dharma.
Dear Rinpoche,
Here’s another option for Rinpoche that is called “Golden Palm Tree” located in the district of Sepang, southern part of Selangor, the first eco-friendly sea-hotel in the world. It is said to be is a 5 star haven of peace, perfect for eco adventure, non-motorized water sports, family-friendly fun or to just relax and unwind.
The price range for the villas there are from RM487-RM2378 per night. There are 5 types of villas available as follows:
1) Travelers Palm Villa (1 bedroom with 2 single beds for 2 adults + 1 child)
2) Premier Travelers Palm Villa (1 king bed for 2 adults)
3) Canary Palm Villa (2 bedrooms: 1 with 1 queen bed, 1 with 2 single beds for 4 adults)
4) Ivory Palm Villa (2 bedrooms: 1 with 1 king bed, 1 with 2 single beds for 5 adults, additional 5th person will be charge at RM180++. There’s a study room in there with a sofa bed)
5) Royale Palm Villa (3 bedrooms: 1 with 1 king bed, 1 with 1 queen bed, 1 with 2 single beds for 6 adults OR 3 Adults + 3 Children OR 4 Adults + 2 children)
All rooms are equip with air-conditioner and cable for internet. There is NO WIFI anywhere except for the lobby and the club house which is the downside of it. I’ve watched their introduction video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHcuwUnIvDU and can’t tell whether the water is really clear.
In terms of food, although they have 5 restaurants, none of them is vegetarian, but they can make simple vegetarian food like fried rice etc. 2 of their restaurants are air-conditioned:
1) Chinese restaurant (next to the beach)
2) Bila-bila (indoor is air-conditioned, serves international/western buffet)
If Rinpoche would like to know more about this place, please visit http://www.goldenpalmtree.com/v2/theexperience/index.html. They can be contacted on +603 3182 3600 or email at info@goldenpalmtree.com.
I hope very much this might be the alternative for Pangkor Laut!
With much care,
Adeline
This place looks amazing. I can understand why Rinpoche wants to go here. It just looks so peaceful and cozy. Almost unreal! And the pictures are amazing. They really show the true beauty of that place. Thank you for sharing you thoughts Rinpoche.
Dear Rinpoche, I think know why do Rinpoche wants to go to Bora Bora island.T he island is full of greens, the sea water is crystal clear, beautiful sky and the place looks like a very peaceful place to stay, and maybe that is the reason why Rinpoche wanted to stay there.
WoW… May Rinpoche able relax more in the places that completely according ur requirements stated hence more and more peoples in different country make connect to precious Dharma teaching through Rinpoche…
Dear Rinpoche please take care ur tailbone, hopefully Rinpoche may recover swiftly…
Dear Rinpoche, Bora Bora Island and Maldives are definitely a great choice but it is too far and expensive. Malaysia do have very nice island for breakaway 🙂 I would recommend Sipadan Mabul Resort there are Wifi and vegetarian food as per request. pls have a look on the link: http://www.sipadanhotel.com/Facilities.php
Another which is Mabul Water Bungalows : http://www.waterbungalows.com/mwb/chalets.html
I hope Rinpoche can have a short break to relax while blogging, tweeting and reading 🙂
Much love and care.
Haha…Helena, I was about to find the same place too.
Thanks for giving so much details here.
I have been there at the Mabul Island Water Bungalows, it was many years ago. I was amazed by the crystal clear water there and they people preserve the place well. The construction of the water bungalows didn’t affect the eco system there, you can literally see fishes and star fish from the deck of the bungalows.
I was there for the shooting of TV commercial of The Tourism Board of Malaysia which is to promote Malaysia nicest place, and that area of Sabah, really represent the beauty of beach of the world.
I hope Rinpoche can enjoy a nice place and relax. =)