Staying at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa was probably the best decision we made for our short family getaway. Located along the beautiful Batu Feringgi Beach, it was perfect for us, as we wanted a nice, relaxing holiday, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
We rented a car for our entire trip, as we figured it would be more convenient than taking taxis everywhere or even hiring our own driver, because we didn’t quite have an itinerary. We also wanted to try our best to stick to Noah’s usual routine, as he would probably drive us mad with his crankiness if he didn’t get enough rest.
C did all the research as usual, and told me that although Shangri-La’s Golden Sands Resort is more kid-friendly, Rasa Sayang’s guests are free to make use of the facilities at Golden Sands, which is a short walk away. (Do note that Golden Sands’ guests are not able to use the pools at Rasa Sayang though.) Within Rasa Sayang, there are two separate wings: the Rasa Wing is completely child-free, with a separate pool for adult guests only, and the Garden Wing houses families with children. We walked to Golden Sands once or twice, and found it a lot busier than Rasa Sayang. We definitely preferred the Garden Wing at Rasa Sayang, as although there were children around, it was still relatively peaceful.
We arrived at Rasa Sayang at about 730pm, after being caught in the rush hour traffic in Georgetown. While C was checking us in, we were welcomed by the staff with cold towels, and iced nutmeg juice. Noah enjoyed the drink so much that he insisted on bringing his glass along to the hotel room, and sipped it happily on the armchair, while we freshened up.
Enjoying his nutmeg drink
Noah also enjoyed rolling around on our king-sized bed, and pretending to read on it too. Thankfully, he was willing to sleep at night in the cot provided, which meant that I could sleep comfortably without being kicked in the face by him. We were told by the receptionist that we could request for a change of pillows if we found them too soft or hard, and after our first two nights, we both decided that we needed slightly firmer pillows. A member of the housekeeping staff delivered new pillows to our room shortly after I call the reception with our request, and I was really impressed by the good service provided.
Rolling around
“Reading”
Enjoying his cot
The bathroom was really spacious, with a bathtub and a separate shower area. Noah had so much fun with his bubble baths, that we had a really tough time getting him out of the tub each time. Apart from the usual shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and soap, I thought the extra toiletries in the drawer were a nice touch. I was also impressed to learn that Shangri-La makes a serious effort to be environmentally friendly, by using biodegradable materials for their packaged bathroom amenities where possible, and printing their packaging with 100% soy-based ink.
The bathtub
The extra toiletries
How environmentally friendly!
Bubble bath happiness
Noah looked forward to breakfast every morning, because Mr T, the resort’s mascot, would make his special appearance around 10am at the restaurant. Back in Singapore, he hardly eats any breakfast, but to our surprise, he ate rice with fish and vegetables every morning there! I think the excellent breakfast buffet spread helped a lot, and we looked forward to breakfast there each morning. C and I both thought the Soup Noodles station was excellent, as the noodles were cooked in a simple, yet tasty broth. I’m addicted to waffles, so imagine my delight when I discovered that there was a waffle station there, with a wide variety of toppings, and even ice-cream! Calories consumed on holiday don’t count, right?
With his favourite Mr T
Trying to get his hands on mummy’s waffle
Eating some fruits
Stuffing his face with keropok
The delicious soup noodles
Noah also really liked the resort’s baby pool, as it was shallow enough for him to walk in it. C offered to look after Noah in the pool, which meant that I could make use of the lounge chairs around the pool, to relax, enjoy the view, and read a little. In the mornings, the staff would bring sticks of chilled fruits around, and I felt so pampered, sitting there, munching on the fruits, while watching C play with Noah in the pool. I even managed to go for a quick massage at the in-house spa, as Noah and C napped in the room one afternoon.
Ready to play in the pool
Father and son
My view of the sky from my chair
I loved that there was a retractable drying rack on our balcony, because I could dry all the swim gear there every day!
The in-house spa
The resort organises a variety of activities each day, but we only participated in the Lego-building event one morning. Noah seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, and I’m hoping to get him some more Duplo to play with at home, as I think it’s good for him in so many ways.
The list of activities provided
Playing with Duplo
We visited the Adventure Zone at Golden Sands, where Noah played in the toddler area for a while, and we went on walks around the resort’s compounds. We admired the beach from a distance, because Noah absolutely refused to step foot on the sand. We sat together on hammocks, played with a huge beach ball that we borrowed, and watched other tourists enjoy the various sea sports.
Relaxing on a hammock
Playing with a beach ball
The gorgeous scenery
A paraglider makes his descent
While another one takes off
It doesn’t sound like we did very much, but that was exactly what we wanted from our holiday: a relaxing time together as a family. Rasa Sayang was the perfect place for us to unwind, and we will definitely stay there again when we return to Penang.
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Batu Feringgi Beach, Penang, 11100, Malaysia Tel:(60 4) 888 8888
*This is NOT a sponsored post (although I wish it were). We just had such a wonderful time there that I felt the need to write a whole post about our stay. Look out for my upcoming posts on the rest of our Penang holiday!
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