Being so close to Singapore, and combining so many great things—gorgeous accommodations, fantastic food, award-winning spa treatments, wonderful staff, and an amazing beach—makes Anantara a no-brainer for anyone thinking about booking a convenient yet still luxurious family vacation. And with the March holidays coming up, do keep this and other Desaru Coast properties in mind.

From the roadside, the Anantara looks slightly modest. Perhaps its designers wanted it to be discreet. But upon arrival, and through the elevated entrance, the resort opens up into a gorgeous vista. From the decorative infinity pool at the entrance, down over the property’s main pool and grounds and beyond to the beach and ocean, the whole scene exudes a quiet and luxurious calm. 

The resort is not so large that one will ever get lost. On either side of the main entrance, in several large buildings, are hotel rooms. These blocks also house the spa, kids and teens clubs. In the middle of the grounds themselves, semi-hidden but easily accessible, are one and two-bedroom pool lagoon villas. These villas, and the hotel rooms, are all designed with strong nods to Malay design and architecture. Closer to the beach, there are ultra-luxe three and four-bedroom residences. But more on those later. 

Closer to the beach, there is a large lawn, an al fresco building housing the property’s main bar and grill-centric restaurant, and a small infinity pool. It’s just a few steps from this pool to the gorgeous and expansive beach.

Given the size of my family, we opted for one of Anantara’s three-bedroom beach residences. While the villas and hotel rooms reflect Malay design, these residences are much more modern, with a clean but ultra-luxe aesthetic. At 3,099 square feet, they are also huge! Two of the bedrooms had king-sized beds while the third had two twins. There was also a well-appointed albeit small fourth bedroom for helpers, perfect for families that need the additional set of hands even on holiday. 

The enormous living room opens up onto a sundeck with its own infinity pool. I kid you not. Our youngest went from entering the residence to plunging into the water within ten minutes; while the rest of us had barely opened our suitcases, he was already splashing about. Our residence also had a massive semi-private lawn which opened up right onto the beach. 

For city kids like mine, it was the ultimate luxury to be able to (safely) run from one’s abode onto a beautiful lawn and then onto a pristine beach. Doing this regularly throughout the vacay is definitely what the kids loved most, and what my wife and I felt was the ultimate luxury. 

While we didn’t actually use it during our stay, the residence also had a great kitchen. I am sure that some guests would enjoy prepping their own meals.

In addition to spending countless hours playing on the beach and in the surf, we also took advantage of the many activities offered by Anantara. My daughter and I signed up for a birdwatching session one afternoon. We spent a fun and informative one-hour session walking the property with our guide and other guests learning about the 100-plus species that call Desaru Coast home. Another highlighted and clearly popular activity is their Desaru Beachlife and Tidepool Discovery walk, perfect for little ones who are keen to learn more about sea creatures that appear on the beach during low tides. 

The Anantara Spa is also worth the visit. This beautifully designed and award-winning spa has an extensive menu of services, ranging from traditional Malay massages to herbal baths, modern science-backed facials and even one and three-day Wellness programs. As always, my wife let me have some quality time with the kids while she checked out the spa, giving it a massive thumbs up after her 90-minute Anantara signature massage.

One floor below the hotel’s main entrance is Turmeric, an all-day dining restaurant offering a combination of Western, Thai and Malaysian dishes. Breakfast is served here, buffet style, with a wide variety of options, both Southeast Asian and Western. I became a little obsessed with the prata station, which was serving up prata sarang burung, a glorious dish of fried prata dough surrounding a fried egg, drizzled with curry and dal. I think I ate this every morning! We had several lunches at Turmeric. They offer a smart kids menu along with good Malay and Thai dishes.

The restaurant that the kids fell in love with was Sea.Fire.Salt. This al fresco restaurant looking out at the beach showcases seafood and grilled produce. On our first dinner there, we had the Sea.Fire.Salt Platter Himalayan Salt Brick, which included local rock lobster, prawns, scallops, sea bass, calamari, yellowfin tuna, fries and salad. It looked and smelled amazing. So much so that our two older kids asked to try lobster for the very first time. They loved it so much that they asked to revisit Sea.Fire.Salt for lunch the following day and begged for permission to order a platter of grilled lobsters. 

The steaks were also great, which we enjoyed on our first visit and again on our third visit to Sea.Fire.Salt. My son also fell in love with the restaurant’s warm apple tarte tatin, which he ordered every meal and which he’s since been getting me to recreate at home.

One of the best activities we experienced during our break was a morning visit to the nearby Desaru Fruit Farm, which the Anantara’s concierges can easily arrange. Just a few minutes from the hotel, it’s a great way to remind kids where the things they eat come from. We spent a wonderful hour on a guided Jeep tour. The kids got to get out often to pick and taste fruit. Our friendly guide also grabbed a bunch of bananas for them to nibble on. I think he was surprised when our brood devoured the whole bunch in minutes and then asked for more. The farm also has a petting zoo and a restaurant. The food, all cooked with fruits, was simple but delicious. A must-do activity, especially for city-slickers, when visiting the Desaru Coast. 

NOW READ

Hotel review: Live your ‘White Lotus’ fantasy at Anantara Koh Yao Yai

Hotel review: Artyzen Singapore is a tropical oasis in the heart of Orchard Road

Suite Spots: Kumu Beach, Mondrian Hong Kong and more