November/December 2017 AsiaSpa 127PREVIOUS PAGE:
Pristine beach at the
resort. THIS PAGE: The
resort’s 17th-century
design focuses on
heritage, inspired by a
Malay palace
the most popular. Some are complimentary,
and are a great opportunity to chat with
other guests. The Wednesday traditional
handicraft session involved a group of
us sitting cross-legged in a circle making
ketupat, a diamond-shaped pouch of palm
leaves. Though commonly used during
festive occasions or as a container for
cooking rice, for our purposes they were
combined with fresh flowers as part of
a bouquet. The intricate work called for
instantly built camaraderie between the
less nimble fingered members of the group.FURTHER AFIELD
Excursions are another way to get to
know other guests. The highlight of the
stay, hands down, was the snorkelling
(and diving for some) in Tenggol Island, a
seriously underrated spot for marine life
as most tend to opt for the better known
Perhentian Islands, a 45-minute speedboat
ride from the Dungan jetty. The coral, fish