Vivanta By Taj – Rebak Island, Langkawi

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Vivanta By Taj – Rebak Island, Langkawi is your dream holiday come true. The resort is incredibly romantic and the perfect place to unwind in Langkawi.

While researching for a resort in Langkawi before our trip, I stumbled upon this secluded isle online. The view of the stunning marina was enough to seal the deal though this place was slightly over our budget the two days we had allocated for the island. Upon reading more about this place, we learnt that the island is host to the only fully equipped marina in the country. Spread over 390 acres, the island is also full of secluded beaches and lush green forests. A dear friend had also stayed here 6 months back and their top notch rating sealed the deal for us.

Rebak Island is a short 8 minute boat ride away from Cenang port in Langkawi. From the port, the Langkawi International Airport is a mere 15 minute drive away. The resort operates ferries from Cenang port at pre-set timings only. So if you arrive at the port in between these timings you need to wait in their private sitting area. We were lucky enough on the first day as a boat was about to leave for the island by the time we reached. The boat ride is quite enjoyable almost equals the island hopping activity offered by the umpteem number of travel agencies in Langkawi. The girls were a bit frightened since it was their first motorboat ride, that too in choppy seawaters.

(the marina at Rebak Island)

After a short 8 minute ride, you enter the sheltered harbor and see rows upon rows of vessels in wet and dry berths and you fall head over heels in love! For someone who grew upon an island, the sight of all those beautiful vessels just overwhelms you and its love at first sight!

(the way to the resort from the marina)

A buggy was waiting for us at the marina. The minute long ride to the reception took us through a secluded nature trail filled with exclamations of joy and wonder from the children. They had fallen in love too!

(the reception area and the Senari restaurant)

We were welcomed warmly at the reception with cold towels and welcome  drinks for adults and icecreams for the children. After a hassle free check in, we were again packed in a buggy and off to see our room. We had booked a Deluxe Allure Sea View Suite and boy, was it huge! We actually felt the suite was bigger than the flat we stay back home in Chennai. Complete with a living room, a separate dining area and bedroom, we were truly in the lap of luxury. Made with the finest Malaysian timber, the rooms were a mix of Malaysian architecture and modern comfort. The bath came fully equipped with a separate shower and a bathtub and bath amenities by Forest Essentials. The balcony is huge and gives you breathtaking views of the Senari Straits.

(our room)

The swimming pool is beautifully landscaped and located between the reception area  and the private beach. So you can actually alternate between the beach and the pool if you want 🙂 By evening, the tide had turned and walking on the beach where the water had receded was absolute bliss and a great experience for the children.

(here and there)

The children were famished from their escapades in the pool and we ordered a burger and sandwich for them. The room service was top notch and the plating was excellent too. The children polished off the burger and sandwich in no time. We had dinner at Senari, the resort’s all day dining restaurant that offers Malay, Indian and Continental cuisine. While we settled for traditional Malay food for dinner, the children opted for their time tested fav, pizza 🙂 The breakfast buffet was complimentary and the spread offered a good mix of all the cuisines. We were well and truly spoilt for choice!

Coming to the pricing of the food, the resort didn’t charge us for the children’s breakfast which was a nice touch by the resort. The dinner and the room service together came to some 200MYR only which is quite economical for such a luxurious resort.

(at night, truly out of this world)

The reception has a desk by NAAM, the premium adventure sports agency in Langkwai. We had pre booked for jet ski and parasailing activities. The dedicated staff from NAAM at the resort made things easier for us as we didn’t have to travel any place separate for the same.

The only negative if at all any of this resort is the ferry timings from the Rebak marina jetty and the Cenang port. Since these are fixed, you have to plan your activities on the main island accordingly. We got delayed at the Langkawi cable car ride on the second day and missed our ferry. Since our flight was due in some time, we had no other option but to book a special boat transfer at an extra cost of 160MYR. This did give us unnecessary heartburn at that time, but looking back, its just another island hopping experience 🙂

The rate for our Deluxe Allure Sea View Suite was close to 1200MYR. While booking, we did think this place was expensive and were apprehensive whether it would live up to our expectations. However, after our stay here all four of us are of the opinion that this place has been the bestest resort we have stayed in till date. The place is just magical, truly one of its kind. And we are already thinking of ways to visit Langkawi again and spend more days here at this enchanting Rebak Island resort.

You can check out more details about this property @ Vivanta By Taj – Rebak Island, Langkawi

Address: 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia