If you think 5 stars hotels and resorts are too mainstream, here are the 10 unique accommodations in Malaysia you should experience at least once in your lifetime. One thing that’s guaranteed is an experience you will never forget. Are you ready to go on an exploration? Let’s check it out!
1. Time Capsule Retreat @ Pahang
Quiet and cozy little family run retreat located in the middle of the Sungai Lembing Town, Kuantan, Time Capsule Retreat was started as a weird idea from a young entrepreneur, Kevin Young, 26, to help improve his father’s resort. Facing a lush forest reserve with great views, cool temperatures and great ambiance, Time Capsule Retreat is a perfect getaway for relaxation and serenity.
The rooms like capsule or tubes? Each culvert is fitted with warm lighting, a queen-size bed and an air conditioning unit. However, the occupants have to use the shared bathrooms at an open-air jacuzzi nearby. A hole was made on the top of each capsule to allow natural lighting to enter the room.
Location | Sungai Lembing, Kuantan, Pahang
Website | timecapsuleretreat.wix.com/home
Facebook | www.facebook.com/timecapsuleretreat
Call | +6013-963 8888 +6019-983 0883
Email | timecapsuleretreat@gmail.com
2. Terra’s Tree House @ Cameron Highlands
If you’re looking for a serene accommodation with natural atmosphere and refreshing air, Terra’s Tree House is the perfect venue for an exhilarating and exciting break away. Located deep into the mountain region of Cameron Highland, in a peaceful and verdant jungle, Terra’s Tree House features 6 authentic houses built with bamboo and Nipah palm’s leaf, offering overlooking view of the jungle.
Getting to Terra’s Tree House requires a 4 wheel drive off-road journey for 4 km for around half an hour drive and a hike for about 400 meters through a steep log piled trail created, which may take about 10 to 15 minutes. Sound adventurous? Please also remember to bring a lightweight backpack (instead of trolley luggage), raincoat or umbrella, flashlight, toiletries, towels, and sport shoes.
Location | Jalan Sungai Mansion, Brinchang, Pahang, Cameron Highlands
Website | www.terrafarm.com.my/2013/02/tree-house.html
Facebook | www.facebook.com/terratreehouse
Call | +60175162125
Email | terratreehouse@gmail.com
3. Templer Park Rainforest Retreat @ Selangor
If you would like to have a short escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, Templer Park Rainforest Retreat is the place to go. This pristine rainforest retreat is easily accessible, being only about 30 minutes’ drive from Kuala Lumpur and you would feel as if you have travelled to a remote area. A place where you can hold parties and gatherings, Templer Park Rainforest Retreat is an ideal natural environment to chill, relax, destress and recharge.
You have the whole space of about three (3) acres on an elevated land to yourselves. There is a great viewing deck overlooking mountains (Bukit Takun/Anak Bukit Takun) and lakes. There is also a fishing pond and deck, BBQ sets for your cooking needs, hammocks and timber huts. Close proximity to golf courses if you are a golf lover, who would have thought a tranquil place like this exists just 20km from Kuala Lumpur?
Location | No 23, Jalan 3/2, Templer Heights, Templer Park, Rawang
Website | www.airbnb.com/rooms/2109108
Facebook | www.facebook.com/rr.templer.park
Call | 012-220 5033
4. Classic Malay Home @ KL
Indulge yourself in a flavor of local culture and tradition by putting up a night in this beautiful Classic Malay Home. Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City Centre, this classic Malay house has the advantage of convenience with the LRT station just 3 minutes away by walking and Twin Towers just 5 minutes by driving.
The house accommodates 2-6pax and serves breakfast upon request. Surrounded by palm trees with water fountain in the courtyard, what more could you ask for when you get the best of both cultural and vibrancy of KL City?
Location | Kampung Datuk Keramat, proximity to Damai LRT Station
Website | www.airbnb.com/rooms/3587097
5. The Blue Mansion @ Penang
The Blue Mansion has been perfectly poised for over a century on firm foundations of architectural, cultural and historic superlatives. A Cheong Fatt Tze Legacy, the Mansion was built in the 1880s. The magnificent 38-room, 220-window Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was commissioned by Cheong Fatt Tze, a local merchant trader who left China as a penniless teenager and ended up as ‘the Rockefeller of the East’.
The mansion blends Eastern and Western designs, with louvred windows, art nouveau stained glass and beautiful floor tiles, and is a rare surviving example of the eclectic architectural style preferred by wealthy Straits Chinese of the time. The house sits on the ‘dragon’s throne’, meaning that there is a mountain (Penang Hill) behind and water (the channel) in front – the site was chosen for its excellent feng shui.
Magnificent? Experience a life of a tycoon today by lofting in The Blue Mansion.
Location | 14, Leith Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia
Website | www.thebluemansion.com.my
Facebook | www.facebook.com/TheBlueMansion/timeline
Call | +604 262 0006
Email | reservations@thebluemansion.com.my
6. The Happy Eight Retreat @ Ipoh
A Heritage & Cultural Hotel uses refurbished local resources as building materials. At The Happy 8 Retreat, every piece of the decor is handmade and crafted. Available at 3 locations, namely Ipoh Old Town, Ipoh Pasir Puteh and Kuala Sepetang, The Happy 8 Retreat creates a tranquil atmosphere of calmness – a unique blend of old ambiance, modern touch, nature and art.
Here, you will enjoy tastefully landscaped alleys and a cozy atmosphere in which to escape from the bustles of the world around you. Rooms are artistically decorated and pleasantly furnished to give you that kind of cozy and comfortable feeling.
Location |
@OldTown : No 8, Jalan Shah Bandar, Taman Happy, 31650, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
@Pasir Puteh : No 46, Market Street, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
@Kuala Sepetang : No LC151A3, Tepi Sungai, Kuala Sepetang, 34650 Malaysia.
Website | www.thehappy8.com.my
Facebook | www.facebook.com/thehappy8
Call | +605-2438388 / +605-2438288
Email | info@thehappy8.com.my
7. Steampunk Loft @ KL
There are many lofts (apartments) available in Malaysia, but nothing as a Steampunk themed as this one. This 1500sqft unit Steampunk Loft also comes with an icing on the cake, your own private rooftop bar. If you prefer, you can also enjoy your drinks at the balcony overlooking the swimming pool.
This uniquely designed one bedroom loft is furnished with items from owner’s private collection of vintage furniture from across Southeast Asia. The upper loft is designed for work; walls are write-able with dry-erase marker. We can imagine putting up a night there, working and brainstorming then after downing a bottle of wine on the rooftop bar for a cozy wrap of the day.
Location | Jalan Pantai Murni, Kuala Lumpur
Website | www.airbnb.com/rooms/3732407
8. The Stable @ Malacca
The Stable is a sublime sanctuary in the hub of Malacca’s historical precinct, between Heeren Street and the famous Jonker Street, which now houses antique dealers, museums, restaurants, galleries, cafes and craft shops.
The Stable is a witty and charming reinvention of what used to be a horse stable built during the 16th century Dutch occupation of Malacca. Picture original wooden beams dancing around richly-textured rooms of rough exposed bricks, Peranakan tiles, quaint louvered windows and reclaimed lumber floor. With a brilliant collision of influences – from the modern to the baroque to the local Peranakan heritage, this small guesthouse is an inspired fusion of old-world charm with distinctly contemporary style and energy.
The Stable offers you the ultimate in exclusivity and privacy with a one-room only guesthouse where you get the whole house to yourself.
Location | No. D, Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Malacca
Website | thestablemalacca.com
Facebook | www.facebook.com/TheStableMalacca
Call |
Eli: +6016 274 9686 / +6012 623 9459
Sharen: +6012 698 4917
David Chang: +6012 6234459
Soon Lum: +6012 626 6977 / +6012 6235459
Email | enquiries@musanglena.com
9. Adeline’s Villa @ Gopeng
For a taste of nature, escape to Adeline’s Villa! The slogan says it all.
Get away from the concrete jungle and find your feet at Adeline’s Villa in Gopeng. Personally attended to by owner Adeline Kuo, who believes in serving great food to affable company, this nature’s hideaway has all the charms and facilities city-dwellers seek, be it for a holiday or a respite.
At Adeline’s Villa, you can settle in in the chalets which sit amidst cool rainforest greens and aboriginal charms, and are equipped with amenities for comfort. Ranging in sizes suitable for honeymooners’ privacy to families’ coziness, Adeline’s Villa also offers thrilling nature-based activities that include white-water rafting, caving, paintball, and other team sports.
Be it for corporate events or family outings, Adeline’s Villa provides an escapade for nature-lovers and eco-tourists.
Location | Lot 13302, Mukim Teja, Kampung Geruntum, Sungai Itik, Gopeng, Perak.
Website | www.adelinevilla.com
Facebook | www.facebook.com/groups/31811230854
Call | +6019-556 1113
Email | rumahrehatadeline@yahoo.com
10. Container Hotel @ KL
Taking the inspiration of sustainable architecture, Container Hotel is built from renewable-freight-containers. Innovatively they were redesigned in the style of modernism with colorful and imaginative features. Watch out for the cheerful and bright orange containers and the guest rooms in the structure of beer barrels. Also a futuristic pink tank.
Container is an eco-friendly hotel that emphasizes on going green, sustainability and promoting art designs. The idea of Container Hotel was inspired by the concept of “Kyosho Jutaku”. In Japanese, it means living large on a tiny footprint, by building a nice and compact house utilizing only a very small space. If you have not tried staying in a “container”, then you should experience it now. Look out for Capsule by Container Hotel in KLIA2 if you are looking for an affordable sleep in the airport.
Location | No 1, Jalan Delima,55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Website | www.containerhotel.com.my
Facebook | www.facebook.com/containerhotelkl/
Call | 03-21104388
Email | enquiry@containerhotel.com.my
The compilation of this list was made from the accumulation of public votes. This weekly series is a collaboration with TallyPress, an online ranking magazine that revolves around the hottest topics in Malaysia. TallyPress is inspired by Pollbook and the original post can be read here.
