Ambong Pool Villas is a collection of 9 private pool villas, each overlooking the sea and islands of Langkawi, Malaysia. Rest and relax amidst the rainforest overlooking the Andaman Sea. Wake up to birdsong and amazing sunrises, then indulge in a delectable in-villa breakfast. Cool off in your private 12-meter long infinity pool as you gaze out at the view, then have a massage treatment caressed by the light breezes on your terrace. Cap the day off with sunset sundowners, followed by a barbecue prepared by your private chef.
There is a choice at the nine individually designed villas that make-up this serene rainforest resort. Guests can opt for a view of the sun rising over Teluk Baru, perhaps having breakfast delivered to the balcony of their villa. Alternatively, they can watch the sunset over Pulau Tepor, maybe with a chef preparing a private dining BBQ on their balcony.
Of course, most guests opt to leave their villas to dine at Ambong’s Rimba Restaurant. As well as superb Malaysian cuisine, the restaurant offers spectacular views of the lush, verdant jungle too. Monkeys clamber from branch to branch, three species of Hornbills - Oriental Pied Hornbills, Great Hornbills, and Wreathed Hornbills - fly through the sun-dappled greenery and giant technicolor butterflies dance.
All of this is accompanied by the rhythms of a jungle sound-track of strumming cicadas, calling macaques and humming dragonflies. It’s like being center stage in an Attenborough wildlife documentary - but with a coconut rum cocktail in hand and one of Ambong’s Signature Skewers about to be delivered. Or Squid Ink Sambal Spaghetti. Or Whole Fish Bakar with Air Assam. Or whichever Malaysian specialty appeals.
The name Ambong comes from the flowering Ambong-Ambong plants found on the sandy bay below. Walk down the steep hill to the tropical paradise beach or call for a 4 x 4 vehicle to take you there and collect you. And the Pool? Every villa has its own 12-meter infinity pool.
With the villas discretely built into the contours of the towering forest, it’s advisable to ring for a 4 x 4 wherever you are headed. Vehicles take guests to their yoga sessions, to a culinary lesson where they learn how to cook Northern Malay classics and to the Ishan Spa. Guests may also book a visit in their villa from the therapists who use local herbs, spices, fruit and flowers such as coconut, black rice, cinnamon, ginger and frangipani for the treatments. Similarly, the cookery course run by chefs Aimy and Mizo makes the most of local flavors provided by herbs and spices grown in Ambong’s organic garden.
Looking down on the aquamarine seas and the islands of the Langkawi archipelago, guests are drawn to the marine world. A half-day jet-ski safari is the ultimate adventurous exploration. Skimming across the waves for a 21-mile voyage is exhilarating. There’s a stop at the uninhabited island of Pulau Dayang Bunting which, as its skyline looks like a reclining pregnant young lady, is known as “The Isle of the Pregnant Maiden.” Local legend says that swimming in the island’s spring water lake boosts fertility. Later you moor up to relax on a Robinson Crusoe style desert island.
Another way to take to the seas is a cruise. Late afternoon the yacht sets sail towards the sun, navigating through a seascape of densely wooded limestone islands, before stopping for a cooling swim. Dinner is served on board, then as the last of the sun’s rays sink below the horizon, the volume of the music cranks up a notch, unlimited drinks flow, and the yacht moves into a joyous party mode.
But for most people, for most of the time, Ambong Pool Villas is a relaxing escape, a chance to get to know the lush rainforest. Vast windows make it feel as if the light and spacious apartments are part of the rainforest. It is considered as one of the best luxury villas in Langkawi.
A stylish tropical chic is the aesthetic as white bedding, dark woods and soft-furnishings flashes of the colour combinations. Rubberwood is used for the flooring and acacia for the bed headboards. Some villas have recycled railway sleepers for their approaching steps and recycled cengal batu is used for the hardwood decks.
Sarongs and fisherman’s trousers in the wardrobe invite guests to relax and forget their frenetic world beyond Langkawi. Beds, sofa and day beds all face the forest and the sea. The views continue on the secluded patios, where there are external bathtubs and showers as well as the bathroom facilities inside the villa.
Although Among Pool Villas is close enough to Langkawi’s many attractions and high-octane activities, the resort is still a peaceful haven where serenity and tranquility come as standard.
How quickly the state of mind can change when immersed in beautiful nature, graced by warm hospitality and views guaranteed to become cover photos on social media profiles. Ambong Pool Villas changed my mood of annoyance at humanity (more on that shortly) to one of appreciation for mother earth and gratitude for a team who care.
After a dreadful flight (children on iPads with volume to the max, a group of men who thought the whole plane should hear their conversation as they rattled on across multiple rows, and downright rude passengers who would not remain in their seats or turn off their devices, even though the poor flight attendants kept insisting), the quiet sanctuary of Ambong Pool Villas was especially welcoming.
Ahhh… finding some peace
Ambong Pool Villas Langkawi
Perched atop a headland, Ambong Pool Villas sit on a prime piece of property gifting both sunrise and sunset views (depending on which villa you book). A strong effort was made during construction to impact the land minimally. As such, giant trees and jungle provide a lush natural border, and we find magical decks with trees protruding from the middle – they had literally been built around. Words (and photos) just don’t do justice the sense of calm and splendor that envelopes guests here. It is one of the best Pool Villas in Langkawi.
Infinity Pool
Ambong Pool Villas
The property is home to eight one-bedroom pool villas and one sizeable three-bedroom home. Rooms on the east catch the dawn, while those on the western edge are bestowed with dusk. Each residence has been designed with generous amounts of floor to ceiling glass and large sliding doors that open up directly to the pool. The natural environment is given full honor with bedding, sofas, sun chairs, and dining tables all arranged to celebrate the surroundings.
While the layout of each villa is similar, they do vary slightly. Some include a children’s pool. Views are unique with differing amounts of forest and sea in sight. Some have outdoor wooden tubs, other sunken bathtubs. Follow this link for a comprehensive fact sheet laying out the inclusions – it’s especially useful when deciding on which villa you’d like to reserve.
A fabulous 12-meter long infinity pool is common amongst the offerings. Dropping down to the forest and further, beyond the sea, it makes any former desire to get out and about quickly slip away. Accessed from the living room, bathroom or outdoor courtyard, we dip in and out all day (and evening) long. Alternatively, there’s an outdoor bathtub that is nearly as enticing. From here, monkeys and eagles provide entertainment as they swing in or glide by the encircling rainforest.
Besides the pool and bathtub, there’s also a grassed area with sun chairs outdoors and a semi-covered kitchen too. The full-sized fridge comes stocked with muesli bars, soft drinks, and milk, and the cupboards are furnished with chips and nuts. The first round is complimentary. Tea and coffee making facilities are sided with a toaster, kettle, microwave and small grill. Crockery, cutlery and a few pots and pans make cooking-in an attractive option. The team at Ambong Pool Villas offer an on-call service to the nearby area of Pantai Cenang. You could easily stock up on supplies here and return to prepare a feast with a view.
The indoor area of Ambong Pool Villas is more significant than many inner-city apartments! A split-level bedroom and living area are tastefully furnished with upcycled (or sustainable) woods. Splashes of local are found in woven baskets and floor mats, and lighting can be adjusted to soft with lamps or much brighter with recessed LED lights.
There is an abundance of power points and charging stations. Ceiling fans and air-conditioning is found in the living area and bathroom – giving guests options. Free high-speed Wi-Fi is accessed both in-room and around the common areas. And, light switches are clearly labeled – why all hotels don’t do this fails me – a much-appreciated feature!
The bathroom presents a separate toilet, shower, dressing area, and double vanity. It’s tiled appealingly in a light grey and painted a soft blue. The glass-walled shower is absolute decadence with a captivating eye-full of the infinity pool, tropical trees and the Andaman Sea beyond. I love that products are in refillable containers, reducing the use of single-use plastic and also giving a more luxurious feel.
Villa 6 Outdoor AreaBathtubView from Villa 6Bedroom in Villa 6Bathroom
Dining – Rimba & Monsoon
Breakfast is included in the nightly rate and can be taken in-villa or at Rimba restaurant. While many choose never to leave their room, I recommend having at least one meal in the restaurant AND a drink in the fabulous Monsoon rooftop bar.
View from Rimba Restaurant Langkawi
Experiences
That inclination to never leave is only further enhanced by several in-villa activities. Visiting spas is one of my favorite pastimes. It feels like such an indulgence to dedicate even an hour to self with no distractions. Having therapists in your room, however, eliminating the need to travel and redress, is the epitome of luxury. At Ambong Pool Villas, the masseuse comes to you! A booking for mid-afternoon is well-timed to avoid the hotter part of the day. We melt into the massage beds and reawaken in good time to marvel at the close of day once again.
From the comfort of our villa, we also have the opportunity to learn something new with a cooking class. Chef Aimy takes guests on an educative experience introducing local ingredients and flavors. We learn to make kerabu pegaga (a salad of local leaves), ikan masak lemak (fish with sambal and greens) and kuih ketayap (screwpine and coconut pancakes). This is the way I like to cook: grocery shopping, food prep and cleaning all done for me – all I have to do is put the ingredients together and eat.
While there is no gym at Ambong Pool Villas, the pool is long enough to get a few laps in, there are plenty of hills to walk or run up and down, and specialty exercise classes can be booked in advance. We participate in a yoga class held at the sister property Ambong Ambong Langkawi Rainforest Retreat just down the road. We hear pilates and other classes can also be arranged.
Dining Table to Enjoy Our Cooking Class Results
Service
There is no doubt that Ambong Ambong Pool Villas have already ticked many of the boxes for an exceptional experience. Dazzling views will positively be implanted in memories for a long time, but so too will extraordinary hospitality. From the personal greeting and explanation of the property to being assigned a handphone with a direct line to butler service and driver, to the communication that “we just want to make you happy. Ask anything,” there was not a single moment when I thought my care was not of the highest priority.
Exceptionally Friendly Service
Ambong Pool Villas Review
Ambong Pool Villas provide an outstanding boutique stay experience in Langkawi. Private pools with incredible views, warm engaged service, gorgeous rooms, a fantastic rooftop bar, and all the little extras such as a complimentary mini-bar, handphone and driver service to and from the nearby town, combine to create an unforgettable getaway.
Reasons to stay at Ambong Pool Villas: spectacular sunrise or sunset views; great restaurant and rooftop bar; private pool villas; exclusive location; friendly and helpful staff.
Ambong Pool Villas Jalan Pantai Tengah (409.76 km) 07000 Langkawi +6 04-955 8428 reservations@ambong-ambong.com www.facebook.com/AmbongPoolVillas
Holidays are enjoyed so much more when there is space to,
literally, hang loose
Ambong Pool Villas sits on a hill just off the main thoroughfare of Langkawi’s bustling Pantai Tengah (All photos: Ambong Pool Villas)
There is something to be said for the soothing calm that
villa-living affords. For those of us who do not have a villa to call our own,
the easiest way to experience a slice of the high-net-worth life would be a
holiday rental. Traditionally, Bali (and increasingly Phuket and Koh Samui) are
the destinations of choice when it comes to a villa holiday but Amran Ahmed,
one of the founders of family-owned Ambong Pool Villas, has recently put Langkawi on the map for a closer-to-home
and equally splendid option.
Opened in
December 2017, Ambong Pool Villas sits on a hill just off the main thoroughfare
of Langkawi’s bustling Pantai Tengah. Comprising a cluster of just
nine villas, each is named, fittingly, after a mountain peak on the
island, including Kemarong, Kuang, Machinchang, Malut and Sawak.
The holiday property itself takes
its name from the local Merambong tree or Scaevola Taccada, which is native to
Langkawi as well as other islands in the Indian Ocean, from the South Pacific
all the way up to Hawaii. “The plant is important to the ecosystem as it
prevents soil erosion into the sea. Also, many cultures believe in the healing
properties of Ambong-Ambong,” says Amran.
The holiday property itself takes its name from the local Merambong tree
I checked
into the expansive 224 sq m Temoyong, one of the loftiest villas there. For
those wishing to be introduced in style to the property, Temoyong would be an
excellent choice as it offers simply stunning views of the rainforest and the
bright blue sea beyond. As you sunbathe or swim, gaze out onto the islands of
Pulau Tepor in the foreground and Pulau Rebak, where the Vivanta by Taj
property is located. Those with a penchant for sundowners and sunsets would be
well pleased with Temoyong as it offers a perfect vantage point for the latter,
with Langkawi’s famous egg-yolk-like sun dipping nightly behind Pulau Tepor at
around 7.30pm.
A one-bedroom property, Temoyong has a kitchen
annexe and a 12m x 3m lap pool. There is also a wooden ofuro in an enclosed garden for
outdoor soaks. The main bathroom, attached to the bedroom, boasts a separate
door that leads directly to the pool — a design that thoughtfully eliminates
dripping post-swim trails and offers the expedited pleasure of nipping from
cold water to hot surging shower within seconds.
Slink from your private lap pool to Japanese-style ofuro tub at Villa Temoyong
Sweet
dreams are gently encouraged under the canopied bed and the only noise one
might be disturbed by would be the constant hum of the cicadas or perhaps a
gecko come nightfall. The flooring is warm to the touch, a mixture of
terracotta tiles and wood and with several beautiful carpets scattered
throughout. Every attention has been paid to ensure that harmony between man
and nature is preserved. In the bathroom, a special glassed-in airwell ensures
that an existing tree is able to maintain its graceful arch towards the sky.
“I wanted to develop a villa market in
Langkawi,” says Amran. “We are still lagging far behind our neighbours,
Thailand and Indonesia. But I didn’t want to just copy their concept and design
but, rather, develop our own unique concept.” To do so, it was imperative for
Amran and his team that there be minimal impact on the land with the lush
surrounding jungle preserved as much as possible.
“I worked with Zhin Teng from ZTD,” he adds.
“He is a family friend whom I’ve known for a long time and, as this was my
first project, I needed an architect who would be able to dedicate his time to
it. It was also important that we understood the site before trying to come up
with any design.” He adds that life was practically lived on-site during the
construction, which took around 15 months. “We had to modify the buildings as
we accommodated trees as well as minimised earthworks so the villas would
follow the natural contours of the land. It was a painstaking approach but I
wouldn’t have worked any other way. Taking all this into consideration, it was
important to have worked with someone I was comfortable with and who understood
the philosophy behind our approach.”
The rooms are bathed with natural sunlight
All wood
used in Ambong’s development is either sustainably grown, like rubberwood for
the indoor flooring, or recycled, like cengal
batu, a hardwood, for the outdoor decks. Sustainable wood was also used
for the indoor furnishings, including the rubberwood kitchen cabinets and
acacia wood bed headboards.
Design touches also abound to gently remind
guests they are in Southeast Asia, and Malaysia specifically, by way of a
mish-mash of decorative accents, with each villa boasting unique items, all
lovingly sourced from around the country and south Thailand by Amran’s mother.
They include carved wooden birds, enamel tiffin carriers, an antique sewing
machine that has been repurposed as a sideboard as well as pretty bakul sia, traditional wood and bamboo
baskets synonymous with the Straits Chinese and Peranakan communities.
A dreamy walk amid rainforest lushness leads you to the Rimba restaurant
Although there is no access to the beach directly from the
villas, all it takes is a quick drive down the hill (the management has cars on
standby to help you do just that). Breakfast is delivered directly to your
villa or, should you so wish, served at the main Rimba Restaurant that is enveloped
by the surrounding treetops. A rooftop sky bar is currently being readied for
the year-end holiday season. Massages may be arranged in the privacy of one’s
own villa or, if you prefer a full sybaritic escape, the Ishan Spa is just a
minute’s drive away. As we said before, Ambong Pool Villas takes its name from
a plant that has healing properties. You can’t help but feel better after just
a few days here.
Langkawi, often referred to as the Jewel of Kedah, is a beautiful archipelago of 99 individual islands off the coast of Malaysia. A tropical paradise, it is the perfect place to spend your honeymoon. If you are heading out there and wondering how best to spend your time, you will find this post very useful as we look a number of great activities you can do on and around the island.
Stay at a Luxury Villa
The stunning luxury Langkawi villas with private pool available at Ambong Pool Villas are ideal for truly romantic honeymoons. With unique views of the sparkling Andaman Sea and an incredible array of high end amenities like sunbeds, private patios and luxurious king size beds, your first day as a married couple will be truly amazing.
Island Hopping
As Langkawi offers easy access to numerous islands off the coast of Malaysia, an interesting way to spend the day is checking out some of them. You can either take a boat tour or hire your own transportation and explore them on your own. After your adventures, you'll be glad to be back at your very own retreat among the Luxury Villas with private pool.
Enjoy Romantic Food Exploration
While staying in Langkawi, you should also take advantage of the wide variety of different cuisines available to try. Not only are there plenty of fabulous eateries to visit, Ambong Pool villas have their own eatery at the resort that prepares and cooks its own meals for guests. These are made with only fresh and locally-sourced produce and ingredients. The food available there and elsewhere across the island owes its diversity of the Langkawi’s location.
Visit Gunung Raya, the Tallest Mountain on Langkawi
The drive to this magical location is just as stunning as the mountain itself. If you and your partner are wildlife lovers, you all have a nice time spotting various animals along the way including monitor lizards and macaques. Once you arrive at the mountain and get to the top, you can not only enjoy the views from the breathtaking summit, but can go further up by taking the elevator to the Watch Tower for a truly spellbinding view of Langkawi.
Experience the Cable Car
There's only one cable car ride we could be referring to and this is a must-see for anyone looking for interesting and fun things to do while visiting Langkawi. The Sky Cab is one of the busiest attractions on the island, and the views from up high are breathtaking. You simply must ride it at least once in your life; it’s one of the longest cable cars in the world.
Experience one of the Most Magical and Stunning Sunsets in the world
Nothing beats the romantic backdrop of a beautiful sunset. And they don't come much better than those you can witness from almost anywhere in Langkawi. As well as from your own private patio area at your luxury villa, Langkawi is the best place to see the sky turn from a deep orange-yellow to indigo and then through to violet. Blog Source: https://ambongpoolvillas.wordpress.com/
