Finding my own Shangri-La at Rasa Sayang Penang

Low cloud hangs in the sky, rising like steam off the rugged tree-clad hillside. Golden mosque domes and tower blocks break up the lush green background.

A torrent of rain accompanies the car on the road from Penang Airport. We drive through giant puddles that splash up to head height, up and over the roofs of other cars.

A variety of tropical trees form a verdant tunnel as we near our destination, the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Penang on the Malaysian island’s north coast.

The hotel sits beside Batu Ferrenghi Beach, which roughly translates as foreigners’ rock. Historically, seafarers would dock here as a resupply and rest stop. The coastline was perilous, and residents shone kerosene lamps from the rocky outcrop to warn foreign sailors of the hazardous terrain.

The hotel features two wings, the Garden Wing, and the Rasa Wing, which will be my home for the next two nights. It’s my first time visiting Penang, and I like what I see so far.

The hotel is designed in the traditional Malay style and features Minangkabau-inspired roof architecture — characterised by distinctive sweeping curves resembling a water buffalo’s horns.

Inside you will find an art collection worth more than RM3 million ($1.1m) made up of original antiques and art by regional craftsmen and artists, including biscuit moulds, betel nut sets, the prow of a traditional Malay boat, gold ornaments and jewellery, batik metal blocks, and sculptures depicting flora and fauna. Complementing the traditional styling, this five-star hotel is modern, bright and elegant.

Each member of staff greets me with a kind word and the traditional Malay welcome of placing a hand over the heart. As I sit down to check in, I’m given an ice-cold wet towel and a refreshing chilled fruit drink — a cooling touch to go with the warm welcome.

It’s still raining when I get to my room, which, I realise by the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline, faces the beach. However, the sea view is obscured by the haze of the downpour.

It doesn’t matter, though. The terraces are abundant with pink and purple bougainvillea, punctuated with red-stemmed lipstick palms and a wall of majestic rain trees. These trees were here long before the hotel, which was built in 1973. The oldest is more than 150 years old.

My Rasa Junior Suite is quite something — 62sqm of luxury. One end houses a king-size bed with a chaise at its foot, and a large desk divides the room, with a comfortable sitting area at the other end. There’s also a reception hall with dressing table, ample wardrobe space, and a luggage rack big enough to accommodate two suitcases.

Inside the wardrobe are two details that I appreciate: two sizes of slippers, not the usual one size (man-size) which make me feel like I’m wearing Donald Duck’s feet; and complimentary thongs to wear down to the pool.

I had an early start today, leaving Perth at 6.40am. The journey was smooth and effortless — travelling with Singapore Airlines generally is (and next time I’m adding a Singapore stopover). But after the five-hour flight and quick layover in Singapore, followed by a 70-minute flight to Penang and a 45-minute drive to Batu Ferrenghi, reaching the hotel at 4pm, I am looking forward to a refreshing shower.

The bathroom is spacious with double sink vanity and a huge walk-in shower complete with handheld wall shower, rainfall shower head and, much to my weary body’s delight, an additional rail with two massaging jets.

I’m only here for two nights, and despite wanting to make the most of all the resort offers, I’m finding it hard to leave the shower.

And that’s not all. The balcony runs the full length of the room and has a dining table, daybed and an outdoor bath. I think I could spend the next two days confined to my room.

But that would be a mistake. The resort has too many options to spend all my time in here.

From 5.30pm-7pm it’s cocktail time in the Rasa Wing Lounge, where Rasa Wing guests can enjoy complimentary wine, beer, soft drinks and selected cocktails, as well as light snacks from the buffet. I settle in with a glass of perfectly chilled sparkling wine and canapes, enjoying the resident pianist tickling the ivories and a view over the hotel’s beautiful gardens.

Hats off to the 28 gardeners at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang — the vast grounds are chock-full of tropical trees, flowering shrubs and plants. It’s lush and immaculately kept.

Tonight’s dinner is at Feringgi Grill. A delicate amuse-bouche of smoked salmon, octopus and burrata with pesto is served first.

Three of the restaurant’s signature dishes are prepared table-side. I order the tomato soup. Abdul sautees finely diced shallots in garlic butter, which he then flambes with gin. He produces an impressive flame and I ask after the survival of his eyebrows. He tells me they are intact but jokes the dish is the reason he doesn’t have a beard as it would be a fire hazard.

Diced mushrooms and tomatoes are added, along with sieved tomatoes. Once it’s cooked, he swirls in cream and finishes with basil. It’s rich, creamy and packed with tomato flavour.

Next, a lovely palate cleanser of strawberry sorbet with a crispy strawberry wafer.

The international-style menu has a nice selection of dishes, including grouper, salmon, prawns and mallard duck, but seeing as the charcoal grill is the restaurant’s specialty, I order a steak. My medium-rare tenderloin is perfectly pink and meltingly tender.

Ferringgi Grill also serves Rasa Wing guests a la carte breakfast, or all guests can dine buffet-style at Spice Market Cafe in the Garden Wing — which is where I head the following morning.

On the way, a member of staff touches his heart and greets me with a “good morning”. I ask directions to Spice Market, and despite looking busy, he tells me he’ll take me there. He recognises my Scottish accent and we chat about Burns Night and addressing the haggis. He wishes me a good breakfast and says he hopes he will see me again. The hotel has many guests who return year after year, and I am not surprised. It’s a very welcoming place.

As I make my way into the buffet I notice two carts outside. One serves tea and coffee, but not any old tea and coffee. Here you can try the Malay specialties of teh tarik and butter coffee.

The very talented (and friendly) Roman expertly makes me a cup of teh tarik, which is done by “pulling” hot tea ande evaporated and condensed milks between two vessels to form a frothy top.

“Would you like some roti bakar with your tea,” he asks. If he knew me well, he’d know the answer already, and it’s a resounding yes. The other cart is serving toast, grilled the traditional way, over charcoal, and filled with butter and kaya (a coconut and pandan curd). It’s my breakfast of choice when I visit Singapore, so I’m delighted to find it in Penang, too.

After breakfast, tour guide Mr Wong and driver Mr William meet me in the lobby to take me to George Town for the morning. On the 20-minute journey, Mr Wong points out landmarks and relays the history of each. Mr William slows down as a monkey scampers across the road. There are signs in the hotel warning of monkeys, but this is the first, and only, one I see.

We pass Tanjung Bungah Floating Mosque, so called because the mosque, which is built on stilts, appears to float on the sea at high tide. The striking building features a blend of Middle Eastern and Malay architecture, and a towering minaret.

Mr Wong draws my attention to the “E&O”. He tells me the Eastern & Oriental Hotel is renowned in Penang for its afternoon teas. The colonial-style building reminds me of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, and I add it to my list of places to check out next time I’m in Penang.

George Town contains other excellent examples of colonial architecture. We stop outside Town Hall and City Hall. The former was completed in 1880, and the latter was opened in 1906 to accommodate growing government staff numbers.

We walk to the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, donated by Penang millionaire Cheah Chen Eok in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. The tower reaches almost 30m into the cloud-scattered sky.

We make our way to Chew Jetty. The waterfront settlement was established by Chinese immigrants from the Chew clan in the late 1800s. Mr Wong grew up here and tells me there are still 75 residents today, all from the Chew clan. As well as residential dwellings, there are commercial propertie,s and he tells me residential rent is 110RM a year (yes, you read that right, only $40 a year) and shop rent is 1100RM.

The properties are built on stilts which have been reinforced with concrete poured into buckets that prevent the wood rotting in the water. He points out the temple at the start of the jetty, telling me residents pray for a successful day when they leave the settlement, and in thanks when they make it home safely in the evening.

As we leave, I spot a mural on the side of one of the wooden buildings and recognise the handiwork of Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong, titled Folklore By The Sea. I remark on how much I love YC’s paintings in Singapore. Mr Wong tells me he’s got another well-known mural to show me next.

We walk into Armenian Street, where he points out Children On A Bicycle by Ernest Zacharevic, a Penang-based Lithuanian artist, which features two painted children on a real bicycle. There’s a queue to take photos, but Mr Wong insists we wait, and then directs me to “push” the bike while he takes my picture. Armenian Street and the area around it are well known for murals. We don’t have time today but it’s worth lingering longer. This bustling, colourful area also has some lovely restored shophouses, as well as cafes and shops. Look out for Umbrella Alley as you walk down the street.

We turn into Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, or the Street of Harmony, where Mr Wong points out four places of worship from different faiths in the one street — the Anglican St George’s Church, Hindu Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Buddhist Goddess of Mercy Temple, and the Muslim Kapitan Keling Mosque.

It’s been a harmonious morning, and now it’s time to head back to the hotel for lunch at beachfront Pinang Restaurant and Bar. Succulent beef rendang is served with jasmine rice, poppadums, cucumber, tomato and achar, a sweet and spicy pickle. Lunchtime entertainment is provided by a cute monitor lizard scuttling past my table and over the sand as it makes its way to the milky turquoise sea of the Malacca Straits.

After lunch I have a massage booked at Chi, The Spa, which is set within a secluded corner of the resort in one of 11 garden villas. En route I take a walk through the hotel’s spice garden, where about 24 varieties of herbs and spices grow, including turmeric, cardamom, ginger, vanilla, Thai basil, lemongrass, nutmeg, and cloves.

The Signature Herbal Asmaradana Massage uses Malaysian techniques and steamed linen poultices filled with local herbs, lemongrass and pandan leaves to reduce tension, soothe muscles and increase circulation. My chosen massage oil of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood is heady, and I can feel the tension ebbing away even before the therapist starts. It’s an hour of bliss that I can thoroughly recommend.

Those looking for something more active will find a pitch and putt course, tennis courts, a well-equipped health club, and water sports from the beach.

Afternoon tea is served between 3pm and 4pm in the Rasa Wing Lounge for Rasa Wing guests, but I’m saving myself for dinner at Spice Market Cafe. And it’s just as well because the choice is extensive, covering local cuisines as well as further afield in South-East Asia, Japan, India and Europe.

Before that, I contemplate relaxing by the Rasa Wing’s adults-only pool. Even though it’s a beautiful spot, I decide I can lie by a pool anytime but it’s not often I can sit in a private outdoor bath on a balcony overlooking such beautiful gardens. I spend a blissful hour soaking in the tub and lounging on the daybed, before getting ready for dinner.

Roman passes my table as I dine. “Come and see me tomorrow,” he says. “I’ll make you fresh juice, teh tarik and roti bakar”.

I tell him I have an early start as I’m leaving the hotel at 7.30am for a flight to Singapore. “Come at 7 o’clock. I’ll make you a nice breakfast before you leave,” he quips.

It’s an offer I cannot refuse. My final brief breakfast has me vowing to return to this corner of tropical paradise, where I’m sure I will always be given a very warm welcome.

+ Leyanne Baillie was a guest of Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Penang. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.

fact file

+ The starting price for a Rasa Wing Superior Room is RM950++ ($350). Rasa Wing guests enjoy express check-in/check-out, daily breakfast, afternoon tea, and pre-dinner drinks.

+ The transfer from Penang Airport to Shangri-La Rasa Sayang takes around 45–50 minutes by car, depending on traffic. Private transfers can be arranged by the hotel in advance. The cost is RM170.20 ($62.50) per car, each way, with a 50% surcharge for transfers after midnight. Alternatively the 102 Airport to Teluk Bahang bus stops outside the resort and takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.

+ shangri-la.com/penang/rasasayangresort/