The call of the wild is as strong as ever at this iconic Malaysian resort

More than three decades after The Datai Langkawi first opened its doors, this unique island resort continues to inspire its guests to return to its forest sanctuary

The creamy chocolate pralines waiting for me after dinner in my villa are accompanied by a note, attributed to executive pastry chef Saiid Hazar. It reads: “The whistling of the wind, croaking of the frogs and love siren of the cicadas… pardon the rainforest while you fall asleep tonight.” Indeed, the sounds of nature will almost certainly be the only thing you hear as you drift off into a peaceful slumber each night at The Datai Langkawi. This world-renowned resort, on the lush northwestern tip of one of Malaysia’s most stunning tropical islands, sprawls like tree roots from the heights of the canopy, down into the understory of a 10-million-year old virgin rainforest, its untouched ecosystem thriving with native flora and fauna. With its dramatic, primordial mountain backdrop, the beauty of this landscape is enough to stop you in your tracks – and that’s before you’ve caught a glimpse of the resort’s other natural drawcard: the idyllic white-sand beach of Datai Bay. 

It’s hard to imagine a more crowd-pleasing location for a luxury resort, and yet its beautiful natural environment is just one compelling chapter of The Datai Langkawi story. Some 31 years after it first opened, this unique retreat continues to compel prior guests, like myself, to return to its verdant cocoon, and win global travel awards year in, year out – including in the 2024 Luxury Travel Gold List Awards, in which it took home the trophy for Sustainable Luxury Resort.  

The last time I visited The Datai Langkawi, it had not yet undergone its extensive, 12-month-long refurbishment, which took place in 2018. My Rainforest Villa, embedded amid the mighty trees, was starting to show its age back then, but this single flaw was quickly forgotten. An unforgettable holiday ensued, placing The Datai Langkawi firmly among a handful of other resorts that I would think about wistfully for years to come. Now, upon my return nine years later, it’s like The Datai’s director of sales and marketing, Céline Maginel, says: “After the renovation we asked our returning guests, ‘So, what do you think?’ And they said: ‘It’s exactly the same. It is just better.’”

Better than ever

Indeed, everything about The Datai Langkawi is exactly as I remember it, with the welcome exception of my expansive Rainforest Villa, which, along with all rooms and suites, has now been brought up to modern luxury standards while staying true to The Datai’s design DNA. This is not surprising, given the resort’s original interior designer, Didier Lefort – who worked alongside illustrious Australian architect, the late Kerry Hill – returned to lead its refurbishment in 2018. Hill designed The Datai in the early 1990s, around the same time architect Ed Tuttle was blazing a trail in the world of modern resort design with the visionary Aman brand (the two had previously worked together), and Hill went on to design nine Aman resorts. Once you hear this, you can’t unsee the aesthetic similarities between the Aman and Datai brands. Both showcase a tropical modernist style of architecture, using a minimalist palette of building materials and a culturally- and environmentally-sensitive local vernacular. This groundbreaking style would influence resort design for decades to come. 

Being surrounded by Hill’s architecture is calming and peaceful, and no more so than when walking down the 171-step staircase that connects the resort’s upper lobby pavilion, restaurants and pool to the hidden rainforest villas and beach. I do this walk alone many times during my stay, and the solitude gives me a chance to take in all the visual beauty around me – both natural and man-made. I observe a palm-sized black mormon butterfly hovering around some hibiscus, notice the perfect precision of the staircase’s stonework and wonder at the height of the trees in what is The Datai Langkawi’s 750-hectare ‘backyard’. Step after step, I relish the complete lack of noise pollution in this protected pocket of the world. “What I like about this hotel is there is no music. Most of the hotels nowadays have non-stop music. That’s why people are so relaxed when they’re at The Datai. We’re going back to our original state, you know?” says Maginel.

One with nature

With such a precious environment on the resort’s doorstep, the health of Langkawi’s forest, ocean and mangroves is at the very heart of The Datai’s overall philosophy: creating a sense of harmony between people and nature. To this end, The Datai Pledge, now in its fourth year, is a commitment to integrate conservation and sustainability into all aspects of the resort’s operations and guest experiences; protect and help regenerate the rich biodiversity of Langkawi; and enable the local community to thrive. The Pledge’s robust program of initiatives is in collaboration with local NGOs, social enterprises and community partners, and the progress made in each of the Pledge’s four pillars is detailed in an Impact Report released each year.

To this end, The Datai offers a wide variety of eco-centred activities each day, curated by The Nature Centre’s team of naturalists and marine biologists and designed to fully immerse you in the resort’s island environment. There are rainforest walks to spot striking dusky langur monkeys and hornbills, among other native wildlife; beach strolls; bee-keeping; visiting the permaculture garden; bird-watching and mangrove paddling, among others. To start the day in a more meditative way you can also opt for sound healing or forest bathing – both of which aim to ignite your senses, taking you out of the busy mind and into the perfect present. 

The former, led by The Datai’s yoga and meditation teacher, involves the simple act of lying in savasana with a silky eye pillow covering your lids while you open your ears to the sounds around you: the lapping waves, metres away; the breeze whispering in the trees; the ring of singing sound bowls; and the moving vibrations of a gong being struck. The practice of forest bathing, meanwhile, turns out to be not unique to Japan. In Malaysia, it is called mandi embun, which translates to ‘bathing in forest dew’, and involves a restorative early morning walk into the rainforest, followed by light stretching exercises before a plunge into the waters of a crystal-clear forest stream. 

I wake up with the rainforest’s flameback woodpeckers and kingfishers one morning to experience this myself with one The Datai Langkawi’s resident naturalists. Unfortunately, a 24-hour deluge derails my plans, but I do my own version of ‘bathing in forest dew’ back in my cosy timber-clad villa, where I sit on the balcony sipping Boh Datai Blend herbal tea and drinking in the sight and sound of some of the heaviest tropical rain I’ve ever witnessed. Afterwards, as the sun finally peeks through the clouds, the forest seems cleansed, renewed and even more beautiful.

Dining in the forest

While there are dozens of activities to choose from at The Datai, let’s not forget this is also a luxury resort – and one could argue the greatest luxury of all is doing absolutely nothing. Cue the warm water and powdery sands of Datai Bay (voted one of the ‘Top 10 Beaches’ worldwide by National Geographic), where perfectly-spaced sun loungers invite deliciously languorous days. Metres away, The Beach Club restaurant and The Beach Bar are undoubtedly the busiest spots in the resort – with its child-friendly pool and smattering of lounges, tables and chairs facing the shimmering blue of the ocean, it’s no wonder. 

Three other restaurants give guests plenty to choose from when tummies start to grumble. Upscale degustation restaurant The Dining Room faces the adults-only pool and is particularly romantic, and Thai restaurant The Pavilion, cantilevered upon great wooden stilts to ‘float’ above the rainforest canopy, is truly magnificent, especially at dusk. All three restaurants do a delicious job of lunch and dinner, but, just like my last visit to The Datai, I find I have a soft spot for the flavours and ambience of Indian-Malay restaurant, The Gulai House.

On my last night, as I approach my table at this enchanting restaurant that’s tucked deep into the rainforest, I see a leaf scribed with my name and the date. Triggering a memory of the last time I dined here, I realise this special touch must be a long-held tradition at The Datai. I admire the golden leaf for a second, before casually popping it aside and picking up the menu. There’s no need to take it home as a souvenir – I’ll be back in no time.

I observe a palm-sized black mormon butterfly hovering around some hibiscus, notice the perfect precision of the staircase’s stonework and wonder at the height of the trees in what is The Datai Langkawi’s 750-hectare ‘backyard’.

Hotel Notes

Rates at The Datai start from 2,430 ringgit (around $845). thedatai.com

The Datai Pledge

The Datai Pledge comprises four pillars: Pure for the Future – to make The Datai Langkawi’s business operations sustainable and regenerate the environment and community; Wildlife for the Future – to protect Langkawi’s wildlife and regenerate the rainforests; Fish for the Future – to conserve coral reefs and marine life and promote sustainable fishing in Langkawi; and Youth for the Future – to nurture appreciation of nature through environmental education across Langkawi.In 2023, The Datai Pledge’s waste management initiatives resulted in a 94 per cent average of solid waste processed (an increase of 19 per cent on 2022) and 133.44 tonnes of carbon dioxide avoided from going to landfill. 

Lab work

The Datai’s The Lab – where staff host workshop activities to showcase products from sustainable initiatives – was constructed using nearly 8,000 bottles of recycled glass champagne, wine, spirit and beer bottles along with 280 kilograms of crushed plastic. 

Wild side

Langkawi is home to the cheeky long-tailed macaque and black giant squirrels, along with more than 260 bird species, including oriental-pied hornbills and great hornbills. If you are lucky, you might see The Datai’s resident great hornbill pair soaring above the rainforest canopy as you sip a cocktail at The Lobby Lounge terrace.