Perak Darul Ridzuan
Tel: +605 4388 801/803
Hello!
Are you planning for a weekend getaway? Felda Residence Hot Springs may be a good choice for you. I was looking for a nice but inexpensive place for a surprise birthday treat earlier this month and remembered this place. A couple years back, a bunch of girlfriends and I booked a villa for a bachelorette party. It was fun so I thought I'd visit again as a couple.
I first booked online via Agoda and changed my plan a few times as I was considering other places as well. In the end, I phoned the hotel and booked directly. It wasn't hard to get through and the room rate can be cheaper than online too :)
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The deluxe rooms |
Booking - Online and phone available. Booking directly with the hotel might help you get the room that is not listed or sold out on partners' sites.
Rate - Fair. RM180/night for deluxe room
Location - Good. The hot spring park is right next door. Tourists will need car as the hotel is in a village about 9km drive from the highway exit.
Dining - FREE breakfast included. Tasty buffet with quite a good selection. Felda IS known for their delicious food y'know.
Service - Staff was friendly and very helpful. Excellent!
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Sungkai is just a little over one-hour drive from Damansara. Check-in is from 3 p.m. onwards. We headed out after lunch, took our own sweet time and reached around 4 o'clock in the evening.
You can use Waze to get there, in fact I recommend it. If you're not distracted by the cendol pulut stall at the junction near the school, you'll find that you have to go through a village and plantation to get to the hotel. It can be unnerving if it's your first time going.
When you *finally* find the hotel, drive past the first big building you see. That is not the lobby, that's the convention centre.
Check-in was a breeze. Paid and got the room key. Yes key but that's okay. Staff was patient in answering my questions and I even had the front desk girl to help me book massages at the spa.
Note: If you book the villa, you gotta go back to your car and drive out of the compound, turn right at the gate and go towards the hot spring park. The villas are further down the road.
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Deluxe room |
I chose the deluxe room as it was only 2 of us and the walk to breakfast is shorter than if we were to walk from the villa. The 1-room villas are perfect if you want privacy though. They even have private jacuzzi outside the villa. However, I can't confirm if it is as good as the jacuzzi in 3-room villas.
Now back to the deluxe room. Spacious and well-equipped (if you don't look too closely), it could be cleaner and maintained better. I got room number 1 and the door lock was not exactly broken but we had to figure it out a bit, so that could use a repair.
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Drinking water, kettle and basic coffee & tea making supply |
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Mini bar tucked under the tea/coffee making facilities |
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Fairly clean bathroom with bathtub and shower |
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Iron and ironing board |
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Look! Extra pillows |
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Hairdryer - not working though :( |
Spa Villa
After prayers and all refreshed, we went to the spa for our massages. Yep, closer walk from the deluxe rooms as compared to the villas. But no worries, it isn't that far to walk from the villas. Just walk past the hot springs park. Just be sure to make an appointment before you go over.
I think they have limited staff so they probably can attend to 2 guests at one time. Do check with the hotel. Use the same phone number as above. They have male masseur so my partner & I chose to separate ways to our separate treatment rooms instead of sharing a couple room.
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View near the spa villa |
Meranti Coffee House
We had our breakfast here. There are 2 other eateries in the complex- the Cemara Lounge (near the villas) and the Tempayan Cafe in the park. As I've mentioned earlier, the food was delicious. They also serve lunch and dinner for guests who don't want to drive out. Not sure about the price.
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Porridge, noodles and the condiments |
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Coffee & tea station |
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Fried rice, fried kuetiau, sausages and I can't remember... |
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Plenty of seats |
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Breakfast view |
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My breakfast :) |
Now. Malaysia is hot.
Why would anyone in their right mind would want to go to a hot spring?
Why not?
I mean, don't go at noon when it's sunny la. Early morning and late evening after rain is perfect for a dip in the hot pool. However, one contra about the hot springs park is that unlike many of its contemporary, the place is NOT open at night. It closes at 7 p.m. and that sucks. But hey, if you are at the one of the villas, you can always turn on the jacuzzi!
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Villa with 3 bedrooms' jacuzzi (from the 2012 bachelorette party)
Photo credit: Aina N. |
Sungai Klah Hot Spring Park
a.k.a
Taman Rekreasi Air Panas (TRAP) Sungai Klah
From the hotel, guests can walk along the field near the restaurant to get to the back entrance of the hot spring park. Visitors who are not staying in the hotel can just proceed to public carpark and walk or wait for a tram to get to the park.
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Female toilets |
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Purchase eggs from a stall nearby and boil them here |
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Then enjoy your boiled eggs under one of these gazebos |
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I said park but don't go wild... |
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this is the highlight for the kids. |
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And that's about it. |
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Sorry Garfield can't go in. No Hello Kitty either. |
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Lockers for hire. I mean rent. |
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Get tokens for the lockers here |
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There's the train! |
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In case you got lost. |
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My favourite hot pool |