Japamala Resort

Friends, I just can't keep quiet. YOU should know what awaits you at this "Paradise" resort. And what awaits you is a dirty and small beach, disgusting cuisine, destroyed infrastructure and very polite staff. Yes, the staff, unlike everything else, was welcoming and friendly. But, this is not enough to drive a thousand kilometers and be disappointed. Yes, you can interrupt your vacation and they will even promise to return your money! Amazing, right? Don't flatter yourself! You will not get your money back! At least I have been waiting for a refund for more than a month! So, my advice to you is - DON'T GO THERE.

Small, private resort by the beach with decent snorkling. Bigger fish due to protected area. They arrange snorkling and diving tours at competitive prices, providing snorkling equipment, fruit, water. We tried a trip to Renggis Island, very many fish, recommended. Massage was professional. Competitive pricing. We stayed 6 nights in a Seacliff Chalett with balcony and sea view. Clean, checked several times a day, incl. drinking water. Comfortable bed, working aircondition and fan (needed), separate wash room, bathroom with access to balcony, balcony with private feel and great view. Visits by birds, squirrels and monkeys, which were friendly - dominant male needed a show of power at day one and since then we agreed to mutual respect. 3 restaurants were open: Malay with western options especially for breakfast. Italian, and finally a grill restaurant for evenings and sundown drinks on the jetty. Great breakfast, many options, free juices and lassies, fruits, incl. nice details such as homemade yoghurt and toasting your bread over coal. Tried the Italian restaurant once, all dishes were superb. Grill restaurant offered fresh fish but also classic grill menu with burgers, and angus steak, spid, etc. and sunset cocktails. Diet: All staff very observant re. glutenfree for one person. You can walk to Genting, a bit tricky due to lack of maintenance of pathways/bridges, and easier continuing on to Paya. Took taxiboat back - got booking help from the restaurant right by the jetty. Also, worth walking a short but steep path up to a view site, just above the resort. Professional operation by Kenny and team. Very friendly staff, always ready to help, personal touch. Many small details increased the personal touch - I won’t mention them to allow you to have the full experience. Install WhatsApp for communications. Transport: We took the CataFerry from Mersing Jetty (check your tickets from which Jetty) and Japamala arranged a taxi boat. Came early to Mersing because sometimes there are delays at the boarder, and stayed a couple of hours in service center accross the street, providing printing of tickets, restaurant, a bit of shopping. Con: Malay restaurant would benefit from more music variation ;-) Note that taxiboat is needed to move away from the resort, price competitive if booked by resort, but requires a bit of planning. Reuse of building materials gave a slight “worn” experience but appreciated tradeoff considering the environmental focus of the resort.

Our family of 4 had an amazing 5 night stay at Japamala. Previous reviews are accurate reflecting the friendliness of the staff, excellent and varied (also well-priced) food options as well as the stunning beauty of the resort, its beach and broader Tioman Island (highly recommend snorkeling trips). Some particular highlights are the added inclusions such as nightly drinks (on the jetty with stunning sunset views), signature dinner service, daily laundry and ferry transport to the local village jetty. But the best thing is the outstanding service attitude of this boutique resort and all its staff - an example was ordering in gluten free flour and baking bread for our coeliac daughter which made such a difference to her stay. Thanks again to Teddy and the whole team for such an enjoyable, relaxing stay!

We have just come back from the most amazing holiday at the Japamala. From the moment we arrived we felt as though we were in paradise! Kenny, Belle and their team delivered exceptional service. We were especially grateful for Mike, Ryan and Benjamin who made all our meals really special and gave some of the best service we've ever received! Also a great thank you to the chefs that catered perfectly for our intolerances. The rooms were gorgeous and the beach was absolutely stunning. We took advantage of the spa and had super relaxing massages from the wonderful Lila and Tisha. The food was exceptional, breakfast was to die for - fresh juices and smoothies, all made by Mike who was fantastic. Sunset drinks on the jetty were a highlight of our day. We were guided to a beautiful viewing point by the wonderful Lim. We also went on a snorkelling excursion to coral island which was well worth it to see crystal blue waters, colourful fish and a turtle! Thank you so much to all the amazing staff at the Japamala, we miss it greatly and want to return already! Would highly recommend this resort to everyone wanting a slice of pure tropical paradise!!!

We felt at home from the very first moment. I booked a house on the cliffs overlooking the sea. The view was fantastic!!! And we often sat on our balcony and enjoyed the view, the sounds, and the monkeys. Our house was ready for us when we arrived. Every evening, the bed was made, drinks were refilled (water is always provided), and every other day we received a lovely handwritten note. Unfortunately, my daughter fell ill, and the lovely people at the resort took wonderful care of us. We had fresh ginger tea with honey for dinner—without a word from us. Breakfast was amazing! And the freshly squeezed juices! Amazing. The evenings were also incredibly delicious. And yes, sometimes it took a while. But they talked to us about it, and we didn't have a problem with it. At sunset, there are drinks with the most magnificent view. On day two, ours were already there when we walked across the jetty. Snorkelling from the resort was lovely. We were "seen" at all times, and our wishes were fulfilled. We felt completely at home. Now the BUT. Nobody says how to get there. At first, I thought the ferry was included. But it's only the ferry to Tioman. That could have been described better. The accommodation is typically Malaysian – quite poorly maintained. The stairs have holes in them (there are many steps), and the stilts the houses stand on look dilapidated. There weren't enough loungers for us. So sometimes we didn't even lie on the beach. There are also no loungers by the pool (and somehow it wasn't very inviting). We would have liked a mosquito net over the bed – that would have given us a bit more relaxation – and we would have skipped the air conditioning. Yes – it really is EXPENSIVE for Malaysia: But we enjoyed every day!