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A little secret shining star on an island of grand dames. Fix up, look
sharp and hurry here. It’s a heartbreaker: the eight antique Malay
houses perched at the edge of the wetlands sway and creak and make you
fall in love with them. In the morning, mango, watermelon and papaya
await you in your fridge – left there overnight by the breakfast
fairies. There’ll also be a wedge of chocolate cake, or a Rice-Crispie
cupcake. Everything here is perfectly timed. Rick Stein is a noisy fan
of the prawn and pineapple curries. There’s no beach, but who needs
one when views across the lagoon encompass egrets, herons and the odd
sea-eagle, the peak of Mount Mat Cincang on the horizon and the most
perfect sunset you’ll ever see.
– Best
101 Hotels in the World - Tatler Travel Guide, UK 2009
Sunlight
Express – Our guide to the best places at the best prices
The island of Langkawi may be best known for its luxury hotels
… but there is one jewel of a place, where an entire (if small)
19th century Malay house can be yours for a tenth of the cost of a night
in a Four Season beach villa – Bon Ton Resort. The atmosphere
is idyllic, yet the rates range from just 390 ringgit to 690 ringgit
per house, depending on size. And there is an excellent restaurant
where eclectic pan-Asian with Western-accents menu includes a range
of Nyonya dishes.
– Conde Nast Traveller, UK.
The
Next Nirvana
And so to bed. Australian owner Narelle McMurtrie created the exotic
villas at the Bon Ton, which include four-poster beds, antique bathtubs,
wooden floors – and a view of the stars. A cluster of seven exquisite
antique wood houses atop stilts … the tranquillity is disarming.
– Conde Nast Traveler, US.
So
Far … So Good
The children adored Langkawi’s most unusual hotel, Bon
Ton. The place is run by an Australian who has restored eight traditional
Malay kampung houses and converted them into stylish hotel rooms. The
profits fund her animal rescue centre.
– Daily Mail, UK.
Paradise
for a Song
Langkawi … It is the perfect tropical island …
Bon Ton, a beautiful resort of antique stilted fishermen’s houses
overlooking a water-lilied lagoon. Each of the seven romantic shacks
is individually decorated with plush fabrics and beautiful wood furnishings.
And the restaurant is one of the best on the island.
– The Sunday Times, UK.
Legends
of Langkawi
McMurtrie’s three acre resort offers one of the more authentic
Malay experiences on the island; the resort includes seven guest houses,
of which date back to the 1900s. Authenticity is the allure here, especially
in the restaurant and bar.
– Robb Report USA.
BON
TON Resort
“Here we received the best hospitality and some of the
best food in Malaysia. Thank you.”
– Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, UK3
Welcome
to Paradise
I promised myself at the time that I wouldn’t mention it. It
would be one little, magical corner of the island of Langkawi that I
would keep all to myself. Ah, yes, Bon Ton. But, it would
–alas – be only right and proper to give that little piece
of heaven on earth a quick mention .… And we’re going back.
Don’t know when. Don’t know how. But we’re going
back.
– Rick Waghorn, EDP Saturday Magazine UK.
Mugged
by a Monkey in Paradise
Somewhere in between is the excellent Bon Ton, run by an Australian
called Narelle, who’s done a great job of turning a bare patch
of coast into a heart-stoppingly beautiful restaurant …
Where to stay … on the other side of the island, try the stylish
Bon Ton.
– John Humphrys, The Sunday Times, UK.
Jewel
of the North
The closest you’ll get to experiencing a successful marriage
of the charms of Bali with commercialism is at Bon Ton Resort Langkawi.
Bon Ton however manages an authentically some say “heart” that
many in Bali have lost. Bon Ton Resort
… live in a place of history.
– The Edge Singapore.
Rainforest
Retreats
The Bon Ton Resort on the other side of the island of Pantai
Cenang, really is a little gem and likely to be unlike anything you
have ever come across before. Accommodation in one of five antique
wooden Malay houses relocated from other parts of Langkawi. The whole
place has more the feeling of a club than a hotel …
– Daily Telegraph, UK.
Rod
Liddle
Because I’m never doing a restaurant view again, I thought
I’d tell you about my favourite restaurant on the planet. It’s
on the Malaysian island of Langkawi and it’s called Bon Ton, it
does the best mashed potato I’ve ever tasted. The main courses
are spectacular and cheap … the food and setting are sublime.
– Evening Standard - UK.
Next
time you're in Malaysia
The best kept secret of Pulau Langkawi isn’t it’s stunning
sunsets, it’s the four Kampung houses …. known collectively
as the Bon Ton resort. There’s no beach at Bon Ton’s doorstep,
but the pool sits metres away and the Balinese style Nam Restaurant and
the Chin Chin Lounge Bar (formerly a 90 year old shophouse) make up for
almost anything.
– Time Magazine, Asian Edition.
Island
Guide Langkawi
The lush grounds of stylish Bon Ton overlooks a rush titled take
near enough to and far enough from the bustle of Cenang... Bon Ton's
restaurant is one of the best on the island even if you are not staying
you have to eat there.
– The Sunday Times UK.
Lazy
Days in Langkawi
Without doubt the coolest place to hang out on Langkawi is the cheap
but ultra chic Bon Ton...
The Bonton also houses one of the best restaurants to be found on the
island.
– The Guardian UK.
Bon
Ton Spot On
A 2 page article in the Sunday Naunce Magazine.
– The News straits Times Malaysia.
Foodie
Fusion
Even in the best, such as the Gulai House at the Andaman Hotel, The
Nam Restaurant at the delightful little Bon Ton Resort or The Pavilion
at the Datai, lunch or dinner will cost far less than you imagine and
the service will be impeccable.
– Daily Telegraph UK.
Rainforest
Retreats
The Bon Ton Resort on the other side of the island at Pantai Cenang,
really is a little gem and likely to be unlike anything you will have
come across before. Accommodation is in one of five antique wooden
Malay houses relocated from other parts of Langkawi. The whole place
has more the feeling of a club than a hotel... If in a romantic mood
as well you may be after spending a few nights tucked up in one of
these wooden houses, book a sunset cruise on the hotel's own 60 years
old, fully restored motor yatch Kanangra.
– Daily Telegraph UK.
Chic
Shack - Sweet and Simple - One to watch
The Bon Ton Resort may lack the opulence of the Datai, but its our
pick for simple, no frills style and a warm service.
– Departures Magazine.
Quaint
Quirks
One culturally significant attraction well worth visiting or backing
a stay at is Bon Ton...
Staying in Bon Ton's unique homes, which range in ago from 60 to 100
years old is akin to entering a museum. The East-West cuisine restaurant
does a busy trade, serving what is a arguably the island's best food,
in an idyllic and idiosyncratic setting.
– Men's Folio Magazine Singapore - Jewel of the North.
The
Closest Thing to Heaven. Bliss at Bon Ton
A 3 page article in the Saturday Weekender
– The Star Malaysia.