Tiger Rock

Rooms

There are 8 bedrooms divided between 4 houses; groups can book multiple rooms in order to request exclusive use of a particular building.

The Main House, our home on our most recent visit, is originally David and Rebecca’s house: a 2-storey wooden building set on a grassy slope. Accessed via stone steps winding up from the pool through the separate wooden lounge, there’s a colourful twin room and a master double bedroom - each is ensuite. A small covered terrace faces the dense undergrowth. Below, the kitchen and living space are filled with cookbooks, decorative crockery and wooden ornaments.

The impossibly romantic Studio was our favourite hideout. A self-contained double room, it has a large bed in the centre of the room and all around are vivid jungle scenes swathed on large canvases. Beautiful wooden French folding doors engulf the room with light, revealing a stunning jungle panorama.

Slightly smaller, but just as romantic, is another self-contained option the Pool House. Despite being the closest to the dining area, it still felt very private. Its small veranda provides a beautiful view onto the jungle and pool.

For maximum seclusion (away from the other houses up a steep slope and across a bridge) Hill House consists of two separate houses, each with 2 double bedrooms (all ensuite with terraces). Both buildings share a communal outdoor pavilion, a swimming pool, and an outdoor dining area with long views to the sea.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• WiFi

Eating

Bavanni reigns Queen of the Kitchen. Her food is fantastic! All meals are served in the Pool House, beautifully lit by lanterns in the evenings. There's no menu so plates of utterly delicious food will arrive; simply help yourselves and enjoy the conversation.

At lunch and dinner, expect mainly Malay dishes, with Indian and Chinese influences. Seafood and fish feature often, sometimes a whole mackerel in a dry, aromatic paste or prawns nestling in an omelette. Vegetables come either stir-fried or lightly battered in tempura with a chilli sauce. Asian staples such as rice and vermicelli noodles are all perfectly seasoned. Lunchtime puddings are usually fresh fruit, in the evenings you'll get luscious desserts such as sautéed mango with coconut and Tia Maria ice cream.

Informal breakfast tables are laden with muesli, cornflakes and yoghurt plus bowls of papaya, oranges and bananas. Baskets brim with breads and croissants. Strong cafetiere and cooked eggs are prepared to order - we recommend the buttery scrambled eggs. Earl Grey, Darjeeling and scented rose petal tea are also available

If you'd prefer to have meals served in your house, just ask. The in-house kitchens aren't for self-catering, but parents may find them useful.

Features include:

• All meals included
• Bar
• Communal dining
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Take the must-do free island tour with Mohan and see historic sites including the nearby Dutch fort, ornate temples, traditional boat building yards, local markets
  
• Birders will be busy: keep your binoculars handy to spot hornbills, bulbuls and mynas around the grounds; listen out for the rare argus pheasant
  
• Laze by the pool, read in the library, or play tennis - there are floodlights for evening knockabouts
  
• Get a ride to one of the unspoilt beaches or walk 25 minutes through the South Pangkor Forest Reserve to beautiful Teluk Segadas (only reachable by boat or on foot); Mohan will provide a beach bag, water and picnic
  
• A local lady can decorate your hands and feet with beautiful henna designs. Massages can be had from a local Chinese couple, who work in tandem to release knots
  
• Take a boat trip to the Sembilian Islands for great snorkelling. The beaches offer kayaking, jetskiing and waterskiing
  
• Ask Mohan to show you how to tap a rubber tree, a traditional art
  
• Go on a fishing trip with a local

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Jet skiing
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Traditional cultures
• Waterskiing
• Wildlife

Kids

Tiger Rock has an ethos that makes many parents very happy: "Our main aim, is to keep kids well catered for so their parents can relax." You can't argue with a bolthole that is parent-friendly as well as child-friendly, can you? The small team will discuss activities with you on arrival and offer free beach transfers. It's good for all ages - as long as your children are outdoorsy and good travellers (the airport is 4 hours away).

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Most rooms sleep parents plus a baby. The Main House is good for a large family (up to 4-5 kids). In the Hill House, the purple and yellow rooms can interconnect

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 4 hours (Kuala Lumpur International)
• Hospital: 15 minutes (boat ride plus a short drive)
• Doctor: 5 minutes (by car)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Tiger Rock is set in the jungle on Pangkor Island, on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia. It is reached by ferry from the small coastal town of Lumut (ferry runs every 45 minutes, travel time 30 minutes). Lumut is 3.5 hours' drive north of Kuala Lumpur and 2.5 hours' drive south of Penang.

By Air:
Ipoh (90km) is the closest airport (about 1.5 hours' drive from Lumut, on the mainland). Due to Kuala Lumpur airport regulations, private cars cannot pick up from the airport (although they can drop off). If you are a group, Tiger Rock can send a van to pick you up. Couples or solo travellers will have to take a taxi to Lumut, but on return, Tiger Rock can arrange a car transfer.

By Bus:
A comprehensive network of comfortable air-conditioned buses traverses Malaysia and there are various good value operators which ply their trade between Penang (Butterworth) and KL and Lumut.

By Train:
There's a fast train service from Kuala Lumpur airport to Ipoh (quicker than driving), from here it's a 1.5 hour transfer.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Malaysia and getting around