Sentosa Villa

Nice Place and Relax Place.

Checked in, had to pay immediately which is unusual..small room for 2 and very very basic, a/c blowing smelly air on my head and immediately I felt it was going to be a difficult stay. Asked to be moved to what turned out to be the honeymoon suite. Again super-basic for 120rm extra per night but good size for elderly mum and I sharing a king bed (quilt was queen?). One towel each, no face towel, one floor mat. Aware that daily room clean is available but had read of things going missing for other visitors so abstained - no safe. No breakfast and no real facilities to cook for yourself. Really? Town is only a 5 minute drive but for every meal, it’s a big drag. We brought fruit back to our room as there is a little fridge. Room interior needs serious upgrade as it’s dark, dreary and a bit spooky at night. Some silly villa design features: - open wardrobe in path of one bedside means you keep hitting your head on the hangers on the way to your side of the bed - same bedside had no light of its’ own - hardwood bed corners need to be marked so we don’t keep hitting our toes at night - a shower curtain would stop the whole bathroom floor and toilet getting wet every time one has a shower - the outdoor balcony steps are so steep and close to barrier that if you lost your footing in the poorly-lit outdoor area, you’d fall right over the balcony side. - nowhere to put bath items needed when showering - a little shelf wd do. Front desk staff are helpful where they are able to be, but place felt a bit lifeless, esp. as there is no communal eating area. No faulting the spectacular settings but forget dipping your feet in the water nearby let alone having a swim. Barbed wire and preventative rock embankments (newly installed according to my mum who visited at least twice before - 2011 and 2017) sully the desire to cool off or to really immerse yourself in the setting. To be fair, it is a natural spring that provides fresh water to the people of Taiping so won’t argue on that front. Saw monkeys, butterflies, snake-shaped fern, huge millipede, multivaried greenery. This place has so much potential but it feels as if we are discouraged from enjoying the natural surrounds as much as we’d like…a bit ‘shut shop’. The really generous part of our stay was the jungle and it’s teeming life.

We reached late at night, the minute we got out of our car, i could hear water flowing....gently but loudly. Couldn't see the stream. This is a "must-visit" resort, not to be missed. In the daytime, we were transported into a world away from the loud, boisterous city.....surrounded by trees, a huge pond with Ikan Toman ... and just a few steps down....the stream appeared. The laughter of the children just swept us away...... Go and see for yourself.