The Andaman break

The Andaman

Our rating: First Class

Rooms

The generously-sized rooms have the clean lines of modern Asian decor with dark wooden floorboards and bright colour accents. Rooms have all the amenities you’d expect from a hotel of this standard and each room has a flat screen TV, DVD player, iPod dock, minibar, safe and air-conditioning.

The hotel’s strong ecological focus means that they have removed as few trees as possible in the building of the property — so your room is likely to overlook jungle rather than have a clear view of the sea.

Location

The Andaman is located on the north coast of Langkawi, the largest island off the west coast of Malaysia. The hotel sits amidst thick primary rainforest that climbs up the surrounding hills and limestone crags, overlooking a sweeping curve of white sand.

There’s only one other property set on the long curving crescent of Datai Bay, leaving hotel guests free to enjoy the undeveloped beach and rainforest in relative peace. The surrounding ecosystem is one of Malaysia’s oldest pockets of forest where you’ll see rare mouse deer, hornbills and clouds of butterflies.

The hotel is approximately 30 minutes from the airport, and 45 minutes from the main town, Kuah. The nearest restaurants are about 20 minutes’ drive away.

Food and drink

The Andaman has a family-friendly ethos and many of the dining options are informal and relaxed — there’s no dress code for dinner.

Tepian Laut offers casual outdoor dining by the pool and beach for lunch and dinner while The Restaurant has all-day dining with a range of international dishes served indoors or outdoors. At the Beach Bar you can enjoy panoramic views across Datai Bay as well as a choice of pizza and pasta dishes for lunch and dinner.

In the evening, The Japanese Restaurant offers a more sophisticated experience, including Teppanyaki and private tatami rooms. Set beside the beach, Jala Restaurant serves a range of fresh-caught seafood with an exciting fusion of Malay and Western cuisines which you can enjoy with the sand between your toes.

In addition, the Jentayu Lounge overlooks the pool and rainforest canopy serving cocktails and snacks through the day and into the evening along with a resident band.

Families

The Andaman is ideal for families. Interconnecting-rooms are available as well as sizable suites with plenty of outdoor space to explore. We’ve found that despite its jungle location, this is not a mosquito region.

The Young Explorers Club for 4-12 year olds offers a variety of fun activities and children can also enjoy the waterslide at the hotel’s pool. Babysitting is available for a charge.

Facilities and activities

The jungle-fringed, landscaped swimming pool is close to the beach and complimentary snorkeling equipment is offered to guests. Andaman’s marine science students run the Marine Life Laboratory, an interactive session where you can learn more about the island’s marine life. There’s also the chance to take part in coral feeding, transplantation and private coral tours.

Non-motored water sports such as kayaking, windsurfing and sailing are also available, payable locally. There’s also a fully-equipped gym at the hotel and a nearby golf course.

Malay cooking classes (available on request) allow guests to try their hands at traditional Malaysian cooking and complimentary mountain bicycles are available for those wishing to follow the jogging and hiking trails on the map provided by the concierge.

A highlight are the free nature walks into the pristine rainforest, accompanied by the resort's naturalist, Irshad. Irshad and his team have been studying the rainforest here for over 20 years, and can proudly point out more than 80 species of butterfly, endemic birdlife and know where the white-bellied sea eagles sleep each night.

The morning walk begins at 8am while the evening walk begins at 7pm, running daily except Monday. Each walk is approximately one and a half hours and guests are invited to dress comfortably in strong sandals or sport shoes. The groups are limited to a maximum of 12 people so it’s best to book the day before.

Environmental and social responsibility

In December 2010, The Andaman embarked on an ongoing coral conservation project after discovering an 8,000 year old coral reef off its shores had been damaged by over-fishing and the 2004 Tsunami.

The resort has built a coral nursery in an effort to rescue and rehabilitate the coral and conducts monthly coral clearing activities which guests can participate in along with guided coral walks.

Local excursions

The hotel arranges a wide range of excursions that give guests the chance to explore the wild surroundings. Kayak, or enjoy a gentle cruise through the mangroves, enjoy a guided jungle trek, specialist birdwatching trips or photography tours.

Nearby Kilim Karst Geoforest was the first site in Southeast Asia to be named a UNESCO Geopark and now Brahminy kites, monkeys and white-bellied sea eagles thrive among the mangroves and limestone hills.

Once or twice a month, at low tide, guests are invited on guided reef walks along Datai Bay to learn more about this delicate ecosystem and help clear away the dead coral to give the living coral a better chance of survival.