We went to Batu Batu, a gem of an island off the South East Coast of Malaysia, what I like to call the Malaysian Riviera, over the Thanksgiving holidays. We really loved it. The beach was beautiful, the cabins were amazing, the beds were comfortable and the atmosphere was magical. There was so much to love at Batu Batu.

The trip to Mersing was easy. We arranged a taxi through Michael. +60 19 716 8850 (Text works fine.) The drive was about 2 1/2 hours, and involved switching to a Malaysia taxi once you cross the border, but the price was fine. $170 SGD each way for our family of four. Batu Batu collected us and took us over via boat, about a 15-20 minute ride.  The staff was warm and friendly. Checking in was easy and we were greeted with a welcome drink.

Our room was very luxurious. We had a bedroom plus a bunk room. It had a nice view of the ocean, even though it wasn’t a beach front cabin. The bathroom was gorgeous, the bed was comfortable, and there was air conditioning!

Our family spent a lot of time reading and relaxing.

We swam in the pool. We brought along our pool float and all of the kids there enjoyed sharing it.

The food was fantastic. Breakfast was good, but a bit repetitive. You get a menu with a few choices for the meals, and order from there. Breakfast was buffet style plus you could order eggs or other things. Everything was good and we weren’t disappointed by any of our meals. My kids are fairly picky and they had no problem finding things to eat either. There was a movie after dinner

We took a jungle hike. Bring your mosquito spray as the mozzies are fierce in the jungle.

We hiked up to the top of the hill and enjoyed this amazing view.

They have a sea turtle rescue program, which is awesome. There is also a dive shop and a beach bar. We got a couple of kayaks and kayaked with the kids to a neighboring island and snorkeled there. There is good snorkeling right off the beach as well.

Price-wise, Batu Batu is more expensive than its neighbor, Rawa, but more secluded and more of a luxury experience. We found it a bit cheaper than Nikoi island in Indonesia, but more expensive than Rawa. We had a truly wonderful experience there, and will definitely go back sometime soon.