I needed to do a visa run so I took a look at the flights from Samui and saw that I could fly direct to Penang, the Pearl of the Orient, a place that's always been on my list, so here I am. And Batu Ferringi seemed so exotic with its miles of white powder sand. I remember looking longingly at the Kuoni brochures in the eighties and the names Rasa Sayang, Golden Sands and even the Bayview Beach where I am staying, loomed large in my dreams. I have moved on a few years since those dreams but it seems the Bayview Beach Hotel hasn't and is holding stubbornly on to its eighties heritage...
A tall white monstrosity with a huge atrium, it would have been so modern when built. And I have to admit, it's been some time since I've seen carpet in a lift. In the eighties, I remember being very impressed that the Shangri-la in Bangkok changed their lift carpet to reflect the day of the week. But at least their carpet was on the floor. This one's on the lift wall....
Feel as if I should go and get a curly perm and some shoulder pads... But to be fair, the room has had a bit of a refurb and is fine. But the old adage of you get what you pay for in life remains as true here as everywhere else. All the other beach places were really expensive compared to this, and this isn't a cheapie, but now I realise why. Although the grounds and gardens are lovely and big, the beautiful white powder sand beach is fenced off due to sand erosion and other problems.
There was a bit of an incident with a local river a couple of weeks ago which washed most of the beach away at the same time as depositing a football field size of black water full, it was later discovered, of e coli.... We look like prisoners in some Second World War prison camp movie as we line up at the new metal fence and look longingly out to sea over a beautiful beach that we can't get to... The country have just launched another Visit Malaysia year so such an incident on a famous beach is a bit of an own goal. But on a positive note the hotel is at the end of the Batu Ferringhi (foreigner's rock) beach so is quieter. And in the distance around the bay are the deep green jungle covered hills going straight up from the sea. Pretty.
They have a funny system here for the sunbeds too. The ones under the palm thatched umbrellas are called cabanas and have to be reserved and paid for - I guess a good extra revenue stream for the hotel and it does stop the German dawn raids with their towels... But there's always a tall palm tree to provide shade.
The journey here was a bit of a nightmare. The Firefly flight, albeit a propellor jobbie, from Samui went smoothly. Finding the official taxi went smoothly but the traffic didn't. Saturday nights are generally busier so the journey should have been about an hour. It took three. No idea why and neither did the driver. I felt sorry for him, he is on a fixed fare of less than £15 so didn't even make any more money for his extra two hour's work (although I did give him a big tip). It was a culture shock coming from Samui, all cars and not motor bikes, all high rises not single storey. And continual development all the way with wall to wall, or should I say hill to hill condo developments, almost Hong Kong like in places. Ugly. And the spaces that there would have been between the original eighties hotels has been filled in with newer resorts, the Hard Rock Hotel is next door. And even more woes from the hotel's viewpoint - just been to look to the beach and there are three signs warning you off.
One, sand erosion, two, jellyfish and three, sea contamination that could make you sick! Oh dear, bit of a triple whammy for the hotel... But it's not just the hotel beach, looks like other parts of the famous Batu Ferringhi beach has similar problems.
But enough of the negative, as I write this I am sitting under a palm tree in the shade in a huge garden bordering the beach in toasty warm weather! They have upgraded me from a bog standard room at the back to a "deluxe" with a side sea view from the balcony. This afternoon's activity is the excitement of napkin folding or coconut bowling... And it's lunchtime, the pool waiter is approaching on his little bike, think I need to give him an order...
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Location:Batu Feringgi,Malaysia
