Opened in 2011 the locally owned and managed Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat has 11 rooms, suites and two-bedroom cottages located on the southern tip of Langkawi Island. With the best of both worlds on their doorstep both the Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat and the sister property of Ambong Pool Villas are perfectly placed to enjoy and experience Langkawi’s rainforest and wildlife from the luxury of your suite, studio, cottage or pool villa, while also conveniently close to the nearby beaches of Pantai Tengah, a 5-minute stroll, and just a little further on, Pantai Cenang. Living in harmony with the surrounding nature was always the goal of the owners and the architects of the Ambong Rainforest Retreat and Ambong Pool Villas. The layout of each property was designed both to ensure privacy and peace for guests and to cause as little damage to the resident trees with the accommodations built around the nature or incorporated within the design as was the case with one of the pool villas which is literally built around one of their trees, preserving the canopy and natural ambience of the site. Nature is all around you to be enjoyed during a stay at Ambong Ambong or the Pool Villas, keep an eye out for the majestic Sea Eagles, the ever fascinating almost dinosaur-like Great Hornbills, Dusky Leaf Monkeys, Long Tailed Macaques, the bizarrely endearing Colugos (an arboreal gliding mammal) and if you are really lucky, the enigmatic Langkawi Slow Loris. The wildlife sometimes even pays guests a visit, and there are tales of monkeys being seen wobbling off back to the forest worse for wear after enjoying the contents of an unsecured minibar – the minibar fridges used today have locking doors.

The Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat and the Ambong Pool Villas are close enough to each other to share the one spa, the Ishan Spa, which offers traditional Malay Massage and a range of spa treatments utilizing local herbs and flowers. Dining options include the on-site but separately owned Japanese Restaurant, the Unkaizan where Ambong Ambong guests enjoy a special discount, or private in-room dining prepared by the retreat’s chef, or try your hand with a cooking class available both at the Ambong Pool Villas and the Rainforest Retreat, during which the chefs will share techniques and recipes of delicious local dishes that they learned from their mums and grandma’s. And not forgetting Ambong Pool Villa’s restaurant, Rimba, which serves a delicious menu of dishes inspired by the Malay, Nyonya and Thai cuisines. The teams at Secret Retreats, the Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat and the Ambong Pool Villas are also ready to share their beautiful island home with you through a variety of experiences and guided excursions that explore the island, its wildlife, its local culture and the archipelago.