First peek into Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast

 

Over the years, I have cherished a long and enduring relationship with Desaru, a beachfront development on the south-eastern coast of Johor, that started in the 1970’s with frequent family staycations and more recently, to working in partnership with Desaru Coast, a premium destination resort in this region.

 

Front entrance into the Mandarin Oriental,
Desaru Coast in Johor, West Malaysia

I count it my privilege to witness how Desaru Coast gradually developed into an international resort destination and was thrilled when Desaru Coast was named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2021, in the third annual edition of the list published on 20 July 2021.

 

Desaru Coast was curated as a premium destination resort with a portfolio of globally renowned hotels and resorts like Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas and One&Only Desaru Coast as well as the Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast and Els Club Desaru Coast.

 

Signage by Persiaran Damai, Desaru Coast

I treasure the memory of meeting with the then Group Chief Executive Officer of Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels, the master developer of Desaru Coast, at Riverside during the Ombak Festival to commemorate the official opening of Desaru Coast in July 2019 and her assurance that My Johor Stories will go a long way as a compliment to the destination.

 

What followed was the pleasure of working in partnership with these hotels and resorts on various projects and events, including the super luxurious One&Only Desaru Coast, where My Johor Stories books were placed in the villas and suites for their guests’ reading pleasure.

 

The reception desk, Mandarin Oriental,
Desaru Coast

After the global pandemic, when the borders were reopened for travel, many seized the opportunity to enjoy a welcome retreat at the resorts in Desaru Coast. Among them was one, Tan Mei Ling, who wrote me after reading a My Johor Stories book during her stay with the One&Only Desaru Coast.

 

She introduced herself and asked me to help her write a book as a precious tribute to her father. My exciting experience in this meaningful book project with the Tan family in 2023 was documented in, The Tan family’s book tribute.

 

Then when this property was rebranded as the Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast, I was delighted to receive an enquiry about My Johor Stories books. While Book One and Book Two were already sold out, I managed to arrange for a stock of Book Three, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, delivered to the Housekeeping Manager.

 

View of their signature swimming pool
Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast

Incidentally, Desaru Coast was officially declared opened in July 2019, so it was timely for me to receive an invitation in July 2026 to meet the General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental Desaru Coast for a chat over lunch at the resort.

 

This arrangement was made with Dharshini Ramu, an undergraduate from University Utara Malaysia who was doing her internship, attached to the resort’s Executive Office. A day ahead of the appointment, she sent a reminder message with a request to show that message to the security guard at the gated entrance, who should then permit me to enter.

 

I followed her instructions and when I said that my appointment was with the General Manager, the security guard directed me to the carpark to park my car.

 

Group shot: Dharshini, Shafiq, Emmi and Ros,
with me [seated] and My Johor Stories 3:
Proudly Johor, Then and Now

Dharshini, dressed in a patterned Salwar suit, welcomed me into the resort and did well to show me around as we made our way to the restaurant where the lunch was being hosted.

 

She politely waited as I took my time to pause and appreciate the charming resort, from its entrance to the front lobby and reception, to their signature swimming pool and beyond.

 

Some guests were chilling-out, seated in the shade of wide canopies by the pool and balconies while some young children were posing for photographs with their parents.

 

Adding value to the book
with an autograph

In the restaurant, we were being shown to our table when we were joined by General Manager, Fiona Hagan, and team members, Director of People & Culture, Emmi Lee, Commercial Director, Cerelle Gooding, and Director of Rooms, Sutthichai Kaewgun, better known as Khun X.

 

Over a convivial lunch of pizza and salads, I had the pleasure to introduce My Johor Stories to them while sharing some of my experiences from the early years when this destination was first developed to when the all-new Desaru Coast took shape.

 

Emmi discreetly requested her office to send over a copy of, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, and when it was delivered to our table, she said that she wanted the book to be autographed for the resort.

 

Photographs of the dusky monkeys
displayed at the Dusky Monkey bar

Among the many topics in our chat, Fiona and her team discussed ideas on how the resort can do more to create elevated experiences and exclusive escapades for guests to have meaningful and memorable moments with the resort.

 

Fiona was pleasantly surprised that I have not had the pleasure to visit the resort – until that day – and graciously offered to host my stay experience at the resort.

 

With telephone meetings scheduled after lunch, Fiona, Cerelle and Khun X had to leave the table while Emmi and Dharshini stayed with me to enjoy our dessert.

 

The landmark banyan tree in the
Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast

Emmi then invited her team from People & Culture (also known as Human Resources!) Rosmiyati Rudy and Muhammad Syafiq A. Amir Burhanuddin, to join us for dessert and have a chat with me.

 

No, we did not linger over our sweet treats as the team had to get back to work. Escorted by Emmi and Dharshini, I continued with the next part of my resort tour.

 

It was interesting to learn that the Dusky Monkey earned its name from the legendary dusky monkeys which felt so at home in this popular bar. Photographs of these monkeys, captured during their “visits,” were displayed on the bar counter.

 

The bar overlooked a section of the resort where rows of guest villas were located behind high walls. Emmi explained that the walls offered privacy as each villa was designed with its own plunge pool. She also explained that to preserve the “wow” factor, my visit into the villa will be reserved for later.

 

Panoramic view of part of the Els Club golf
course, the beach and the horizon

When I heard her brief description of their villa, I had a sudden flashback and shared with them about The Banjaran Hot Springs Retreat in Tambun, Perak, where I enjoyed an exquisite stay with spa treatment and bar experience within a limestone cave.

 

Emmi and Dharshini then led me to the resort library where the shelves were filled with a range of books. Three pairs of eyes searched closely for any My Johor Stories books and Emmi let out a shout of success when she found one copy of, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People.

 

Lounge chairs to chill-out on the terrace

Then we headed to the resort spa. Emmi was keen to show me their landmark banyan tree which was carefully preserved when the architect, Kerry Hill Architects, designed the resort around it.

 

They led me pass the spa treatment rooms to the outdoor terrace which overlooked a section of the Els Club golf course and the beach. Lounge seats were arranged on the terrace for guests to enjoy a panoramic view and watch the sun set.

 

Our resort tour should aptly end at the souvenir shop and as we walked along a corridor, I saw a lady approaching from the opposite direction.

 

Dharshini and Dhayalini;
Can you tell who is who?

And when she was close enough, my eyes widened when I saw that she looked exactly like Dharshini – dressed in the same Salwar suit, completely similar from hairstyle to footwear – that I had to stop and check if I was seeing double.

 

By this time Emmi and Dharshini were laughing at my surprise and assured me that there was nothing wrong with my eyesight. The “double” was also laughing at my reaction so Dharshini did not hesitate to introduce me to her twin sister, Dhayalini or Dhaya in short, who was also doing her internship, attached to Learning & Development (Training department) in the resort.

 

I am sure this pair of identical twins have a lot of fun dressing up in similar outfits just to evoke some reaction from others – like me – who were confused when they saw double. After recovering sufficiently from this surprise encounter, we walked on to the souvenir shop to see a range of quality apparel, accessories and collectibles.

 

On my drive back to Johor Bahru, I thought it was indeed a very pleasant first peek into this seaside rainforest retreat. Meanwhile I can look forward to my next visit to experience the refined comfort and curated moments, promised by such a resort stay.

 

The Mandarin Oriental, Desaru Coast is located at Persiaran Damai, Desaru Coast, 81930 Bandar Penawar, Johor. For enquiries and reservations, Tel: +607 878 3400 or send email to: modes-reservations@mohg.com