The problem with going on a vacation when you have pets is having to leave your pets behind. If you’re lucky, you’ve got someone at home who can care for it while you’re gone. If you’re not fussy, you can always board them at pet hotels, but many are wary about leaving their pets (especially dogs) at pet hotels, for personal reasons. Also, traveling with your furkid in Malaysia can be tricky sometimes as dog-friendly/pet-friendly accommodation is rare.
Fortunately, we’ve found some places that can make your “taking your pet on holiday” dream come true! Yes, it’s possible now.
Here are some of the few hotels and resorts that are pet-friendly in Malaysia.
Ruby’s Resort, Cherating
Ruby’s Resort is located on the beautiful beach side of Cherating in Pahang, Malaysia. This rustic and comfortable resort, which offers a series of colourful wooden cabins with panelled interiors, lives up to its tagline “A Home Away from Home” perfectly! The resort opened in 2007 its series of chalets come in different configurations to accommodate various sized groups and budgets.
More importantly, it’s an absolute haven to your furkids – both cats and dogs.
Yes, Ruby Resort is one of the rare few resorts that welcomes cats and dogs, of all shapes and sizes, but they would need to be well-trained and well socialised especially since the resort has many other animals. Owner Ruby also has 7 of her own dogs on the property.
Visitors often bring their pets of all types, but they will also need to bring their own bedsheets and towels due to hygiene purposes. While dogs are allowed inside the room but not on the bed, so make sure you bring along something for your pooch to sleep on. The basic style rooms all have comfortable double beds, air-conditioning, hot showers, TVs, and lovely balconies. Breakfast is included with all rooms except for the dormitory style ones.
At Ruby’s Resort, you can be sure that your furkid(s) will have a ball of a time as dogs can roam freely in the ample 4.5 acres of gated land (but are not allowed in the café area).
Rates start from as low as RM185 nett per night. Make a reservation here!
For more information, visit its official website.
Temple Tree at Bon Ton Resort, Langkawi
If you’re ready to splurge on that little getaway with your furkid(s), this place is a treat and a half!
Situated in quiet area, the Bon Ton Resort Langkawi is built within the grounds of coconut plantation, featuring comfortable accommodation in serene environment. It’s 10 minutes’ drive from the Langkawi Airport and 5 minutes from the main beach of Pantai Cenang. Few places of interest in the vicinity are Tanjung Rhu, Rice Museum, Laman Padi Langkawi, Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls, Pulau Payar Marine Park, and Lake of the Pregnant Maiden.
But those aren’t the only things that are wonderful about the resort. Temple Tree at Bon Ton Resort is also pet-friendly.
Talk about a lavish retreat!
Of course, bringing your furkid to Langkawi can be quite a challenge. You can also fly with Malaysia Airlines or take the ferry. Depending on the Captain’s goodwill and the size and breed of the dog, they would be allowed on board but you’d probably have to bring pet carrying case for that.
The villas at Temple Tree come in a variety of styles – Chinese, Malay, and colonial. As a result, Temple Tree is more like an eclectic little neighbourhood than an ordinary villa resort. Some houses are divided into up to 4/5 rooms while others are split into pairs of suites. The “Black & White House” is a self-contained unit. Each one is uniquely decorated in a style that blends authentic architecture and contemporary interior design, and is furnished with modern amenities such as telephone, shower, colour TV, bathtub, and a hairdryer.
Do keep in mind that there aren’t many places that are pet-friendly around Bon Ton. So you should expect to just relax with your furkid in the comfort of the house itself. Also, despite being a pet-friendly resort, only certain houses at Temple Tree at Bon Ton are suitable for dogs as these houses have a back courtyard or a garden. These are Colonial 1 and 2, Estate 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The pet-friendly villas can be requested during booking.
Rates from RM570 onwards per night, depending on the type and season. Make a reservation here!
For more information, visit its official website.
Borneo Highlands Resort, Kuching
This is perhaps one of the most exciting and uniquely environmentally-friendly resort on the other side of Malaysia. Snuggled within the hills 1000 meters above sea level, the Borneo Highlands Resort in Kuching is a retreat that’s one of its kind! Located amid untouched natural beauty of the lush tropical rainforest, it’s the perfect getaway where one can escape from the hectic city life.
We say “where one can escape” but we really mean, “where one and his/her furkid can escape”. That’s right, pets are allowed here!
The little haven, situated in Borneo’s tropical rainforest (one of the world’s oldest and second largest rainforest), the Borneo Highlands Resort offers rooms with Malaysian décor and rustic wooden furnishings. Each room features a seating area and work desk, and the private bathrooms come with a rain shower and separate jacuzzi. And just in case you’re simply too comfortable to get up and go out, room service is available throughout the day.
Otherwise, the Hornbill Golf Course and Jungle Spa are on site, as well as their Annah Rais Café, which serves local cuisine prepared using ingredients from the resort’s organic garden. After enjoying a meal, guests can schedule a tour of the organic garden with the resort’s horticulturalist. There are also other activities such as swimming in the outdoor pool, hiking in the Penrissen Mountain Range, going for a horseback riding excursions, or biking around the resort.
And it’s not inaccessible either because the Kuching International Airport is only about 45km away from Borneo Highlands Resort. Sounds like a wholesome and relaxing plan?
Rates start from RM500 onwards per night.
For more information, visit its official website.
Noordin Mews, Penang
Noordin Mews is Penang‘s newest private boutique heritage hotel, a welcome and refreshing addition to the already vibrant Penang tourist attraction.
Mews was originally for trishaws and hand carts as well as the servants quarters for the wealthy families who lived in Noordin Street in the first decades of the last century. Set in a walled tropical garden with its own private swimming pool, the main building is a classic 1920s Peranakan shop house in straits eclectic style with its own laneway. It’s also just a 10-minute walk to the Street of Harmony which links Penang’s most iconic landmarks – the Khoo Khongsi Clan House, the Guan Yin Temple, the English Georgian Church, Penang’s main Mosque, and a remarkable kovil.
Oh, and it’s pet-friendly.
16 air-conditioned bedrooms have 32-inch flat screen televisions, complimentary Wi-Fi, and restored retro fittings and furniture, and each are served by their own private en suite bathroom with Grohe accessories and antique tiles. As mentioned, the hotel welcomes travellers with their pets. However, only 6 rooms that are located on the ground floor are pet-friendly rooms, and the dining area is strictly off limits for pets as we have to be sensitive to the other guests as well.
So, how about it?
Spend an adventurous day of eating and discovering Penang’s historical treasures, hidden gems, and chasing down some street art, then return to Noordin Mews’ beautiful lush tropical garden and swimming pool before heading off at night to one of Penang’s famous street hawker centres for their renowned local foods. And finally, at the end of it all, retire at one of Noordin Mews’ gorgeous rooms – with furkid in tow, of course.
Rates from RM290 per night. Make a reservation here!
For more information, visit its official website.
Valley View, Cameron Highlands
Want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the peace and quiet in a place that’s like your own home away from home? Yearning to wake up to the sounds of nature and magnificent views of the mist-covered valley and rolling hills? Want to enjoy a highland holiday without having to leave your beloved furkid behind? We’ve got what you’re looking for!
Enjoy a great highlands holiday for you, your loved one(s), and your furkid(s) at Valley View bungalow. The bungalow is nestled on a hilltop surrounded by 2 acres of lush greenery, flower gardens, fruit trees, and vegetable plots. It’s huge so it’s pretty ideal for family holidays and group getaways for people of all ages.
The bungalow is a double-storey, fully furnished, 5-bedroom house with 2 bedrooms on the upper floor and 3 bedrooms on the lower floor. All the bedrooms have queen-sized double beds and attached bathrooms with hot/cold showers, towels, hand towels, and soap/shampoo dispensers. Each floor is self-contained with its own kitchen, dining area, and lounge, and each kitchen is fully equipped with refrigerator, gas cooker, rice cooker, micro-wave oven, toaster, cutlery, crockery, and steamboat cooking facilities.
Free wireless internet and TV with full Astro coverage are available. Valley View also caters for BBQ and steamboat dinners, and other meals for a minimum of 10 adults but they require notice of at least 3 days. In fact, there are 2 large BBQ pits on the front lawn with lighting for use after dark!
For more information, visit its official website.
To give you a little “push”, here are some upcoming Malaysian public holidays for the rest of 2014 and 2015. Go ahead and take that time off! Happy holiday planning for you and your furkid(s), you guys!
If you have any suggestions, holler ’em at us in the comment box below!
