Hotel Review 2020 – Rawa Island Resort

I have heard so much about Pulau Rawa… Pulau Rawa is a private island, owned by the Johor Royal Family.. On this small pristine island with fine, powdery white sand and crystal clear waters, you can choose to stay at either one of 2 resorts – Rawa Island Resort and Alang’s Rawa Resort…

Thanks to Gaya Travel and Tourism Johor’s Majestic Johor, I was given the opportunity to spend a day and night on this beautiful island which has been touted as ‘Little Boracay’ and also likened to Maldives…

The excitement built up as our speed boat approached the island with the huge Pulau Rawa letters on the hillside.. And next came the mesmerizing view of a jetty with colourful waterslides guaranteed to bring out the inner child of all guests…

Rawa Island located merely 16 km off Mersing Jetty in Johor, and is part of the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park, which protects the coral and marine life here…. And as such, no fishing or jet skiing are allowed in these waters.

We stayed at Rawa Island Resort, a beachfront resort that features 77 rooms, each individually designed to blend in with the natural landscape.

Guests can choose from the Beachfront Chalet, Hillside Deluxe, Waterfront Bungalow and Frangipani Villa, all which come with basic modern furnishings to provide comfort on this lush island…

It is just so idyllic getting a chance to take a break from the monotony of daily routine here… We quickly checked in and found our way to our room at one of the Hillside Deluxe chalets facing the Volleyball Court…

Our clean, spacious and comfortable room came furnished with a queen sized bed and a single bed as well as air-conditioning and a ceiling fan.. There are however no TV or wifi in the rooms… Wifi is however available in the restaurant and hotel lobby..

The bathroom was a little cramped but came with hot shower and basic toiletries….

Our room came with a small porch or sitting area where we could sit and make friends with one of the resident peacocks…

That and also drying our swim suits and wet clothes on the washing line, hanger and clothes peg…

Staying at the Hillside Deluxe room means no excuse for not trekking up the hill, since the trail to the top of the Pulau Rawa hill was just 2 or 3 minutes away… And the hike or trek up the hill was just barely 15 to 20 minutes…

Your reward? An amazing breath taking view of the South China Sea, as well as a great Instagrammable spot for social media users…

If you have the budget, the Beachfront Chalet would be a perfect stay since it faces the beautiful beach… Conveniently situated along the main beach, these chalets provide guests with an idyllic view of sand and sea…

One of my favourite places besides the beach was definitely below the jetty… Here, you get to wade in the waters with hundreds of fishes.. Both the anchovies as well as the Sargeant Major damselfish…

I did not have my own snorkelling set and the resort did not have any to lend, so I did not get to go snorkelling here to my regret..

The waterslides! Rawa Island Resort has two waterslides that send you shooting right into the sea, but naturally the waterslides are closed when the tide is low, since we do not want land hard on our bottoms on the beach, right???!! So yes, we had a splashing fun time sliding into the sea when the tide was high and some of my brave friends simply jumped off the jetty straight into the water, too…

Besides that the hotel allows kayaking… And we managed to borrow a friend’s paddle board to try out…

It was definitely super challenging trying to balance on the board with the waves….

You can also go for jungle walks, exhaust yourself jumping on the trampoline and well, how about climbing that low coconut tree…

You will definitely come across one or two of the resident peacocks wandering freely around, or if you are lucky, see some fruit bats or resident barn owls, kingfishers and so on…

If you enjoy good food, Rawa Island Resort serves up some amazing BBQ nights, with a great variety of dishes and sweet treats…

Breakfast and lunch is also served buffet style and the dishes are pretty delicious and appetizing, I have to say…

Overall, for an idyllic getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life, and normal hundrum, do visit and spend a couple of days here at the Rawa Island Resort..