When the government announced in December 2020 that the interstate borders would open for cuti-cuti Malaysia (holidays), I was tempted to go for a beach holiday at a luxurious 5 star hotel. But reality kicked in – being a super cautious mom now (thanks to Covid-19), I thought it would be best to avoid crowded holiday destinations. That’s when I discovered The Shorea Retreat.
How about social distancing at The Shorea?
There are four Duplex Pool Suites and four Villas in the retreat. We booked the Cassia Pool Suite, which comes with two bedrooms and a private plunge pool. Upon arrival we were told that there was only one other couple on site, so social distancing was not an issue. We had to informed the staff about our preferred breakfast and dinner times, as they would bring the meals to our rooms.
There is a shared infinity pool at The Shorea, but we had the pool all by ourselves during our stay there, as well as our private plunge pool. We choose to have our dinner by the pool side, as it was so quiet and it had a bigger space than our room deck. The dinner is Asian style and comes with ABC soup, ginger and black sauce chicken, egg and vegetables with rice and orange juice. If you prefer any other food, you can check out their restaurant menu.
Breakfast in the pool
For an additional RM50 you can have your breakfast in the pool. Yes, you heard me right, in the pool! They prepare your breakfast on a floating basket. We did try this, but the water is very cold in the mornings, so us adults decided to have our breakfast on the pool deck instead. They serve simple breakfast of nasi lemak with fried chicken and fruits.
Things to do
The retreat offers activities like jungle hiking to the waterfall and a treasure hunt (which is suitable for bigger groups). We did not join any of the activities during our stay, but we did a nature walk around the retreat in the early evening. Tip: bring our own snacks and drinks, as you may get hungry after the swim or hike!
The Shorea Retreat is located in Seremban and it takes you just about 1.30 hours to get there by car from KL. More info on this special forest retreat here.
Please also check out our reviews for other retreats around the area, like the Awanmulan and De Serenity.
