Japamala Resorts

Unclaimed

We have just spent the Christmas holidays here and had an excellent time. The staff and management were welcoming and friendly. Service was top notch! After one day, they knew exactly what we liked and would foresee that we were served as soon as we were seated. Unfortunately we had not planned well and all the dive centres were closed during this period and had to shorten our stay by a few days, again we were very pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t a problem and we were not charged for the days we had originally booked. Food was great. We all had a massage which was so good and relaxing we felt we should have booked a longer one ! Snorkelling was fantastic and made up for the lack of diving! We went on a fishing trip and caught lots of fish, which was then prepared for us for dinner. We had a truly lovely time here and totally recommend this resort.

TERRIBLE!!! I had high expectations for this Resort, but my stay was terrible. This place is extremely overpriced for what it offers, and I do not recommend it to anyone. 1. Dirty Rooms and Poor Hygiene The cleanliness here is really bad. The towels and bed linens had black spots and yellow stains, and this was not just a one-time issue—it was on everything. The floors were dirty and sticky, making the whole resort feel unclean. The snorkeling gear was disgusting, smelling like other people’s saliva because it clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly. 2. Rude and Discriminatory Service The staff treats guests differently based on their race. They were very friendly and welcoming to white guests, always greeting them with a smile. But when treating Asian guests like us(and other Asian guests), their attitude completely changed. They were impatient and unfriendly to us, and this happened multiple times throughout our stay. The difference in treatment was so obvious that it felt like they simply didn’t want us there. 3. No Signal, Useless Wi-Fi, Nothing to Do The resort is on a remote island, so you’d expect them to provide decent Wi-Fi—yet the connection was spotty, slow, and unreliable. The resort itself is incredibly small, and besides kayaking and snorkeling (which, again, involves using disgusting equipment), there’s literally nothing to do. No gym, no activities, and even the swimming pool looked abandoned—murky water with floating dead insects, no lifeguard, and an overall unhygienic appearance. 4. Absurd Extra Charges & Terrible Facilities Everything costs extra here, even the beach loungers—which, by the way, were old, dirty, and falling apart. How does a so-called luxury resort charge guests to use basic facilities? The resort also lacks proper in-room services—no phone, no room service, and no in-room dining. If you need assistance, you either wait an hour for a WhatsApp reply or take a 10-minute walk to reception. 5. Unsafe & Poorly Maintained The resort’s treetop-style rooms may seem charming in photos, but in reality, they’re a hazard. The wooden stairs leading to the rooms are dangerously old and unstable—some steps are broken, and the entire structure feels like it could collapse. I actually fell and scraped my hand, yet the staff showed zero concern when I reported it. 6. Awful Food & Limited Choices Breakfast was extremely limited, and lunch/dinner (which you have to pay extra for) was both expensive and barely edible, with tiny portions that left us still hungry. Absolute Worst “Luxury” Resort For the price they charge, this place is a joke. I’ve stayed in much cheaper hotels with far better service, cleaner rooms, and more amenities. Japamala Resort is an overpriced, unsanitary, and poorly managed place that lacks even the most basic hospitality standards. Do yourself a favor—stay somewhere else.

We had a wonderful, relaxing four nights here. Kenny and his team made us feel very welcome. Our Cliff Side chalet was amazing. Incredible views. The food was superb, despite (which is the fun of the place) everything having to come in by boat - there are no roads to the place. The snorkelling was excellent. We took two boat rides out to more distant places - well worth it - but there is good snorkelling at the resort, too. Don't miss the sun downer cocktails! Highly recommended.

We truly enjoyed out stay here. Island is absolutely beautiful and the resort is lovely. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. Definitely want to come back

Like others have said, this place is paradise! We stayed for four nights. Kenny and his team (specific shoutouts to Ricky & John) are very polite and take great care to make sure guests have a wonderful, relaxing stay. Smooth pick up / drop off transfer experience from Genting to the resort. We loved the daily rhythm of breakfast with a view - beach time / excursions - afternoon tea/coffee hour - getting ready - enjoying the sunset with a drink in hand at sundowners - dinner outside - stargazing. There are 3 different options for food on site and this is where we ate during our stay, with our favourite place for dinner being Mandi Mandi for the fresh seafood + relaxed environment. Prices reasonable. We took a day trip to Coral Island and had a great snorkeling experience - our guides were really nice and enthusiastic - you can ask about the excursions taking place when you arrive. Can’t speak to the spa as we didn’t get treatments. We were worried about sandflies but had no issues at all during the days on the beach + were completely fine with our bug spray at night. Our room was clean, spacious and comfortable - we stayed in treehouse chalet 8 which was the furthest away and peaceful (beware of the little monkeys!) The room is serviced 2x a day, including turndown service, and we appreciated the laundry service included in our package. If we had one piece of feedback it’d be to provide optional mosquito nets for the beds as there is the occasional critter that makes their way inside (this is part of the experience though given the chalets were built without disruption to the environment and this did not detract from our stay at all). Highly recommend this place for people seeking some R&R (just be sure to pack some good sunscreen & aloe vera as the sun can be very intense, as we learned the hard way…)