Lost in Tambun

A newly-opened hotel and spa in Tambun beckons you to lose yourself in its natural surroundings.

I love road trips but we all know the drive can be a very frenzied and stressful one.

So, on my trip to suss out the newly-opened Lost World Hotel and the Crystal Spa at the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa in Tambun, Perak, I kept focusing on the rewards at the end of what was to be a long and tiring journey.

Firstly, I have to admit that it was ill-judgement on my part to make the trip in the middle of the school holidays where families piled on the North-South Expressway to take the opportunity to escape the hectic city and enjoy some R&R at more tranquil locations.

So what was supposed to be a two-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur ended up being longer and looking at miles and miles of road and the occasional overheated vehicles on the emergency lane, I wondered why I signed up for this road trip in the first place.

But as I approached Ipoh, the flat landscape morphed into a hilly topography, with majestic limestone hills welcoming and assuring me that the journey will be worthwhile. It wasn’t long before I reached The Lost World Hotel.

The facade of the Lost World Hotel is reminiscent of ancient tombs straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, but inside, the decorations are modern, minimal and elegant.

The Lost World Hotel is a boutique hotel located directly opposite the Lost World Of Tambun Waterpark, nestled at the foot of the lush limestone hills.

The 134-room boutique hotel began operation on April 28.

Here, guests have the choice of two types of rooms and two types of suites; the Exotic or Classical rooms and the Premier or Deluxe suites.

Rates at the hotel start from RM190 for the Exotic rooms and RM210 a night for the Classical rooms. Deluxe and Premier suite rates are RM550 and RM600 respectively.

Unlike many hotels in Kuala Lumpur, you won’t find various restaurants or gift shops here and for a good reason too.

The hotel was designed to encourage guests to visit the Lost World of Tambun Waterpark. As such, guests have their meals at the restaurant located at the Waterpark and return to rest at the hotel afterwards.

Upon checking in, guests are presented with two breakfast coupons and two complimentary tickets to the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa by night.

So when this was presented to me, I did a little celebratory dance in my head as I was looking forward to a relaxing treatment after the harrowing drive!

And trust me, after a journey like that, you’d want nothing more!

But first thing’s first. I had to put away my overnight bag which gave me time to check out the Premier Suite.

Spartan luxuries

If you expect to see a lavish suite setting complete, think again.

Despite being luxuriously called the Premier Suite, I personally felt that it seemed a bit Spartan compared to suites in other hotels but this is a boutique hotel after all.

Like the lobby, the suite is clean cut and has a separate seating area perfect for little pow-wows to share stories after a fun-filled day at the Waterpark.

The suite is fitted with a queen sized bed but if that isn’t enough, extra beds are available at RM50 nett.

There are also two flat screen televisions; one in the sleeping area and the other in the seating area.

However, there isn’t a door to separate the sleeping area from the seating area so if you have different channels on both televisions, it can be rather distracting and hard to concentrate on your respective shows.

The bathroom in the suite is also basic but it has a huge shower area.

The suite comes with coffee and tea making facilities as well as complimentary WiFi.

Frankly, I appreciate the suite’s clean cut and minimalist nature.

The bed was comfortable, it is air conditioned to keep me from suffering the sweltering heat, I had a view of the beautiful limestone hills and hot water in the shower (Did I mention the two flat screen televisions?). What else could I ask for?

Water treatment

After dropping my bag at my suite, I ventured to check out the Crystal Spa located in a small private enclave in the centre of Waterpark.

The spa is open between 3pm and 10pm and you can enjoy massage treatments from a soothing aromatherapy massage to a rejuvenating traditional Malay Urut.

Other treatments offered include a simple head and shoulder massage to rid you of stiff shoulders and headaches, or a relaxing Hot Springs Hot Stone Massage.

According to the hotel’s general manager, Calvin Ho, there is a reason behind the spa’s unusual business hours.

“We want guests to enjoy everything the Lost World of Tambun has to offer like the petting zoo, the waterpark and the theme park first and then after all that excitement, they’ll be ready for a soothing treatment,” he said.

The Crystal Spa has three private huts named after gemstones like Sapphire, Topaz and Amethyst where guests can enjoy their treatment in peace.

I was in the mood for something to reenergise my fatigued body so I went for the traditional Malay Urut. I do believe it is one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

At the Crystal spa, all treatments start with a little time in the healing waters of the Tambun Hot Springs. This begins with a wade in the Foot Spa.

The Foot Spa is a circular hot springs pool, the bottom of which is tiled with reflexology pebbles. It is believed that reflexology cleanses the body of toxins and stimulates the production of endorphins.

The Foot Spa experience takes a little bit of getting used to. Upon stepping into the pool, I felt like jumping out as the round edged pebbles dug into the soles of my feet. I got the hang of it after a few steps.

Next is a visit to the Lost World Steam Cave which is part of the Hot Spring infinity pool. Here, guests can enjoy a steam bath in the natural steam of the hot springs water.

However, it is recommended that you don’t stay too long in the cave and take 15-minute breaks after every five minutes.

After a stint in the steam cave, comes a soak in the private Crystal Pool which is also filled with water from the Tambun hot springs.

Once that’s done, I’m led to one of the private huts and the treatment begins.

The treatment starts with a foot massage followed by a pressure point head massage.

Before she begins massaging my head, my therapist, slides open a door of the massage hut so I can feast my eyes at the surrounding greenery.

“I get my customers to do this during the head massage because it has a calming effect and helps them relax,” she explained.

The Malay Urut is a good balance between its more well-known brethren, the Thai Massage and the Balinese Massage.

My therapist used gentle but firm strokes and the occasionally pressure points technique in the treatment.

Just like in Thai Massage treatments, she then helps me with stretches to awaken the muscles after lying motionless on the massage bed for 90minutes.

Thankfully, unlike in Thai massages, the stretches were gentle enough that I don’t feel like taffy being pulled by a machine!

The treatment ends with gentle pounding motions on the shoulders and back. A perfect welcome after a long drive.

Although limited, the treatments are competitively priced and worth every sen!

You can enjoy the Malay Urut for RM 200 and the Aromatherapy massage for RM 130.

Night’s Magic

The Lost World Hot Springs and Spa is best enjoyed at night as you'll get the most out of the warm water, which wraps around your body like a thick liquid quilt in the cool night air.

The exquisitely lit hot springs pools transform the hot springs into a magical place where people can come and enjoy the therapeutic waters underneath the starry skies.

One of the amazing features to look forward to is the Tambun Geyser, which is like Malaysia’s very own Old Faithful.

The Geyser erupts every hour sprouting thermal hot springs water up to 40 feet into the air.

At night, the phenomenon is accentuated with subtle lighting effects, which makes it a sight to behold!

After soaking in the hot springs, I headed back to the hotel ready to hit the sack after a day of driving, pampering and exploring.

My stay at the Lost World Hotel was indeed an excellent experience. The suite was to my satisfaction and the treatment at the Crystal Spa was just what my tired body was asking for.

So the next time someone tells me to “get lost”, I know exactly where to go. Even if I have to fight the traffic to get there.

When she isn't flying down highways on roadtrips, Joanne Timbuong can be found pounding on piano keys (she has yet to learn to be graceful about it) or laughing hysterically to an episode of 30 Rock.

Lost World Hotel

No. 2 Persiaran Lagun Sunway 1

Sunway City Ipoh

31150 Ipoh

Perak

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

Note: During the month of Ramadhan from Aug 1-26, 2011 only the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa and The Lost World Petting Zoo will remain open. Other attractions will be closed for maintenance.