Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort

hilton batang ai

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is a private and secluded nature retreat near Kuching, Sarawak. It’s accessible only by boat and is operated by the Hilton chain of hotels.

hilton resort

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort aims to provide a world class authentic Iban resort in the middle of prime rainforest. The entire resort is surrounded by a lake.

batang ai longhouse resort

There will be a boat to take you to the resort itself and the entire Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is visible as the boat is pulling up to the jetty. The rooms are built in the traditional Iban style longhouse (communal living quarters) design. There are several of these longhouses in the resort – in fact, the entire resort looks like a traditional village in the middle of the jungle!

hiltong batang ai resort

The 20 minute boat ride takes you to the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort jetty, where you disembark and walk up a wooden path to the elevated resort grounds. The air is fresh and cool from the surrounding rainforest canopy and I immediately felt refreshed by the large lake surrounding the resort.

batang ai lake

The entire lake is visible from the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse resort reception area. The calm body of water around you is very therapeutic. This is what a retreat resort should feel like. πŸ™‚

welcome drink

There will be Hilton staff waiting for you with a welcome drink (some kind of fruit juice) at the resort lobby. The resort is made of timber and is very well maintained, which is quite impressive for rural resorts.

lobby

The Hilton Batang Ai Resort lobby is furnished in traditional native design with timber being the main structural support, as well as interior wood fittings. It provides a warmer ambiance than steel and glass constructions and well suited to this rainforest resort.

check in

The checking in procedure is relatively uncomplicated and a porter will carry your bags and lead you to your room.

ulu ai

The rooms are located in longhouses surrounding the main communal resort area and all are within a short walking distance from the lobby. The longhouse design is done like an authentic Iban longhouse built on raised stilts.

walkway

There are oil lamps hung on the top of the walkway…

patio

…and the entire longhouse has one facade dedicated to the common corridor and patio, true to the Borneo longhouse design.

queen bed

The room itself is furnished with modern fittings, and provides the amenities of contemporary living.

tv desk

There is a TV and a comfortable spring queen sized bed, as well as chairs and a writing desk.

bathroom

The bathroom facilities includes a shower (no tubs here) and sink and is in a separate room from the sleeping quarters. The tap water is filtered by the resort and is safe for drinking without fears of cholera or other water borne pathogens. πŸ˜‰

coffee tea

Coffee and tea making facilities – don’t worry, there is an electric kettle and even a fridge – are available in-room. There is also a wardrobe and a full-length mirror.

balcony

The blinds opens up to reveal a nice view of the nature retreat and the design was intelligent enough to incorporate three (3) sliding doors – a glass door for retaining the air conditioning, a mosquito netting if you want the maximum outdoor experience without the inconvenience of insect attacks, and a wood panel for total privacy.

armchair

There is also a comfortable armchair for you to relax, put on your smoking jacket and have a big fat cigar while enjoying the rainforest view. Just kidding, you can’t smoke in the rooms. πŸ™‚

ecolamp

Batang Ai Hilton Longhouse Resort is a eco-friendly resort – the lights in the room go out if you’re not within a certain proximity to conserve energy. The bedside lamps tur
n off automatically when you’re not lying on the bed and turn back on when you step close to the area. Very nifty.

longhouse

The longhouse design is modeled on the traditional Iban living arrangements. The longhouse is a communal dwelling structure where families live in rooms joined by a central common walkway. The Hilton Batang Ai Resort faithfully reproduces this design and all of the fittings. There are even replica kerosene oil lamps (which are electric lights) illuminating the corridor.

patio me

There is also a communal patio with deck chairs on one side of the longhouse. The design of this is excellent as the deck faces the jungle (instead of being adjoined to the room) so privacy is ensured, coupled with a serene nature view.

me sandra patio

It should be noted that smoking is not permitted in the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort rooms so indulgences in tobacco should be done at the patio.

pool table

There are recreational facilities ranging from tennis courts to table tennis. Phoenix trashed me at the ping pong table due to my ethanol attenuated reflexes. At least, that’s what I’ll like to think since she got the better of me at pool as well, both times while competing for the 8 ball. The pool table costs RM 4 in tokens for one game.

lobby pool

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort also has a wading pool and a swimming pool. The swimming pool is surrounded by palm trees, creating an illusion of an oasis in the middle of the jungle.

buddychum

Unlike other resorts in remote areas, the Hilton Batang Ai Resort is maintained in excellent condition. There is no evidence of neglect prevalent in such remote retreats and the resort is kept so clean that you can even walk barefoot if you’re so inclined.

lakeview

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort would be a paradise for nature lovers. There are guided walks through the forest (including the classic Smuggler’s Trail which crosses the border into Indonesia) and outdoor activities like recreational fishing and jungle trekking are scheduled throughout the day.

tranquil lake

There are also trips by longboat (a local variant of the schooner without a sail) to nearby longhouses where travelers can absorb the local Iban culture.

pool

I noticed that the overwhelming majority of the visitors are older Caucasians blazing a trail through the off-beat path. Younger Caucasians tend to follow the Phuket-Bali route while the more mature and seasoned travelers tend to gravitate towards Sarawak.

pier us

The staff is majority native Iban too so it’s also an ideal place for a private retreat for person(s) without the luxury of overt relationships (e.g. having a romantic sojourn with someone else’s wife/husband) in their own stomping grounds. Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you won’t. πŸ˜‰

poolhouse

The facilities at the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort includes a swimming pool and a smaller wading pool. There are also numerous deck chairs lining the pool area for soaking up the sun.

me pool

I went in for a leisurely swim in the swimming pool…

me sandra inside

…and Phoenix decided to join me and we spent almost an hour inside the water. My skin was all wrinkly when I finally came out of the water.

legs

I noticed a couple of chronologically advanced Caucasians basking in our warm tropical climate. Other popular poolside activities includes reading (there is even a small bookstore at the resort lobby selling novels) and interestingly enough, playing card games.

gym towel

The pool towels are provided and there is also a small gym with minimal facilities for you to turn that blubber into beefcake. πŸ˜‰

me sandra beside pool

Drinks (both cocktails and mocktails) can be ordered and consumed by the poolside. There’s nothing like enjoying a nice tropical cocktail while reclining on the poolside with a good book and some SPF 50 sunblock…

flora

There are also concrete paths lining the resort and you can opt for a stroll with a loved one. The flora are all labeled with local and scientific names and there is an abundance of trees, plants and flowers.

forbidden f

ruit

Eating the forbidden fruit.

safe drinking

The Batang Ai water is safe for drinking. At least that’s what the resort tells me. πŸ˜‰

camwhore

Camwhore!

replica

There is also a replica longhouse at the resort where I saw mini natives going about their daily lives.

the light

The path is also illuminated at night so you don’t have to worry about losing your way.

nanga mepi

Dinner is available from the Nanga Nepi Restaurant. This is the only restaurant available in Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort and serves international and local cuisine.

nanga mepi table

The tagline of the restaurant goes “Embark on an adventure of jungle cuisine as you discover the exotic flavors of Sarawak”.

dinner rolls

Complimentary dinner rolls are served with butter upon your arrival, which is a bit of a nice touch. It all adds up to the positive ambiance of the restaurant.

batang ai delight

I had the Batang Ai Delight (RM 15.50) for the non-alcoholic session of the drink. This is a mixture of mango juice, grenadine, and 100 Plus (the isotonic drink) and it really taxes the gray matter to ponder why such a concoction would come with such an astronomical price tag. πŸ˜‰

ruai delight

Phoenix had the Ruai Delight (RM 15.50) which looks suspiciously like a chocolate milkshake but is actually made of pineapple, vanilla ice cream and coconut cream.

lubok antu discover platter

This is the Lubok Antu Discovery Platter (RM 22). It’s a starter with a combination of beef and chicken satays, prawn samosas, and vegetable spring rolls, served with homemade chilli and peanut sauce.

pansoh manok

I went for the Pansoh Manok (RM 26). It’s chicken pieces flavored with Iban eggplant and herbs slowly cooked inside bamboo over hot coals. This is a local signature Iban dish.

chicken

It’s served with local vegetables and steamed rice. It tastes pretty good actually, but that could be the THC talking. *cough*

sri aman campuran

Sandra had the Sri Aman Campuran (RM 44) which is a combination of local favorites – grilled fresh water prawn with spicy tomato sauce, beef rendang, mixed satays, jungle fern and steamed fragrant rice.

prawn

The fresh water prawn is from the Batang Ai lake and it’s gargantuan! It must have been on a serious course of PGH (Prawn Growth Hormone) therapy. The flesh is succulent and sweet, and goes very well with the spicy tomato sauce.

sago gula melaka

This is the Sago Gula Melaka (RM 10). It’s a dessert of pearls of sago served with coconut milk and local brown sugar.

sago pearls

It’s a local dessert that’s served warm and tastes great!

wong irup bar

The Wong Irup Bar is the only lounge in Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort and serves a variety of alcoholic drinks, including several of their in-house concoctions. There are specialty cocktails containing tuak (a local Iban rice wine) for those wanting a sample of the local culture.

wong irup bar seat

We opted for a table for two with comfortable rattan armchairs.

bartender

The bartender is a friendly Iban local who recommended three (3) of their signature cocktails.

batang ai sunset

Phoenix had the Batang Ai Sunset (RM 20) a signature cocktai

l containing gin, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice and grenadine syrup.

longhouse paradise

I had the Longhouse Paradise (RM 20) a local cocktail made of tequila, tuak (a local rice wine), Drambuie, mango juice and sprite.

longhouse brew

We also tried the other specialty cocktail – the Longhouse Brew (RM 20) which is a concoction of tuak (Iban rice wine), tequila, coconut milk and grenadine syrup.

bar smoking

Wong Irup Bar is the only place within the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort where smoking is permitted. I capitalized on this by using their decorative candles to light a Marlboro.

corridor night

The corridor at the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is highlighted (no pun intended) at night by the quasi kerosene lamps hanging on top. This is a common fire hazard in traditional Iban longhouses but the resort version uses electricity.

adam

Thou shalt eat everything except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

bed wine

The resort pretty much tones down after 11 pm when the restaurant and bars close. You can bring your own wine for consumption after the bar closes.

making love

I found it very relaxing to just lay back, relax, drink some wine, make love and lounge at the deck at night, watching the night sky as the insects chirp around you. Not all at the same time, of course.

sunset us

Smoking on the veranda at night is tranquil (depending on the substances ingested, of course, and in my case, it’s always tobacco ;)) and while Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is not for everyone, it’s perfect for city dwellers wanting a weekend getaway with a loved one.

sandra pool

Time seems to slow down, and you really get to recharge your batteries at the place. Checkout time is at 12 noon but you would probably want to check out earlier to take the 12:15 am boat to meet the 1 pm shuttle back to Kuching. You can opt for a short stroll by the poolside or soak up the warm morning sun with the cool breeze coming in from the lake by the jetty.

noodles us

You might want to bring some instant food like cup noodles to the resort. Food at the restaurant is not cheap and while it’s not very expensive either, it’s also fun to boil some water and slurp some instant noodles in bed for breakfast.

sunrise

You can catch the rising sun if you wake up early enough for the sunrise over the lake.

me sandra steps

There is still time to go for a stroll if you wake up early in the morning. You can opt to have a leisurely lovemaking session…

poolchair me

…lounge by the poolside,

smell flowers

…or just stop and smell the flowers.

goodbye ai

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is a very chilled and relaxed environment – perfect for a weekend getaway.

back

It should be noted that there is no cellphone reception here, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on the reasons for your trip.

trip boat

I felt totally refreshed from the weekend getaway. πŸ™‚

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22 thoughts on “Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort”

  1. Very nice indeed, i like the idea where you can completely isolate yourself from the outside world especially after some hectic working weeks. Is pretty amazing to see how they incorporated the traditional Iban’s longhouse design with modern resort facilities. Apart from the overpriced catering service, Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is definitely the best weekend getaway…for couples!

    Reply
  2. LOL! You accidentally put the companion’s name in one part of the text. Rush job, HB? Some of the photos also has the companion’s name in the text caption. Now we know it’s SANDRA. ROTFLMAO!

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  3. You look so cute with your girl πŸ™‚ and the pictures are all so pretty! Makes me wish I could be there for my summer vacation I’m having now. πŸ™

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  4. Lol but of course she is Faye. It is visible from the 7th photo from the bottom and she is wearing the same red watch too.

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  5. Great read. hope work went ok.
    I bet it was nice enjoying The High Contrast there in such a beautiful setting.
    know what i mean πŸ˜‰
    PS: If you don’t mind me asking, roughly how much do rooms set you back? Including breakfast?

    Reply
  6. As I say again you should be a journalist, you must get high scole in writting essay during you school day. Anyway thanks for the report on Batang Ai Hilton, at least I know how the place look like. Oh ya Faye@ Phoenix or Sandra pic on the bed make me horny, its that the legs of your desire ;p

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  7. Cynthia, do you want to go when I am back for a three-week vacation next year? I want to meet you and of course HB again. Not in Feb though.
    Hey Adam, what a sexappealing post with Eva. Both of you are good posers. Your cam-whoring photos beat a lot of female bloggers out there. LOL
    Batang Ai, have heard about it so much, but this is actually the 1st post I get to see the details. Thanks.

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  8. Oh HB, you and your damn enticing vacation pics…… I have heard about the resort so much, but my parents are pushing the Royal Mulu Resort for me this time around when I am back in July….I am not sure I am into the whole rainforest thing….I am more interested in the whole beach thing – with the whole caucasion crowd scorching myself silly and building my freckle count πŸ™‚

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  9. HB now tell me the truth, did you guys perform threesome sexpedition there? Quick blog about it liao.
    BTW, you really need to inprove your photography skill. Your 3 cocktail photos are so damn lousy! Bad angle! Especially the fxxking RM20 Batang Ai Sunset cocktail pix, it is totally out of focus! You should have focused more on the background. Move the stupid cocktail glass aside and show more Pheonix/Faye/Sandra’s properties!

    Reply
  10. Hello everyone! I lost my cell phone AND my digicam last night at Balcony, Miri. I can be reached temporarily at 016 870 2069 for the duration of my Miri trip. Kim, Mark and Darren, call or text me when you read this coz I’m not going to Mulu due to waking up to late today. Let’s meet up again before I go back to Sibu.

    Reply
  11. ouch for the loss of gadgets.
    and aww. come on. give your tastebuds some credit here. or the chef at least! perhaps it was just some really good awesome herbal chicken thingie πŸ˜›

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  12. Oops sorry for your loses and I hope don’t have sex scene in the digicam otherwise you will be famous overnight ;p

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  13. Yo HB u quit drugs already ah? U look fatter so i assume u have quit drugs now
    How come your taste for women now sucks? Before u can easily score points with hotter looking girls.Now you are going out with an old hag who’s with kids?????? OMG!

    Reply
  14. I just got back from Miri. I’ve gotta get some sleep now coz I’ve been going clubbing for THREE days in a row and I’ve got work tomorrow. I’ll reply the comments tomorrow. Cheers!
    P/S – Thanks to Kim, Mark, Darren and all for your hospitality while I was in Miri. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  15. JoeNiece: Yeah, Batang Ai Hilton is great for that. One other place I can recommend is Pelagus. It’s operated by Regency and it’s also only accesible by boat. It’s near Kapit. I think it’s also meant for couples. πŸ˜‰
    e: Thanks buddy. πŸ™‚
    Hung Hung Inn was where I used to meet up with a meth dealer to get my stuff! It’s quite notorious for drug dealing.
    Yuthanesia: Hmm…maybe. Or it could just be a red herring to throw people off. πŸ˜‰
    I can’t change it now anyway so people can think what they want. Sandra working in the medical field or Faye. I’m not telling either way. πŸ™‚
    Rufus: Gotta recharge them batteries. It can be a bit tiring the next day you come back for work though. Exhausting would be a better word to describe the feeling.
    jessy: Thanks jessy! πŸ™‚
    It’s a nice place for a weekend getaway. Rainforest, lake, nature WITH modern amnities.
    Choonie: What pic? The naked one? I’m going to post that one up on the Miri beach writeup. πŸ™‚
    Sexpedition eh? LOL! I love that word. πŸ˜‰
    anonymous: Oh well…I’ve explained the red watch thing at least three times. I guess I’ll leave it at that. People can think what they want. πŸ™‚
    JW: Thanks! Work is great! I’ve just being transfered into another division and I love what I’m doing now. πŸ™‚
    The High Contrast, eh? I had to slip the…er, hydropopics into my underwear while flying to Kuching. πŸ˜‰
    The rooms are around RM 285 WITHOUT breakfast. It’s RM 300+ with breakfast and RM 480 with breakfast AND dinner. The rates change though, depending on whether it is peak season or not.
    evil feline: Thank you. The actual Batang Ai National Park is about a 20 minute boat ride away. This is the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. It’s a nice place to go if you’re going with a loved one.
    al’sera: Thanks! It is a very relaxing place to be, especially if you add some GABA agonists and other products that cause a THC positive urine test. πŸ˜‰
    Roland: Hmm…I’m concerned that if I have to write for a living, I won’t enjoy it that much. If I go into journalism I’ll have to write about things I might not enjoy and that takes the fun out of writing. I prefer to blog about the things that I enjoy doing.
    Horny eh…wait, lemme call an OKT for you in Kuching. China girl, sure satisfy one. πŸ˜‰
    cynthia: Yeah, it’ll be fun to go together. Kinda like a bloggers retreat. Mulu, perhaps? Or Bario or someplace remote like that.
    fish fish: I want to go too! Count me in.
    Everything I learnt about camwhoring, I learnt from Eve. πŸ˜‰
    You should go to Batang Ai with You Know Who (don’t know if your relationship with him is public yet so I won’t mention the name).
    Skwermy: The Royal Mulu Resort! I wanted to go there when I was in Miri but I went clubbing THREE nights in a row so we didn’t wake up in time. July eh…hey, you mind if I join you to Mulu? I’ll get my own room and all that of course since you’re going with your family but it would be fun to go to Mulu together. Caves, watching the bat exodus, just relax etc.
    Or, we could go to a beach…but I’m not sure where there are good beaches besides KK, Sabah. I’ll research in the meantime. You MUST call me when you’re back this time. πŸ™‚
    wilson: Threesome? Of course not. There’s only the two of us, how can we do a threesome with just two people?
    We just did regular sex, missionary, doggy style, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, fellatio, cunninglingus, rimming etc. Some foot worship too, I think. I’m pretty sure we had sex a lot of times while in Batang Ai. Long love making sessions too. It’s fun to go with a loved one.
    LOL @ the cocktail photo thing. I’ll post up a “better” photo next time, don’t worry. πŸ˜‰
    essentric: Thanks for the emphathy. I’m still feeling the pain of the 111 photos in the digicam. πŸ™
    Roland: There ARE actually sex photos and videos as well as nude photos in my cell phone. I’ve told the person (she’s never been mentioned on the blog, it’s a just a one night stand) and she said what’s done is done and she’s alright with it. I’m okay with it too, it’s not like there’s not already naked photos of me on the net. πŸ˜‰
    Avi: Here at sixthseal.com, we ALWAYS aim to please. πŸ˜‰
    junkie: Yeah, I’m not using drugs anymore (on a regular basis).
    Hmm…the answer to the second question is quite easy actually. Everyone has good points. Perhaps she’s just more caring, sensitive, and awesome in bed. πŸ˜‰

    Reply

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