THE KASTURI

Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast is ripe for a relaxing getaway thanks to the recent opening of a luxurious small-scale resort. Less than an hour’s drive to the north of Kuantan, the Pahang state capital, The Kasturi overlooks a 1.3-kilometer-long beach near an estuary where the Pak Siak river empties into the South China Sea. Its 23 rooms are mostly beachfront pool villas— distinctive A-frame structures that feature private deck areas with gardens, outdoor showers, and more. The resort’s main building contains six single-bedroom suites, a twobedroom penthouse, and four units of threebedroom Forest Villas will be completed by the second quarter of 2018. Communal facilities here include a restaurant, bar, spa treatment rooms, and a beachfront 20-meter pool. Guests can enjoy kayaking to the sea along the mangrove-lined Pak Siak river, while The Kasturi runs a turtle hatchery with daily releases between May and October. Km 32.5, Jl. Kuantan–Kemaman, Cherating, Pahang, Malaysia; 60-9/582-5000; the-kasturi.com