THE Loch Ness monster? What?! I shoot up with a start from my cosy perch on the synthetic rattan chair, the book on my lap dropping with a loud thud onto the wooden deck. Squinting hard into the distance, I can barely make out the silhouette of "something" emerging from the lake.
The waters, which seem to glisten hypnotically under the moonlight, begin to part slowly as the "thing" — whose small tapered head and slender neck are faintly discernible — moves languidly in the inky darkness of the night in the direction of the opposite bank.
The sudden hooting of a night bird pierces the calm, causing me to divert my attention momentarily in the direction of the trees that frame the lake. Hmm, probably an owl, I think to myself before turning my gaze back to the waters.
Eh, where's it gone? I wail silently, scanning the distance for the mysterious creature, which seems to have been swallowed up by the blanket of darkness. Minutes tick by and the lake remains devoid of movement, except for a slight ripple caused by a gentle breeze.
"Did I imagine it?" I muse to myself as I throw a final expectant look at the lake before swiftly grabbing my book to retire for the night in the cosy embrace of my lakeside villa, the Jala Villa, one of the many charming villas at the Mangala Resort and Spa — a hidden paradise set amidst the tranquil backdrop of lakes and wetlands in Gambang, Kuantan.
JOURNEY OF REJUVENATION
"We have our own Loch Ness monster. You might be able to spot it when you sit out on the deck or veranda!" says Nurul Hanum Abdul Raffar, the resort's director of sales, eyes dancing mischievously under her dark-rimmed glasses.
"Wait, Loch Ness monster?" I shout back, partly in shock, and in part to be heard above the din of the chatter of the rest of the guests on the buggy as we traverse the grounds of this sprawling resort. Suddenly, the image of the mysterious creature begins to swim into my periphery.
Her raucous chuckles followed by a playful wink tell me that I may have been played. "Did you see something in the lake?" she asks, her tone innocent. I squint back at her in response before proceeding to share with the now curious group about my sighting just the night before. "Was it a crocodile then?" I couldn't help blurting out sheepishly.
Once again, Nurul Hanum's laughter permeates the air. Shaking her head in mirth, she replies: "No lah, no crocodiles or Loch Ness monster. Just monitor lizards! Or maybe even otters. Do you know we have an otters' crossing here?
"If you're lucky, you might spot them as they cross from the river (Sungai Belat) to the lake. It's not a huge river, but there are otters residing there. They sneak into the lake because there's lots of fish. And then they sneak back!"
The Mangala Resort and Spa, around 2½ hours' drive along the East Coast Expressway and far from the madding crowd, truly is a nature paradise. The brainchild of Datuk Franky Chua, the low-profile founder and managing director of Franky Group, the resort strives to uphold the founding values of sustainable living and giving back to the environment.
A SECOND CHANCE
Deriving its name from Sanskrit, Mangala (which means auspicious) is a beautiful development that is the result of an inspiring 15-year journey of rejuvenation which saw the transformation of an abandoned wasteland, laid barren by more than 70 years of tin and sand mining, into an environmentally sustainable haven.
Interestingly, Chua, a natural-born botanist who purchased the land more than 20 years ago, had originally intended for it to be a secluded retreat for his own family. A tinge of awe in her voice, the affable sales director points out: "Unlike other places where the owners seek out nice plots to construct their resorts or hotels, in Mangala, the owner literally "built up" the natural surroundings from scratch — from nothing to something."
When Chua decided to turn things around, he consulted friends and experts on how to improve the soil and rehabilitate the land. Shares Nurul Hanum: "Datuk Franky already had a bungalow unit here and he never intended to build a resort. But being in the construction industry, he already has experience building resorts and carrying out such projects."
Initially, Chua constructed Sara Villa or Wetlands Cottage just for fun and to relax with his family and friends. But his friends saw the potential of the site and knowing how hard he had worked to create everything here, they encouraged him to do something with it.
"And that's when Datuk Franky made the decision to expand on what he already had by building more villas so he could share the joy of the place with others," says Nurul Hanum. The process to transform the site into a lush nature retreat began in earnest in 2001, with palm trees being planted to kickstart the rehabilitation.
FOCUSING ON NATURE
Today, charming, rustic villas dot the landscape of Mangala, set against a beautiful backdrop of palm trees, exotic flower and herb gardens, organic fruit orchards, and picturesque water features. Guests can choose to stay in the resort's nature-inspired villas, which have been mindfully designed to suit individual needs — be it for nature lovers, romantic couples, city slickers in search of a nature-integrated environment, families looking for quality time, or corporate groups seeking a private team-building retreat.
The villas — from Amani Villa (Orchard Villa) to Jala Villa (Water Villa) and Sara Villa (Wetlands Cottage) — range between 61sq m to 300sq m in size, and are furnished with green-energy equipment and systems.
So, there are light timers, a key card cut-off system and energy-saving air-conditioners to minimise power usage. Other features include large verandas and colonnades to reduce glare from outside while LED lights make up 90 per cent of the resort's lighting.
Incidentally, Mangala is also the first Malaysian resort to win the FIABCI World Prix D'Excellence Award 2018 in the Environmental (Rehabilitation/Conservation) category. "There's an abundance of birds and migrating birds here that are considered rare and seldom seen elsewhere. In fact, the resort is now home to more than 100 species of birds and blossoming flora and fauna," shares Nurul Hanum, a self-confessed K-Pop fan, her tone laced with pride.
Adding, she tells me that Mangala's management practices and philosophy are primarily based around the desire to connect guests with nature, while ensuring minimal impact on the environment.
"During your stay, you'll be able to see for yourself all the efforts we've made and continue to make to preserve the local ecosystem," says Nurul Hanum, before proceeding to list out other eco-friendly measures.
"We let guests use the buggies and bicycles to get around the resort, and we strictly prohibit hunting, fishing or the killing of wildlife on our grounds."
She goes on to share that the in-house chefs at the restaurant will try to use as much of the resort's own produce wherever possible. Smiling, Nurul Hanum offers: "I'll take you to our orchard and vegetable farm tomorrow, where we plant everything from green beans to eggplants, as well as tropical fruits, such as kedondong, passionfruit and herbs like mint and Thai basil."
JOY OF THE OUTDOORS
"You must try our outdoor activities at the recreation area by the lake. You can also do archery. And don't forget the bicycles!" Nurul Hanum's words from the day before ring in my ears as I hastily prepare myself for an active morning, having been awoken by the happy chirping of birds on my balcony. The air is crisp and the sky, a perfect blanket of the deepest blue. It's the best day to go out and enjoy nature!
A persistent tinkling sound coming from outside my villa snaps me out of my momentary reverie and whips me back to action. Sunglasses. Check. Water bottle. Check. Small towel. Check. Energy level. Super charged!
"Let's gooo!" hollers my best friend, who's already parked her bottom on a bicycle and is waiting impatiently for me to get my act together. Ahh, so that's where the annoying tinkling sound came from, I muse aloud, before reaching for another bicycle by the deck and gingerly cycling towards her. Gosh, I haven't ridden one for ages!
There's something surreal about having the warm caress of the sun on your bare back, the gentle breeze on your face, and cycling with abandon into the heart of an oil palm plantation. Many thoughts flit through my mind as I continue my ride, namely that Mangala is a unique destination — one I'd never have thought to sign up for had I been planning for a holiday.
Being more familiar with beaches or jungles, or even hill resorts, the idea of holidaying in an oil palm setting seems rather incongruous. I mean, I see oil palm landscapes whenever I make my occasional drive down south to Johor, and know of palm oil and palm oil-based products as being the country's largest export.
But as backdrop for a resort? I guess therein lies the intrigue. And this makes Mangala Resort and Spa a very interesting proposition — for a holiday with a difference. Once again, Nurul Hanum's conversation with me the previous day rings in my ear.
"An oil palm plantation has its own unique ecosystem," she said proudly, adding: "When Datuk Franky built up this land, we managed to attract a few bird species. We had some auditing done by the folks from Taman Negara Bird Park. The results showed the presence of many birds like the purple heron, hornbill etc. with eight hotspots identified. By the way, you might even spot the lesser whistling duck around the villas facing the wetlands."
Mangala may not be a birdwatching paradise compared to, say, Taman Negara with its impressive specie-count. But for an amateur who's just starting to learn and appreciate avian life, this isn't a bad place to hone some solid skills.
Birds aren't the only creatures to make this place their home. I was told over lunch the previous day that if you're lucky, you might cross paths with civet cats and wild boars, or hear the haunting hoot of an owl after dark. Unfortunately, the resort doesn't organise night safaris, so you just have to keep your eyes and ears peeled as you wander around the grounds.
ON TARGET
"We're here!" squeals my best friend, Karen, causing me to almost topple from my bicycle as I brace for a sudden stop. My eyes widen in awe at the vision of a beautiful man-made lake shimmering mesmerisingly under the mid-afternoon sun, like canvas over the water with the reflections of trees that surround it. In the distance, a lone gentleman — our activities officer — is bent over a row of colourful kayaks, oblivious to our noisy arrival.
"Archery or kayak first?" she asks impatiently, this time pointing in the direction of the more shadowy canopy of oil palm trees on the other side. My "inner William Tell" gets the better of me as I motion towards the circular target erected on a clearing amidst the trees.
"What about the bows and arrows?" I holler to Karen, before turning around and finding myself looking into the bemused eyes of "Abang activities", who'd somehow made his way to us with such stealth that we didn't even realise he was no longer with the kayaks. In his hands are two wooden bows and a quiver full of arrows.
"Want me to show you how to shoot?" he asks pleasantly, offering me first dibs. I smile back before telling him that this isn't the first time that I'm doing archery. In fact, it's one of my favourite outdoor activities. Somewhere from behind me, I can just about FEEL my best friend's smirk boring into my back!
Satisfied that we wouldn't be a menace to whatever living creature that might just cross our paths, he motions towards the kayaks and tells us to join him there once we're done. "After the kayak, you can also go on the paddleboat around the lake," he suggests.
Then, pointing to a bridge in the distance, he adds: "That's our bridge of love, which leads to the vegetable farm on the other side. You can paddle under it to get to the farm. If you're lucky, you'll see more species of birds. You might even bump into a river terrapin swimming around."
Reminds me of the Monet bridge, I whisper to Karen excitedly, recalling the French impressionist's exquisite Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies — undoubtedly my favourite all-time painting. Water lilies and the Japanese bridge represent two of Claude Monet's greatest achievements: his gardens at Giverny and the series of paintings they inspired.
"Nice feature for Insta. Shame there are no water lilies," Karen mumbles back, before nodding towards the bows and arrows, and adding: "Jom, let's go and unleash our inner terrer!"
BOUNTY FROM THE LAND
By the time we've completed the morning activities, it's back to the buggy to rejoin Nurul Hanum for a quick tour of the resort's vegetable garden. Suffice it to say, she's pretty chuffed about this initiative.
"What we plant in our vegetable garden are also sent to our sister property in Kuantan," shares Nurul Hanum, beaming mischievously at the sight of our sweat-drenched faces. Our skin definitely two shades darker by now, Karen and I look like a dishevelled mess next to our host, who's turned up in a crisp white shirt over a pair of loose pants, her sunnies perched on her head.
"We plant many seasonal vegetables, like long beans, eggplants, lady's fingers, kangkung (water spinach), lemon grass, pandan, ulam and various herbs, such as mint and Thai basil," shares Nurul Hanum during the ride, adding: "We also have tropical fruits like ciku (sapodilla), mandarin oranges, passion fruit, kedondong (ambarella) etc."
The chefs here try to use as much of the produce from the vegetable garden in their cooking. Unfortunately, there's not enough to sustain for long, confides Nurul Hanum. "Because it's a bit small, there'll be enough for two rounds of picking and then we have to wait for another cycle. It's important to rotate the plants."
"Are we going to be tucking into these vegetables for lunch?" I couldn't help blurting out, unable to stifle a small rumble from escaping my stomach. Sheepishly, I mouth the word "hungry" to Nurul Hanum and once again, she laughs uproariously.
"It's been a long morning, huh? Yes, definitely!" she replies, grinning widely. Adding proudly, she says: "Chef has prepared a wonderful spread for both of you at the Lakeside Restaurant, our all-day dining restaurant. You'll be able to tuck into the bounty from the land and then go back to your villas and have a well-earned rest!"
Definitely sounds like a plan!
For more info on the resort, visit www.mangalaresortandspa.com or IG @mangalaresortandspa.
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