BuBu Villa — Hotel in Lesser Perhentian Island

Went with 2 young kids. Drive from KL was long but worth it. First time at Perhentian. The sand quality is superb and the turquoise waters is beautiful.

Stayed 4 nights at the Beach Villa with 2 bedrooms. Then we stayed at the Resort for 1 night at the ground floor family room.

The Good and the Bad:

Superb Points : free one class yoga for guests and the staff Zen is very nice , friendly welcome drinks are very nice sunset free drinks is very nice touch and highly appreciated both for the villa and resort it was wonderful breakfast spread at villa was almost same every day and the staff seem less savvy than the resort (the pancake on first few days nice and on last day it was a failed batter at the villa) while at the resort the staff were speedy and moved fast to serve the coffee, juices, eggs ... seems more well trained rooms at the villa were nice and spacious rooms at the resort were cramped but clean , a bit weird the fridge was inside the toilet area the sand is beautiful the sea is beautiful many water sports to book from diff suppliers many eateries around to give you choices for lunch and dinner the villa is well positioned in the less traffic part of the island while resort was very happening but too many people for my taste island tour to the turtle area was superb and also the romantic beach husband and I took a 2 hour hike to a hidden beach and all the way up to the tower and wind turbine and down the secret beach don’t miss the sunrise daily at about 7:05 am!!! we had superb weather when we went in mid August

Bad points giant geckos and I mean GIANT at our outdoor toilets which scared me but anyway this is what nature is all about lots of trash on the beach and sea, compared to my trip a week earlier to cherating we barely see this kind of trash staff at villa dont clean up the lounge seats for 3 days I saw a takeaway cup juice at the bottom of the lounge seats and it was there for days. staff don’t seem to care about the trash to clean up in front of their beach area I almost stepped on a sharp glass and I mean damn sharp in the beach area so so worried my son or daughter will get hurt mineral water bottles were small wish they gave big ones to save the earth, or have a Coway / Cukoo to filter water so people can keep refilling their own water bottles some towels weren’t washed well could see some stains however I let it go bec it’s tough to maintain I believe they send towels to be washed in another part of the island maybe I stepped on an Anchor due to the many many boats that are docked on the beach. I think the island should make rules how to cover the anchor or at least put sign so people won’t trip over it at night there’s no light at the beach and we almost stepped on it many times and I tripped one time ... the anchors are sharp and look dangerous if you stepped on it

Overall highly recommended I enjoyed my time at Perhentian with Bubu Villas and Resort.

Wish they will do something with the trash situation else we will be swimming with the...

We recently stayed at both Bubu Resort (the resort) and Bubu Villa (the villa).

Service at the resort is good. Bear in mind it is close to the jetty, though it is no fault of theirs. The beach is a public area so there are many visitors going by to and from the many beach cafes conveniently located right by the resort.

Ample USB charge points in the rooms at the resort. Food is expensive as supplies have to be replenished from the mainland, a usual feature for many island resorts worldwide. Rooms are decent in size and well laid out (we were on the ground floor) with tea and coffee making facilities within, however, please take some milk or creamer with you as that is not available in the rooms.

As for the villa, it is very pretty and the beach is calmer on this side as it is towards the southern end of the Long Beach and as there are only a handful of chalets at that part, you don’t get many visitors milling about. Access to the beach is great and makes the stay very enjoyable. One may even sit in the restaurant and watch your children play in the sand. Yes, that close.

While the landscape, lighting and decor make the villa pretty, the F&B service was a letdown. The lack of fluency in languages (English, BM or Mandarin) is a lame excuse because they did not even speak the universal language of the human smile. Waiters seem tired and frustrated but any good hotel would agree that that should be oblivious to the guests.

We understand that both the villa and the resort have hired new managers who came from solid hospitality backgrounds who bring with them a wealth of experience. Celina and Brandon, the two managers, were both the saving grace of the place. They listened and understood and were quick to look into our needs and wishes.

Moving forward, the proprietors or owners/operators need to give these two managers the support and trust that they will take the Bubu brand to greater prominence if they are given the chance. They are natural leaders and if the staff also give their support, they can turn this place around 180’ for the better.

All in all, Bubu is a diamond in the rough. With some polish, it can be another esteemed Malaysian brand. Who wouldn’t want that?

NB: can you please put orange traffic cones over the anchors along the beach? We shudder at the thought that somebody might accidentally get impaled or stabbed with an anchor while playing on the beach. These boat anchors are precarious; but are somehow also quite difficult to spot when our eyes are looking out at the gorgeous blue sea and not at the sand while strolling on the...

Our stay at Bubu Villas was fabulous from start to finish. From the airport pick up, to the service we received throughout our stay. We were treated like royalty and could not have asked for better. We stayed in a Family Beach Villa which boasted two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a day room – just perfect for our needs. The housekeeping staff were faultless in their care and attention to detail on a daily basis. The reception staff were always available for anything we needed. The service team, providing us with our cocktails and all our general needs, were the best we have ever experienced. Mikey makes a fabulous drink to complement the chefs afternoon canapes. Nasir was fabulous, he knew what we needed before we knew ourselves and was on hand throughout our stay for anything we wanted or needed. The food was spectacular. Breakfast offered freshly squeezed juice to order, an array of fresh fruit, pastries rolls, nuts and yoghurt. The fantastic catering team were also on hand to provide hot food to order. Waquar’s French toast with banana and chocolate sauce was the best we have ever eaten. The breakfast omelette also rivalled anything we have had elsewhere. For lunch or in the evening, we had a vast choice of Thai, western and BBQ food. Between Angelo’s western delights, the thai team’s expert dishes and the BBQ specialities we worked hard to eat as much of the menu as possible so we could experience everything. All the staff, from the managers to the maintenance team were friendly polite and attentive. They could not do enough to make our stay comfortable and special. We went on a fabulous snorkelling trip to the Islands highlights. The service we received, combined with the stunning beauty of the Island made for the...