Harmony Valley Retreat — Hotel in Pahang

So we decided to spend the first day of the year in quiet, serene Janda Baik and the reviews of Harmony Valley Retreat looked great. We read a review that said children were not allowed - and after the stressful city life and daily grind, this is exactly what we wanted. Peace and heaven on earth.||||When we arrived at 230pm, our room was still not ready yet which was fine despite check-in time being 2pm. Then upon asking about dinner, we were told that the chef was not around (on holiday or something) which we felt should have been disclosed to us before we booked it. There's not much to eat in the area and you don't really want to be driving around the dark and spooky roads at night. But whatever, the room was booked and we were just there for one night. No big deal.||||We stayed in the King room with the balcony on the top most floor and it was a really lovely room (maybe a tad dated but OK in general). High ceilings, and tall windows with spectacular views of the greenery and hills around us, this is what I came here for. It was quiet, and the breeze was cool. Perfect.||||Until loud music started coming from a family that just arrived with a bunch of obnoxious, loud kids half an hour later. And I mean LOUD music. And even louder children. Don't get me wrong, I have nephews and nieces and I'm OK with regular children shenanigans but these kids were shouting like they owned the place. Some of the slightly older preteens came up to our floor and used the living room area and were talking loudly so we could hear their entire conversation even in bed. This continued on to karaoke in the night. Which honestly, we still tolerated. Yes, we understand that we're sharing the house with other people - it would've been great if their parents had the decency to tell them the same thing too. ||||About 11.30pm I drifted off to sleep, but was rudely awaken at 12.30am by a loud bang of the door in the outside living room of our floor followed by the extremely loud conversation from these kids, more shouting, more laughing. After midnight. If they were talking in hushed tones or in a lower voice, I'd have let it go. But this, was honestly too much. Enough is enough.My partner who was incredibly tolerant throughout the trip also lost his cool as we were both awaken rudely by the noise and told them off. They really ruined what would have been a nice getaway.||||It rained overnight and into the morning which almost made me forget about the annoying occupants that we shared the place with so I got up early and made use of the early morning peace and quiet and did some yoga on our balcony and the cooling breeze which was lovely. ||||The breakfast that was provided was some fried meehoon, an omelette, toast and some cut fruits. It was alright, but could be better. So we went up after and enjoyed the rest of the view from our room, and sure enough, we heard the noise start to build up (karaoke at 10AM is completely normal right?).||||So yeah, I get that we can't choose who we spend your holiday with and it's no fault of the Harmony Valley Retreat but hey if you're going to call yourself that.. it would be good to have some house rules for guests with no common courtesy. I would have come back in a heartbeat based on the place itself (it really is lovely, and the staff were friendly and nice), but due to this experience maybe I'll try somewhere else first with individual villas...

Quiet, serene and heavenly retreat just an hour from KL Pros: fresh cool air, lush greenery, no sound pollution, no screaming /loud children or adults, big clean room, lush green surrounding, delicious and healthy meals home-cooked and organically-GROWN just a few metres away, friendly and helpful staff.

Cons: NONE! Except for a guest who smoked beneath our room! Yuck!

Room: beautiful designed, comfortable king-size bed, clean sheets and the best part is that it has HUGE windows to let the cool breeze and fresh air in. Our room was on the 1st floor and there was a small stream below us with constant flow of cold clean water. The sound of trickling water, bird songs and rustle of leaves made this wonderful place a 5 star experience - best sleep in a long time. They have satellite TV but why bother switching it on when you are literally surrounded by nature. Food: limited to just one type of meal available for dinner (you need to order in advance). They do not run a restaurant and the meals are cooked by the caretakers themselves (only 3 of them running the whole place) And so as to keep the food fresh and less time refrigerated. However, the food is absolutely DELICIOUS because it's organic and fresh! Very flavourful. Breakfast was healthy and delicious as well - simple tomato salsa, corn, omelette and chicken mushroom wrap and a piece of watermelon. Healthy! I have absolutely no complain about the meals. Thank god none of that Nasi Lemak nonsense. Staff: Friendly, fast and effective in running the place. Location: I love that it is so high up the hills of Janda Baik and remote because that help cut down on the pollution. Beautiful night sky too. It is a place good for introspection, quietness, serenity and peace, and people looking for Genting-style excitement type of getaway...

Nestled in the isolated nest of villas in the pine forest beyond Pineyard cafe is an oasis from the city, and one of them is by the name of Harmony Valley.

Driving up, you may feel at some points lost, as the road is windy and buildings are few and far between. However, you will see the sign announcing Harmony Valley before the steep turn going down towards the driveway of the charming guest lodge.

The lodge's external features are as same as the photos. Large, welcoming, and warm like the arms of a matronly woman.

Inside, you are greeted by one or two staff members who are friendly and accommodating. They helped me with my bags upstairs (as my room was on the top floor). The stairs are definitely a bit of a climb, so it won't be suitable for anyone with additional mobility needs.

The room itself is spacious and beautiful. There is a strong mix of natural wood among the fixtures, and really gives you the feeling of "blending in" to the environment rather than standing out from the serene surroundings. The room also featured a 120 degree view of the natural greenery around it, thanks to the large windows and balcony on the side.

The toilet is clean and features both a shower and a bath. The hot water was prompt and readily available at all times.

A clean kettle and some instant beverages (tea, coffee, milo) are provided.

My only possible complaint about the room is that both the bed and the bath are just slightly too short for me. (Although I admit am rather taller than average at 180cm). Aside from that though, the ceiling was very high and gave me a great sense of comfort.

I stayed only one night but I wish I had many more. Harmony Valley Retreat has definitely earned its name. Highly...