Bao Sheng Durian Farm — Local services in George Town

Stayed here from Dec 5 to Dec 7 and it was honestly such a peaceful, one-of-a-kind getaway.

The room wasn’t so huge, and actually quite simple, but it was clean, tidy and well-maintained. Amenities were basic but fully equipped, and I super loved that they provided good-quality shower gel and shampoo (not those weird, watery ones you sometimes get). Water pressure was great too, no issues there. Despite the glass sliding doors, the room didn’t feel hot or stuffy at all. The air conditioning worked superbly, keeping everything cool and comfy. One small thing, the sliding door lock felt a bit loose, but honestly it wasn’t a big deal for me.

The real highlight was the view. Through the sliding doors, you get a full, open view of the orchard stretching out to the sea with gorgeous sunsets peeking through at the far end behind the forest. It gave the room a light, spacious feel, even though the space itself was cozy. They even provided seat cushions so you can lepak comfortably while enjoying the view -- how nice is that?

Entertainment-wise, there’s not much, no TV or anything, but we came prepared with a laptop for Netflix nights. During the day, we were mostly out exploring anyway, so it worked out fine.

Durian-wise, even though it wasn’t peak season, the farm still had some stacks from their own orchard. They kindly offered to serve some, but I was always too full by the time we got back from our outings. Probably a good excuse to come back again during the real season!

Getting there was a bit of a journey since Bao Sheng is tucked away in Balik Pulau, at the quieter, far end of Penang Island. It took about an hour from the city each way -- but we knew that and planned for a more off-the-grid, peaceful experience, so the drive wasn’t an issue. The entrance signage isn’t super clear, but Waze/Google Maps got us there with no problem.

Parking is a bit tricky. There aren’t many spots and the ones available are on a steep slope -- manageable when it’s quiet, but I imagine it could be tough when the place is more crowded.

One thing I really appreciated was the privacy. The whole place is surrounded by lush greenery and even inside the orchard itself, it felt calm and secluded, probably also helped that there weren’t many guests during our stay.

Have I mentioned the best part (again)? Yes, the view. Waking up to green orchards, sea in the distance and sunsets melting into the sky was exactly the kind of quiet, nature-filled escape I needed. For me, that’s the real kind of pampering.

I’d definitely go back again, maybe next time during durian season! Best part is, it doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket like some other places around the area.

Honestly, this place is highly recommended. Just come prepared with your own entertainment and snacks, and maybe tip your Grab delivery rider since it’s quite a drive...

Taking a short stay in a durian farm to get some tranquility and peace was what many would hope for and definitely hoping to catch some good durian harvest has to really depend on the Almighty GOD. BUT we have also to think that who are the guests that will be residing with you in that compound in that limited rooms for the entire stay. That will contribute to entire trip score. Unfortunately, I would say, we encountered a group of Chinese from China. As you know culture is a big difference, especially when you are confronted with challenges during mealtime. As you can see from the pictures, the owner can't contain them to be seated at their table. In fact, each table are placed a basket which indicate your share of durian will be distributed to you. But no, this group of people swam right to the table and crowd around. Talking loudly and asking questions and questions how to identify the durian. I know learning is good, but it makes you tickle when they still asked the owner what breed of durian after a good close of an hour learning. There's probably only 4 kinds of durian in display. To make things worse, when the owner started to open up the durian. It was not well distributed, we were faced with challenges, and we had to rolled up our sleeves and join the "fight". My friends and I wasn't ready for such food snatching action. We weren't brought up this way and we had never face a situation like this before. But we know we are being cornered to a state that no snatch, no durian. And these people continue to crowd around the table leaving no space and gaps for others. It is quite disappointing to find ourselves behaving in such manner. A big contrast from the first objective to seek tranquility and peace to stay in a durian farm, devouring the best durian harvesting enjoying the view. I hope to forget how we forced to stand, snatch and aiming for fresh open durian. That was really lousy and ugly. I did convey my concern to the younger boss and he was quite understanding about the culture shock we are experiencing. He was nice to accept my proposal to separate our dinner from theirs. For I just want to enjoy a peaceful dinner without having to snatch over a dinner.

The next day as we proceed down to the city, we found a nice durian stall that serve good durian as well. This time we were seated down properly and enjoying every seed slowly and discussing about the taste. That's call a good...

Don't know what to say... ...after many years of traveling, staying in various places, someone who makes a living from this we have to be realistic... Very bad start! A huge CLOSED sign at the entrance! Nobody at the check in table! (Check in is in the Bar,there is no Check in counter). Room is not ready! You have to pay on the spot, because they don't charge through the application through which you book accommodation! For what they offer it is realy overpriced. The rooms are ok (they need a bit of tidying up) but if you want to stay for 1 day - overnight stay. We got the impression that mostly young people come here who want to have fun and have a place for sex. Because we saw it on the spot. Breakfast you have only if you pay extra for it (and that's too much, because the same dish is 5-6 times cheaper in the city). For lunch and dinner, you can manage on your own or you have to ask the owner to order for you, which is very strange, isn't it? We can order it ourselves. The pools are very dirty, although they say that they change the water with the arrival of each new guest. The beds are too hard and the mornings are very noisy (constant noise of passing motorcycle). The workers who work on the farm are very noisy, and at night there were dogs (I hope so)walking in the room/attic above us, making so much noise that we didn't sleep. Generally, well thought out but in practice a complete failure. For the money they take, they offer nothing, there is no content, no service, and for that money or even less you can find better accommodation with full service elsewhere. Our friends who went during the durian season are also not satisfied because they paid a lot and got nothing. That's not how you do business. If you don't have a car, you are stuck there. And around this property there is no one. Literally!!! The only thing that is really wonderful is the nature and the view from the farm, but that's all. P.S.- This is not hate review, but a constructive criticism that I hope will be corrected because they have great potential to...