The third activity we signed up for was the Heritage & Art Tour that takes place from 5pm to 6pm every day. We met Jaycelle again and together with Nuurul from the culturist team, they took us on a walking tour to learn about the history and design of the property. It was Jaycelle’s first time leading this tour and she did really well! We got to see some peafowls before we commenced the tour too.
These were some of the interesting highlights that stood out for me:
– The current main buildings used to house British soldiers who were single while the colonial manors further downhill housed those who were married, presumably for greater privacy
– The reason for the many doors in the main buildings was so that people could quickly evacuate the premises in the event of a pirate attack
– The plaque that commemorates the Trump-Kim summit held here back in 2018 is reportedly shined and polished every day (such dedication!)
– The walkway up to Cassia restaurant has an overhanging bamboo fixture and an actual flowing fountain to create a relaxed mood before you enter (as the saying goes, meals are better enjoyed when one is in a calm state of mind)
– The art piece at the entrance of The Living Room is made up of photos of close-up details found around the hotel (I wouldn’t have stopped to admire it if it weren’t for this tour, pretty cool!)
As the tour came to a close, Nuurul and Jaycelle walked us to our next destination at Bob’s Bar on level 2. Before saying our goodbyes, Nuurul recommended us to get an outdoor seat facing the sea as it is apparently a good spot to watch the sun set and maybe even see stars later at night.
Every day at about 6pm, complimentary tasting shots of homemade Grog are served to guests here as part of the Bosun’s Call ceremony. This ritual is meant to pay tribute to the British naval practices back in the day, where the ship crew were summoned with the Bosun’s whistle to receive their daily ration of rum. I thought there was going to be an actual sounding signal or ritual of some sort but the staff simply handed out the rum mix in very cool-looking shot glasses, which tasted absolutely potent. They also brought us chips and snacks to go along with it.
After a brief rest in our room, we then made our way to Cassia on level 4 (main entrance access via level 3) for dinner as I had D$ to spend from my GHA Discovery membership. Having learned about the purposeful design of the restaurant’s walkway entrance, I took some time to appreciate and immerse myself in the serenity it was meant to induce. Inside, the spaces are elegant, furnished exquisitely and exudes a refined ambience. Alternatively, you can opt to sit outside for a more alfresco feel.
Generally, the dishes were plated quite nicely and had subtle but delicious flavours. However, the portions were on the smaller side given this price point. We started with an order for bai mu dan tea infused with rock melon ($12++ for 2 pax). This was recommended by the very knowledgeable Darren, our main dinner host, who took the time to explain what went into our food and tea. He shared that the rock melon skins are actually put on roasters before being absorbed by the tea leaves. I liked how light and refreshing it tasted, with a mild aroma from the rock melon.
On to the food! The Yeung Chow fried rice with homemade XO chilli sauce ($16++ for 1 pax) reminded me of the wagyu beef fried rice we had at Madame Fan as this also had a hint of spice to elevate the flavours. Their sweet and sour Ral d’Avinyó pork ($26++ for 2 pax) was slightly crispy on the outside and wonderfully tender on the inside, though it did get a bit sweet for me after a while. Observing that I was meticulously taking photos of our food, Darren presented the fried rice in its intact state for me to take photos first before bringing it away to split it into portions for us, so thoughtful!
I really enjoyed the steamed cod fish with black garlic ($28++ for 1 pax) as it was creamy, fragrant and melted flawlessly in our mouths. A close second that I undoubtedly needed more of was the wok-fried Australian wagyu beef with black pepper sauce ($38++ for 1 pax), perfectly cooked and very succulent.
Rounding up our meal with dessert, we had the chilled green tea jelly with homemade aloe vera yoghurt ($16++ for 1 pax) and the chilled mango pudding with fresh fruit ($12++ for 1 pax). The former option was a bit of a letdown as I was not expecting the jelly (made of matcha powder and soy milk) to be in an odd noodle form. My husband and I agreed that the flavours and textures just didn’t work as it was just a whole lot of plain-tasting mushy textures. Thankfully, the latter option was yummy and not too sweet, though it wasn’t particularly good value for money.
Having said that, I was able to offset $138.77 worth of D$ from the final bill, so this delectable meal only set us back a mere $35.43. A definite steal in my books 🙂
The next morning, we headed to Fiamma on level 1 for breakfast. This restaurant was newly renovated at that time, a refreshing makeover from its dreary predecessor, The Knolls (for guests who resided here while renovations were underway, there was the additional breakfast venue option at Cassia with a Yum Cha menu).
During our stay, breakfast here was a mix of a self-serve buffet style and a la carte unlimited ordering with free-flow bubbly to boot! I utterly adore the interiors of this place – the earthy colours and homey furniture married perfectly to create a light and airy vibe. Outdoor seating is also available with views of the pools and surrounding landscapes.
I felt that the food from the a la carte menu (which were mostly egg dishes, local favourites, pancakes and waffles) was relatively better in terms of execution and quality, but the rest of the self-serve items also held their own. I especially liked the eggs benedict, laksa and the fruit macédoine (this was so addictive for some reason). The pancakes and pastries such as the pain au chocolat and signature pandan roll were pretty good too. The waffles were probably the weakest link (although they gave us another portion of this since we were celebrating our anniversary, oops) as the batter had a slightly burnt metallic taste. Major props for having staff walk around to hand out yakult drinks and putting fresh juices on the menu, including fresh coconuts!
Right after breakfast, we attended our fourth activity, the Sustainable Art & Craft workshop, where we got to paint and personalize a pouch for ourselves. The allocated time for this workshop is 1.5 hours but you’re free to leave at any point. I love sunset scenes but I have difficulty translating something imagined onto a canvas, so I searched for an image to reference and emulate (swipe left to see the reference image). As you can tell from the finished product, I’m really not much of an artist (my husband painted his straight from his brain, amazing).
We had to leave our pouches here for a few hours to allow it to dry, so if you’re keen on this workshop, I recommend attending it in the earlier part of your stay so you have ample time to let your finished works dry. Our pouches were eventually presented to us nicely tied up with a gift ribbon.
The final activity we took part in before our departure was a 20-minute Build Your Own Boba workshop. I imagine this is a real hit with the locals given our obsession with all things bubble tea. When Lexi was introducing the ingredients (rum-based tea, gula melaka pearls, cream cheese), I was fairly sure I wasn’t going to enjoy this drink as these aren’t typically the kind of ingredients I’d willing opt to ingest. However, I was way off base with my prediction! I completely revelled in the light yet rich fragrance of the tea, the softness (as opposed to sticky chewiness) of the pearls and the fluffy smoothness of the cream cheese. I think it helped that I didn’t totally coat the glass with all the gula melaka so the sweetness levels were just right for me.
I enjoyed the drink so much that I enquired whether this could be bought anywhere else. Lexi shared that the Naveganthe tea they use can only be purchased at Bob’s Bar and the cream cheese is specially made by the chefs here. So… I basically have to make my way back again if I ever want to relish this divine beverage :’)
Recall what happened in Part 1! 🡰
My overall rating of the experience: 5 out of 5 stars. This hotel is certainly the epitome of heritage luxury and service excellence – riveting architecture and landscapes, well-appointed rooms, comprehensive facilities, delicious dining options, a curated resort programme with engaging activities, as well as staff who genuinely go the extra mile to make your stay a fantastic one. Huge shout-out to Jaycelle, Lexi and Nuurul from the culturist team, the staff from the spa team and Darren from Cassia! Thanks for the warm welcomes, candid conversations and outstanding hospitality you showed us. We truly appreciated all the little gestures and personal touches that made us feel so well taken care of. Upon checking out, Jaycelle even gifted us a printed photo of us taken during our Heritage & Art Tour with a handwritten note on the back, very sweet of her! The only minor issues were the various insects I encountered in our room (yes, I recognize this is a forested area but it doesn’t make them any less creepy) and the lacklustre afternoon tea offerings from The Living Room. The billing during check-out also took a lot longer than expected but in the grand scheme of things, our experience here far exceeded what we imagined it to be. Looking forward to our next stay already!
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
Dania Experiences 