DINING AT PANGKOR LAUT

There are nine different places to dine at the resort. At the Samudra, guests get authentic Malay and traditional Chinese cuisine at a restaurant built on stilts over the sea near the lobby. The Palm Grove Café, also near the lobby, is where the extensive buffet breakfast is served with tropical fruit drinks (these guys make the best and most unusual banana pancakes). Oasis Bar, next door, has drinks and snacks. Uncle Lim's Chinese restaurant was my favorite – not only for the open-air design, with dark wood and colorful red lanterns throughout the interior, all atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea -- but because Chef Uncle Lim made the best honey crispy chicken I ever had. Below Uncle Lim’s is the Sri Lagenda Lounge, where many people meet for pre- or post-dinner drinks. Sri Lagenda Lounge and Fisherman's Cove are the restaurants folks must walk through to get to Spa Village. Fisherman's Cove serves fine (and the most expensive) dishes, including fresh seafood, steaks (the beef is from Australia), and Chinese and Italian cuisine (this is the only restaurant with a dress code, which means no shorts or flip-flops). The Royal Bay Beach Club is located next to the lap pool in the Spa Village, and offers light breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day. Then there’s Chapman's Bar. Located on the other side of the island at Emerald Bay, it serves sandwiches, salads, local dishes and traditional satay. It’s the perfect place to go to after the jungle trek (more on that in a minute).