Desaru, on the east coast of Malaysia, is a popular getaway for both the locals as well as
Singaporeans. Even if you did not visit Desaru before, you would have heard of the
popular attractions Desaru has – Ostrich farm, Fruit farm or even a firefly tour.
Instead of visiting these family-friendly attractions, H & I main objective
of the trip is to chill. With
the opening of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort, we decide to do a road trip to Desaru and escape the city hustle!
Read our review of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort here
Getting
from Singapore to Desaru
By
Bus
There
is daily buses from Singapore to Desaru. However, with a limited timeslot each
day, it is advisable to check and book in advance. You can purchase your ticket here.
Ferry
from Singapore to Desaru (Old)
Update: Ferry from Changi - Tanjung Belungkor and vice versa no longer have the sailing route
Ferry from Singapore to Desaru (From 2022 July)
The Desaru Coast ferry Terminal was officially launched in March 2022. Currently, there is only one ferry service operating from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal for $118 SGD (return trip). The good news is that the terminal is now closer to the attractions on Desaru Coast. One no longer needs to take 30 minutes to drive from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal to the resort. Plus, there are free shuttle buses to the golf course, hotels and attractions of Desaru Coast. Schedule available at Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal Information Counter (in front of Departure Hall)
Ferry from Singapore to Desaru
$70 SGD/way
$118 SGD/Return
By
Car
This is
probably the cheapest alternative considering you already own one. Sadly, the
traffic condition at both immigrations is very congested. It took us almost 3
hours to cross the border. Thus, if you are planning to drive, do avoid the peak
periods or set off early.
By
Road: (Accessible by road from Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore)
1 hour
15 minutes from Johor Bahru via the Senai-Desaru
1 hour
30 minutes from Singapore via the Causeway
4 hours
from Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway
Since H
& I love road trips, we decide to opt for this option after considering the
flexibility to travel around.
Summary
of 2D1N trip to Desaru
Day 1:
The Toast – Check-in @ Anantara Desaru Coast Resort – Desaru Waterpark – Super
Lobster
Day 2:
Chill in the resort – Back to Singapore
The
Toast
After
the jam, we stop by The Toast in Mount Austin for a hearty breakfast. The
charcoal toast bread served is very crispy and had the best egg mayo toast in
my life. Other than bread, The Toast serves local dry mee siam which was very
tasty too! We were glad that we visited The Toast café and will definitely be
back for more! After a cup of aromatic Nanyang-style coffee, we continued our
journey and arrive at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort.
Anantara
Desaru Coast Resort
Open in 2019, it is the first Anantara Resort in Malaysia. With 108
rooms & Villa, the resort is built and designed for both families and couples
seeking a getaway. Each room comes with a balcony and is fully furnished with wood-style design.
We
booked the premier room and was upgraded to a deluxe room with Seaview on the
third level. The 49sqm room is comfortable for us to chill in the room despite
raining almost the entire day. We spent half the afternoon on the balcony
enjoying the sea breeze and catching up on work.
Read Anantara Desaru Coast Resort Review here
Adventure
Waterpark Desaru Coast
After
the rain stop, we visited the Waterpark at Desaru Coast for some
adventure. Located 15 minutes of walk away from the resort, the Adventure
Waterpark Desaru Coast is a popular attraction in Desaru. There are up to 13
attractions in the theme park and is designed for teenagers and children.
Tip: Do
check with the hotel staff on the shuttle bus schedule because we didn’t know
about it until we arrived at the visitor centre. Nonetheless, it is still a
walkable distance just that you have to cut through many empty grasslands.
Adventure
Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket Information
The waterpark is open from 10am – 6pm and you can purchase your ticket over at the
counter for 151 RM Adult and 113 RM Children/SC. Instead of purchasing at the
door, you can purchase your discounted ticket online or here to save some
money. If you want to purchase it directly from the official website, you need
to get it 1 day in advance.
Tip:
Purchase the ticket on the day itself from Klook in case of wet weather. It
rained almost the entire day when we were in Desaru. Thankfully, it stopped,
and we manage to play for 3 hours before the park closes.
Do note
that no re-entry is allowed if you purchase a discounted ticket online. There
may be an exception if you are a hotel guest of Hardrock. Please check with the
ticket office before entering with your pre-purchased ticket.
Lockers
in Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast
Lockers
can be found near the changing and shower area. You can rent the locker at
20RM/small and 40RM/large for the whole day. You can choose to pay with your
wristband and make your payment before you exit the park.
Adventure
Waterpark Desaru Coast Rides
There 6
main types of rides and other attractions in the waterpark. The most popular
ride includes - Kraken’s Revenge, RIP Tidal, Wild Whirl and Super-twister.
Sadly, Kraken’s Revenge is closed for maintenance when we visited.
Surprisingly,
H's favourite activity is the surf wall where he gets to try out surfing. Each
person can try twice at a go and you have to re-queue afterwards. You can even
opt for the surf lesson (from 400rm/session). My favourite is the Super Twister
because it's fast and the drop is not as overwhelming as the other ride.
Children can visit the Kids Ahoy section for more child-friendly activities.
Do note
that you are not allowed to carry or hang anything on the neck with you when
you are playing with the rides. That includes any Gopro or camera device. They
are pretty strict with it. Thus, it is advisable to keep your valuables in the
locker.
Food
& Beverages in Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast
Food
and beverages are not allowed to be brought into the waterpark. There will be a
bag check before you enter the waterpark. Thankfully, the drinks in the
waterpark are reasonably priced. Plus, there is a watercooler stand for you to
quench your thirst. On the other hand, the food is standard in a theme park
price.
Overall,
we find that there are limited rides available and not worth it if you are
paying for a full-price ticket. Thankfully, we got the tickets at a discounted
price, so it wasn’t that bad. Plus, we visited during the off-peak period, so
we didn’t have to spend most of the time queuing which makes the experience
better.
Address:
No. 4, Jalan Danau, Desaru Coast, 81930 Bandar Penawar, Johor, Malaysia
Opening
hour: 10am – 6pm, Daily
Super
Lobster Restaurant
In the
evening, instead of having our dinner in the resort, we decided to drive out
for a lobster feast. A 30 minutes drive from Desaru Coast to Sungai Rengit, we
managed to indulge in fresh and delicious seafood for dinner. The star dish of
the night is the Lobster! The meat was tender, and the sauce prepared goes well
with the lobster. On top of the lobster, we ordered a couple of dishes to share
and it was good too!
Address:
7, Jalan Jenahak, Kampung Sungai Rengit, 81600 Bandar Penawar, Johor, Malaysia
Opening
Hours: 11am – 10pm
Average
spend: 150 RM/ pax
Summary
of Expenses
Price
base on estimation
1 Night
stay at Anantara Desaru Deluxe Room -$$400 SGD/ room
2
tickets to Desaru at the waterpark tickets - $75
Dinner
for 2 at Super Lobster – 325 RM
Price
excluded:
Transportation
to Desaru
The
next morning, we requested a late checkout and set off in the afternoon.
Afterwards, we drove to Johor Bahru for a late lunch before heading back to
Singapore. In total, we paid about $290 per pax for our 2D1N stay in Desaru
which I find reasonable for a short getaway.
Read more weekend getway ideas here
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