Why Desaru Coast should be your next luxury golf holiday

The Desaru Coast has been described as “a sparkling jewel next to the South China Sea” and also as “four thousand acres of paradise along the tip of southern Malaysia”. We have to agree with both of these views, as we have been lucky enough to have them visit us on a number of occasions in recent years. Being home to Els Club Desaru Coast, considered one of the finest golf clubs in the country, as well as the luxurious Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, Desaru Coast is the perfect choice for your accommodation or luxury golf holiday. For those of you who don’t consider a round of golf on a championship course to be your way to relax, worry not, as Anantara Desaru boasts an expansive golden sandy beach, refreshing pools and the Anantara Spa, a true oasis of peace and tranquility where you can relax, revitalize and rejuvenate.

Enjoy an executive room with sea view at Anantara Desaru

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas It is a luxury beachfront property on the Desaru Coast offering a selection of 116 rooms, suites, villas and residences for discerning guests. The wide sandy beach and inviting surroundings create a sense of natural wilderness despite being just an hour from the bustling city of Johor Bahru, while first-class service and attentive hospitality combine to create the perfect stay.

Our Executive Room with Sea View Balcony was spacious and luxuriously appointed, with a very comfortable bed which made an early start to yoga or golf a real challenge. These were the kind of challenges we enjoyed, meaning our days would start watching the sunrise from our balcony overlooking the South China Sea before one of us headed to yoga on the beach and the other to the neighboring Els Club for 18 holes of golf.

Play 18 holes at The Els Club, Ocean Course

Ocean Course at Els Club Desaru Coast It consists of 27 championship holes designed by four-time major winner Ernie Els. The 18-hole round consists of 9 holes on two Coast, Lakes or Ridge courses, providing more variety and challenges at the stunning Els Club Desaru. The famous oceanfront par 3 at Coast Course is just 150 yards from the white tees, but the wide bunker will catch anything short and the beach awaits any errant shots that remain.

Combine this with the shifting ocean breeze and the hole is more challenging than it looks. One of us found the green easily and both puttted the ball for par, while the other found the giant bunker and was able to chip away at bogey with a long putt. Being able to include the Coast Course in the 18-hole The Ocean Course will allow you to play this iconic hole for yourself and hopefully avoid the sand that seems to be everywhere you look.

Dine on turmeric

Turmeric Restaurant is an all-day dining restaurant at Anantara Desaru Resort & Villas where we enjoyed breakfast and a post-tour meal that impressed us greatly. For breakfast, avocado on sourdough with pomegranate, arugula and balsamic vinegar was a light and delicious start to the day, but we also enjoyed dishes from the vegetarian Indian section of the buffet which were not so light but equally delicious.

The a la carte menu at Turmeric included a number of vegetarian options that could easily be vegan, while the wellness menu included a wonderful dish of baked cauliflower on a bed of sweet potatoes with tempeh crumbs and a mixed walnut sauce, which was not only truly vegan, but also innovative and nutritious. Executive Chef Sue Eddy took care of us during our stay and made sure we definitely didn’t go hungry. In fact, every time we visited Turmeric for breakfast, lunch or dinner, he was always on hand with exciting suggestions for more plant-based cuisine. From pomelo salad to Thai noodles, pad crabapple tempeh to green curry with tofu, we were taken on a culinary journey to neighboring Thailand which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Stay in a lagoon pool villa at Anantara Desaru

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas features a selection of stunning private villas and residences ranging from one-bedroom villas with private pools to sprawling, 380-square-metre four-bedroom beach residences that come complete with butler service, full kitchen, pool and direct beach access.

This type of upscale accommodation offers the pinnacle of luxury living on the Desaru Coast and is sought after by families who truly enjoy the finer things in life. The two-bedroom villa with lagoon pool was equally luxurious and spacious, offering us lavish living areas inside and out. It was more than enough for us, providing us with a true luxury living experience. There’s something special about relaxing on the daybed next to your private pool before slipping into the refreshing waters for a sunset swim as another wonderful day comes to a close.

Play 18 holes at The Els Club, Valley Course

Valley Course at Els Club Desaru Coast It was where we headed out for our final round of golf, and it was also where all our golf experience was put to the test on this championship course designed by Vijay Singh in collaboration with Ernie Els. As a three-time major winner including the Masters in 2000, Vijay Singh’s distinguished playing career is well documented, and this picturesque and visually inspiring course was no less than we expected. The small greens and undulating fairways made correct club selection and shot selection essential, creating the ultimate challenge throughout the entire round. The ninth hole had water down the right to catch any wayward drives (one of us ended up there off the tee) while the scattered fairway bunkers waited for anything long and straight (the other of us ended up there off the tee). And if that wasn’t enough, the green was surrounded by more bunkers where we both placed our shots. Despite the missed balls and frustration, we enjoyed our tour very much and can’t wait to return.

Have dinner at sea. fire. salt

sea. fire. Salt is a seafood and steak focused restaurant with limited vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. But the beachfront and poolside location was not to be missed, so we made our reservations with the help of the excellent Anantara Desaru team and headed there with high, hopeful expectations. From the main menu we chose the three vegetarian options and asked them to be vegetarian.

Our edible garden was a bountiful salad with baby sweet corn, asparagus, baby peas, baby carrots, pickled radishes and potato mash. This was a fresh, lively and completely vegetarian start to our meal. We also enjoyed the wild mushroom risotto and eggplant croquettes, both dishes that were full of flavor and delicious. Our off menu dishes prepared by Chef Eddie and his team included more vegetarian fare such as a dish inspired by grilled jackfruit skewers and mango chutney which was probably our favourite. Sweet jackfruit with smoky undertones from grilling pairs perfectly with the spicy and sweet mango sauce. There was also a curried bean protein, grilled vegetables served on a block of Himalayan sea salt, and a vegetarian bowl with quinoa and a simple olive oil and lemon sauce. All our food is in the sea. fire. The salt was refreshing, healthy and light, which was perfect for this upscale beachside dining destination.

These two visits to the Desaru Coast showed exactly why it should be your next luxury (golf) holiday destination. Els Club Desaru features 45 holes of championship golf designed by Masters award-winning duo Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, and we know you will definitely enjoy navigating the fairways, greens and bunkers at this stunning golf club. Because golf courses have such an impact on the environment, we were also impressed that Els Club Desaru are members of the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation and have made a series of sustainable commitments to reduce their impact. And what better place to stay on your next visit to Desaru Coast than the luxurious Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, which is located next to Els Club Desaru, meaning none of your valuable time will be wasted traveling between the two locations. Excellent hospitality, diverse dining options and well-appointed rooms, suites and villas make Anantara Desaru the perfect place to relax before and after your tours.

Paul Ayers

Paul Ayers is the co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who writes about luxury hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia with a focus on sustainable travel, eco travel, and vegan travel. Currently based in Malaysia, Paul also writes about sporting events and some of the finest golf courses around the region.