Bawah Reserve

The Bawah is one of the most beautiful places I have been. We had such a great time, we can't wait to go back. The food is exceptional and the entire staff is so friendly and accommodating. Our overwater bungalow was perfect and waking up to the sound of waves each morning was wonderful. The snorkeling, private picnics & dinner beachside, spa services & hiking helped make this a memorable trip. We will be back!

I don’t often do beach holidays, as you can tell if you look at other reviews I have written, because my wife prefers a little more than lying down doing nothing other than reading a book. Having said that Bawah allows you the option of doing the lying down or doing the active holiday. We went to Bawah after two weeks in Australia visiting my daughter and some of my wife’s relatives. I was looking forward to relaxing and getting a little bit of sun. Australia had been almost non stop rain for the two weeks we were there and so we hadn’t collected much of a tan. My relaxation started when we were picked up at 07.00 from where we were staying. The ‘escorted’ transfer to Bawah, which takes in the limo transfer, and then a ferry transfer, customs, a second limo transfer, and then delivery at the airport was seamless. It even allowed for the retrieval of a passport that had been left at our accommodation! Our group member shall remain anonymous on this occasion. Then the seaplane flight. Which was fantastic. I have always wanted to go on a seaplane but have been frustrated at various points in my life by circumstance. But not this time. And it exceeded all my expectations. An early highlight. The approach to Bawah is awesome, as my children would say, it is a truly beautiful place. The view from the air shows off the islands perfectly and allows you a brief look at the layout. We were greeted at the jetty by some of the staff and this is where you get your first inkling of what the rest of your stay is going to be like. A cold towel, the smiles and greetings of the staff, your luggage taken care of, a brief glimpse of some of the fish, a view of the villas on the main island, and some buildings half hidden in the vegetation of the island. We were taken to our villa and given a brief tour along with an explanation of how everything works. Then we were left alone. We wandered onto the beach and looked at the view. It was beautiful. The turquoise of the water and the lush green of the islands. We walked up to the Treetops Restaurant and had lunch. There was a good choice of food, both local and international, and plenty of it when it arrived. I almost forgot the cold towel and the ever happy and attendant staff. The food was excellent throughout our 6 days and that included all 3 meals each day. We also ate at all the different venues. It is well worth visiting each of them for the slightly different outlook on the island they give. I personally liked best the beach bar called the Boathouse. We made full use of the wellness treatment that is thrown in each day. I had my first body scrub and also my first pedicure! An interesting experience. We also went to Pilates early one morning. Played croquet, I had forgotten how competitive I am. Our friends went sailing twice. A little breezy for me. We kayaked round to Coconut Beach. Hard work out but easy back due to the wind and tide. We hiked the various trails and visited the lookout points. And we snorkelled. Boy did we snorkel. Each and every day and for several hours. The coral and fish life is incredible. My wife did one of the escorted snorkelling trips and saw a turtle. We went to a short lecture on the different types of coral that exist. I had asked how many types of coral there were and this just sort of evolved into a lecture. And I sunbathed! Not too much as the sun was very hot. But I did get my relaxation in. I even watched baby black tip reef shark from my sun lounger. They were there every day, up to eight of them at a time. Amazing and really cute. We found the place to spot rays without getting our feet wet. Up on the walk way to the water villas at the east end of Bawah just beyond the Boathouse. They seem to congregate there as the tide comes up to its high point. So what didn’t we do? Scuba dive. We don’t have our PADI. We didn’t do SUP as my core isn’t up to it. We didn’t go to the cooking class or the painting. We enjoyed the little treats we found in our room following turndown each evening. Not just the chocolates but also the little gifts. Bamboo straws, starfish, the sun products on arrival. There was a little boutique like shop where we picked up our Bawah t shirts and baseball caps. And had ice cream each day. And all too soon we were paying our bill and getting ready to leave this little paradise. We might just have to visit our daughter in Australia again! ‘Any excuse’ to go back!

wonderful, adventures trip from Singapore to Bawah, brilliantly organized; great island, great nature, great snorkeling; we love the no-bills-no-signatures-most-inclusive concept, because it makes us feel like visiting a friends holiday paradise + very nice and large swimming pool; great activities o the pavilions look nice, but I do not like the fact that they are mostly open-plan, especially the bath area. When paying 2000 USD a day I expect pure luxury, meaning mosquito-free rooms and bathrooms food is generally good, but all deserts, yoghurts, icecreams etc are brutally oversugared - so all the fruit-tastes are killed by the heavy sugar-taste. Completely unacceptable in the year 2020!

We just got back from 5 nights at Bawah Reserve. Absolutely amazing experience. Beautiful islands, superb accommodation and service on another level. The kids just loved all the experiences from Kayaking to snorkelling. The private villa bbq and Private island picnics were insane and the most exclusive experience. Every member of staff can’t do enough to help you. From start to finish this is the most amazing experience. No words.....

We had the most amazing time with the staff at the bawah resort... the island is breathtaking and the accommodations were fabulous.. the service impeccable and the weather absolutely magnificent... i would recommend this as a destination spot for everyone looking for a peaceful, quiet getaway... first class top shelf warm special romantic fun quiet a 10