Sunset Beach Resort, Langkawi

Sand, sun, beach, bars and booze. That's all I find myself needing at least once a year when I visit the paradise party island that is Langkawi. Forget fancy resorts and hotels, I always crashed at Pantai Cenang, because everyone knows that's where all the fun is :) Sadly, over the years, that stretch has become widely commercialised with way too many restaurants and motels popping up. If that's not enough, someone decided to add a full-fledged mall to the area too. The beach has also been getting slightly nastier - probably due to the incredible amount of watersports activity that now peppers the once lovely Pantai Cenang.

It was time to try something new without going too far, so instead I decided to opt for accommodation at Pantai Tengah this time around. From what I read, it was a nice 5 minute walk from Pantai Cenang, still accessible to the awesome bars and restaurants on Cenang. There's not much accommodation to choose from on Pantai Tengah and through Trip Advisor and a good amount of positive reviews, I settled on Sunset Beach Resort.

At the entrance, you'll be greeted by two huge pots and lots of greenery. There's also ample parking space at the front if you need to park.

More greenery on your way in..

Sunset Beach Resort is owned by the Sun Group, the same company that runs Sun Cafe and the famous Sunba nearby - if you've been to Langkawi you'd know that this is the it spot for clubbing on Cenang.

The lobby area

Check-in was a breeze and the receptionist was super friendly and introduced us to the resident cat, who handed us our room key (just kidding).

 The resort has a Balinese feel to it with some pretty amusing stone characters around the resort. 

Like these 3 cute little Balinese garden gnomes..

And this slightly strange unhappy twosome...

The walkway leading up to our room was so pretty with tons of plants and trees around. 

They gave us a room which was a little far from the entrance, but closer to the beach which I was super pleased about. Such a lovely entrance too.

At RM230 per night, the room lacked in decor what it made up for in space, and lots of it. The chairs and tables looked like they belonged in the 80s, but hey there's enough room in here for a wrestling match.

Now to the important bits, the bathroom was a pleasantly new-ish looking and very clean. I'm pretty big on hygiene so this was a definitely plus.

The thing I loved most about this place was hands-down the beach. Although it's not a private beach, this place is located far enough from other resorts that there's barely anyone else there besides guests from the resort itself.

Love at first view

Gradient blue water and powdery sand - score. Total contrast from Pantai Cenang. 

There's ample sun loungers at the beach area for resort guests. Some of them were a little old and wonky, but you tend to forget after awhile with that gorgeous view in front of you.

Outdoor shower by the beach

The price for the room included daily breakfast for 2 pax at the resort dining area overlooking the beach.

As with most resort-style breakfasts, I wasn't expecting to be blown away, but the spread was actually satisfactory.

They pretty much served the same thing every morning: fruits, toast with jam/butter, cereal, sausages, fried noodles, juice, coffee and tea. A nice little surprise was that they'd whip up scrambled or fried eggs upon request. I thought the staff were really attentive and friendly. We didn't dine here every morning, because we wanted to try out some breakfast places at Cenang. But it's decent option if you're too lazy to leave the resort in search for the most important meal of the day.

If you like sipping cocktails by the beach and don't want to leave the resort, there's a cute little bar called Oasis Bar next to the resort - just take a right when you're at the beach area.

It's open during the day as well and they'll even bring your drinks to your sun lounger when you order at the bar. Drinks are priced between RM14 - RM18.

It was the perfect place to watch the sunset one evening while sipping on some (rather strong) cocktails. 

I'd absolutely stay here again when I'm back in Langkawi. Cosy resort, friendly staff, decent price, gorgeous beach, and cocktails on demand. What's not to love? The fact that it's only a couple of minutes walk from Cenang, means that you can choose to opt out of the crowded streets and retreat back to this little piece of heaven on Langkawi anytime.

Sunset Beach Resort

Jalan Pantai Tengah, Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah

For bookings, visit Sunset Beach Resort