A review of the 3-star Kesadar Inn in Gua Musang, Malaysia

By Tasha Cheung

Would you ever consider paying $14k for a 3-star hotel experience?

The Kesadar Inn, in Gua Musang, is located a four-hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur. The budget hotel embraces traditional Malaysian vernacular architecture elements, from the slightly chipped wooden steps at the entrance to the modern metal roofing. Constructed with natural materials, the Inn’s exterior predominantly features earthy tones such as warm orange and rich brown to harmonise with the surrounding landscape.

After collecting our keys from the reception, we proceeded to our rooms. The floor tiles were quite nicely laid, so it didn’t take us much effort to drag our luggage back to the room. (It might have been more tiring for the boys, though, since they were assigned to the second floor.) When you arrive at the door, just check for any geckos or spiders around the door. If there is, please refrain from screaming, for everyone’s sake. Kindly wait until our creepy-crawly friend leaves, or ignore it. You are here to reconnect with nature afterall. Then, simply unlock the door with the key.

When we entered the room, what immediately struck me was the bright blue walls that were completely out of place with the earthy tones of the rest of the building. Despite that, the room was decent at first glance (unless you are used to living in a 3000-square-foot penthouse), with all the basic components expected of a hotel room. There was no hair on the floor, nor any traces of ants in the rest of the room. The tea bag tray had been refilled, and the blanket was neatly folded and tucked. Overall, the room seemed to be properly made, with a closet on our left and a washroom on the right. However, when examining the closet, I believe that they have never deliberately cleaned it, as I found the handles of the top cabinets to be extremely dusty. If you need to hang your clothes, I would suggest hanging them inside or on other cleaner knobs instead.

On the other hand, the bathroom was clean enough, but I still recommend bringing a pair of flip-flops to wear during the shower. Even somewhere as clean as Japan has designated slippers for the washroom, let alone the countryside of Malaysia. While a shower kit was provided by the sink, it appeared to have been used, so don’t forget to bring your own. You should also bring small bottles of detergent to wash your clothes after long, sweaty and muddy days. I don’t think you would want the smell of dirty laundry all over your room. That way, you can pack lighter and re-wear your clothes.

Here is something very important: The toilets in Malaysia are easily clogged, and the tour guides emphasised that when going number two, all toilet paper should be dumped into the trash instead of the toilet. (I know, gross. But you wouldn’t want to clog the toilet would you?). Someone (if you know, you know) did in fact clog the toilet and ended up picking out the tissue by hand. Just a warning, try not to dump the toilet paper into the toilet.

Now, for the bed. It is fairly comfortable, none of us have trouble falling asleep. Although the sheets are slightly stained, I trust they have washed them. During our four-day stay, the only room service we had was toilet unclogging service, which means none of the sheets were changed, so we tried to keep the bed clean. Opposite to the bed is a tray of tea bags and water. They have provided a plastic kettle for us, in case we need hot boiling water. I am not sure whether it is PBA-free plastic or whether it has been used to boil any socks, but I have sanitised it by boiling the drinking water provided in the reception twice, then I used the second batch of boiling water for cup noodles. It should be safe to consume, as at least I did not get sick from it. (Disclaimer: The methods described in this text are based on personal experience and are not recommended for everyone. Individual circumstances may vary, and please bear the risks of consuming water from the unknown kettle.)

After our outing activities, we were usually dismissed to clean ourselves up and meet at the dining hall for dinner. All our meals at Kesedar are buffets, so we always have to compete to determine who gets the first scoop(the boys always get mountain-like piles of food, so if you want any food, you had better act fast!). The tour guides would give us pop quizzes to determine who gets the food first, and one tip for you is to pay attention to the Malay terms the tour guide teaches. The food was “absolute fire”, according to some of my classmates. The Inn usually serves rice, noodles, and fried or curry chicken. Although the ingredients are basic, it is unexpectedly well-cooked and flavorful. One evening when we were enjoying our meal, the lights went out due to the heavy rain. We were bewildered about what was happening when someone started singing “Happy Birthday”. Before we knew it, everyone went along, and it really lightened up the mood. Even though the power flickered a couple more times that night, none of us panicked; we just continued to have a good time. If you ever find yourself in similar situations, I recommend starting to sing–anything except “APT”. Every morning, we would have our breakfast(of course), and we also had to pack our lunch, as we would be eating in the wilds. We need to bring a lunchbox and utensils; they should be ideally easy to clean. After lunch, we would line up at the sink, passing soap around to clean our lunchbox. Trust me, it is embarrassing if you don’t know how to do the dishes, so be prepared!

After dinner, we would head to a common area for activities. We would sit around in a circle, doing some bonding activities to get to know each other. Be ready to properly throw a tennis ball if you don’t want to be the one reading out itineraries. Other days we did some journaling to recall what we did during the day, talking about how we conquered our fear of mosquitoes, attacking it with screams and knives (jokes). Then, we had our karaoke session. It is like reliving the year 11 prom night, but better! Instead of fein-ing, we were jumping to the music beat in slippers, wearing our most comfortable outfits, singing like nobody was watching, and turning this APT into a club! (jokes). Even the teachers and tour guides couldn’t resist the vibrant spirit in the room and turned into “Barbie girl(s) in a Barbie World.” Be careful not to accidentally stub your toe when you are jumping around! At last, we ended the last day with an epic debate. I am not spoiling it for you, but as long as you have a good debater in your group, you won’t need to worry about anything. Afterwards, we would play frisbee before heading back to bed. Be sure to bring a frisbee; you won’t regret it. The centre of the inn features the best open space, which overlooks our rooms. We engaged in competitive games of Monkey in the Middle and even tossed the frisbee back and forth to the second floor. The thrill of racing for the frisbee was the highlight, we chased and snatched the frisbee like our life depended on it.

Overall, I would rate the Kesedar Inn a 5 out of 5. It is honestly one of the best trips I have ever experienced and a fantastic opportunity for digital detox. (The wifi and signal are poor, but you will find better company in your friends!) The countless moments of collapsing into laughter and sharing everyday activities, like doing laundry together, are genuinely unforgettable bonding experiences. I believe the memories and friendships we made will last a lifetime. While it may sound like an exaggeration to say it is life-changing, I honestly believe it is. I highly recommend this trip to anyone seeking a getaway. Embrace every moment; the $14k can really buy you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.