4D3N Desaru Malaysia Trip with Two Young Children
We went on a 4D3N Desaru Trip with our 6-year-old and 4-year-old, from 1 to 4 September 2024 during Singapore’s September school holidays. Hence, the room prices at Hard Rock Hotel and Westin skyrocketed out of our budget. These two hotels reminded me of the resorts we stayed at Phuket, where guests spent most of their time at the hotel, enjoying the pool and the kids’ club.
In the end, we booked an Airbnb at Desaru Utama Residence (condominium) for S$202.59. Its location is near Four Points Desaru and in the city centre, where you get local restaurants nearby.
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Food in Desaru
There are few food options in this region, with local food mainly in Bander Penawar. For our two breakfasts, we had nasi lemak, fried rice and prata. Most eateries serve Malay food, with a few Western food options and a handful of Chinese-run seafood restaurants serving ‘tze char’ dishes. Being near the sea, seafood dishes in Desaru are not too bad, but more expensive than in other parts of Malaysia. We paid RM383.50 (~S$117) for chilli crab, soup and vegetables for four people at Desaru Seafood Corner.
The only Chinese kopitiam nearby is Desaru 899, and thankfully, the food was yummy. We had seafood fried rice, salted chicken rice, Hokkien mee, and ban mian/mee hoon kuey (must try!). That said, the pace of life in East Malaysia seemed slower than in the West. For example, when my husband went to buy takeaway, he waited 30 minutes even though there were only two orders before him.
For Western food options, we visited Comma Bakes, a very Instagrammable cafe serving pretty pastries, sweet drinks and passable main dishes including pasta. We spent RM113.55 (approximately S$34.50) on two main dishes, one drink, and two to three pastries.
We didn’t manage to try other Western food options. When we went to Woodfire Desaru for some burgers, it was closed for prayer break from 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM, and even so, many items on the menu were sold out. So we went to settle our dinner at Marrybrown, but alas, it’s the same, many food items were OOS or unavailable, and it’s only 7:30 pm! It seems like the shops close early here… even Desaru public beach!
Desaru Beach
Desaru is known for its beaches, but we only had pockets of time to visit two public beaches. Tanjung Balau Beach was crowded with the locals, and the public toilets had clear evidence of it. We had a nice stroll on the beach and the nearby Pasar Malam in the breezy evening. On the other hand, Desaru Public Beach is gated and maintained by Dash Outdoors (a watersports company). We had to pay RM10 (S$3) for entrance and parking. We didn’t know there was a closing time for the public beach (closes at 6:00 PM), so we only arrived at about 5:00 PM. Since we were already there with our swimsuits, we just paid to enjoy ourselves for a while.
At 5:55 PM, the staff were chasing people off the beach. I expected the toilets to be well-maintained because of the entrance fees, but the toilet on the other beach seemed better in comparison. And the male cleaners just entered the toilets when there were still ladies washing off/bathing, including us!
Desaru Fruit Farm and ATV
Desaru Fruit Farm has many tour packages, including hotel stays at Hard Rock and Westin. We purchased this package: guided fruit farm tour, ATV ride and a box of cut fruit (RM 80, S$24 per adult and RM 70, S$21 per child). We wanted to get the package with lunch, served from noon to 3:00 PM, but the food portion would be too much for one child, and they didn’t allow us to buy lunch only for the adults. You can purchase the tickets online or at the farm anytime from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
We went in the morning to avoid the afternoon sun and joined a relatively large tour group. We then boarded a truck and went deeper into their farm, where the tour started. The tour was quite informative on the fruits and plants, although there was a fair bit of walking, and those with strollers might have a hard time in some parts of the tour. We reached a pit stop to rest, and strategically situated here was a mini mart that sold cold drinks for the perspiring humans and fish food for the fish in a nearby fish pond.
The tour guide showed us some bees and hives and gave us a short educational talk about bees before moving on to a petting zoo with caged animals. It’s free to enter, but you have to pay for the animal feed.
Then, we took the truck back to the main building and were gathered into a room for a short sales talk, followed by a tasting session of various types of honey that ended the farm tour. Some participants went on the ATV ride before the tour, and so they collected the box of cut fruit, while we got ready for our ride.
Dressed in overalls and helmets, each adult and child pair took an ATV. We don’t have a bike license, but it’s relatively easy to manoeuvre, not sure if having a driving license helped. Instead of a big group, it’s back to our own group for the ATV drive. Thus, our family got a personal guide who drove an ATV and led our two vehicles.
My elder daughter sat behind me, and we were the last in line, and so we had a fun time slowing and distancing from the pack and then revving up to speed to catch up. We meandered into the big space where hurdles and potholes along the way made the journey slightly adventurous. Do wear sandals or non-white footwear because your legs and shoes are likely to get splashes of mud!
Back in the main building, we collected our boxes of cut fruit, ate in a designated area and packed the leftovers. As we were eating, the children got distracted by the arcade machines around us and another petting zoo nearby. This was with llamas, which were not found in the previous one, except there’s an entrance fee for this. So, other than the tickets, there might be other expenses along the way on this farm. Oh, not forgetting the shopping for souvenirs and fruits at the shop in the main building!
We left the farm, and before we hit the main road, we stopped by a fruit stall. Google reviews said it had cheaper fruits than the fruit farm, but alas, the receipt showed that the shop is from the Desaru fruit farm too!
Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast
Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast (“Waterpark”) was the highlight of the trip for the children. We bought our tickets from Klook for S$132.38.
Remember to slap lots of sunblock and drink lots of water. Leave your bags in the lockers and bring your waterproof pouch for your phones if you want to take lots of photos while having a splashing good time.
The water park is huge, with fun tailored for different ages, though certain rides have height requirements. Go early in the morning and head to the popular rides first before the queue starts forming. My husband and I took a rollercoaster ride into the water, and later went with our children on the various water slides, water playground, lazy river and the Tidal Wave Beach where mimicked sea waves came at specific timings.
The children also had jolly fun when they threw a ball on a pedal that made their father got dunked in the water. Heard from the “victim” that it was quite scary, not knowing when the drop would come. Oh, there’s a ride that allowed us to try out surfing in a lying down position, and it’s not as easy as it seems. I tried thrice and I flipped!
Midway, near Tidal Wave Beach, we bought pizza for lunch inside for RM35 (S$10.60). There are other food options available around the waterpark, but expect them to be of amusement park prices. No outside food is allowed inside the park.
Before we left, we bought a commemorative photo for RM40 (S$12.10), not knowing if we would return. If we do, and the prices permit, we would stay at the Hard Rock Hotel. That’s because when you book directly with the hotel, there are complimentary 1-day entry tickets with unlimited entry into the water park. Hotel guests also have direct access to the waterpark at Level 1. If I’m not wrong, they would enter into the white sand shores of Tidal Wave Beach. So if it gets too tiring, guests can simply head back for a rest before going for the second round.
That’s about it! A short and sweet holiday that is not too far from Singapore. Is there anywhere else you plan to go in Desaru? Before you go, you might want to check out my other posts on Malaysia. Leave your comments or questions below. Love to hear from you. :)
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