Rainforest Wellness Retreat at Happi Village, Janda Baik

The retreat is run by Mr and Mrs Liu, who live on-site and set the tone. They come from a health background and built the place themselves, hiring and training staff from underprivileged local communities. Guests regularly mention them by name in reviews — including the staff who greet you, take you to your room and handle check-out.

A typical day here is slow by design. You wake to the sound of the forest, have a complimentary breakfast at the cafe, then move into whichever wellness treatment or activity you've booked. Lunch and dinner are ordered separately at the cafe counter, along with high tea in the afternoon. Between meals you can walk the paved forest trail, sit in the huge communal dining space, or use the plunge pool — which is filled from the nearby stream and treated with 100kg of sea salt instead of chlorine.

What makes this different from a standard resort is that everything is made on-site. The kitchen serves dishes like grilled chicken, pumpkin soup made from the property's own farm pumpkins, slow-cooked lamb shoulder and a chocolate fondant that guests specifically call out. No processed shortcuts. Guests who describe themselves as fussy eaters mention being surprised by how good healthy food can taste when it's cooked to order.

Happi Village isn't a party place. There's no karaoke and no organised entertainment. Guests come here to do very little on purpose — sit, walk, eat, sleep and let the forest do its work. Young couples from the city are common, along with families who book adjoining rooms. If you need constant stimulation, this isn't the right fit.

The wider property has multiple units spread across different buildings — some at ground level, some upstairs. Rooms sleep between two and three guests depending on type. Communal spaces are generous, and the architecture is deliberately basic and simple, with natural ventilation and materials chosen for low environmental impact rather than luxury finish.

What's included

- Complimentary breakfast daily - Access to the plunge pool (sea-salt filled, no chlorine) - 1km stone-paved forest walk on the property - Use of the communal dining and lounge areas - On-site wellness retreat programme access (treatments booked separately) - Access to the property's natural forest surroundings

What's not included

- Lunch, dinner and high tea (ordered at the cafe counter) - Wellness treatments and massage sessions - Transport to and from Janda Baik - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Any organised events or activities not booked in advance