The Straits House is a 90-year-old charming wood and concrete design originally from Penang. Photos: Temple Tree Resort Langkawi
Walking around the Temple Tree Resort Langkawi in Kedah feels like visiting a showcase of traditional houses from different states of the country, all in one place.
The difference is you can actually stay in the eight well-preserved houses – each aged between 90 and 100 years old – to fully embrace its unique architecture, interior and history.
Think raised platforms and coloured glass windows, as well as terracotta flooring and Peranakan tiles. Carved airwells, latticework and louvred windows, meanwhile, offer aesthetic value while playing a crucial role in cooling the houses in hot weather.
An abundance of trees, plants and flowers contributes to the relaxing atmosphere at the resort, as five friendly cats, not averse to strangers at all, add to the homely feel.
Located on Jalan Pantai Cenang, the 0.4ha resort first opened in 2006. Over two years, the houses were carefully taken apart from their original locations before being painstakingly reassembled on the century-old former coconut plantation.
The main entrance of the Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. The building is also known as the Ipoh House and is where the reception lounge, restaurant and bar are also located. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za
Since their relocation, great care has been taken to ensure that the original structures were maintained and similar materials were employed as far as possible when it came to touch-ups (repainting, polishing, etc), repairs and preservation works.
The 21 room-and-suite resort was named after a banyan tree with a small Chinese shrine underneath it that was found on-site. The shrine and tree are believed to be at least 80 years old.
Locals still occasionally come by and offer prayers, said resort manager Irene Vairo, who further shared about the resort’s history with a group of local media who were invited for a two-night stay there last month.
“Temple Tree Resort is about heritage and preserving the beauty of these houses, and to share a story with as many people as possible, both local and foreign.
“These kampung houses were built many decades ago, each with very particular wood, concepts and architecture.
“For example, Ipoh House is one of our biggest, and is now our restaurant. Then we have Johor House, which once belonged to a very wealthy Taiwanese family involved in farming.
The Johor House once belonged to a Taiwanese family and is around 110 years old. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za
“The beauty of it all is that these houses have a story behind them,” says Vairo.
She adds that Estate House was originally located about 20km outside Ipoh, Perak and used to serve as rooms for plantation workers.
“It’s beautiful because it has very high ceilings, terracotta floors and a little cute garden at the back.
“We are a pet-friendly resort and Estate House is the one we usually offer to guests who come with pets,” she adds.
Recently renovated was the Straits House, which has its own private pool.
“The concept was to keep the heritage feeling alive yet add a modern touch through the furniture and also the colourful interior walls of yellow and blue,” says Vairo.
“Preservation of the houses is not an easy task. Wood needs to be treated, and maintenance is an ongoing process,” she adds. “The biggest issue is termites... salt water also affects the houses.” (Temple Tree is a few minutes’ walk away from the popular Pantai Chenang.)
The Estate House is a long single-storey building typical of plantation estate accommodations in the early and mid-20th century.
However, for Vairo and the owner, it’s the love and passion for heritage that keeps them going.
“I like to tell stories about the houses and why we keep it as it is to guests who come here. Mostly it’s to share the heritage of Malaysia. They are so happy and excited to hear about the history and they leave with an amazing feeling.
“One family who came to stay at the Negri Sembilan House said, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s such a beautiful place and the smell of the house reminds me of my grandmother’s house’.
“I think what we like is to give them a good memory to take along with them. We like them to think of us as a second home, a comfortable place where we offer a personal touch.
“Preserving heritage is very difficult. To keep preserving these buildings takes a lot of work and we need to do research on such houses, to keep them as close to their original state as possible.
“It’s difficult but it’s a part of the history of Malaysia, and we feel it’s important to preserve it,” says Vairo.
The pastel-hued hall of the Straits House with its modern furnishings.
The Straits House is the latest addition to the resort and the youngest at “only” 90 years old. Recently refurbished, the charming wood and concrete design was originally from Penang. It still features its original wooden floors – which have been sanded down and stained – as well as ornate lattices on the ceiling.
With a modern, bright interior, it has four bedrooms and a spacious veranda with dining table, private pool and lush gardens. Four Oriental wardrobes were specially commissioned for each bedroom to reflect its Peranakan culture and heritage.
Originally located in Batu Pahat, the double-storey Johor House once belonged to a Taiwanese family and is around 110 years old. The Chinese farmhouse features design elements such as latticed windows and doors with curved tops.
The facade of the house is exactly the same as when it was discovered, with some renovation done to the interior.
A family portrait still hangs on the wall on the upper floor, as well as framed Chinese calligraphy on the ground floor. Ornate vases, chests and drawers that dot the living spaces transport visitors back to the olden days.
A spacious veranda wraps around three sides of the house on both floors, overlooking the main swimming pool.
One of the bedrooms at the Estate House, which has a high ceiling and terracota flooring.
Originally from Pasir Puteh in Ipoh, Perak, the Estate House is a unique, long single-storey building typical of plantation estate accommodations in the early and mid-20th century. Its design features include terracotta floors, white walls and thick wooden beams. Each of the five guestrooms comes with lounge space, private bathrooms and a veranda with some rooms fitted with ornate wooden bathtubs. Every unit also has a private garden at the back.
The biggest building on the property, the Plantation House is 120 years old and is a grand two-storey wooden house with colonial-style window shutters, high ceilings and thick wooden support beams.
The first house was built in 1900 on a plantation in Penang and was home to a Malay artisan. In 1920, the house was sold to a Chinese Hakka family with the surname Cheong – who were rubber and durian farmers – who then built an adjoining house in their own style.
Today, the six-room structure still retains its original door with knockers and also comes with a semi open-air courtyard.
The Penang House architecture combines colonial, Chinese, Indian and Islamic design elements.
Originally an all-wood design, the single-storey Penang House’s architecture is unique as it combines colonial, Chinese, Indian and Islamic design elements. The 100-year-old house was once situated next to the busy Gurney Drive. It was built in the early 1930s by a Chinese contractor and was a very typical design seen during that time. It has two separate entrances while a door in the middle inside the house connects both units. The original colour of the facade has been kept as is and since being moved to the resort, a concrete platform was built for the house to sit on.
One of the most eye-catching and colourful designs at the resort, the Negri Sembilan House was formerly a family home rooted in Mantin. The standout feature of this raised, single-storey property is its spacious front verandah and beautiful stained-glass windows set against the otherwise black-and-white colour scheme.
Built in the 1920s, the 120sq m house features two bedrooms, a living/dining area, and an outdoor porch.
The Negri Sembilan House stand outs for its beautiful coloured glass windows.
Considered the Grand Dame of the resort, the Ipoh House is a 120-year-old two-storey building which has been transformed into a retro chic restaurant, bar and reception lounge at the resort.
Originally from Ipoh town centre, it used to belong to two different families – the first was Indonesian and when the second owner bought it over, they added an extension to the building.
The wood-and-concrete house is divided into two parts – the back portion was built in 1900 with Aceh influence, while the front portion was built in 1903, in a more colonial style of that era. The original owners were tin miners.
The building still retains its cengal wood upstairs, while the bar pillars are also original. A set of ornate spiral cast iron staircase is a fetching sight on the verandah. The appeal of the interior space lies in its retro style furnishings and brass fittings.
At the restaurant, remember to check out the long dining table made from a 150-year-old barn door, with its base constructed from antique sewing machine legs.
The bar and restaurant with its retro style furnishings and brass fittings.
Built by Arab goldsmiths in the 1920s, Colonial House is a grand home which once stood proud in George Town, Penang. It showcases an interesting mix of East and West influence, with its original Peranakan floor tiles and intricate European cornices.
The half cement and half wood building also has a touch of Arabic architectural elements.
The downstairs space is big enough to be used as a meeting room for 20 people and has a very cooling ambience.
The Straits House is a 90-year-old charming wood and concrete design originally from Penang. Photos: Temple Tree Resort Langkawi
The main entrance of the Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. The building is also known as the Ipoh House and is where the reception lounge, restaurant and bar are also located. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za
Colonial Hall 2 with its original Peranakan floor tiles and exposed beams.
One of the bedrooms at the Estate House, which has a high ceiling and terracota flooring.
The Estate House is a long single-storey building typical of plantation estate accommodations in the early and mid-20th century.
Built by Arab goldsmiths in the 1920s, Colonial House is a grand home which once stood proud in George Town, Penang.
The Negri Sembilan House stand outs for its beautiful coloured glass windows.
The dining area of the Negri Sembilan house with its carved airwell designs and coloured glass windows.
The Penang House architecture combines colonial, Chinese, Indian and Islamic design elements.
The hall of Penang House 1 with its louvred windows and latticework details.
The Plantation House is 120 years old and is the biggest building on the property.
The courtyard at the Plantation House is one of its unique design features.
Resort manager Vairo says that preserving the houses may be difficult but it is important as they are part of Malaysia’s history.
The pastel-hued hall of the Straits House with its modern furnishings.
The Johor House once belonged to a Taiwanese family and is around 110 years old. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za
The bar and restaurant with its retro style furnishings and brass fittings.
The main swimming pool and spa house at Temple Tree Resort Langkawi. Photo: The Star/Wong Li Za
