BALIK PULAU, July 12 — Malihom sits on top — literally — of a hill and has an impressive 360-degree view of Balik Pulau town and Bayan Lepas.

This private resort is perfect for those craving escape from a busy hectic schedule; you come for the crisp fresh air, lush greenery and a chance to rejuvenate.

Due to its secluded location, driving up to the hotel is a tricky business as it involves manoeuvring along narrow winding roads through durian and fruit orchards, with just small wooden signboards guiding you along the way.

And finally, heading up to the hotel’s main reception and its eight chalets can be an adventure as you go up a steep narrow road that can only accommodate one vehicle going up or down at any one time.

A clever system to signal that you are going up has been devised: you press a button for a light to signal that you are driving up the narrow road. This way, cars at the top will wait and allow you to reach the top first.

It would seem the whole place was built with one thing in mind:  to leave Nature as untouched as possible.

This whole resort used to be the owners’ family retreat before it was converted into a hotel. Each individual chalet, nestled comfortably amidst trees and flowering plants, was lovingly restored and is perfectly maintained.

Nestled amidst lush greenery and nature, Malihom is the perfect retreat for those seeking peace, tranquility and fresh clean air (left). The spa area also has a gorgeous view (right)

The eight chalets were originally rice barns imported from Thailand back when the rice barns there were still allowed to be exported from the country.

Made of teak wood, they were dismantled and then painstakingly reassembled on top of the hill and the whole resort actually took about 10 years to complete.

The end result is a private sanctuary set amidst a lush landscape of trees, plants and flowers complete with birds and butterflies.

This is an original rice barn from Thailand that was converted into chalets for guests at Malihom

The rice barns, though they look large and are two-storey high, are rather cosy and is just nice for a couple or at most two adults and one small child.

In every barn — each given a Thai or Burmese name — the bathrooms are located on the ground level, some of which are open air and offer a panoramic view of the hill while the rooms are all on the first floor, within the barn itself.

Due to its strategic location, guests will get to experience spectacular views of both sunrise and sunset at the resort as some barns face east while others face west.

Since it is a retreat, phone reception is rather bad up there and though the hotel does provide WiFi, be warned that the service is rather patchy and slow, again, due to the location of the hotel.

Some of the chalets have open air bathrooms where they face the stunning view of the hill

This is not necessarily a bad thing; being unplugged ensures a good break from the rat race.

There is not much to do here except relax, swim and take a nap in one of the hammocks while enjoying the stunning view.

All meals are included; guests are usually served Western meals with the occasional Burmese or Thai meal upon request.

Find out more about the private retreat at www.malihom.com.