I had the opportunity to partake in the recent Renaissance Day of Discovery (RDOD) with Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel again, courtesy of the long-time partnership with them, who have once hosted our Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award (IMSHA). The moment Hezrin Ali, Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel’s Head of Marketing & Communications sent the invitation, The Iskandarian was ready to find out what was in store for us at the hotel this year.
All about the annual global celebration that used to be known as the ‘Global Day of Discovery’ (GDOD) is thoroughly told here for four days and three nights.
In the previous GDOD, I wrote about my pleasant stay at the Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel’s Executive Suite about being a busy bee but needs pampering in serenity yet in the vicinity of the city.
This time around, I experienced the hotel’s Bayview King Room located at level 11, overlooking the Permas Jaya road, green pasture, the Strait’s sea with the port of ships and the vast blue sky. A view that, I can confidently say, only this hotel in this city could offer and is my personal favourite. There is something about seeing the long stretch of road getting busy in the morning and subsiding by midnight.
Upon checking in, I was a bit out of breath from lugging my makeshift luggage around (it unfortunately broke on the day itself!) and the warm receptionist kindly offered to either help me keep my bag behind their counter while I refreshed myself at the BLD Cafe or get a staff member to help me transport the bag to the room with the concierge trolley.
Walking into the King Bayview Room is an experience in itself. The first thing I noticed is its fresh, clean scent. Then my eyes landed on the mirror with a welcoming message in colourful markers for the RDOD event, before I sighed at how perfect the room was for a productive yet healthy day in a life with a fluffy king-sized bed with a tiny elephant towel and a sofa to just relax by the window with an awesome view and a desk with an ergonomic chair for quick work done before heading out or sleeping.
On the first day, we enjoyed delicacies at their iconic Wan Li Chinese Restaurant that presented its appetiser platter before the main fish and duck dishes. In the evening, we had a funfair of local services and products, where we enjoyed the entertainment and creative local cakes, plant-based food and refreshing beverages at the hotel – A perfect warm-up to get to know the local businesses here before heading upstairs for a comfortable sleep and getting freshened up for the next day’s voyage to the mangrove stream.
We had our breakfast at Cafe BLD, with so many choices from Continental to Asian cuisines
like Porridge with Char Kway, Nasi Ambeng, Thosai with Tomato Chutney and Hot noodles that warm your stomach. By noon, the space changed to much heavier meals to serve hungry diners for midday, and we had our fill before heading out to Kampung Sungai Melayu’s mangrove cove.
Pandak Ahmad, the State Assemblyman for Kota Iskandar, made a pleasant surprise and greeted us on his way to a local funeral, telling a story of yesteryear’s where he had to go to school by sampan, which awed us both of his appearance and how much this became a very local thing to experience.
As we enjoyed the calm waters, we received some insight from our boatman that the village is getting a new jetty about to be launched very soon. We saw it all erect and it just needs a bit of touch-up before it is ready for use.
At that moment, it humbled me as someone who grew up in Johor her entire life that there is a side of this state that went under-appreciated for such beauty and grace; a hidden gem that I wish for it to stay appreciated quietly so it maintains the slow life for the villagers there. Along the way, we spotted a few monkeys, a snake and a huge lizard, all calm in their home in the wild, while we waddled on the boat as silently as possible through the stream. I was reminded of the advice of our IMSHA winner, Dr. Serina, on respecting the knowledge and expertise of locals that inhabit the area, and thus I soaked in the stories that our guide, who is also a seaman himself, told us.
We went back and were welcomed by the hotel’s members with scented, warm towels and a light beverage and music to buffer our experience outside and bring us back to the luxe of Renaissance. A brilliant effort, including when the staff did a flash mob to create excitement for all forty of us!
Returning to the room was so pleasant; after floating for hours on the boat, diving into the fluffy bed definitely helped calm the bouts of nausea to the back of my mind as I dozed off. Ready for more local flair, we all experienced the evening market, or ‘Pasar Malam’ of Permas Jaya on a drizzling day. A truly Malaysian experience, and the Singaporean member of our entourage enjoyed the long lines of hawkers that extended so far till the eyes could see. This is when I made a mental note to appreciate the local uniqueness more, especially when I saw huge bamboo shoots being sold on the market. Something you do not get to commonly see in your modern hypermarket!
Having braced myself to try my tour mates’ Pasar Malam favourites made me discover that the fried parson’s nose, or ‘Tongkeng Ayam’, is not that bad, as a lot of people made it seem. I also got fresh avocado in a bottle from another mate and kept it for night cravings.
For further “adventure”; I finally made time to swim at the hotel’s pool in between the post-Pasar Malam binging and the evening of Culinary Curtain Call. Albeit a short one but relaxing enough to relieve muscle fatigue by floating around in the water which would help me sleep better. I personally love that the pool is just 1.4 metres deep, so the risk for adults and kids to enjoy the water activity is minimal. There is also a smaller kids’ pool for safer enjoyment of the little ones. Be sure to bring a spare swimsuit if your child claims they don’t want to swim but once they see how other kids are excitedly swimming, they would want to as well as happened to one of our friends with her two children she brought along to the pool, making Renaissance Johor Bahru experience a fun family time.
On the final day, we had our breakfast at the Executive Club Lounge before checking out. Enjoying the view of the ferries from Stulang JB to Batam, Indonesia with the ambience of music that support artists. Though a much intimate choices than the usual Cafe BLD’s spread, it is enough for those who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by too much food but still getting essential carbs, vitamins and some dessert. I had the Nasi Lemak in a wrap with helpings of Soy milk and coffee with a few pastries-all cooked in house. Something I really appreciate.
Close to noon, I managed to return the room key cards, and I love that I do not need to take nor tap any parking cards anymore now that they have an automated gate where the gate reads our car number plates and raises its bar on its own. It is FOC for guests of the hotel and all you need to do is to inform the reception of our vehicle’s number plates to let us pass.
And with that, I concluded the four-day and three-night’s stay at the Renaissance Johor Bahru’s inspirational stay, where each and every one of the staff, even the security personnel, who acts as navigators helping you learn more of where to head and enjoy as the locals do.
Bookings, reservations, and more information can be found at their website and updates on their hospitality offers and adventures on Renaissance Hotel Johor Bahru’s social sites, besides Wan Li Chinese Restaurant and Cafe BLD’s very own social media pages.
