To infinity and beyond

POOLS, pampering and perfection. But why have just one luxury spa break when you could have two?

I'M STANDING IN WHAT must be one of the best showers in the world. It's 7am, I've thrown open the windows that surround the huge, square bath in my villa on stilts and, as the water tumbles onto my head, there is quite literally nothing between me, Malaysia's Pangkor Straits and the most glorious sunrise, spilling violet and pink across a vast sky. The air is balmy and if I lean over the wooden balustrade I can see striped fish and sea urchins and the odd water monitor lizard sunbathing.

Pangkor Laut is the jewel in the crown of luxury spa resort experts YTL Hotels. A 300-acre rocky outcrop covered in lush rainforest, nestled off the west coast of Malaysia, the island is bathed in perpetual sun, with stunning beaches of the softest, whitest sand. It has a slew of awards to its name, including being voted number one in the world by Conde Nast Traveller magazine in 2003, and it's the destination of choice for privacy-seeking prime ministers and celebrities (Joan Collins spent a honeymoon on the island and Pavarotti loved it so much he has a suite named after him).

After being picked up by luxury transfer from Kuala Lumpur airport, there's a three-hour drive to Lumut before boarding a speedboat for the 45-minute ride to the island. The journey's long, but as we hurtle across the sea, it feels right to travel so far for such luxury.

I wouldn't choose to stay in any spa resort for more than a week – there is only so much unadulterated pampering and pleasure anyone can take – but a visit to Pangkor Laut is unforgettable.

The only dilemma you're likely to face is which treatment to plump for in the award-winning spa and which freshly prepared food to sample in each of the three fine restaurants. Even travelling around the island is stress free – just make your way to one of the stops dotted about, use the telephone provided and an air-conditioned minibus will be dispatched to take you wherever you want to go.

There are only 142 rooms on the whole island – some tucked into the lush forest hills and others, like mine, perched in the shallow coastal waters. The resort has been developed in sympathy with the stunning natural surroundings and whether it's the low-rise, open-walled gazebos that make up the Spa Village or the infinity pools with uninterrupted ocean views, the efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the island while creating a luxurious resort are clear.

There are daily walks around the island led by the resort's head naturalist, who explains the intricacies of the local ecosystem. He also introduces some of the island's inhabitants, including, on the sweltering day I tagged along, a tiny, vivid green arrowhead snake.

During my stay, the resort is fully booked but it never feels busy. Careful placement of your sunlounger leaves every view unspoiled. And, tucked in my villa on the sea (not all Spa Villas have open aspects, so do check this when you book) with my MP3 player in the dock provided, I feel I'm on my very own paradise island. Even the wilder inhabitants – monkeys, fruit bats and hornbills – keep a respectful distance.

The resort's spa is renowned and whether you're an old hand or new to the pummelling and buffing that goes on in such places, you won't be disappointed. There's a wide range of treatments available and whether it's a reviving facial or a muscle-wrenching massage, the highly trained staff can untangle even the most stubborn, stress-induced knots.

Every visit to the spa begins with a signature Chinese foot-beating treatment that was originally designed to ease blood back into feet that had been bound. Once my extremities are bathed and dried, they're pummelled with a wooden mallet, which is a lot more pleasurable than it sounds. Feet tingling, I'm wrapped in a sarong before being guided through a bathing ritual which involves passing beneath waterfalls of cool water and bobbing about in a gently bubbling pool. Walking between each spa area in the tropical air, I've never felt this clean and my chosen "Princess" experience hasn't even begun.

Lying flat in a darkened room, the only sounds are running water and the occasional birdcall. Once my body is scrubbed and exfoliated, my masseuse conditions my hair (now that's real pampering) and my head is massaged before my back, arms and legs are stretched and pummelled. By the time I slip into my flower-filled bathtub, with a pot of ginger tea to sip, I'm starting to feel like a princess and wondering how I'll ever manage back in the real world.

As well as the entertainment available on the island – the spa, a gym, tennis courts and endless sunloungers to try out – you can take several trips off-island. I opt for the Sembilan Island Adventure which involves a jaunt on a teak junk to nearby islands for even more exclusive sunbathing and snorkelling, before being served a sumptuous lunch on the beach. Lying on this deserted stretch of sand, the only sounds are the gentle lapping of waves and the clinking of glasses as the table is set for lunch. A huge sea eagle circling in the blue sky above is breathtakingly beautiful.

Back on Pangkor Laut, the next challenge (and yes, this really is as difficult as it gets) is trying to choose which restaurant to sample.

Feast Village is the resort's main open-plan restaurant and kitchen, where you can try a truly global range of food. At breakfast time it comes into its own and, after a sea kayaking session, just one of the water activities available, I reward myself with a particularly fine crab masala with sambhar and freshly made roti. For the less adventurous there's fresh fruit aplenty, or the more traditional cooked breakfast or pancakes.

For fine dining, The Straits is the resort's newest restaurant serving the best of oriental fare in chi-chi surroundings overlooking the ocean. I'm seated in a small booth – the emphasis here is on intimate dining – and savour a taster menu of far-eastern fusion food, including the best local and seasonal fish, as a warm evening breeze blows and the waves lap on the shore below.

A similar emphasis on rest and relaxation, albeit in more modest surroundings, is evident at Tembok Bali spa resort, YTL's first foray on the Indonesian island. In the unspoiled northern region of Bali, with only 29 rooms, the resort is small and secluded.

But while it may offer fewer attractions than its Malaysian sister, as an authentic spa experience – where the principles are all about eating and sleeping well, with a few luxury treatments thrown in for good measure – it's perfect.

Which is just as well because it takes a monumental effort to get there. Arriving at Denpasar International Airport, albeit by way of Qatar Airway's impressive new premium terminal for First and Business Class travellers, it takes a whacking four hours, much of it on single-track road, to get to the hotel. But, within seconds of arriving, I have a cocktail (non-alcoholic, of course) in my hand and my feet are steeped in petal-filled hot water as my shoulders and neck are rubbed. It's bliss.

The hotel sits beside a beach of pebbles and black sand (Bali is a volcanic island) lined with traditional fishing boats. The central garden, where I enjoy my first outdoor yoga class, is dotted with ylang ylang trees and, with a small infinity pool and a few gazebos, it feels like a real retreat.

With only one restaurant at which to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's possible that Tembok might be too remote for some – there's really not very much beyond the perimeter of the hotel – but if it is undisturbed relaxation you are seeking, Tembok Bali has it in spades.

After just three days at the resort, wearing the de rigueur fisherman's pants and top I find hanging in my wardrobe, I feel more relaxed, better slept and, thanks to a diet of locally caught, freshly prepared fish and prawns and as many fresh juices as I want, healthier than I have for months.

The friendly staff make this resort a real pleasure. Whether they're wandering around offering small glasses of jamun – a sweet drink said to cleanse and soothe the digestive system – or encouraging you to take part in one of the creative activities, their genuine warmth shows why this is a destination popular with lone women travellers looking for rest and relaxation.

As far as activities go, you can do yoga, painting or even have your tarot cards read. But for me, the best activity is stretching out in a hammock slung between two palm trees, watching the waves crash on to the shore. With a gentle breeze keeping the temperature just right and the sound of pebbles clacking as the frothy waves wash on to the beach, it's heavenly.

The spa treatments offered at Tembok Bali use traditional Balinese methods using natural, local products. Honey, tamarind, yoghurt and cucumber are the main ingredients used in a facial that leaves my skin glowing. The exfoliating all-over body treatment and massage leaves my skin feeling nourished and my muscles heavy and relaxed.

Treatment over, fisherman's pants tied snugly as I sit on the veranda sipping jamun, a torrential downpour washes the blossom from the trees. I don't think I've ever felt more blissed-out and relaxed.

Factfile Malaysia and Bali

HOW TO GET THERE

Claire Black travelled by rail from Edinburgh to London with National Express (www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com). Qatar Airways (0870 389 8090, www.qatarairways.com), operates nine flights a week from the UK to Bali. Fares start from £574 return, plus taxes of £138.30.

WHERE TO STAY

Pangkor Laut Resort (www.pangkorlautresort.com) offers a range of accommodation, from Garden and Hill Villas to Sea and Spa Villas. One night in a Garden Villa costs from £163 (room only).

One night at Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali (www.spavillage.com/tembokbali) costs from £249 including full board and a spa treatment. Contact the YTL Travel Centre (00 800 9899 9999, [e-mail]).

AND THERE'S MORE

Scotsman Reader Holidays offers various long-haul trips. For details, visit www.holidays.scotsman.com