Almost twenty years later…
Almost twenty years ago, I first came to Bon Ton Langkawi for a friend’s wedding. The ceremony was intimate, held right there in Laguna, a house that was already over a century old even then. I remember the way the light fell through the windows, the way the air carried the scent of old timber and frangipani, the way everything about that evening felt both ancient and alive. I didn’t know it then, but that night planted something in me. A quiet seed that would take nearly two decades to fully understand.
When I returned, this time not for a celebration, but simply to stay, I half-expected nostalgia to hit me like a wave. Instead, it arrived softly, the way dawn arrives in Langkawi. Gradual. Gentle. Inevitable. Laguna, that magnificent 120-year-old house, was still there. Still holding its secrets with the same graceful patience it always had.
Laguna – The 120 Years Old House
Laguna is an old Malay craftsmanship at its finest, built not merely to shelter, but to breathe with its inhabitants. The high ceilings draw the air upward. The timber creaks with a rhythm that after a day or two, begins to feel like a heartbeat. Everything about the space is generous without being excessive. It is a house that has been loved for a very long time, and it shows, not in imperfection, but in a warmth that no amount of renovation could ever replicate.
And then there is the freestanding bath. It deserves a moment of its own.
It sits in quiet dignity, a deep wooden vessel that feels like it belongs to another era entirely. And in many ways, it does. This is an old style at its finest. Soaking in it, with the afternoon light filtering through aged wood and the faintest breeze stirring the air, I understood why people travel across the world seeking exactly this kind of stillness. It is not luxury in the way the glossy brochures describe it. It is something rarer: a sense of being held by a place. Of being exactly where you are supposed to be.
The Pool and Garden
The pool at Bon Ton sits in the middle of spacious ground, surrounded by palm trees, the old heritage houses dotted around, everything green and calm. I spent afternoons there with a GnT in hand, just sitting by the water, letting my mind wander.
That’s what Bon Ton does. The peacefulness here makes it easy to slow down. You don’t have to do anything. You can just sit, think, dream. It’s that kind of place.
Mornings At Bon Ton
I’m an early riser, and at Bon Ton, I woke up even earlier than usual. Not because I had to, but because the birdsong was so melodious and so beautiful I couldn’t stay in bed. It was layered, rich, made me walk out and sat outside just to feel it.
That’s what I did. Every morning, I’d grab my coffee, step outside, and sat on the verendah. The cats would wander over, Bon Ton beloved residents from the LASSie sanctuary, and settle nearby. Time didn’t matter here. Just morning light, humidity settling in, and stillness.
And I wrote. A lot. More than I had in weeks, actually. Bon Ton does something to you – it strips away all the noise and distraction, and suddenly the words just come. I wrote about being back here after twenty years. I wrote the final chapter of my book…
It was just the perfect ambience, the perfect vibe to be creative. The peace and quiet isn’t something you have to work for at this eco-friendly resort in Langkawi. It just finds you….
Nam Restaurant – Dining in the Space of Serenity
Nam Restaurant gave me one of my best dining experiences in Langkawi, and yet it carries none of the pretension you might expect from that kind of reputation. It sits within the Bon Ton grounds, open and breezy. The setting alone is worth the visit, but the food. especially the Nyonya Laksa is what keeps people coming back.
The menu is a thoughtful fusion of eastern and western cuisine, married gently with Asian spices. It evolves throughout the day: light and fresh at lunch, deeper and more considered by dinner. The legendary Nyonya Laksa is to-die-for! Believe me, I had this dish almost 2 decades ago and until today, it still taste the same, if not better.
And if you time it right – arrive around sunset. The lagoon turns amber and gold, the fields glow, and there is live music every Sunday evenings. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful places to watch the sun go down in Langkawi.
Nam is open for daily. Don’t miss their Sunday evening live music if you happened to be on the island on a weekend!
🐾 LASSie – The Heart Behind Bon Ton
Behind every meal at Nam, every night spent in Laguna, every quiet morning by the pool, there is a meaningful cause at work. Bon Ton doesn’t just run a resort. It runs an animal rescue.
LASSie, the Langkawi Animal Shelter and Sanctuary was born out of the passion of Bon Ton’s an Australian owner, Narelle McMurtrie. When Narelle first arrived on Langkawi, there were no veterinary clinics on the island at all. So she set one up. For years it operated on a purely charitable basis, sterilising strays and returning them to their habitats, completely free of charge.
Today, LASSie shelters around a hundred permanent residents – older animals, those with disabilities, and those whose age or disposition makes adoption difficult. These are not animals waiting to be saved. They are animals being given the dignity to live out their lives in peace and safety. The sanctuary is staffed by a rotating team of volunteers, many of them travellers, drawn to Langkawi not just for its beaches, but for the chance to walk a dog, sit with a cat, and be part of something that truly matters.
A portion of Bon Ton’s profits goes directly goes to funding LASSie. When you stay at Bon Ton, you are not just choosing a place to rest. You are choosing to be part of a good cause.
The Library – A Room Full of Echoes
Tucked within the Bon Ton grounds is a library that feels less like a library and more like a curated time capsule. Thousands of books line the shelves – a sprawling, eclectic collection that ranges from weathered classics of the Penguin Classics and Everyman series to dense volumes on Second World War history, military strategy, and the great conflicts that shaped the twentieth century. It is the kind of collection that tells you everything about the people who assembled it: curious, well-read, and wonderfully unsentimental about genre.
Scattered among the shelves are vintage cassette players and reel-to-reel decks – the kind of things that will bring back memories if you grew up in the seventies or eighties. (It definitely did for me!) Remember using a pencil to wind the tape back when it got tangled? That satisfying click-whir sound when you popped the cassette back in? I definitely do. Hours spent blasting Michael Jackson and Duran Duran (what a combo!) on the mini compo at sleepovers, dancing and giggling like we were in an MTV video.
I could have spent hours in there. Just browsing, remembering the good old times.
Bon Ton Locale – A Village of Creative Living
Bon Ton Langkawi is not just a place to sleep and eat. It is a village – and more than that, it is a vision. Narelle McMurtrie, the Australian owner behind Bon Ton, has always seen something bigger for Langkawi. Not just another beach destination, but a creative hub. A place where artists, musicians, food makers, and cultural custodians come together. Where tradition meets innovation. Where Langkawi becomes known not only for its natural beauty, but for its soul.
Bon Ton Locale is that vision coming to life.
Spread across a sprawling five-acre space they call four villages – the Creative Art Quarter, the Cat Secret Club, the Resort itself (Heritage), and the Padi Field. Bon Ton Locale is designed to bring Langkawi’s artsy-fartsy community together. Musicians perform here. Artists create here. Cooking classes teach the island’s culinary traditions. Creative events happen regularly. It is a space where culture is not just preserved, but lived.
What makes Narelle’s approach so remarkable is how she supports it all. She doesn’t just talk about nurturing creativity – she provides accommodation for artists in residence, giving them the time and space to create without financial pressure. She hosts the musicians. She creates the platforms. She builds the community. Slowly, patiently, beautifully, she is transforming what Langkawi can be.
🎨 The Art Gallery
The art residency programme at Bon Ton, curated in collaboration with CULT Gallery Kuala Lumpur, brings emerging artists here for months at a time. Narelle provides them with accommodation, space, and time to create. Walking through the property during a residency, you might stumble upon a half-finished installation beside the in the workshop, or catch an artist at work.
There is also a dedicated space for chalk art where anyone can go wild with creativity. Chalks scattered everywhere, tables and chairs covered in drawings, boards filled with doodles. Apparently it’s the children’s favorite spot — I can see why.”
There is also a dedicated space for chalk art where anyone can go wild with creativity. Chalks scattered everywhere, tables and chairs covered in drawings, boards filled with doodles. Apparently it’s the children’s favourite spot. I can see why.
🐱 The Cat Secret Club
A whimsical, dedicated space for Bon Ton’s beloved cats – a charming tribute to the resort’s deep commitment to its four-legged residents thanks to the LASSie sanctuary. A place where felines reign supreme.
🍳 Cooking Classes (Occasional)
Bon Ton Locale will host immersive cooking classes on an occasional basis – opportunities to get your hands into the flavours, traditions, and culinary stories that make this corner of Malaysia so extraordinary.
🎭 Events & Cultural Gatherings
Bon Ton Locale is also a space for events – music festivals, traditional activities, arts events, and cultural gatherings. It is a place where the community comes together, where tradition meets creativity, and where Langkawi’s cultural heartbeat can be felt.
Twenty Years Later……
Twenty years had passed, and yet the place had not changed. Perhaps that is its greatest gift: in a world that is constantly moving, Bon Ton Langkawi simply stays. And in staying, it holds space for you to find your way back to yourself.
This is not a resort trying to be something it is not. It is a place that rescues animals, nurtures artists, preserves old Malay heritage, plays music that comes from the heart, and does all of this without ever raising its voice. It is, quietly, one of the most meaningful places I have ever stayed.
Why This Matters for Langkawi
Bon Ton Locale is more than just a resort add-on. It is a space actively hosting creative events, cooking classes that honour local culinary traditions, and live music performances that bring the community together. Narelle’s vision is changing what Langkawi can be, not just a stop on the tourist trail, but a destination where culture, creativity, and community thrive.
What ties it all together is an ethos that is difficult to name but impossible to miss. This heritage resort in Langkawi is not trying to be just a hotel. It is not trying to be a gallery, or a restaurant, or a community centre. It is all of these things at once, tirelessly building something that will outlast any single season or trend.
Worth the Visit Even If You’re Not Staying
Here’s the thing, even if you are staying somewhere else in Langkawi, Bon Ton is worth the visit. Come for lunch, dinner or drinks at Nam Restaurant. Experience authentic food in an ambience so serene it feels like time slows down. Then take a walk around the incredible grounds.
Visit the art gallery. Lose yourself in the library with its thousands of books. Let the kids run wild on the amazing playground. Wander through the vintage finds and antiques dotted everywhere – the old steel from a workshop in Ipoh that Narelle transformed into a creative cube, the old Filipino jeepney dressed in in a long tutu skirt, the cassette players, the treasures tucked into every corner.
The whole place is a photographer’s dream, but in the best way – nothing staged or set up for the ‘gram.’ Just genuinely cool stuff dotted everywhere. It is way more fun than those popular photo spots everyone had to queue for.
And here’s the best part: 30% of your bill goes directly to LASSie, the animal shelter. You’re helping Narelle give stray cats and dogs a chance at a dignified life.
At Bon Ton, I found what I didn’t know I was looking for
not a place to escape to,
but a place to come back to.…
The birdsong. The old wood. The cats.
The quiet that asks nothing of you.
The verandah has weathered 120 years of storms.
Sitting here among these old walls,
I remembered…
I will weather mine too.
~ Shannim, January 2026 🌸
Plan Your Stay at Bon Ton Langkawi
Find out more about this soulful corner of Langkawi:
🌿 Bon Ton Resort Langkawi
📍 Bon Ton, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi, Malaysia
🐾 LASSie – Langkawi Animal Shelter & Sanctuary
🌿 Bon Ton Locale – @bontonlocale
🎶 King I Sound – @kingisound
More Heritage Stays in Malaysia
If you enjoyed this story about Bon Ton Langkawi, you might also like my piece on E&O Hotel Penang, a heritage property where colonial luxury meets timeless elegance.
FAQ: Bon Ton Langkawi
Q: What makes Bon Ton Langkawi unique?
A: Bon Ton Resort is housed in eight antique Malay villas that are 80-120 years old, each lovingly restored and set around beautiful grounds. It is one one of the rare heritage resorts in Langkawi that combines traditional architecture with a deep commitment to animal welfare through LASSie animal sanctuary.
Q: Where is Bon Ton Resort located in Langkawi?
A: Bon Ton is located just off Pantai Cenang on Jalan Kuala Muda, about 10 minutes from Langkawi International Airport and 5 minutes from the popular Pantai Cenang.
Q: What is LASSie at Bon Ton Langkawi?
A: LASSie (Langkawi Animal Shelter & Sanctuary) is an animal rescue founded by Bon Ton’s owner. It provides a home for around 80 stray cats and dogs, many elderly or with special needs. A portion of resort profits supports the sanctuary.
Q: Is Nam Restaurant open to non-guests?
A: Yes, Nam Restaurant Langkawi welcomes both resort guests and outside visitors. It’s regarded as one of the best restaurants on the island and is especially beautiful at sunset.
Q: What are the opening hours for Nam Restaurant?
A: Open all day from 10.30am until 11pm.
Q: Can I visit LASSie animal sanctuary?
A: Guests at Bon Ton can walk the dogs and interact with the animals. Check with the resort about volunteer opportunities and visiting hours for the sanctuary.
Q: What is Bon Ton Locale?
A: Bon Ton Locale is the creative and cultural hub of the resort, featuring an art gallery, artist residencies, the Cat Secret Club, and spaces for cooking classes and cultural events.
Q: Is Bon Ton Langkawi suitable for families?
A: Yes, though the resort has a quiet, peaceful atmosphere. It is ideal for families who appreciate heritage, art, nature, and cultural experiences rather than a typical beach resort vibe.
