Philea Resort & Spa, Melaka

School holidays start tomorrow, and if you're thinking of a family getaway, you might want to consider this place, Philea Resort & Spa in Melaka. For starters, I like how it's located very near the Ayer Keroh toll plaza. You exit the toll, and a few metres later, you take a left and voila! it's there!

I've stayed here a couple of times actually, the second time being just a few weeks ago when I was in town for Karnival Jom Heboh. In the words of its own website, "Here you will find a resort like no other - a rustic architecture with secluded bays curled around pristine greenery, evening skies woven with colour, and a deep sense of serenity reserved exclusively for our guests".

Not too sure about the "evening skies woven with colour" bit, but Philea does deliver on most of its other claims. It really takes you to a different world which is instantly peaceful and calm-inducing.

It starts after you've checked-in and taken to your room on the buggy. You see nothing but trees and the cool log cabins while the sound of waterfalls washes all your worries away. (Man, I should get paid for this stuff, lah)

One thing for sure as well, is that they don't skimp on making the rooms look mighty fine. "Luxury" is a word they take seriously here, so that swipe of your credit card feels absolutely worth it. Take a look at what I mean...

And so, if your idea of a fulfilling vacation is to stay in the room, chill and just take it easy, you definitely can't go wrong here. BUT, there's also plenty to explore at Philea. They've got a gym and sauna, karaoke rooms, games room, a spa and an awesome swimming pool.

To be honest, since my last trip was for work, I didn't have that much time to check out all the facilities, butI did take a dip in the pool and the restaurants serve pretty good food with above-average service.

If you're wondering about rates, well, your best bet would be to book it online via one of those hotel booking portals. We certainly got a good deal there. Enjoy your holidays!