Tanjong Jara Resort is situated on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and lies mid-way between Kuala Terengganu in the North and Kuantan to the South. The resort is built on a sprawling 17-hectare beachfront site facing the South China Sea.

All 100 rooms are uniquely designed using local rich timbers and furnished to a high standard using luxurious fabrics and materials. The rooms and suites are positioned along a beautiful coastline, facing the South China Sea, the tropical landscaped gardens and beach.

Originally built in 1979, the resort was awarded one of the world’s foremost prizes for architecture, the prestigious Aga Khan Award.

Extensive research into the historical architecture of the area, the Malay culture, climate, history, art, geography and other environmental factors was undertaken prior to designing this project. The knowledge gained from the research, in particular about the East Coast, its people and their heritage led to the design of a resort imbued with the very essence of its locale.

The basic design motif for the buildings was found in indigenous and leisure-oriented istanas, the elegantly crafted wooden palaces of Malay sultans of long ago. It features traditional art forms and craftsmanship. The Aga Khan Award jurors praised Tanjong Jara Resort for the courage to search out and successfully adapt and develop an otherwise rapidly disappearing traditional architecture and craft to meet the demands of contemporary architecture.

Although it has recently been extensively renovated to the standards of a modern deluxe international resort, its original beauty has been preserved, and even enhanced. The look and feel reflects a combination of styles from within the Malay Archipelago, the philosophy being to assure guests of an experience that is Unmistakably Malay.