The Four Seasons Resort Langkawi is in a class of its own, with traditional Malayan-style pavilions on a tropical property and a beautiful one-mile-long beach. It’s an easy boat ride to the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, where there are rock formations millions of years old and wildlife -- monkeys, hornbills, commodore lizards, and eagles. Personalized service is the norm at the Four Seasons Resort, from the general manager to staff tending the gardens, who are known to stop to say hello. The reception area is stunningly decorated in silver details, featuring wooden latticework above the front desk and a veranda beside a pond. Guests can ride bicycles or golf carts on cobblestone pathways around the grounds. The white sandy beach is not crowded, but boats speeding close to the shore can disturb the quiet.

The resort is located on the Tanjung Rhu Beach, a 10-minute boat ride to the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangroves. This quiet, isolated location doesn’t have any shops or restaurants nearby, and is a 30-minute drive to the lively Pantai Cenang area. But there are ample on-site facilities and activities -- including water sports, horseback riding, and tennis -- and rock climbing nearby. The resort offers bike tours through a village and rice paddies. It’s a 10-minute drive to the Durian Perangin Waterfall, which is a nice spot for a picnic. The drive to Langkawi International Airport takes 25 minutes. The Kuah ferry terminal and Eagle Square are a 30-minute drive. The Els Club Teluk Datai, for golf, is  a 30-minute drive.

The Four Seasons Resort Langkawi has 68 pavilions and 23 villas, with lovely Malayan and Moorish wooden designs, large windows, stylish beechwood furniture, and garden or sea views from furnished verandas. Pavilions, which are 732 square feet (68 square meters), are on the first or second floor. With their pitched wooden ceilings, ponds, and plunge pools, the villas exude a luxurious vibe. The Family Beach House and one-bedroom Beach Villa offer 2,369 square feet (220 square meters) of space. The Royal Villa -- with a kitchen and maid’s quarters -- has 15,078 square feet (about 1,400 square meters) of space, two bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Two-bedroom villas at 6,350 square feet (590 meters) are also available. Marble bathrooms feature large windows, stone basins, and soaking terrazzo bathtubs that are either indoors or set in the garden. All rooms come with flat-screen TVs, DVD players, plush bathrobes and slippers, hairdryers, safes, irons/ironing boards, minibars, and kettles; some have espresso machines.

This five-pearl resort, with spacious grounds and two separate pools, maintains a peaceful atmosphere. A beachfront family pool includes a kids' section, and the adult-only pool has private lounge areas, and serves freshly cut coconuts and cocktails at the bar. The Geo Spa offers pampering in treatment rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, cabanas on a pond, and a fitness center with cardio machines and weights. Tennis, beach volleyball, horseback riding, ping-pong, and water-sport rentals are also available on-site. Kid-friendly amenities include a kids’ club, outdoor playground, rock-climbing, and educational exhibits in the discovery center.

Three restaurants serve international cuisine. The Serai prepares an excellent breakfast and Italian dinners in an open-air pavilion with optional beach dining. Malayan cuisine is served in the Ikan-Ikan restaurant, a beachfront dining room with barbecue and bonfire s’mores on the sand. Kelapa Grill has Western cuisine and poolside service. Rhu Bar offers a Japanese menu, hookahs, a pool table, and a beachfront porch swing.

Music, entertainment, and audiovisual equipment can be arranged for events in three meeting spaces -- which total 2,150 square feet (200 square meters) -- and a 24-hour business center offers free coffee and tea. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.