KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA: Tired of city life and feeling the need to unwind? There's a tiny resort tucked on the bank of a river in Banggol that will fit the bill nicely.

The Mulders now call Malaysia home.

Pasir Belanda resort, managed by Dutch couple Harry and Anna Mulder, is located along the road leading to the well known Pantai Cahaya Bulan and consists of six traditionally built wooden chalets that are equipped with modern comforts.

Harry, 40, a mechanical engineer, arrived in Malaysia in 1989 to do his practical training with Malaysia Airlines.

He married Anna six years later and after a short honeymoon here, they decided to make Malaysia their home.

The Mulders first stayed in Penang, where they attended Bahasa Malaysia classes.

The couple opened the Pasir Belanda resort in 2006 on a property previously owned by Datuk Howard Biles, a British expatriate and former state government officer who had died some years back.

The Mulders had leased the estate from the family of a worker who had inherited the property after Biles' death.

The couple now lives on the 0.5ha ground with their two sons -- Jesse, 9, and Abel, 3 -- in a three-room traditional house next to the Pengkalan Chepa river, which had been occupied previously by Biles.

Harry, who now speaks fluent Malay and can hold his own in the Kelantanese dialect, said the resort was named after a small beach in Penang but it was also to remind them of their roots.

The Mulders had spent more than RM100,000 to construct the six wooden chalets, which are based on the designs of traditional houses in Kelantan.

"The resort is aimed at giving visitors, both foreigners and locals, a taste of the idyllic village life in Kelantan."

Guests can take a boat ride at the lake behind the chalets or rent bicycles and make their rounds around the village or other fishing villages and beaches nearby.

Banggol is the heart of Kelantan's handicraft industries, where craftsmen produce batek, songket, wau and kris, among others.

"I have been told by guests that they regretted only staying for a few days as there were many things to do and see here."

Harry said presently, 30 per cent of his guests were Malaysians while the rest were mostly from Europe, especially The Netherlands.

Most came to know about the resort through the Internet or travel agencies.

"The occupancy rate fluctuates but we are usually fully booked between May and August.

"On an average, guests stay for between two and three days."

The chalets are available from RM149 to RM199 per day, inclusive of breakfast.

The resort has opened up business opportunities and provided jobs for villagers.

Two villagers have been hired to prepare breakfast and conduct regular maintenance.

Another prepares local dishes for lunch and dinner on request and conducts cooking classes.

A craftsman who runs a batik workshop holds classes for guests who are interested in the art.

Harry also runs a travel agency and helps guests to plan trips to other tourists destinations in the country, including Pulau Perhentian and Cameron Highlands.