Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 29 May 2026
Last Updated: 29 May 2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to Tropics Hideaway (“we”, “us”, or “our”), a boutique hotel review and travel blog accessible at https://tropicshideaway.com.
We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights in relation to it — in accordance with Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA).
By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
2. Who We Are
Tropics Hideaway is operated by an individual based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
📧 Contact us: tropicshideaway@gmail.com
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | When you subscribe to our newsletter | To send you travel updates and new content |
| Name & email | When you submit a contact form | To respond to your enquiry |
| Comments | If you leave a comment on a post | To publish and respond to your feedback |
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, the following may be collected automatically:
- IP address and approximate location
- Browser type and device information
- Pages visited, time spent, and navigation behaviour
- Referring website (where you came from)
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 6)
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To send you our newsletter and travel content updates (with your consent)
- To respond to your messages and enquiries
- To improve our website content and user experience
- To analyse traffic and understand how readers engage with our content (via Google Analytics 4, once enabled)
- To monitor site performance and fix technical issues
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
5. Third-Party Services & Affiliate Links
5.1 Affiliate Partnerships
Tropics Hideaway participates in affiliate programmes. Some links on this site — including links to Booking.com and Trip.com — are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you make a booking through these links, at no additional cost to you.
These third-party platforms have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them:
5.2 Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors interact with our site. GA4 collects anonymised data about page views, session duration, and traffic sources. Google may use this data in accordance with their own privacy policy.
- Google Privacy Policy
- You can opt out of GA tracking via Google Analytics Opt-Out
5.3 WordPress & Hosting
This site is built on WordPress. Our hosting provider may collect server logs that include IP addresses and access timestamps for security and performance monitoring purposes.
5.4 Social Media Platforms
Our content may be shared across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and X (Twitter). If you interact with us through these platforms, their respective privacy policies apply.
6. Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies to:
- Keep the website functioning correctly (essential cookies)
- Understand how visitors navigate the site (analytics cookies, via GA4)
- Remember your preferences
Types of Cookies We Use
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | WordPress functionality, session management | Session |
| Analytics | Google Analytics — page views, behaviour | Up to 2 years |
| Third-party | Embedded content from social platforms | Varies |
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.
7. Email Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will use your email address to send you travel content, hotel reviews, and updates from Tropics Hideaway.
- You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any email
- We will never share your email address with third parties for marketing purposes
- We do not send spam
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary:
- Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
- Contact form enquiries: Up to 12 months after resolution
- Analytics data: As governed by Google Analytics retention settings (default: 14 months)
9. Your Rights Under Malaysia’s PDPA 2010
As a data subject, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data
- Withdraw consent for us to process your personal data at any time
- Request deletion of your personal data (where applicable)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at tropicshideaway@gmail.com. We will respond within 21 days.
10. Children’s Privacy
Tropics Hideaway is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Links to External Websites
Our blog posts may contain links to external websites (hotels, booking platforms, travel resources). These sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their content or practices. We encourage you to read their policies before submitting any personal data.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:
📧 tropicshideaway@gmail.com
🌐 https://tropicshideaway.com
This Privacy Policy was prepared in accordance with the Malaysia Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA).