langkawi magazine
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Survive Winter - Beat The Blues With An Easy Week In The Sun
THE FAR EAST MOST PLACES in the region are in their weather prime in winter, but not all. The east coast of Malaysia and Ko Samui are iffy - certainly in the early weeks of winter, when they can be wet and overcast.
Given that flight times and zone differences are far greater than for other destinations, let the choice of where to go be determined by an airline route that gets you straight to the beach without changing planes.
On balance, because it's now served by a nonstop flight, we'd pick the Malaysian island of Langkawi, which lies 50 miles north of Penang. Nowhere else in Asia gives you such easy access to a beach. However, it does mean you have to fly from Heathrow on either a Wednesday or a Sunday evening, although, since you have to fly back via Kuala Lumpur, you can return home on whichever day of the week you like.
Langkawi is more than a matter of convenience. It also scores as a pretty island with dramatic scenery, lots of greenery, birds and butterflies, excellent accommodation for every budget and terrific prices, particularly in restaurants, where you can eat well for a fiver. The diving is also good and there are three golf courses, though the island offers far less of cultural interest than neighbouring Penang.
Flight time: about 12 hours.
Time difference: +8 hours.
Weather: 28C; 3.7in of rain.
SAMPLE PACKAGES
Top dollar: five nights' room-only at the five-star Datai, set in its own patch of rainforest on the stunning north coast, starts at $1,240, including Sunday flights with Malaysian Airlines from Heathrow (free connections from Manchester; from $140 from other regional airports). Book through Magic of the Orient (01293 537700, www.magicoftheorient.co.uk). And relax: the Datai has a spa, and even golf-cart shuttles to take you down the steep slopes to the beach if you want to take laziness to the extreme.
Down a notch: five nights' room-only at the four-star Pelangi Beach resort, a U-shape of two-storey buildings built in traditional Malay style, bang on the sands, starts at $832, with the same flights as above, also through Magic of the Orient.
Other operators include: Ess-ential Escapes (020 7284 3344, www.essentialescapes.com); Steppes East (01285 651010, www.steppeseast.co.uk).
London 7/11/2004
