langkawi magazine
Info II SECTION
Langkawi's different Tourist Regions
PANTAI TENGAH
This beachfront is chock-full with hotels, resorts and a variety of restaurants. One particular place to go for some good Mediterranean and Malaysian food is The Lighthouse Restaurant & Beach Bar. A semi open-air concept restaurant, The Lighthouse is ideal for evening drinks and sunset dining.
What's more interesting though is a kampung house which offers an experience to learn a few tips on how to cook Malaysian dishes with Chef Shuk. If that's not enough, guests may also have their own private dinner functions here.
Not far is the Langkawi Underwater World where large aquariums make permanent homes for about 5,000 types of marine life - local and from 1000's of miles away. Open daily from 10.00am to 6.00pm. Adult: RM18 Child: RM10.
PANTAI CENANG
The main attractions on the island are the long stretches of white sandy beaches. The most frequented beaches are in the south-western part of the island. Pantai Cenang, is the liveliest place to be and is about 18Km from Kuah town.
Accommodation here are catered to suit all types of travel budgets from A-hut chalets to international resorts such as the Pelangi Beach Resort, an ever popular and well-established resort. A variety of restaurants line the road serving all types of cuisine from local to Italian to fusion. The Red Tomato Garden Cafe is a good place to stop by for your English breakfast of toast and coffee or settle for fresh garden salad and pasta for a pretty reasonable price. Beats having the complimentary breakfast buffet provided by your hotel!
The A-huts lining parts of the 2km beach go for around RM45 per hut per night with fan and attached bathroom. The beach frontage along Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengah and Teluk Baru is narrow. With such limited space, the A-huts are packed closely together and can get a little claustrophobic, especially the ones further back towards the road. In the past 2 years, many of the small budget chalet operators have had to make way for resorts so don't be too disappointed if you can't get a reasonably priced place to stay.
There are mid-range accommodations available along the beach. The Beach Garden Resort gives one a feel that the owner has travelled far and explored widely these parts of the world, bringing with him an eclectic atmosphere of the East and the West. The resort run by a German couple is a favourite with Germans (even the reception staff are conversant in the German language) and the bistro is a good place to go for western food - pizza, salad, soups, steaks etc. This resort can get very busy during peak seasons especially during the Christmas period all the way through to February.
But the beach on this northern side of Pantai Cenang is cleaner and the white sand is as fine as caster sugar. There's much more space to stretch out too! Further up from the Beach Garden Resort, is BonTon.
BonTon serves fusion food and is pricey for budget travellers. There is a wide selection of fine wines, which is ideal for a long, quiet evening to indulge in good food, good wine, good company and an appreciation for subtlety. Unlike the first BonTon outlet in KL which is housed in a colonial brick house, the BonTon here is set kampung style with a heavy lean towards Balinese structures.
There are also 4 old Kampung houses to stay for about RM160. These old village houses are a collection from the age of 40 to 100years. Personalised touches are added to the decor to provide guests with a homey feel. BonTon also has yachts for rental to explore the waters around. 
PANTAI KOK
Here sits the Oriental Village where visitors to the island can do a bit of shopping especially for branded products. The village also offers a variety of cuisine for their visitors. Thai, Malay and Chinese restaurants gives a good introduction to the local delicacies found in Malaysia.
Not too far down the road is the Summer Palace, a large movie set left behind after the shoot of Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yuen Fatt. Covering an area of 675 square metres, the set is built using traditional carpentry methods to replicate an old Thai palace. A restaurant, a pavilion for wedding shoots, no doubt.. and souvenir shops have been added to the place. Open daily from 9.30am - 7.00pm. Adult: RM3.50, Child: RM2.00.
Burau Bay Resort went under a new management some years back. Realising the importance of eco-tourism, Burau Bay is giving it a go at making Langkawi a naturalist's paradise. And rightly so, Langkawi has the oldest rainforest track in Malaysia and that is worth preserving.
TANJUNG RHU
For others who prefer a more adventurous introduction to the islands, a 3-hour boat trip around the mangrove swamps and nearby islands is a good start. Not too strenuous and not too commercial.. at least not for now anyway.
We begin our trip at Tanjung Rhu, a beautiful secluded bay of white sand on the northeastern tip of the island. Casuarina trees line the beach, caressed by the gentle breeze blowing in from the vast Indian Ocean.
The exclusive Tanjung Rhu Resort, set on its edge is the only resort on this bay and is ideal for some time away to relax and be thoroughly pampered.
TELUK DATAI
The Datai Bay sits on the Northern tip of Langkawi and is seemingly, the most secluded area in Langkawi. The drive into the bay is long and in some areas, a little winding. But once there, it's peace, serenity and privacy.
The exclusive hotel, The Datai and its more affordable, The Andaman sits along the private beach of Datai. The Datai itself is worth a visit, just for a drink or a meal at its unobtrusive restaurants or even just to browse around at their resident shops. The most fun is a trip out into the jungle with Irshad, the resident Naturalist. It's worth all that and multiplied by 10. An 18-hole golf course is another carrot on the stick at the Datai. The golf course is built within the forest itself.
PANTAI PASIR TENGKORAK(Beach of Sandy Skulls)
Tucked away from the usual mainland holidaymakers is the Beach of Sandy Skulls. This is a favourite with the islanders for a spot of picnic during the weekends. But during weekdays, it is a nice stretch of public beach to indulge in a bit of quiet time.
Not far from the beach is the Ibrahim Hussein Art Gallery (entrance fee: RM12 for adults, kids admittance is free) set on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.
Ibrahim Hussein is one of Malaysia's finest contemporary artist and is a household name amongst local and foreign art collectors. The studio is also open to artists interested in showcasing their work and aspiring artists are enthusiastically encouraged to utilise the gallery to participate in any related fields of art and music. In the grounds of the gallery is a nature walk trail that winds into the Pasir Tengkorak Forest Reserve.
LANGKAWI ISLANDS
PULAU DAYANG BUNTING (The Island of the Pregnant Maiden)
Pulau Dayang Bunting is the 2nd largest island in the archipelago. This island is special, as nestled within its core is a freshwater lake.
For years, the lake with its legend has brought many a-barren women to the lake in the hope that drinking the cool water will make them fertile. This is a good example of a folklore that is still very much believed by the locals. The story goes like this....
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful celestial princess called Puteri Dayang Sari who frequented the lake to bathe in the shallow waters. One day, an earth prince, Putera Teja spotted her bathing and was completely smitten. His attempts to woo her fell on deaf ears. In desperation the Prince turned to a wise old man for help.
The old man told him that the way to en-trance the princess was to catch the tears of a mermaid and wipe his face with them. So the prince went in search of a mermaid, found one and did as the old man advised. As predicted, upon meeting the prince again, the princess with one look, fell completely in love with him. A happy ending?
No!..it doesn't end there.
The princess returned to the lake to have her first born but was devastated that her baby boy died within a week of birth. In her moment of frailty and need, the princess found out that she had been deceived by her prince. In her anguish and pain, the princess tossed her baby into the lake.
It is said the baby was transformed into a white crocodile that continues to guard the lake to this day. Despite all that she had been through, she brought herself to bless the lake with magical fertility powers.
That was her last deed on earth and she returned to the heavens, never to be seen again. Now the lake is a place for day-trippers to cool themselves in the clean, emerald water. It is said that the magical powers of the water at the lake can help childless couples conceive! Many come to the lake for such a reason.
PULAU SINGA BESAR(The lion Island)
To the west of Pulau Dayang Bunting is Pulau Singa Besar. This island has been converted into a wildlife sanctuary for many creatures.
Walking round the island takes 8 hours or so, but visitors may get a chance to see some of the local wildlife residing on the island such as monitor lizards, macaques, deer, the timid mousedeer.
The dipterocarp trees, kelubi, cycads and the high humidity makes one feel as though walking through forests that dinosaurs have over 60million years ago. The ecosystem here may well have been the home of these giant reptiles, before the island broke away from the mainland, before the waters rose and the earth's templates ripped the landmass apart that shifted the continents away.
The dating of sedimentary rocks on the island have been recorded to go back as far as 500million years even before the era of dinosaurs. The island is still home to numerous species of birds . If you're a keen birdwatcher, bring a pair of binoculars, some insect repellent, drinking water and a sprinkle of patience. You won't regret it.
PULAU BERAS BASAH(Wet Rice Island)
This island close by is a favourite for those who would like to do a spot of swimming and sunbathing.
However, just a word on sunbathing: this is a Muslim country, skimpily clothed women are frowned upon. So for women, don't go topless or nude on beaches especially on public beaches.
There are organised trips to the 3 island of Pulau Dayang Bunting, Pulau Singa Besar and Pulau Beras Basah. If you make your own way to Pantai Cenang, there are boats ready to take you out. The boats leave at 9.00am and at 2.30pm and the entire trip takes 3hours.
The boat operators here charge RM35 per person for the tour but bring your own snacks, towel, a change of clothing and water. In hotels and other resorts, the trip costs more but includes the transfer to and from resorts.
PULAU TUBA
This is the only other inhabited island in the archipelago.
A traditional fishing village stands on the island and the fisherfolk here retain their old livelihood of fishing and processing catch. If you're interested in experiencing the simple life of these folk, there is a homestay programme at the village. You can hire a boat from the Kuah jetty, situated next to the Kuah Ferry Terminal. The boat costs RM30 per way. Ask them to take you to Tok Janggut's chalet on Pulau Tuba. The owner of the chalet charges RM30 per person and that includes 3 meals a day plus accommodation.
[NOTE - prices quoted in this article might be out of date.]
