langkawi magazine
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Langkawi for Island Honeymoons - Where Time Stands Still
I am glad that I made the right choice this time round. Yes, I love Californian beaches and have stayed in the Bay area for quite a while. Love the evening drinks at LA and still have fond remembrances of partying late into the night. This would have been the ideal place for our honeymoon. Yet, I chose Langkawi instead.
Nope, you didn't hear me wrongly - it's Langkawi in Malaysia! Nowhere close to Disneyland nor Universal Studios. Why? Ling, my fiance (or rather, wife now) has resisted vehemently initially. This is not one of my cost-cutting strategies to start a family in expensive Singapore. A close pal who's been to the Datai Resort at Langkawi was actually the one who suggested the place to me. It's simply romantic, he would explain passionately. Having done further research (just as any other kiasu Singaporean would), I was then convinced that it was not a place to be missed. And, as usual, I managed to convince Ling despite some grumbling even when we boarded the plane.
The mystical island of Langkawi is home to The Andaman Datai Bay Resort. Situated between Mat Cincang Range and the deep blue Andaman Sea, the resort has been built in the middle of a virgin tropical rainforest. Imagine how close we were to nature!. Both avid nature lovers, we decided for a nature walk in our first evening. To our surprise, the resort is actually surrounded by huge old rainforests. The environment is unique.
For a while, we thought we felt like we were immersed in a rare self-contained world of nature with a fascinating variety of flora and fauna. We then went jungle trekking with an experienced guide. The walk up the mountain stream was a most tiring one (we've not exercised for too long, I guess). Through hilly terrain, following animal trails and getting well off the beaten path, we were rewarded with a cooling dip in the waterfall basin. Relaaxxx...
The next day was spent on sea sports. Snorkeling at nearby Anak Datai Island. Windsurfing. Kayaking. You name it. We've done it all.... The beach bar that night was rather quite. The bar was pretty small. It couldn't accommodate more than 60 customers, I guess. A few Caucasians around and a few Chinese. Nothing special until when we heard familiar accents which the couple 2 tables from us spoke with. Many "lahs" and "hors". Subconsciously, the corners of our lips slid upwards.
Nothing physically taxing on the last day... we just wanted to rest our tired bodies. The jacuzzi at Sari Villa was really large. Pampering ourselves in the privacy of our Sari Villa, we started off with a Traditional Massage. It was so comforting that I almost dozed off as the therapist's well-trained hands gave us a real soothing session. The next step was to soak ourselves in a warm, fragrant bath, with some "Jamu Tonic" which smelt kinda strange to me initially, but seemed to have some rejuvenating effects after a while. Feeling refreshed now, we just spent our next private moments together gazing onto the paroramic view of Andaman Sea. No words were needed between us. Our hearts communicated. I knew Ling must have felt that it's been a worthwhile trip after all.
LA would have been a spot where I could have lots of reminiscences. Yet, nothing beats being able to spend private moments with a loved one. In a villa perched on a hill and amidst the vastness of the sea. And yes, catching the sunrise together too.
Langkawi
