langkawi magazine
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Expect The Unexpected on This Legendary Island
I was forced to go to Langkawi due to an Ebookers deal that I just couldn't turn down. Those bargain holiday companies will be the ruin of me I'm sure. So as soon as I booked it I started to read up and plan exciting things to do - well I had five months to wait and work was slow so I took to this with a vengeance.
A friend lent me an old copy of Lonely Planet on a Shoestring South-East Asia guide. It was published in 1994 and here is what it says about Langkawi:
"It is quite a pleasant place to visit but Langkawi doesn't have the atmosphere (or the beaches) of the islands on the east coast...There is not a great deal to see apart from waterfalls, a rather pathetic hot spring, a legendary tomb and a fresh water lake"
As you can imagine this rather cutting review hardly had me conjuring up great things, but because I have a deeply felt love for Malaysia from a previous visit I knew that this would not be the case so I was determined to prove this critic wrong.
In the ten year gap that the guide was written there have been many changes - it is almost like a different island from the one described above. Let me tell you all about it...
I arrived at Langkawi International Airport after an 11 hour night flight somewhat dishevelled and in need of a good stretching. I love the feeling when you step off a plane and the heat hits you like a smack in the face (of course this has nothing to do with the heat from the plane itself that has just travelled thousands of miles, absolutely none!)
On the way to the hotel we drove over a bridge and coming the other way was a massive water buffalo. It was such a wonderfully unexpected thing to see that I stared at it in amazement. As soon as I saw this beast I knew I was in for a treat for the rest of my time on the island. And I wasn't wrong.
ACCOMODATION
I stayed at the Berjaya Beach and Spa Resort. Depending on where you look it gives you different star ratings for this hotel but from a personal point of view I would rate it 4 out of 5. You stay in chalets that are dotted all over the 90 acre resort set in the jungle. The rooms are quite basic with a nice little balcony area. I loved the way you step out of your front door and you are faced with huge trees everywhere, although at night I was a bit scared that a monkey might jump out at me - what a wimp!Because the resort is so big there is a 24 hour shuttle bus service that takes you to and from the main building. Luckily we weren't too far away and could walk (except at night for the monkey reason)
There are 4 restaurants that serve all different types of cuisine and for hotel prices they are relatively cheap. I would say the average for a 2 course meal for 2 with a couple of drinks each was about $15.
There is a Lobby Lounge and in the evenings there is a group that sing called Nyt Lyf. They are made up of 4 girls and they were fantastic. They knew so many songs that I don't think they did the same one twice, unless request, and they did a particularly good version of Dancing Queen. The thing that I really liked about this group was that during their break they would go around the guests and have a little chat with them. By the end of our stay we had made friends with the group and they made the time at the hotel a lot more fun.
THINGS TO SEE AND DOI was really surprised at the amount of things that you can actually do on the island. When I arrived at the airport a man was handing out a map with about 40 attractions. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them all (had to have a couple of days by the beach) but the ones I did see were really good. And what were they I hear you ask:
My favourite attraction was the Cable Car at the Oriental Village. It has only been open for 2 years and it costs 15 RM (just over $2) to go on it. You cannot ride the cable car if it is raining or if it is too cloudy it's not worth going as you won't be able to see much. The cable car goes right up the side of a mountain and the highest point is 710 metres above sea level. When you reach the top you can get out on to a platform and have your photo taken. It is a really good attraction and it is worth it just for the amazing pictures you will get from it. If you are scared of heights maybe this is not for you as it can get a bit rocky.
Next it has got to be the Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells Waterfall). This waterfall is a good thing to see if you are feeling particularly energetic one day. It is a 900 step climb to the first part of the waterfall. When we arrived we were somewhat sweaty and exhausted but it was definitely worth the effort - even if half way up we were cursing that it better be good. It is!
Island hopping is a good way to see Langkawi and if you decide to do this you will certainly go to Palau Dayang Bunting where there is a legendary Lake of the Pregnant Maiden and it is said that if you bathe in this water you will increase your fertility!
Eagle Square in Kuah is worth a visit. Langkawi actually means reddish brow eagle and this statue pays homage to its namesake. It is huge - I don't know exactly how big, but as you walk up to this eagle that looks like it is about to take off you are dwarfed. Our driver told us it cost 2 milliom RM to make - that is about $300,000. The detail is really magnificent. However it's not as good as the real thing, that you will undoubtedly see circling the skies during your stay.
There is a Crocodile Farm and Snake Sanctuary on the island, but I chose not to visit these places as seeing animals caged up, when you can drive down the road and see monkeys and hornbills and water buffalo walking free, would be a bit depressing.
I think the biggest attraction of Langkawi has got to be its beautiful beaches and gorgeous scenery. Just driving around the island is a treat for the senses as there is so much to take in. There are 104 islands with Langkawi being the main one, and every time you turn a corner you can see another island in the background. Some of the nicest beaches are:
Pantai Kok that is a sweeping bay - at the time of my visit there was some construction work right next to it, but when that is finished it will be lovely once again.Tanjung Rhu in the north is a very peaceful beach, which is really nice place to take in the scenery and really relax.
Black Sands beach is rather strange and is only a small stretch. From this beach you can see the massive Cement Factory that spoils the view somewhat and had me wondering if that was why the sand was black!
Pantai Cenang is where the main activity seems to be with lots of bars, restaurants and hotels. If I were to go back to Langkawi I would stay here. There are chalets right on the beach that can be obtained inexpensively, or there are nice boutique style hotels.
Shopping - Langkawi is a duty free island and has a few shopping centres. Langkawi Fair, in Kuah, has a number of shops from clothing to perfume to electrical goods. Kuah Town also has a number of places to shop for goods and souvenirs.The best place to shop for presents is the Oriental Village. It is a really nice place to walk around with lots of shops and a few restaurants.
EATING OUTMy favourite restaurant on the island was The Sea Shell Beach Cafe. This little treasure is part of the Mutiara Hotel and is situated right on the beach. It is a wooden building resembling a shack. Dotted all around the restaurant are wooden boards with words of wisdom on them such as 'When life breaks you, The Sea Shell will fix you' and I think that sums it up perfectly. The waiting staff were fabulous and all really good fun getting guests that are up for a laugh to do bar tricks and just generally mess around. The food was delicious and I especially recommend the broccoli soup served up in a coconut shell - so much better than a boring bowl that I might start doing that with all soups to remind me of this lovely place. They also have a very extensive cocktail list including one called Come on then Big Shot where you can go behind the bar and make your own drink!
The Lighthouse - This restaurant is right on the beach at Pantai Tengah and is a lovely spot to watch the sunset. Our meal there was delicious and the view is absolutely breathtaking.
There are lots of restaurants on the Pantai Cenang road that serve traditional Malay and Chinese cuisine. They look a bit grubby inside with plastic tables and chairs but I think these restaurant are the places you should go to experience a really delicious meal at an incredibly cheap price.
If you want to treat yourself to a really posh meal you could always book in to The Datai or The Andaman hotels and really splash out. I was supposed to do this but The Sea Shell kept calling me back for more.
A note to Vegetarians - Langkawi is mainly a place where seafood is served and there may not be anything on the menu for you. Do not be afraid to ask if something can be made up for you. English is widely spoken and it is quite easy to get across what you want. I became a bit partial to vegetable noodle soup when I was there!
WHEN TO VISIT
I visited Langkawi at the beginning of June and for the first week it rained quite a bit, but was usually in the morning or afternoon. The second week was really hot and hardly rained at all. It is claimed that Langkawi is good to visit all year round but I think the rainy season starts at about the end of June. The best time would be about November to April. It is advisable that you avoid the Malaysian school holidays as the island becomes very busy during these periods.
HOW TO GET AROUNFDTaxis are cheap and reliable. They are also used for tours that you might decide to take. You can hire cars or motorbikes if you want to discover the island for yourself, but because I'm a bit accident prone so I stuck to being driven. At least then I was free to consume the ridiculously cheap Tiger Beer - it costs about 30p for a can in a restaurant!
HOW TO GET THEREMalaysia Airlines now fly direct to Langkawi or you can fly from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore. There is also a good ferry service that you can go to or from Kedah, Perlis and Saturn in Thailand.
ON THE DOWN SIDE
The only thing that put a dampener on a fantastic holiday were the mosquitoes that seemed to like me very much! I was bitten at least 5 times a night and that was on a good day. It wasn't for lack of repellent either. I had Deet 100, a mosquito repellent device in the room and some spray but nothing would put these little critters off their target. And they were possibly the itchiest bites that I have ever had! It got so bad that we decided to go to Kuala Lumpur 2 days early to escape them - nothing at all to do with getting some serious shopping in at all! SUMMARY
I had a fantastic time in Langkawi. The people are really lovely and can't do enough for you because they are genuinely friendly. I came back to England feeling more relaxed than I ever have, and not at all depressed about being back. It was exactly the pick me up I needed. One of the best things was seeing the water buffalo, and on the journey to the airport to leave I saw a massive herd of them walking down the road. It was as unexpected as the first time and made me realise what we were leaving behind.The person that wrote the section on Langkawi needs to go back and review it again! I am so glad I didn't listen and went to discover this beautiful place for myself. Now all I need is a mosquito repellent that is 100% full proof and I can go back!!
Thanks for reading
Ruth
Langkawi 19/06/04
