langkawi magazine

Reviews SECTION

Curried Away by Malaysia

Sprinkled with orchids, the open-air spa is a little slice of heaven. But be warned.

As you soak in the soothing waters on a cliff-top overlooking the Andaman sea, you may not be alone. For monkeys swing between rainforest trees, occasionally stopping to stare at the strange humans. This was magnificent Malaysia in a nutshell - sophisticated luxury shoulder-to-shoulder with the raw beauty of the jungle.

I had travelled to Langkawi, an unspoilt Malaysian island near the Thai border, with my Aussie husband Andrew. It was our first wedding anniversary and the 10-day trip was to be the traditional honeymoon that we had missed out on.

After our wedding we had stayed in a Bath B&B with the Australian in-laws. Well, many had travelled 10,000 miles to see us get hitched so we couldn't just take off.We had a good time but the stately elegance of Bath isn't quite up to the staggering beauty of steamy Langkawi.

A few hundred miles from the equator, it boasts waterfalls, white sand beaches, limestone caves and forested mountains. The island, which has direct flights from Heathrow, is also clean, very affordable and crime-free.

The weather won't let you down either. It's always hot and humid and walking in the rain is like taking a lovely warm shower. In fact, when we checked into the Bon Ton we were hoping for a drop of the wet stuff the next day so we had an excuse to stay in our room.

I say room. But in actual fact we had been put up in a 130-year-old wooden Malay house on stilts. Owner Narelle McMurtrie has kept the building's rustic charm but without skimping on luxuries. There was air conditioning, a DVD player with 50 films, silk slippers and, to my delight, a hairdryer.

It was enchanting to be tucked up in bed, protected by a huge muslin mosquito net, listening to the mesmerising calls of frogs, water buffalo and birds outside. Even taking a shower was an experience. The shower-head was the size of a dinner plate and the water drained straight through the gaps in the floorboards. The Bon Ton has seven houses and the incredible Nam restaurant. If you visit Langkawi you must spend at least a night here.

You also will not go far wrong at The Andaman hotel's Gulai House restaurant - a traditional open-sided hut hidden along a narrow coastal track in the rainforest.The food is presented like a work of art and is outdone only by the quality and flavour of their curries. Get the chef's platter to share for a starter. You eat like a king but pay like a poor man at the Nam and Gulai House. But the real shock is the cost of the fare when you venture out of your hotel.

The Siti Fatimah has an excellent 72-dish lunch buffet for about £1.50 and at Man's clean shack, on the Datai junction, fresh roti canai - a cross between an omelette and pancake - with chicken curry and a drink set me back 40p.

But if you fancy cooking your own Malaysian cuisine then try Shuk The Cook's curry-making evening. I was forced into it by Andrew, who is a keen chef. I have never recovered from school cookery lessons, taught by a diminutive but truly fearsome Welsh woman called Mrs Jones.

Happily Shuk is not a Malaysian Mrs Jones. He encourages you to get stuck into the alcohol while cooking and the lesson was great fun. We produced fish in banana leaf, beef rendang and chicken curry.

But if cooking is the last thing you want to do on holiday you can always try Shuk's restaurant, The Lighthouse, instead. Get there before 7 pm and you and your loved one will experience the most beautiful sunset imaginable.

But Langkawi is not just a couples' island. It's great for families or groups of mates. On board the 70ft Stardust yacht, owned by Englishman Hamish Thoburn, we met honeymooners, pensioners and backpackers.

Taking it easy was the order of the day and a G&T or a beer is thrust into your hand the moment you step on board at 10am. You're then encouraged to leap over the side into a net and get dragged through the water.

You also get to explore caves, swim off deserted islands within view of Thailand and feed stingrays.

Langkawi is rich in wildlife. Stick with top tour guides Murali and Vijay, booked through Travelmood in the UK, and you won't miss much. Murali - an Anglophile who craves Sainsbury's fig rolls and supports Liverpool - knows the best place to be tickled by scores of catfish and where to spot eagles with 10ft wing-spans. We saw at least 60 diving for fish.

Almost as impressive was taking a cable car to the top of Mount Machincang and having a 12ft pet Burmese python wrapped round my neck. It was a thrilling ride and worth it for the views of the white coastline and vast blanket of rainforest from the 360-degree viewing plateau.

Hidden among this, on the northern tip of the island, is the Andaman resort which manages to be laid-back, child-friendly and yet sophisticated. It's best to hire a car for £10 a day or a scooter for £3 if you stay here. Petrol is just 20p a litre, the speed limit is 40mph and they drive on the left. The Andaman has a private beach, huge swimming pool, the open-air spa and a great lobby bar with live music at night. And it's a haven for nature. Keep your balcony door shut when you leave because monkeys will clear your minibar. Hornbills are regular sights as are monitor lizards and sea otters.

After a week of island life we flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur for a three-day sightseeing and shopping spree.

UK 6/11/2004