Langkawi
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
27
82
Trip End
Dec 30, 2009
Langkawi,
Malaysia
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
More grey skies when we wake. There is internet access in this hotel ant I check e-mails. Air Asia had sent a message last night saying that today's flight was to leave 65 min earlier than planned at 1005 rather than 1110. We had plenty of time in hand so it is not a problem but I bet that many people won't have seen this message. There are only 3 flights/week on this route.
By the time we check out, it is raining torrentially. I grab a tuk-tuk, this time a 3 -wheeler with a motorbike front, and we head for the airport. Janice is not impressed when the driver ineffectively wipes the rain from the seat before we get in. We arrive pretty dry, considering. The driver just goes up onto the pavement of the departure area to let us out without getting wet. Flight left early, so we arrive early in Kuala Lumpur at 1330 local time. The terminal is being rebuilt so it is crowded and hot with no effective airconditioning. Our flight isn't for another 5hr and I try to change for an earlier one but without success.
Use the wait productively by writing blog and drinking iced coffee. Waiting to get on the flight with a Malaysian girl who apologised about how rude everyone was for barging in the queue. My impression is that everyone was very polite. The only rude person was an Englishwoman.
Alistair and Morag (Janice's brother and his wife) were waiting for us at the hotel. We have large, comfortable rooms in a bungalow overlooking the sea. Huge soft bed: luxury. At supper that night, I thought that I was taking full advantage of the buffet but that was nothing compared to the man who had a plate piled with at least a dozen king prawns.
2nd November
Alistair had hired a car for the day. First stop the marina which had huge yachts but onshore had a whiff of failure: a deserted hotel, empty shops and a Russian restaurant ("Lankawi's only..."). It might be better in the high season. On to the cablecar, an impressive trip up to the peak at 700m. There are tourist shops at the bottom and lots of Malays having a good time. This is a Muslim country, so most women wear headscarves. There are a few ladies in the hotel with full veils who eat food (brought by their husbands from the buffet) by passing it up underneath the layers.
We stop at a black sand beach - not exciting - then drive up a long and winding road to Mount Raya. It takes about 15 minutes and when we get there, we find a hotel that is being redeveloped and little else. We are ushered into the restaurant where we have lunch. While we are waiting, we speculate that the builders are in the kitchen as a sideline. The food is good when it arrives, so the bricklayers are obviously dual trained. The view would be spectacular but there is cloud swirling around us which is dramatic in a different way. We go down to Keah, the capital. It is full of rather tatty duty free shops, so we continue round to Centara Beach. There are several hotels here, so it is busy in an attractive way. Malaysian women swimming fully clothed beside western girls in small bikinis. We return that evening for a meal in a beachside restaurant.
3rd November
I resist the allure of the bread and butter pudding for breakfast (and for that matter also the sushi, chilli con carne and the chicken fried rice). We are going snorkelling and it might be too much ballast. A wheezing bus takes us along with a jolly Dutch party to the port and then onto a large motor catamaran. The snorkelling reef is beside an island 19 miles away. We are based on a large floating platform offshore. I have signed up for an introductory dive. It takes me a while to be able to equalise but after that I have a great time and see a large eel as well as a barracuda and other brightly striped fish.
We spend the rest of the time snorkelling around the reef. There are so many fish that you can feel them nibbling your legs. In the middle of the day, the crew feed some small sharks.
4th November
We just loaf around the hotel today, using the pool and relaxing. Lunch by the pool entertained by an American guest who went everywhere including the pool clutching a beer. He referred to Singapore as "South Malaysia" which didn't endear him to Morag and Alistair. In the afternoon we rent kayaks and paddle along the coast.
5th November
The bread and butter pudding ensnares me at breakfast. I can resist it no longer. Monkeys invade the restaurant verandah and make off with someone's croissant but the little rascals don't get near my plate.
Alistair has arranged a boat trip to neighbouring islands. The four of us zoom off in a speedboat. After 10mins , the driver spots a police launch and makes us all put on our lifejackets. The first island has a mountain in the shape of a pregnant woman called "pregnant woman mountain". Can't fault it. It has a large freshwater lake in what must have been the crater of an old volcano.
An hour later we speed off via a bat cave. The boat's engine then packs in and our captain has to call for assistance. Happily the sea is very calm and after 10 minutes or so another boat arrives containing an Indian couple doing the same trip who had clearly been expecting a romantic cruise. They are very gracious as the 4 of us climb on board.
We go to a bay with lots of sea eagles and then on to another island with a beach. Alistair bought us all cans of 7-Up. As soon as Janice sits down, a monkey appears. She leaps up and the monkey steals her drink and disappears behind a tree to enjoy it. More of the creatures then appear and rifle through other bathers' bags looking for food.
Back at the the hotel, we have time for a swim and lunch before flying back to Singapore. We spend the evening sorting out our bags for the next leg. Our American from yesterday is on the champagne in celebration of Barack Obama's election victory.
Langkawi: great resort hotels and enough to keep us amused for a few days but we probably don't need to go back.
