The biggest advantage of living is South East Asia is that you can hop off to exotic beach getaways at a short notice. Swim, snorkel, ride a bike or just relax and rejuvenate! These locations are perfect for any mood and any activity. One such gem is Langkawi in Malaysia.
Langkawi is actually an archipelago made up of some 99 (mostly uninhabited) islands in the Andaman Sea some 30 km off the mainland coast of Malaysia. Pulau Langkawi is the largest of these islands and is one of the four island inhabited. It has a very beautiful, rustic country side feel to it.
We have been to Langkawi twice - once for a week long leisure vacation and then again a flying visit as a land tour which was a part of the cruise vacation we had taken. (More of that later) This island is definitely a small piece of heaven on earth! On one hand turquoise waters and the pristine beaches entice you and on the other hand the lush paddy fields and wild green hills lure you to explore them. Its a constant war of wanting to just relax on the beaches and giving in to the adventurous side in you.
The first time round, we stayed in Mutiara Burau Bay Resort. I don't know about others, but this is definitely an awesome place to stay. It has a bunch of tiny wooden cabins built about a meter above the ground on a foundation of concrete pillars, wood and bamboos. The front decks face the sea. All you have to do is stroll about a 100 meters and you are on the private beach. The beach in itself is littered with inviting beach chairs and the shady trees which have swings tied on them. What more can one ask for!
I guess if you are in Langkawi it makes sense to stay at a resort with a private beach. Though these resorts are obviously away from the town, you can always hire a bike to venture out (which you must). The bikes here are small motor bikes that remind you of a scooter. We hired one and explored the whole island like nomads! It was amazing! Small clusters of houses give way to stunning paddy fields and lush green forests and a never ending coastline! Halt anywhere click pics or just seep in the beauty!
Another must see attraction in Langkawi is the cable car ride to the Langkawi Sky Bridge in the Oriental Village, Pantai Kok (at the foot hill of the Machincang mountain range). Arrive here by a bike or simply hail a cab. The queue for the cable car ride is usually very long, especially during the school holidays. So, do the smart thing like us and go for the paid 'Express Ride Pass' if you are short on time. We not only saved time but also got a pin badge and a shot glass as a souvenir in return. So double whammy! We were super excited to take the ride since it was a first time for my hubby.
The ride was so exciting and fun and the view of the lush green forests below and the seven wells waterfalls was so stunning that we soon forgot all our fear and didn't even realize when we reached the middle station. Here we got off and went on to explore the surrounding area and then off we went to the Top Station. This is the top of Gunung Machincang, 708 meters above sea level. The breeze here was super cool and the view simply amazing! We could see the entire forest land and endless sea dotted with ships that looked like toys. We were lucky the first time and also got to visit the Langkawi Sky Bridge which was closed for maintenance the second time. This is the bridge where the Bollywood movie Don: The Chase Begins Again was shot. The ride downhill was a bit scary but fun!
Once down, the Oriental Village is a perfect place for some cheap retail therapy. You can find variety of knick-knacks ranging from clothes to souvenirs to lovely decorative pieces made from bamboo or shells. You can also relax and enjoy some fish pedicure. But I would advise to keep shopping for later on.
We didn't go island hopping or for water sports here because we well planning to just a rest and relax on this break! There are lots of other activities ranging from water sports to trekking that one can indulge in in Langkawi. I hope we'll be going back for them soon! But we really didn't miss anything as we spent the mornings in the pools or in the spa, afternoons reading under the trees and evenings strolling on the beach, making small talk, sipping yummy cocktails and watching the sun go down! Absolute bliss!
I guess enough of me and let the pictures speak thousand words!
Do let me know if you liked it!
Our Wooden Cabin in the resort!
Bar! At high tide, it gets surrounded by water!
Relaxing Beach chairs!
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| Entrance to the Oriental Village! |
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| Oriental Village! |
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Langkawi Sky Bridge!      |
