Well, another week and another trip away.
Last Tuesday Shane and I set off for a few days in Langkawi. To be honest we weren’t sure if it would be a waste of time or not as we’d heard mixed reviews about it so we limited the trip to just 3 days. Big mistake. 3 months would have been better. Not having been there before we weren’t sure what to expect. We also have no past history with Langkawi to compare its’ growth to but we were surprised at just what the island had to offer.
Langkawi is just a ferry trip away from Penang. About $25AUD and 2 hours & 45 minutes later we landed at the ferry terminal. The island is a duty free haven but with some strange rules. Things like the only place to buy DF alcohol and smokes to take from the island is at the airport & ferry terminals and then you must have been on the island for a minimum 48 hours. Other DF alcohol and smokes must be consumed there. It’s weird (and just new) rules but it didn’t bother us.
After we navigated our way through a jam packed terminal to the street we figured we’d stop for a coffee and let the crowd dilute a bit. Starbucks was the only refuge from the crowd but that crowd just wasn’t going to dilute. As more people left more ferries came in (from Thailand – only a few kms north – and other islands and parts unknown to us). Eventually we took some mandatory shots of the Langkawi Eagle, which is huge, before grabbing a cab to our ‘digs’ at Resorts World.
Also in this group of pictures is of Cenang Beach, the main part of Langkawi where things happen. Beats Kuta Beach at Bali by a mile as firstly you are not hassled by merchants and secondly it wasn’t crowded even though it was school holidays here. (BTW – the two sunset pics are from the beach here. Gorgeous.)
The pictures in this group of posts (on Langkawi) area bit out of order because frankly there was so much to see and do that if I put it into one post it would make “War & Peace” a short novel. There’s a picture of Shane doing what Shane does best, shopping for clothes (or anything else). This is followed by some important picture of us having drinks at “The Cliff” bar/restaurant at the end of the beach where we met up (finally) with a Facebook friend who has been a wonderful help to us in our settling in at Penang and Malaysia.
Celia and her husband Danny were wonderful hosts who showed us a great night out in Cenang. Actually, too good of a night out. We had a ball and drank so much I was glad I wasn’t driving the next day. Terrific fun with a tremendous couple who really took care of us. Thank You Celia and Danny.
I have added some pictures of Shane & my outing to Underwater World (prior to meeting up with Celia). I will post another whole new thread on “Fur, Feathers, Fins and Flowers” asap because to put them all here would be too much to handle. So if you’re into these things (orchids and animals to start with) watch for that thread soon.
To cut a long story short we were only staying at Resorts World (RW) because of Shane’s mediation. I had, in my search for accommodation, burnt my bridges with them. They made the mistake of replying to my enquires (7 of them about price, facilities etc) with an Auto-response by email robot that did not address any of my queries. Shane managed to not only get the answers I required but accepted a very good deal at vastly reduced prices then to our dismay on arrival they upgraded us to their top suite. This was the “Premier Room with seaviews”. Fantastic room although it was starting to show it’s age with some wear and tear. Looking over the marina and to the East the sunrises were spectacular (as I found out on our last day).
The first two pictures are the passage to the lobby and the lobby itself. The 3rd pic shows the room entry which has the built ins and study table to the left. Out of sight is one door to the bathroom. Look to the right and you see the lounge and bedroom, separated by the most magnificent slump glass partition we’ve ever seen. Around to the left (behind the TV) is another door to the bathroom which has a bath at one end and a shower and separate toilet room at the other. The next picture shows the view at sunrise from our balcony which is on the right, top floor, with the arch over the door. On the boardwalk in front of our unit is the ‘obligatory’ roadsign which eventually takes you to the pool. The final pic is just a funny one that sits at the end of the wharf where you go boating from to keep trespassers away.
That folks is a general view of our Langkawi. Watch the next two posts to see what we did while there. I promise you it will blow you away. We’re still staggered.
Cheers
Garry & Shane