L A N G K A W I
Yup.
An island situated on the far north of Malaysia. There are 2 ways to reach this mystical island (yup, forgot to tell ya, it's an ISLAND). First, you can drive from any point of origin and park your vehicle at either Kuala Kedah Jetty (North-South Highway, Exit Alor Setar Utara) - the ferry ride (cost about RM24 one way) would take approximate 1h 30m. OR you drive further up and park at Kuala Perlis Jetty. The ferry ride (cost RM18 one way) from there shall take around 45 minutes.
Or you can take the flight. quite a number of airlines fly to langkawi nowadays range from MAS, Airasia, Firefly, Malindo Air. Take your pick. The airfare would be very much depend on the season - low season would be slightly cheaper and peak season could cost you more. alah, rajin2 la hog the airlines website for promotion. you can get as cheap as RM20 you know. if you are lucky, that is.
Anyway, back to my topic. I have recently went to Langkawi for a good 6 days and 7 nights stay. Cenang was the preferred location as there are abundant of activities you can join and everything is within walking distance. The night life too is bad either especially if it's holiday and weekend. I stayed at The Cabin, situated next to the Underwater World and i must say this: it was a perfect location with great lodging facilities. Though it is not beachfront, the location and exterior is just nice and inviting. Plus, the room is super clean and equipped with IKEA furniture; makes you feel as if you stay in IKEA showroom - cuma xde meatball je lah. hahah.
MAKAN | WHERE TO EAT
Hmm. this is a very interesting topic but can be quite tricky in approaching it. Mainly because all of us have different appetite, tastebud, preferences etc. etc. So, this is my take on where to eat, what to eat, when to eat at Langkawi.
1. Wonderland - my go to place whenever i visited this island. I first tried it when I was assigned on 2 weeks working trip at Langkawi International Dialogue. There, I got to know this fella whose from the island and he introduced to this humble restaurant. It is a chinese restaurant but halal. And, it's a place for local.
First rule of thumb when traveling: GO WHERE THE LOCAL EATS. So, there you go.
For this trip, We ordered (there were five of us):
1. Sotong goreng tepung (Deep fried battered squid)
2. Udang lipan Kam Heong (Kam Heong Mantis Prawn)
3. Ketam cili (Chili crab)
4. Kerapu stim limau (Steam garoupa with lime sauce)
5. Ketam Lembut goreng (Deep fried soft shell crab)
6. Sayur cap cai (Mix vegetables in oyster sauce)
7. Air asam boi (lime juice)
AND for tapau;
8. Mee hailam
9. Nasi goreng cina
---------------> THAT, FOR THE COST OF RM180.00 *sila nanges. murah gila.
but enjoy these pix yea. unedited and mostly random from my many many many many trips to langkawi (more than 10 times i think)
I am going to let the pictures do the talking. I'll add description below it and narrate interesting story behind it.
For normal islands hopping, the cost vary from rm30-50. Hmm depending how luck u r. Hehek so, wise to do some research.
This was at Pulau Beras Basah. You won't miss it cos it's included in the package for Islands Hopping. Apart from Beras Basah, you'll get to go to Pulau Dayang Bunting and witness feeding frenzy with them eagle.
Isle hopping kicked off with pulau beras basah for skinny deep, Pulau Lang for feeding frenzy with the eagles n Pulau Dayang Bunting.
 |
| Feeding the eagles with chicken skins. It was a spectacular show. |
At pulau beras basah (pbb), you can swim and normally the guide would allocate 45 min for some skinny dipping. Beautiful and secluded beach. Depending on the package, some tour would provide buffet + bbq lunch at pbb but its gonna cost u more.
So, bring some dry clothes yall!
After pbb, we went to pulau lang to feed the eagles. Well, not exactly. The guide would b thrwing the chicken meat on the sea
Next, we went to pulau dayang bunting (pdb) or isle of pregnant maiden. Pdb, legend has it that a couple from different realm met and fell in love. They married and the wife was pregnant. 7 days after delivery, the child tragically died. They buried the child at the bottom of the lake to forever immortalize the baby.
This is where i found the story:
Now, onto fact: the lake was formed from the ruined of huge cave collapsed thousand years ago and water started to fill in the crater.
Now, here's some breathtaking view of PDB:
Below: Cable car ride to Gunung Mat Chincang:
The above are the pictures taken from Gunung Mat Chincang. It's the island latest attraction. and you gotta go to Oriental Village for it. Then, hop on the cable car to reach the top. If you are lucky and there's no cloud, you'll get to see Thailand from there.
This is Mahsuri Tomb. The legendary story fame for her beauty and the central character of Langkawi itself. You cannot skip from visiting the mausoleum and the tourists site built in honor of Mahsuri.
Above: the view behind the airport. A must visit spot for food hunter. every day at about 2pm onwards, you'll get to eat from the mobile truck which specializes in Rojak Campur, Laksa Ayer Hitam, Laksa Penarak and Cendol. My personal favorite is Laksa Power mobile truck. Look for it. A cosy place and you'll get to eat facing the sea. Bliss.
These 3 pix are taken at Mutiara Beach Resort. A private resort but we sneaked our way in just to see what's the fuss is all about. Well, beautiful beach, very calm and private. Nice, like any other beaches all over Langkawi. Heh.
PANTAI TENGKORAK (SKULL'S BEACH)
Pantai tengkorak is a beautiful beach. Secluded n unique in its own way. To get there, take road to the Datai. You wont miss it.
So, how did pantai tengkorak (PT) got its name? At PT you'll clearly see Koh Tarutao, an island own by Thailand. In the 1930s the island served as locked up for criminals. And the island was infested by sharks and salt crocodiles. Any criminals tried to escape and swim, will be eaten alive and killed by sharks and crocs surrounding the island. So all the remains and skeletons of these unfortunate souls were washed away and reached this beach. Hence, the name. I know, creepy. And, there's also scary tale surrounding the beach area especially those who camp there. Yup, campsites are available too.
TIPS: Near Pantai Tengkorak, there's Ibrahim Hussein museum up the hill. Anther gem and for artsy partsy people, you just gotta go and visit it. Awesome in it's way. We were not allowed to take photos from inside, so what you have here are the pics from the outside hehe. Like below:
