Langkawi: The Eagle Has Landed Again....

Been to Langkawi for holidays, twice with family (during schooling days) & twice with the Akurians. Check my previous posts on 2009 & 2010. I always have a strange, warm feeling towards the island & this made me itching to go back there ever since. Got back there last September & was looking to check out places never been visited before. Flew to the island in a Malindo Air flight for the first time from Subang airport. A must-do thing irrregardless how many times u visit the island, is to view the sunset. There are many places around the island to check this out. Went to Pantai Cenang on same evening to have the magnificient view.

Sunset at Pantai Cenang

Took a visit to Langkawi Underwater World the next day morning. Surprisingly, although a smaller place, the varieties of marine life there are comparable to SEA Aquarium Singapore. Next is to Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells). Pretty steep 500m walk up the stairs, reminding me of the last trip to Kinabalu. Once reached, u see some multiple ponds, probably that's why the name. Had I bring my spare clothes, I could have dipped myself into the chilling cool water.


One of the Happy Feet movie character



Telaga Tujuh waterfall (Seven Wells)

At top of the waterfall

Stayed in this new boutique styled Fave Hotel, situated between the popular Cenang beach & the quieter, serene Tengah beach. Simple & elegant, that's the words to describe the hotel. For the budget conscious first timers who want to stay at affordable hotels at "happening" place, then Cenang beach area is for u. This place has changed so much since my last time. Ranging 5-stars to budget, there's at least 20 hotels along this coast I think. Food?? With choices ranging from Thai, Malay, Indian, Chinese, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic etc, all foods are available within walking distance from the hotel at reasonable prices.

This is what makes me love Langkawi !!! Beers sold at super kao kao cheap price. U drink as if there's no tomorrow !!!

Grilled Lobster with Garlic  - Served in one of many seafood restaurants sprouted all over the island

Chilling at the hotel swimming pool, I just wish the time can stop right there !!!

There are many tours available & we took this half day Payar island snorkeling tour at MYR 90.00/pax. Bus picked us up to the jetty point, where we took the 1 hour ferry ride to a platform base, located just off Payar island. Choices of marine lives here are rather limited. but still enjoyable when u have fishes swimming to u immediately when u put your feet into the water.

The platform base

Surrounded by tropical fishes

Took the flight home on the next day. Being an outdoor person, I still find the island yet to be fully explored when there's still many other tours tried such as sunset cruise, the eagle feeding tour, hiking, jet-ski at swamp area etc. Next trip perhaps??

It's Langkawi...Again !!!

Another long overdue post on the annual Akurians' trip last December. This time, again to Langkawi. Still can't figure out why we went back to the same place. Personally, I felt the island has much to offer & we've yet to fully explore all places yet. Same quartet plus Paul, Emma & Eriq this time.

At the hotel pool

Arrived there on New Year eve and checked into this Langkawi Boutique Resort at Cenang beach. For RM 150.00 per nite, room pretty big with 2 queen-size beds although the whole hotel looked a bit runned down. No complaint about the pool though. With its man-made waterfall & lagoon styled design, we guys just need to have a dip. Later, we joined the gals at the beach across the street to witness the best sunset scene I've ever seen on Malaysian shore. Truly amazing to see how the sky changed to some unimagined colours within minutes. Had delicious seafood dinner at restaurant nearby before joining the New Year eve party, held along the Cenang beach. Thousands, especially the expatriates thronged the beach to watch reggae band performance, fire-show, some lantern lighting activity & of course fireworks. Typical Patong style.

Sunset shot as seen at Cenang beach without any touch of Adobe

Scene on New Year Eve in Cenang beach

This trip around, we decided to go beach hopping, other than where we went during the previous visit. Next morning, we went to the secluded Pasir Tengkorak beach at the other side of the island. Beautiful turquoise coloured water with clean, unhabited beach. Maj said it's frequented by locals only. Thus, not many people around & still unspoilt. Sincerely hope it will stays like this till the next visit again. Later, went hanging out besides the Temurun waterfall, located 5 minutes drive away. The water is so crystal clear that it's almost looked non-existent. Next stop to Pasir Hitam (Black Sand) beach. With name like that, no further explanation required on what's the attraction available.

Serene & quiet - Pasir Tengkorak beach

Skinny dip in lagoon like this is sooo tempting. Almost did it

They said the water is so clean that u can drink it straight away

And finally to Tanjung Rhu beach where Shangri-la & Four Seasons are located. Here, u can see a wonderful work of nature where u can walk to the island nearby on foot when it's low tide. It's as if there's treasures to be uncovered at the island and the secret path has been unlocked for us to reach there. We had dinner at a Russian USSR restaurant at Telaga Harbour before got back to hotel. We went to Kuah town for shopping the next morning before going back to KL in the afternoon.

The gang at Tanjung Rhu beach

On the long beach stretch

Notice the naturally made walkway to the island

Telaga Harbour at night with multiple choices of international restaurants

Made a promise to myself that i shall be back to the island to finish the tours of other attractions in the island. There are still eagle feeding, sunset cruise, Payar island snorkelling, island hopping & others...Who's joining me ehh??

Langkawi Langkawi

Okay, Akurians..this is the wayyyyy toooooo long for me to call tis an overdue post. But its better late than never rite?? This is the 2nd edition of annual Akurians reunion trip held in Langkawi last 29th-31st Dec 2008. Some of u may suggest might as well spend the New Year Eve on the island. Excellent idea in fact but being true frens we are, we adapted the timing to the schedule of certain someone, who ffk in the end...P Anyhow, we go ahead with only 4 persons this time; Maj, Nei, Ray & myself.

Got ourselves a rented Hyundai Accent at rate of RM 200.00 flat for 3 days duration once arrived (pretty cheap I would say during tis triple peak season) & checked into the Aseania Resort hotel. This hotel is strategically situated at the junction between the Kwai-Loh invaded Cenang beach & the serene Tengah beach. Room is pretty comfy, air-con working nicely & hot water available...way better than Pangkor rooms and swimming pool is sooo tempting that u just wanna jump into it even with your clothes on. No prize for guessing what's the first thing we did after checking in. There's mini jacuzzi, water slides, giant mushrooms falls, man-made waterfalls & even man-made rivers, all in one. Being camwhores we are, I can safely say 1/4 of total photos taken for tis trip are scenes from tis swimming pool....

Pantai Cenang. Sundecks need to be rented with separate pricing for umbrellas

See me practicing the new Zen exercise - floating over the water

Freaked out over an uninvited guest emerging from the pool

1st day dinner was at a Spanish restaurant, Tapaz, one of the many multi-fusion restaurants at the Telaga Harbour situated just in front of countless millionaires' toys (we called them yachts in proper term) parked at the harbour. The harbour's ambience makes you truly feel like one of the rich & famous, coupled with oldies music played by live band whole nite long. And yes, the ex-PM Dr.M's owned bakery's The Loaf was located here as well. Next day stop is to Langkawi Oriental Village where we took the cable car ride to Mount Matcinchang. Here placed an overhead skybridge, which should be highlighted in Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering.

Millionaires' toys parked at Telaga Harbour

Langkawi Oriental Village

The Skybridge - not for the faint hearted

Akurians with the Skybridge at the back

Looking at the height & condition of the hanging bridge, even AJ Hacketts will probably need to think twice before introducing bungy jumping here. When it's windy, u can really feel the bridge is moving. Later, we took the car for round island trip before stopped by at Pantai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand beach). Understand the sand colour here is due to natural cause & not oil leak or whatever. Went to Kuah town for shopping after that. The whole island is duty free, in case u dunno. The wide range of chocolates & liquors here certainly put the airport duty free shops to shame. Bought few cans of foreign beers for testing, costing only approx RM 2.50 each. You see, a can of beer here is way cheaper than a bottle of mineral water. Eagle Square is a must for all visitors to this island especially during dusk. Photo enthusiasts will be thrilled at the heavenly sight of the sunset.

The quiet & serene Black Sand beach, notice the colour of the sand

The island mascot at Eagle Square

Scenic sunset, as if the Light shining down from Heaven

Despite of being in late twenties, all of us seems to have the tendency to jump around whenever we posed, no thanks to the inaugural jump we had in pangkor last time..:) Had seafood dinner at Cenang beach before testing all liquors/beers in the room. Next morning, we took the morning walk to Tengah beach where lots, lots & lots of camwhoring shots taken before lunch along Cenang beach. Later, we catched the evening flight back to KL, just in time for New Year Eve celebrations.

We jumped at the pool, familiar sight huh??

at the beach....

on the Skybridge, some 652 metres above sea level.....

and even on room beds...

Collections of beers & liquors. All the beers suxx, except for Budweiser maybe....Tiger is da best !!!

Trip this around truly lived up just like what I expected earlier. Fun in the sun with great company. Never mind the small number of people, it's the quality times spent with people ur comfortable with that matters. So peeps, start look around for places for 3rd edition ya...Enough said bout the island, to the officials of Langkawi Tourism Board if ur reading this, can I demand a commision of sorts for promoting the island here???

December Round-Up

Been a busy month here & tat's why the non-updates of blog posts. Now it's reaching the end of the year. There's the Bangkok airport closure at beginning of the month, creating much needed business for our KLIA airfreight business, Mahikari Tai Jamboree held last weekend, Thiru's beautiful wedding in Cyberview Lodge Cyverjaya and upcoming Langkawi trip with the Akurians tomorrow...Can't sleep well now....

More posts will be coming soon after I'm back and...

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!