A little piece of paradise

I won’t forget that comic wonder on Steve’s face when he discovered that he could buy a litre of vodka for the equivalent of £7, but it would be tragic if this was to be my overriding memory of Langkawi.

A smooth road trip, a ferry journey, unbelievable sunsets, startling lizards and magnificent eagles — Langkawi (All photos by author)

Yes, it’s a duty-free island. Yes, we seriously contemplated migrating there from Penang while we were in the duty-free shop. But really, it’s a little piece of Paradise.

It’s a mini archipelago in fact, with one main island surrounded by a cluster of smaller ones, many of which are composed of the classic steep-sided limestone so typical in this part of the world.

You can fly there or you can drive — well, that is to say, you can drive so far and then get on a RoRo ferry. Steve and Pat flew up from Penang after spending a week with us and we did the drive about three days later. It was an easy 8-hour road/ferry trip from one island to another — across the bridge from Penang Island, straight up the North-South Expressway as far as Changlun, westwards to the ferry port at Kuala Perlis, a two-hour sail to the main island of Langkawi and a twenty-minute drive to the hotel.

We probably could’ve done the whole journey in 7 hours but at the port of Kuah we spent nearly an hour doing nothing and going nowhere while we waited for the vessel belonging to the other ferry line to vacate the dock. C’est la vie.

But, as luck would have it, we were in pole position. First off the boat as soon as the ramp hit home, the Tanjung Rhu resort safely programmed into the navigation system, we headed for the north of the island and much-needed cocktails.

The Kuala Perlis to Langkawi car ferry, Malaysia. (All photos by author)

The Tanjung Rhu, like so many hotels around the world, has suffered unnecessarily in recent years of utter madness. It’s on its way back now and half the hotel is currently under renovation. It’s in an idyllic location, situated as it is on a broad beach that overlooks a sprinkling of tiny islands with the larger Ko Tarutao (part of Thailand) on the horizon. Its two residential wings are faced in a warm, cream colour and they curve around a central courtyard that’s filled with well-maintained, mature plants and trees. Having opted for a suite, we had a choice of balconies — one overlooking this courtyard and the other overlooking the beach.

The Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia. (All photos by author)

Early morning, low tide, and there’s an unexpected route to the tiny islands nearby. (All photos by author)

I love Penang, but at night it's never truly silent, even in the small hours. At the Tanjung Rhu there's nothing to hear apart from a few night bird calls and the constant background surges of the Andaman Sea. (today’s nit-picking fact….looking at the map it seems that Langkawi is actually in the northern reaches of the Straits of Malacca).

Mention Penang to anyone with Far Eastern travel experience or aspirations and you’ll end up in a debate about food. On Langkawi too, diners are spoilt for choice. As with all choices, some can be excellent (local seafood spots — can’t beat them for quality and price) and some are less so (fish and chips in South East Asia?… Hmmm, maybe not).

A little piece of Paradise… Pictures speak louder than words, they say.

The 'Bat Cave', near Langkawi, Malaysia. (All photos by author)

Travel tip — wear a hat in the Bat Cave. Not necessarily a construction helmet — the stalactites are largely avoidable, but the, er, gifts from the hundreds of tiny bats clustered on the roof are not.

Thieves are everywhere these days… (All photos by author)

These pick-pockets are not subtle. Make sure your valuables are safely zipped up and out of sight and hold tightly onto your bags. Pat was fortunate to only lose her water bottle…and the little so-and-so didn’t even bother to drink the water.

Pantai Panjang (Long Beach). Sadly the jellyfish was dead - it was a harmless one. (All photos by author)

Speed boat tour of the surrounding islands and mangroves. (All photos by author)

Swimming off Penang Island is often, unfortunately, a risk due to the local population of stinging jellyfish. Langkawi’s waters are not inhabited by such nasties and support a healthy host of fish. The local eagles are at the top of that food chain but are more attracted to the convenient strips of chicken that the boat operators distribute to draw them to the tourists. It’s a rare opportunity to be able to watch the Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Fish Eagles soar and dive so closely and it’s good to promote such awareness of these magnificent birds, but are we in danger of contributing to the evolution of lazy birds of prey who don’t know how to fish?

Brahminy Kites and Fish Eagles. ‘Fish’ is the clue, but it’s mostly chicken handouts on today’s menu. (All photos by author)

There’s more to see in Langkawi, including the Sky Bridge (last visited by me in 2015) and most importantly in my usual agenda, some Arabian horses to ride on jungle and beach trails. A three-day visit was too short.

https://www.tiktok.com/@chimurengagirl/video/7217018152083868954?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7511258604096456194

I guess I’ll be back.